bits and pieces

"Being-easy-on-myself" kind of day

2012-02-10T23:25:00.001+09:00

Cleaned my room
Cleaned the fridge
Made a big pot of vegetable soup
Walked to the bank
Happy that my account is "recharged"
Bused to town
Paid n got my ticket for Chicago
Enjoyed a nice comforting cup of grande light syrup whole soy chai tea latte
With my read "into the wild"
Strolled around n walked into the cinema thinking
"if there is a movie starting at this moment, I will watch it"
And as I checked my phone: 17:45
Screening schedule: ...Happy ending...17:45
It's a Sign!
Enjoyed the movie with only 2 other ppl in the theater
A bit of tears, a bit of laughters
Hungry for sushi
Walked into kaiten (rotating)sushi shop
Feeling full and satisfied
Took a nice 75mins walk home
Relaxing in my bath
And currently blogging

I cannot ask for more

more red envelopes please?

2012-02-07T11:22:00.000+09:00

after 16 years of not celebrating a REAL chinese new year
i finally got to enjoy it in my last year of being single

chinese new year is much better when you are single
you get all these red/gold envelopes from families and friends
what's in the envelopes?
money!
of course! seeing families and friends are priceless
but who can resist from having some extra pocket money?

engagement

2012-01-06T23:33:00.000+09:00

on 2011.12.03

two oaths were exchanged

a promise was made

until our wedding day

my daddy

2011-12-29T03:20:00.001+09:00

a fun and silly brother

a caring mentor
a patient listener
a talented painter
a wise teacher
a humble learner
a crazy friend
a faithful servant
a loving father

what can I ask for more from one person?
i am so blessed to have you as my father

all my memories you are filled with laugthers

thank you for all the crazy and fun moments we have shared
thank you for all the adventures we have been through
thank you for all the opportunities you have given me
thank you for all the time you spent listening to and praying for/with me
thank you for all the wise words you have spoken
thank you for all the freedom and love you have given
thank you for letting me be me

happy birthday

my hero
my daddy

i love you

the first of everything

2011-12-26T13:25:00.000+09:00

There is always a first time of everything

On December 23rd, 2011

I gave my first to stitches

Sewing?

Well...it's sewing something together

Just not on a piece of cloth

But on my finger...my left index finger

Yes
I had an operation...just a tiny one
I cut my finger
By peeling an apple
My right hand slipped
the knife slide through the smooth round surface of the apple
And cut right into my left index finger

For the next second
The half cut apple was flying in the air
My finger was red with blood in an instant
Pain, but I couldn't scream

I quietly turned the tap

Place my wounded finger under the cold water

Wrapped it with paper towel with an ice pack
And went back to my new year card writing

After 2 hours
4 sheets of paper towel changed
30 cards written
My finger was still bleeding
Hmm...better go to the doctor

Everything in the clinic happened too quick

Before I realized

My finger was anesthetized

Three stitches were sewed
And my finger stopped bleeding

It's the unexpected
that make our lives become an adventurous journey

Merry Christmas!
Warning:
The following image is not pretty
view in your own caution

here. there. and in between.

2011-12-21T15:04:00.000+09:00

yesterday...

4:53am home
5:42am Kanazawa JR station
9:55am Tokyo JR station
10:27am at school
13:52pm out of school
15:19pm at Chihiro Museum, Tokyo
18:12pm Tokyo JR station
22:23 Kanazawa JR station
22:58 home

i was here and there
and the in between made my day a little brighter and happier

to you

2011-11-04T22:07:00.000+09:00

the lady on my left is the most wonderful woman on earth
she gave birth to me
she held and caressed me, she saw me took my first step
she spanked me, she got mad at me
she smiles for me, she cries for me, she prays for me

we are different in so many ways
yet we are similar in so many

she is the person i fought with the most
yet we love each other so

there are times when i secretly wish to have a someone else as my mother
yet she is still and will always be the best mother to me

today is her birthday
happy birthday, ma-mi
i love you

from fruit to jam

2011-11-04T20:59:00.000+09:00

persimmons

grown by obachan

persimmon jam

made by hiukei

it's nice to have a 2nd (or 3rd) hometown

visited my 'hometown' in japan yesterday

2 bags of fresh vegetables

6 oranges

6 grapefruits

a bag full of persimmon

a jar of homemade miso

a bag of chestnut

the word grateful is not enough to express my gratitude

but i am truly grateful

for being so loved

thank you

arigatou

ありがとう

red + white + a little black + the sky

2011-10-24T15:09:00.001+09:00

flying up

by lake michigan

first journey with my new black converse

fall is beautiful

2011-10-17T13:19:00.001+09:00

taking a nice walk in busse woods

view of my new place in kanazawa

nostalgic?

beauty in solitude

m.o.n.t.r.e.a.l

2011-09-07T01:16:00.000+09:00

why does this city become so much more attractive after i am not living here?

the sky
the streets
the food (oh...the food!)
the people
downtown
even metro and buses seem more fun than before

it's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD to be back

spending some quality time at the park with the little one
i'll miss you and everything here

good bye...my beautiful spacious apartment

2011-07-25T17:01:00.001+09:00

i'll miss you

today marks the beginning of my

nomadic life

August and September will be adventurous

so many to look forward to!

it's summer...it's all about the ice cream

2011-07-05T23:59:00.001+09:00

it's summer
japan is hot and above all...HUMID

which means
everyone loves ice cream

♪　you scream i scream we all scream for ice cream　♪

my oasis

2011-06-24T10:16:00.007+09:00

Life is just hectic...in a good way
apartment hunting,
goodbye speech, tears,
papers filling, data collecting

packing

scheduling

it's hard leaving 5 years worth of life
but it's definitely exciting entering into the unknown (well, partly unknown...i am not that adventurous)

well, between all these chaos

my oasis was found in movies...animation to be exact for this post

i am usually not a big fan of animation except for Hayao Miyazaki

but recently i have found a new love

Sylvain Chomet

I actully found out about him from "Hayao Miyazaki's reommendations" corner at the DVD rental shop

"Les Triplettles de Belleville" was just simply fun to watch

the music is playful and i love the artwork

Tonight...i am going to treat myself to a movie at the cinema

"L'illusionniste"

it's a miracle that they are showing it on screen here in Ishikawa

it's a sign!!!

must go!!

reports? online lecture? packing?

oh...they can wait...

and guess what?

it's July soon!!!

what does that mean?

Giburi's film will be shown on TV every fridays in July!!!!

oh...pure joy!!

between "An Education" and "Hors de Prix"

2011-06-08T09:30:00.001+09:00

Finally got to rent the 2 movies I have been longing to see
"An Education"

"Hors de Prix (Priceless)" (thanks melli!!!)

LOVE THEM!
both are EXACTLY my kind of movie

simple but fun (convey a clear message)
great acting
beautiful setting (France and England...oh...Europe...i long for you)
AWESOME costume
(seriously!!!goggled whenever the protagonists have a new outfit on...)
(i...who rarely wear dresses except on special occasions... am now dying to wear one)
last but not least...
the protagonists!!
How can anyone resist the charms of Carey Mulligan and Audrey Tautou?

start it right

2011-06-04T12:11:00.000+09:00

you know your day just can't go too wrong

when you can sleep in till 10

cook a nice bowl of oatmeal

turn on the tv

play the DVD that you rented yesterday

sprinkle some cinnamon and add a hint of maple syrup

go back into your blanket again

with that bowl of oatmeal

i love mornings on saturday

about English...(the language)

2011-06-01T17:03:00.000+09:00

to start off with
i am not good at English
although is the language i am most fluent at (i think...my chinese is funny, my cantonese sounds even funnier, my japanese has huge room for improvement and don't even mention about my french...)

English is a VERY VERY VERY difficult language
period
the longer i teach it
the more i realize how difficult it is

my English students always asked me very interesting and challenging questions
which makes me feel totally incompetent
but i LOVE it!!

here is my ~~secret~~ confession
i never thought i would say it but
english is...hmm...quite sexy
i think i am slowly falling in love with the language

maybe it's about time for me to relearn the language

Hello, English
Nice to meet you

...and May it is

2011-05-26T16:02:00.000+09:00

say...June is around the corner!!

gosh~ where did May go?

May has been amazingly to me so far

-road trip down to Mt. Fuji

-completion of my researh grant application (finger crossed)

-a brief visit to Tokyo

-Mother's day

-girls night (cheese fondue home party is THE best)

-jogging along the river, around the lake

-sprawling...cartwheeling...on the grass under the sun

-warmth, sunshine, blue sky

-joy, laugthers

-desserts, cakes, crepes, sweets

-love, hugs, phonecalls, skype

"if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" 1 John 4:12

thank you for your love

a bit of fun

2011-04-14T17:32:00.000+09:00

sitting under the full blossom sakura is a little boring?

let's add a bit of fun!!

kids surely know how to enjoy the sakura to the fullness

kids' laugthers

blue sky

warmth

full bloomed sakura

what can i ask for more

coming soon

2011-04-07T10:38:00.003+09:00

can you see the pink?

can you smell the pink?

can you hear the pink?

can you feel the pink?

sakura is around the corner!!

i am not a big fan of pink
but i can't resist the full blossom of sakura in spring

unsettled self

2011-04-01T11:41:00.002+09:00

i am so unsettled about myself
sometimes it's annoying
i want to be free from thoughts like:
-what others think about me
-how others see me
-i wish to be like someone else
-i am not good enough

i am a happy person in general

i mean...i am happy while i am writing this

it's just annoying
i am annoyed by myself

i don't hate myself
but i guess i don't like myself enough
does that make sense?

anyways
i don't know where i am going with this post
i am just excited my weekend will be starting in 30 mins
and
according to the weather forecast
it will be sunny

this is exactly what the world needs now

2011-03-24T22:21:00.000+09:00

i forgot how much i used to and still love this song

there are just so many versions to it

i wish coldplay i can hear the full version by Coldplay

about the quake...

2011-03-16T11:11:00.002+09:00

there are so much going on that i can't wrap my thoughts around it

earthquake...tsunami...
they didn't affect my area at all
now with the radiation...
ppl are telling me to leave
which makes me even more anxious

is japan really ok?
what's going to happen?
honestly
i don't think anyone has an answer

one thing for sure:
"The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace."
Psalm 29:10-11

image by by fly51fly

all is to say
i am safe
don't worry

what do i want to most now?

2011-03-04T18:51:00.000+09:00

a nice cup of hot chocolate/ soy chai latte
and a nice warm hug

if i can only pick one out of the 2
i want the hug

i really hate
being sick and living alone
the two just don't work well together
you feel extra vulnerable and lonely

what are common in these 2 photos?

2011-02-28T23:58:00.000+09:00

ayumi

candy-like candle (b-day present from m.)

1. they make me smile
2. they are sweet
3. they make me feel warm at heart
4. they are cute....so VERY VERY cute (especially the one in the 1st pix)
5. i like them

if i am her...

2011-02-21T23:01:00.000+09:00

i don't wanna know how many bowls are waiting in front of me...

seoul is a very interesting city...i dun even know how to sum it up
but one thing for sure:
foods there are amazing!!

getting better at blogging

2011-02-18T09:41:00.000+09:00

hmm...i love reading other's blogs
the more i read others
the more i realize how boring my blog is...(hmm...)
well,
1)it's not aritculating
2)it's so vague and broad...like BLAH!
3)the content is shallow and not very fun

but on the other hand
i am reserved (and scared, mostly) about sharing my thoughts
in such a public space

or i am just lazy
reviewing and recaputuring my day
organizing thoughts and feelings
is a very engery consuming task

or there is just nothing exciting happening (which is NOT true..i hope)

all those amazing bloggers out there,
how do you guys do it?

10 things i did in the past month..

2011-02-17T00:32:00.018+09:00

one.

two.

three.

four.

six.

seven.

eight.

1. went to chicago
2. met my parents
3. got stuck in the blizzard
4. celebrated my best friend's birthday with her in vacouver
5. back to work
6. baked oatmeal chocolate chips cookies
7. had a cheese fondue party with friends at home
8. discovered couple nice cafes
9. saw L.A. confidential

10. went to the gym

what did i do on 2011.01.10?

2011-01-13T23:12:00.002+09:00

i had delicious japanese sweets with my lovely friend

i met my 2 aunts who i haven't met in about 3 years

i held an one day old baby

and

i turned 28

in summary:

i had a love-filled birthday

thank you for being part of my life for the past 27 years

you are precious to me

あいがとうございます

これからも　よろしくお願いします。

i bought a 'dream' for 3000 yen

2011-01-06T15:30:00.001+09:00

did it come true?
well, let just say it wasn't a 300000000 dream for me

but i did have a great new year day though

h a p p y 2 o 1 1

let it snow let it snow let is snow

2010-12-25T23:20:00.000+09:00

may your holiday be filled with joy and love...
and snow~

Merry Christmas~

with love

crab with a B

2010-12-10T23:19:00.002+09:00

i guess the pictures spoke for themselves
i never thought crab could taste SO VERY D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S

with japanese sake
it was completed
I was completed
.period.

do you know the muffin man?

2010-12-07T23:12:00.007+09:00

you know you had a good day
when you found a bag of goodies
in front of your door after work

love,
and beloved

ひとみちゃん、ありがとう～

birthday season

2010-12-02T22:36:00.005+09:00

november marks the start of birthday season (among my family and friends)
december is the peak, follows with january
feb marks the end of it

i wonder why most of my friends' birthday are all so close with each other
is this true for you?

happy birthday
to you and you and you~

i am proud of myself

2010-11-27T21:39:00.001+09:00

hiukei 1 : 0 live octopus

'ok! just take it with your chopsticks'
'put it in your mouth'
' and CHEW!!!'
' F A S T!!!'
' CHEW CHEW CHEW!!'
' it's swiggling but it's ok!'
' don't look at it!'
' just CHEWWWWWWWWWWW!'
' okok!! good job!!'
' take a sip of shochu'

thanks to my coach Jeff
and my lovely mental support Johanne
without you guys
this is mission impossible

when it's cold, it's time for...

2010-11-23T15:26:00.002+09:00

quiche!!!
homemade quiche!!

crust from 101 cookbook recipe
(oatmeal and sesame crust is the BEST crust ever!!)
throw in some eggplant, broccoli, ham, cheese, dried tomato, egg and milk
bake in the oven

and
Voila!!

smelling good
feeling warm
D E L I C I O U S

on board...in chicago

2010-11-04T18:48:00.012+09:00

i had a great time in chicago
beatiful weather
lovely people
amazing skyscrapers

the river, the lake, the art institution, the food

and the train aka 'Metra'
somehow it reminds me of Thomas the train

hello visitors

2010-09-30T22:15:00.004+09:00

thank you for singing in the morning

thank you for stopping by at night

a deep breath
a step back
learning how to be still

when you can't buy it

2010-09-09T21:18:00.003+09:00

you make it

that's one of the biggest lesson
i have learned being in japan

i am referring to food

i was graving for hummus
i had some canned chickpeas
mashed it with some spices and seasonings and olive oil

voila~
homemade hummus!!

on a slice of baugette
topped with dried tomato
and i am in heaven

i am a student

2010-09-09T16:42:00.003+09:00

since April
i started my grad program

i hate to say this cos it will sound like i am bragging
but since ppl have been asking...
so...i will just say it once
i am in a phd program
yes, i will become a 'doctor'
that all depends on if i can hand in my thesis 3 years from now

ok with that being said...
i just want to say
i love being a student
learning something you are passionated about
there is nothing better

each meeting with my prof is a self realization of how little i know
i think i am becoming a fan of my prof
this might sound really strange
but i kinda understand how young grad students fall in love with their prof who are like their dad's age
don't worry
i am not going to put myself into something exotic and complicate...haha!

each meeting with the parents is another realization of how LOVING parents are
i am trully touched by each of them
they are all angels to me
i am learning to much from them
it's frightening though
because i don't know if i can be as good as mothers when i become one

each meeting with the kids is another self confirmation of how much i love working with kids
they are just precious little beings from God
they are all different and they are all little darlings

there are more benefits to being a student too
student discount
research trip (domestic and oversea)
meeting lots and lots of really smart people
feeling young...hehe :) (this is a big one!)

i shall save this post as a self encouragment when i start screaming and crying with my thesis in the future

another lesson learned

2010-08-31T23:08:00.003+09:00

read the prescription CAREFULLY before taking it
because
a) you don't want to feel like you are wasted/high at work
b) you don't want to have a purple face at work
c) you don't want to feel like you will vomit anytime
d) you don't want to worry that you may die from the overdose

prescription says:
1 tablet.3 times per day after meal
hiukei read:
3 tablets. 3 times per day after meal

didn't realize i made a mistake until i felt like i couldn't walk straight...
i took 7 pills in total when it should only be 3
overdose on antibiotics is not very fun
not at all

i have definitely learned my lesson

missing jo

2010-08-27T23:08:00.002+09:00

last week
a good old friend/sister came visit
best week this summer ever
yet every hello is followed by a goodbye
saying goodbye is never easy
guess i will just look forward to the next hello

jo,
we shall say hello again in korea!!

The Good Earth

2010-08-18T15:11:00.002+09:00

by Pearl S. Buck
a novel i just finished recently
a very interesting read

with a chinese root
yet
i know nothing about chinese history
yes...
shame on me

take a little break

2010-08-16T13:26:00.010+09:00

away from the country side
into the city

thanks monちゃん for the amazing time~

way back home

2010-08-07T00:47:00.004+09:00

despite the neverending insanely hot and humid summer days
beauty can still be found

as much as i love summer
can the temperature be 30 instead of 35?
it's really unbearable >_<

is 5℃ too much to ask for?

another hot and humid sunday afternoon

2010-07-27T09:47:00.007+09:00

as i went to the museum to see this

i found something more interesting...

good job, dad!!
i am sure that you kids were all happy that you took them out~

==========
the exhibition I went to see (1st pix) was A M A Z I N G!!!
Fujishiro Seiji is currently an 86 years old artist and still active in his field
He is famous for 'shadow art' (影絵）

of course
the real works are 1000000000000000000000000000 times better~

song in a mid summer night

2010-07-23T23:20:00.000+09:00

this is what singing in my head tonight

what a beautiful song
i was so blessed to get to hear it live last Dec

Drawing by Mr. Children

遠い遠い子供の頃夢で見た景色が
一瞬フラッシュバックしたんだ
笑いながら僕の頬にキスをする少女が
君とオーバーラップして

淡い光の曇り空に
フワフワな時を刻んでいく
この素晴らしい　煩わしい気持ちを
真空パックしておけないもんかなぁ

絵に描いたとしても　時と共に何かが色褪せてしまうでしょう
永遠はいつでも　形のない儚い幻影
君と共に　僕の元に

もっともっと上手にいろんな絵を描けたなら
やっぱり君を描きたいな
僕にとって君とは　つまりそう小さいな点
そしてあらゆる総て

デタラメと嘘の奥に
本当の答えが眠っている
この素晴らしい　慌ただしい
人生を二人三脚で越えて行けるかなぁ

どんな場面でも　僕の絵には必ず君が描かれていて
目を閉じたまま深呼吸してみれば分かる
君はいつも　僕のノートに

絵に描いたとしても　時と共に何かが色褪せてしまうでしょう
永遠はいつでも　形のない儚い幻影
君と共に　僕の元に
そしていつも　僕のノートに

0655 & 2355

2010-07-20T13:19:00.012+09:00

image from Eテレ

it's a 5 mins program
by Etele fom NHK

it's a short program that aims to get you ready for work and for bed
i love the concept of the program

they have interesting little theme songs and animation
for 2355
they have a little one min stretch "the crescent moon stretch"
which i absolutely love

obviously
i am never awake for the 0655

check out the site
jap only though...sorry
0655 2355

...but i still like it...

2010-07-20T10:00:00.003+09:00

the overly heated and humid summer in Japan
it's definitely not something enjoyable
...but i still like it...

japanese version of Toy Story 3
really hoping to watch it in English
...but i still like it...
(guys, really GO WATCH TOY STORY 3!!! it's REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY Good!)

d.e.v.a.s.t.a.t.e.d

2010-07-15T14:14:00.003+09:00

i am...
HONESTLY

ok, i love living in the country side
but
i don't like that they are not playing 'Toy Story 3' in English here

can i call it discrimination?!?
have they ever thought of the foreingers here?
ARGGGGGGGH!!

Woody and Buzz speaking in Japanese
hmmm...
well, it's just extremely weird

word of the day

2010-07-02T12:03:00.002+09:00

-o s c u l a t e-

by yuri yurie

def.
1. to come into close contact or union.
2. Geometry . (of a curve) to touch another curve or another part of the same curve so as to have the same tangent and curvature at the point of contact.
3. to bring into close contact or union.
4. Geometry . (of a curve) to touch (another curve or another part of the same curve) in osculation.
5. to kiss.
Origin:
1650–60; < L ōsculātus (ptp. of ōsculārī to kiss), equiv. to ōscul ( um ) kiss, lit., little mouth

maybe it's just me
but i think this word is very romantic

Just because I love Canada

2010-07-01T15:36:00.003+09:00

Happy Birthday, Canada!!

I wish I can be there to celebrate

Canadian pride

Always

Applause for Samurai Blue

2010-06-30T11:19:00.002+09:00

What a match!!
Japan played much better than i expected

after 120 mins
PK is the only way to put a period to this match

personally PK is just not fair
but i guess you can't just let the match go on forever

Samurai Blue, well done! お疲れ様でした。

===================
I proudly announced that
HiuKei's '1 day 100 yen' saving project have just started
can't wait to see my jar filled up with 100 yen coins next year around this time

June 2010 is good

2010-06-29T10:38:00.002+09:00

it has been a good month
a really good one actually

despite the gross and sticky rainy season here in japan
everything is great

why June 2010 is great list:
-world cup
-my high school friend (the first friend i made in montreal) is engaged
-my god sister got married
-my cousin gave birth (Hello Zach, can't wait to see you!!)
-my university friend is engaged
-my lovely Gali became a mother (Hello Raah!!)
-found an amazing secret spot for fireflies watching
-finished my paper on time (goodbye procrastination!!)
-like my new haircut (you have to admit...sometimes, the hairdresser just doesn't understand what you want)
-love from Africa

july should be more exciting
-world cup final matches
-toy story 3!!!! (ok...what can beat that?!?)
-summer
-more news of baby...marriage...who knows?!?

FIFA 2010

2010-06-15T11:43:00.001+09:00

and here we go!!!!

GOSH! I LOVE WORLD CUP!!

these are a few of my favorite things~

2010-06-10T22:01:00.011+09:00

when the dog bites, when the bee stints

when i'm feeling sad

i simply remember my favorite things

and then i won't feel so bad

daisy

white calla

tower

lots of towers
(note: only towers in triangular shape)

cake...of course
even better when having it on a balcony or at an outdoor cafe

summer, which is coming very soon

Sound of Music is one of my fav childhood movie
watched it a dozen times
the part of them jumping on the bed and singing 'My favorite Things' is definitely one of my fav scene

what's in my head?

2010-06-06T01:20:00.000+09:00

Perfurm 'ナッチュラルに恋して'

i have absolutely no idea why this song is stuck in my head

radio is P O W E R F U L

it slowly creeps into your mind

well, i like the choreography

it's so playful

as the tune

Not again?!?

2010-06-03T10:48:00.004+09:00

i am not a political critics
so forgive me if i say anything irrelevant or inapproriate
this is, afterall, just my personal rant

ok...even if you are not living in Japan
i guess you have heard from the news that the current prime minister in Japan has resgined

yes, again
let see... a new one every year?

what?
being prime minister is like a game?
a joke?

i thought they fought for the role
the moving speeches, the promises, the passion(?)
where have they gone?

'taking the responsiblity...'
'people are no longer willing to hear my words...'
that's the reason for resigning?
quiting?
Bullsxit!!

when they want to play the game
they stay
and when it's not going their way
they quit?!?

gosh~
how are we going to teach the next generation the meaning of taking responsiblity?
tell me.

the resignation speech was so far the most well-spoken speech
how ironic is that?

my rant can go on forever
but i will stop
cos i will just become extremely bitter

they all got the easy way out
now
what shoud we, those who are directly effected by their little game, do?

they are here~

2010-06-01T23:33:00.003+09:00

i dislike bugs and insects

except fireflies

june is the season when they are most active

once a year only

got to grasp all the chances i have this year

on my bike ride back home after English class tonight

i spot tiny sprinkles by the stream

'could it be?!?!'

i stopped the paddles

got off my bike

'YES!!!!!! They are here!!'

'hello little one

has it been a year?'

a bouquet

2010-05-26T00:11:00.003+09:00

thank you

you guys made my day

the card says:

Miss HiuKei

Thank you

XXX daycare

it makes my apartment ever lovelier

Transformation of Tofu

2010-05-15T19:22:00.007+09:00

saturday morning

in the mood for baking

found a block of Tofu in my fridge

and here goes my experiment of the morning

tofu, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, cocoa powder, almond, eggs, honey, soya milk, baking powder, vanilla

and here is the result of the glorious transformation of Tofu

hmm...

a not so bad transformation

taking a break...in Kyoto

2010-05-08T23:26:00.007+09:00

there were just way too many people in Kyoto
but there were also just way too many lovely shops and cafes

these were taken when i was taking a break from walking and from people
i love people observation

-start-

-end-

3 days 2 nights of kyoto

what a beautiful city

i love pumpkin

2010-04-24T11:00:00.004+09:00

pumpkin

olive oil

soy milk

almond

some herbs and salt

let the blender does its magic

voila~

Mmmmmmmmmmm~~~~~~

D E L I O U S

on being forgetful

2010-04-22T10:31:00.006+09:00

it has been 10 days
life with work and school

i love being a student again~
you feel special...and young? hehe!

one of the thing i enjoy is the communtation
driving is seriously one of the best thing on earth
a special time where i found the most relaxing
exploring new path and getting lost is always adventurous

recently instead of CD
i have my radio on
you can always pick up little insight from the radio

and this is what i picked up yesterday
the host was reading comment on aging and being forgetful

"年を取って、物忘れやすくなったけど　でも、物忘れやすいのはいいことですね～
笑い番組を何回見ても　面白いと思うし、好きな映画を何回見ても　初めてな感じするから。
物忘れやすいのおかげで、いつも「初めて」を感じれるから　いつもワクワクしています。初って特別だからさ。。。物忘れやすいっていいね～"

"As I am getting older, I become more forgetful. But forgetful is such a wonderful thing!!
No matter how many time I watch the same comedy show, I find it funny every time.
It always feels like the first time when i watch my favorite movie.
Thanks to 'forgetful', it's always thrilling because everything always feels like the first time.
I mean...'first' is special, right? I love being forgetful~"

I need to remember this
forgetful is a wonderful thing...

oups! what's that again?

this is an attitude i want to have

speak my mind

2010-04-18T22:35:00.003+09:00

maybe i have been feeling tired lately

maybe too many things are going on lately

vulnerbility is ever vivider

the desire of having a good friend who i can speak my mind out is ever deeper

distance and relationship (both romance/friendship)
the 2 are never a good combination

not able to be there when someone needs you

not having someone beside when you need

ok...

i should stop before i get too emotional

a shower and a good sleep

i will be fine

oyasumi

-------------------------------

btw, don't worry

i am well

i guess all i want is a coffee, a cake, a good laugh, some mindless chats with some stupid jokes

Today's 「To do」 list...

2010-04-16T09:24:00.006+09:00

- to clean my house
- to do my laundry
- to feed my car some gasoline
- to go to the bank and pay some bills
- to go grocery shopping
- to review (school works)
- to write 2 short reports
- to buy a birthday present for a friend
- to get a new pair of glasses
- to cook
- to call a friend (Bonnie, when is good for you?)

hopefully... somewhere in between i can squeeze in some of the followings:
- to get a good cup of coffee
- to sit down
- to read (not textbook)
- to take a walk
- to take a nap
- to be quiet
- to be alone

as for now
is time for me to go play with the kids in the kindergarden!!
this maybe the best thing of the day~
if only the weather can get warmer...

sakura...cherry blossom

2010-04-12T23:18:00.003+09:00

Japan is irresistibly beautiful in April.

today is the 1st day for me to be a student again
it feels exciting!

reason for not updating...

2010-03-31T15:54:00.002+09:00

my parents came visit

too much fun

too much joy

we took so many pictures

i don't even know which one to post or not

this is my FAVOURITE family portrait so far

(yes...don't even wanna dig the ones from high school days...haha)

the older i get

the more i am in love with my parents

they are the CUTEST and the LOVELIEST ever!

"The Elegance of the Hedgehog" checked

2010-03-31T09:35:00.006+09:00

i have to admit this book wasn't an easy read
so many new and difficult vocabularies
(proved my lack of vocabs... something that i definitely need to work on)

but i love:
the brief chapters(i am just too impatient)
the thoughts of the 2 main characters and how they beautifully interact with each other
the plot, the setting, the characters (i never thought a japanese would show up!!!)
the speed
the language
the ending...(teary but a smile on my face)

i really enjoyed reading it
it may sound strange but i felt a bit nostalgic when i finished reading it
well, i can read it again whenever i want
but the sentiment will be different
first time is always the best...(the unknown and the anticipation...and the heartbeats..hehe)

now...i want to read her first novel...

sidenote: i just wikipedia (sorry if that is impolite) the author and it says that she is currently living in Japan, composing her 3rd novel!!
out of all the places on earth!! she is in JAPAN!!! JAPON!! NIHON!!
ok...i guess i am the only one who is all hype up..hehe!

'love' letter (?) from gentle wind

2010-02-22T22:35:00.004+09:00

i am blessed with a super nice supervisor

and her super friendly family

her grandson (6) wrote me a very sweet letter today

with a present that he picked personally for me

how sweet~

thank you so much, yoshikaze~

ps yoshikaze means gentle wind

FAQ of the week

2010-02-15T11:10:00.007+09:00

i think i have been asked for more than 10 times this week...
and have been getting the same response everytime

'HiuKei, why aren't you back for Olympics?!?!'

'hmm...' (smile) 'I want to but it's far...'

'Isn't it in Canada?'

'Yes...it's in Canada but Montreal is far from Vancouver...'

'How far?'

'It takes about 6 hrs...'

'By car?'

'No...by flight'

'WHAT?!?! 6 hrs flight?!? 3 hrs time differences??WOW!!!!!! How does that work?'

'... ...'

the concept of how big Canada is sometimes just doesn't seem to be comprehended by the japanese

hello, little fellows~

2010-02-11T00:30:00.004+09:00

i think they are ready for Valentine's~

another friday afternoon

2010-02-06T10:16:00.016+09:00

@ yoshita bakery
one of my fav. place
the view, the bread, the coffee
just perfect for reading

@ yamanaka hotspring
and because it was really cold
i derserved a nice hotspring foot bath

@ Kitchen Bar Satchmo with Tomomi

delicious food
fresh coffee
interesting master
lovely company
thanks for the amazing time

i love half day on friday

drop it down

2010-02-04T14:04:00.004+09:00

haha...
it's completely ironic

i just typed a new post
which is about a list of things i have/want to do
because i am forgetful
and because there are just too many things going on

but when i clicked the 'publish post' button
there was something wrong with the connection
my post was deleted...

i guess
there is no point
afterall
for me
to drop everything down

UP

2010-02-01T15:44:00.006+09:00

pix from pixar

finally saw it in the theater yesterday

this movie is definitely on my Top 10 list...5 even!?

it's lovely, beautiful, funny, thoughtful, true, sweet, sad, powerful, encouraging, comforting...

i am running out of adjectives

but i highly recommand this movie to everyone

from young to old

Carl is definitely my role model

when i am in 70s (don't even know if i will live that long...hehe)

i want to be like him

a little assignment for myself

2010-01-25T19:41:00.002+09:00

-think before buying
-no unneccesary purchase
*clothes, clothes, and clothes
*over buying @ bakeries
*anything that is just a mere 'want' not 'need'
*no credit card using unless it's a REAL emergency

let's try for a month
hmm...
a month...

what's better than

2010-01-23T11:48:00.002+09:00

pix by drinkpoison

sitting at home

sipping a cup of hot chocolate

in my pj

oh~ i love gloomy saturday morning

Be strong!!

2010-01-20T16:08:00.002+09:00

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

「強く、また雄々しくあれ。あなたがどこへ行くにも、あなたの神、主が共におられるゆえ、恐れてはならない、おののいてはならない。」
ヨシュア記１：９

this is what God gave me as a present today before i go for my grad school entrance exam & interview tomorrow

here i go~
wish me luck in explaining my research proposal in japanese...diligently

hokkaido day 1

2010-01-15T20:15:00.012+09:00

very very very warm welcom by the Y family
thanks so much for the love and generosity~

1st thing: FOOD
jinkisukan aka lamb meat
it's famous in hokkaido
just too bad i am not a big fan

however
i am passionate for dogs and sweets
1st night ended by playing with Meru (dog) and eating delicious fruits tarts~

27th

2010-01-12T00:38:00.004+09:00

2010.01.10

only another year

younger

hehe...yea..call me being at a stage of denial.

thank you for those who have been part of my life for the past 26 yrs

ありがとう

'north sea street'

2010-01-09T11:00:00.002+09:00

just got back yesterday

one word to sum up my trip

FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let me organize then i will post some photos of my trip

right now...

2010-01-05T19:05:00.001+09:00

i am in the north
of Japon

Hokkaido
Hokkaido
Hokkaido

and it's FUN!!!!!!!!!
reminds me of Montreal

happy 2010

2010-01-02T20:57:00.004+09:00

happy new year!!

everything is too soon

too fast

but i will welcome 2010 happily

while waiting for 2010 on 31st

i was browsing on amazon and made my last purchase of 2009

just started 'Julie & Julia' today

and norah jones has been singing in my living room since this morning~

everyone,

have an exciting 2010!!

may it be a good/ better one for you~

back to short

2009-12-30T20:54:00.006+09:00

i tried...
i really did.

i do get jealous when i see the models on the magazines having long pretty wavy curly hair
i like those big 'bun' tide on the head

but when my hair is touching my shoudlers
it's really getting on my nerve!!

finally
i made the call
appointment set
time for a haircut

'so...how do you it being cut? any style in mind?'
'SHORT...ok...not tooooooooo short...but short.....please'

after 68 mins of scissors work
voila!!

i like it~
but after i had my shower
my hair turned into a 'chibi maruko' style...HAHAHAHA!!!
oh well
we'll see how it will turn out after i wake up tomorrow.

before shower

after shower

good morning boxing day

2009-12-26T11:29:00.003+09:00

christmas present 2009
thank you

end of year party (work) tonight
忘年会in japanese
忘= forget
年= year
会= party

so...we are supposed to celebrate the end of the year by forgetting it?!?
hmm...questionable to me

woke up
made chai
made too much
drank too much

christmas 2009

2009-12-22T15:19:00.005+09:00

it's a tiny bit early but

m e r r y c h r i s t m a s ! ! !

any wishes this year?

my list for Santa?

keke...shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...(it's a secret)

love, happiness, health, peace

to my beloved friends and family

may God's blessing be with you

supermarket fantasy

2009-12-21T14:36:00.006+09:00

the past 2 weeks had been C.R.A.Z.Y!!!

mostly good/fun craziness though :)

12.13.2009

my 3rd time meeting mr. children

location: osaka dome

comment: A M A Z I N G!!!!!!!

he sang for almost 3 hrs straight but it's still too short...

=============

thanks to mr. children

i got to travel osaka a little bit

familiar yet strange

osaka trully has its own unique color and character

ps. it's so cold here and it's soooooooooo WHITE!!

snow is everywhere!!

maybe i can expect a white christmas here in japan this year!!

2009.12.13 23:56(ish)

2009-12-14T18:10:00.002+09:00

i looked up to the stary sky

and

i saw shooting stars

私は
幸せです。

cold&rainy saturday afternoon is...

2009-12-05T17:35:00.014+09:00

a perfect time for B.a.k.i.n.g!!

since i didn't want to step out of my apartment
i just used whatever i could find in my kitchen
turned on the oven
mixing...and more mixing...plus some creativity
(yes...i don't measure...well, everything was ..about?!?)

VOILA~
my house is wam and it smells GOOOOOOOOOOD

here are my babies...
allow me to introduce them to you one by one

1. oatmeal whole wheat yogurt muffin

2. oatmeal whole wheat yogurt muffin plus avocado
hey! surprising pretty good!

3.macha 'green tea' muffin

hmm...not as exciting as i thought
revise needed

4. black sesame muffin

this fellow turned out D E L I O U S!!!

5. macha/black sesame marble muffin

basically just leftover from 3 and 4

6. oatmeal/apple maple cookies

I AM SO ADDICTED TO THIS!!!

i made it before following the recipe loyally...

but this time, i didn't have walnuts or chocolate chips or raisin

so i just chopped some apples and mixed it with the dough

GOOOOOOOOOD~

more arrangments to come!

7. whole wheat soy milk scone

i think i didn't put enough soy milk...it was just a little too dry

i guess i can call it a whoe wheat soy milk cookie

8. apple cinnamon oatmeal scone

learned from my mistake (from 7) added more soy milk

just perfect!!

gotta clean my kitchen now...

movies weekend

2009-11-24T17:41:00.005+09:00

friday:
Laputa is on TV!!!
oh! how i love Miyazaki Hayao's work~
Sheeta and Pazu...
i think i really should get the full collection of his works so i can watch them at home whenever i want.

saturday:
finally rent the DVD...
what a movie!!!
it's saddening though...
but just say...i REALLY like it~

sunday: went to the cinema!!
(has it been a year?!?)
anyways, it's good!!
but definitely too scary for children to watch...or i am too chicken?!?

want to see:
- 'This is it'
- the Pixar moive with the old guy flying in his house with balloons...what's the title?!?

any suggestion for movies?!?
btw, melli, if you are reading this...what's the movie you told me with the french title?

Hello, Ms. Ringo

2009-11-19T13:15:00.005+09:00

(this is not the image from the CM...just the new promotion poster of the band)

it has been a while since i see her on TV

and again~ just love her presentation...her outlook, her style, her uniqueness, her songs...everything~

so happy that she is in one of my favourite CM

Watering Kiss Mint (youtube)

Watering Kiss Mint (homepage)

check it out~

and i just realized her band will be on tour this spring!!!!!
MUST GO!!

building blocks

2009-11-13T22:03:00.005+09:00

just got back from the annual conference (work related) in Tokyo
it's my 4th one this year
and it can get quite repetitive

but this time...there was one 3 hrs workshop
where we just...hmm...build things with blocks

yupe! you heard me!

but it was so much fun!!!!!!!!
who could have thought that building blocks could last us for 3 hrs!?!

the beautiful piece of work by team HS ABC~
good job guys!

how cute~

2009-11-06T10:26:00.005+09:00

don't you just love the japan post box?!?

the box

side 1

side 2

side 3

side 4

i am keeping the box

and i am just creating more junk in my house...

time for something orange

2009-10-28T00:00:00.004+09:00

if i am back in montreal now

it would probably be referred to pumpkins

however since i am in japan

something orange at this time of the season refers to

...persimmons

the merit of living in country side in japan is

i get seasonal veggies and fruits from ppl around me

and guess what i got yesterday?!?

a bag full of persimmons!!

YEAH!

i love them so it's ok

for now...i have endless supply of persimmons

>because my jap grandma has a persimmon tree in her backyard
a month ago...i had endless supply of chestnuts

>because she also has a chestnut tree in her backyard

2 months ago...i had endless supply of eggplant, cucumbers, and all kinds of tomatos

>because she also grows them in her backyard

in may...i had endless supply of bamboo shoots

>because she also has a bamboo forest in her backyard

go figure how many things grow in her backyard

it's like magic!!

oh...those poor little gold fish

2009-10-19T17:22:00.007+09:00

gold fish scooping is one of my fav
(scooping with a 'net' that is made of thin paper)
you can often find it among the booths during festival

here i go!!!

and this is S E R I O U S!!!

after 10? 15 mins of intense concentration

my paper net finally broke a hole... and ended my scooping

i got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 !!!

apparently this is not a bad score for beginners!! hehe!

pulse of the night

2009-10-15T23:19:00.008+09:00

beep... beep... beep....

the night goes on

２００９．１０．１１

2009-10-13T11:42:00.003+09:00

たまに
泣かないと

アア～すっきりした。

空、風、空気、心
生きておられる

「すべて分ってるよ～」
囁いてくれた

私の天のお父さん
ありがとう。

my first experience to

2009-09-30T22:07:00.004+09:00

Kabuki

it was not in the real indoor Kabuki hall
but outdoor!!!
the effect was just AMAZING!!!

the Kabuki performance i went was played by
the top Kabuki actor (Kanzaburo NAKAMURA) and his 2 sons
i was fortunate to see the live performance of one of his famous acts 連獅子(renjishi)

before...i had absolutely no interest in kabuki
after... gosh!! i want to see more!! hehe!!
next goal: see kabuki in THE kabuki hall in Tokyo!

my jap granny went with me :)
why were we in raincoats? HAHA!!
it was about to rain...(thanks God it didn't)
but the raincoat saved our life
because it was so windy!! ><

but hope that next time when i go see kabuki
i can be in a beautiful kimono...hehe!

me...and my dogs

2009-09-24T14:45:00.002+09:00

can someone get me a real dog?

thanks for the cute front door!
whoever the house belongs to~ ^_^

jumps~

2009-09-17T08:32:00.008+09:00

don't ask me why
but i LOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVE jumping for pictures
so much fun!!
sometimes it really challenges your patience and persistency
but the sense of satisfaction
having the photo RIGHT (where everyone is in the air at the same time)

here are just some...i have more...hehehe..yes..lots more~

me, B, Mi jumping on the field where Sakurai san(vocal of Mr. Children) just shot a goal..

my first conference with B

we were bored at night...hahaha!!

thanks B for jumping with me!!
i miss you!!

this was just taken by my cousin ak last week with my dear friend yoshiko sama~

hehe...i love it!

the jumps will continue...

==========================

btw, i couldn't help but went back to the bookstore yesterday after work

and finished my last 3 chapters of 'Interpretor of Maladies'

definitely a good read!!

then i started 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

i think i have to go back to the bookstore again....SOON~

ahhhhhhh...why are English books so expensive in japan?!? ><