Be a grown up.

Congrats to my friend who had his wedding recently!

It's unbelievable. I know so many people who have been engaged, married, and even having babies, and they are all same age as me...I guess I'm old enough for those adults' thing although I'm not ready for any of them AT ALL. Period.

Well technically I'm engaged, but my parents won't believe, so what can I say? I've been telling them how serious I am, however they think I'm joking since my partner doesn't have a penis.

What they expect me to do is getting married with a millionaire and taking them to Las Vegas. I really can't guarantee with that promise...I never get along with rich guys. I love people who are not believing in money I guess...lol

Anyways....I'm happy for all my friends who found the ones.

Me? I'll take my time :)

Hmmmm...

So I haven't started working yet.

It's funny, they asked me to work on 11th first. And now it's almost end of Jan.

They gave me a schedule (which I could change) before, so I try to fit my other schedule with that.

And now they want me to work on other schedule in a last minutes. How last minutes? The day before I was gonna work (which messed up my other work schedule).

Now seems like I have no choice, I just have to follow whatever comes to me.

How is that happen? I really don't know. It's America.

I am trying to be patient, but c'mon really?

It's hard to find my part-time job and my other internship with this situation. So I have no job (well I kinda do now...), no internship, no plan, or what so ever.

Sometimes it's nice to have a break like this. Wake up whenever you feel like, eat whenever you are hungry, and sleep whenever you want to. I did enjoy for the first a couple of days, but I can't do this any longer....I'm not the person who can enjoy that kind of life...I am terribly wasting my precious life time. agh.

Decision Making

Sometimes you can't be sure if your decision is right.

Life is all about decision making. Everyday somehow you are making decisions such as whether you wear a red shoes or black shoes for your date.

You would never known if the guy happened to dislike red shiny shoes that you thought it would be perfect. The scary part is not knowing about this fact since the guy never told you. Shit like this happens all the time.

...By the way this example was terribly bad one.

I'm facing a lot of hustles right now, and I start doubting "am I making right decisions?"

I usually feel pretty confident about what I do even though it's scary sometimes.

There is nobody who can tell me "you are going to the wrong direction, turn around, missy", so I really don't know if I'm going to the opposite way. I just have to keep walking, otherwise I would never known if I'm really going to the wrong way or right way. or maybe there's no wrong or right.

So I'm walking by myself. slowly but surely.

It's not so much fun compared to a comfy ride with my hommies.

I miss them so much.

I miss my comfy ride.

I miss everything I had.

But this is the only place I say it.

I can't even say it loud.

Be strong. I can do it.

人生に新鮮さは必須

人ってすごく飽きやすい。

ローテーションってのは人生にありがたみを感じると言う面から言うとあまり良くない。

素晴らしい絵でも、素晴らしい教会でも、大好きなドーナッツさえも、

毎日食べていたら普通のものになってしまう。

酷い話。

ニューヨークに越してきて、何度も来たことのある土地とは言えやはり新鮮な環境。

匂い

光

ざわめき

空

足音・・・

感性がくすぐられ、一眼レフを手にしていればバシバシ撮り放題。

今ならものすごくいい写真撮れる気がする。

ま、ないんだけど。

今日はインターン先で行われたイベントに招待されて、スティーブリリーウァイト(Steve Lillywhite)というプロデューサーのセミナーに参加してきた。

あまりロックミュージックとかに興味を持ったことのない自分にとっては、U2だとローリングストーンだののプロデューサーだと言われてもピンとこず、行くのを躊躇ったけど、これが行って大正解。

ものすごく話の上手な方で、ユーモアもあり、笑顔とイングランドなまりがすごくすてきで、大物のアーティスト達が彼にプロデュースしてもらいたいと言う理由も納得だった。

彼のアーティストへの態度や考え方もすごく共感できたし、きっとものすごく偉大な人なんだろうけど、全く気取りもなく、謙虚な態度で、すごくいいおっさん。かっこいいおっさん。

もっともっとすてきな人達に出会って、たくさん学んでいこう。

＊写真はBryant Parkのスケートリンク

One of the Greatest Men in the World

As you know, He is the CEO of Apple Inc. Steve Job.

He does great presentation all the times with great techniques, and of course his words always hit my heart.

Since I am scared of public speaking (and not good at it), I admire him so much.

This video is a little bit old (from 2005), but this speech hit my heart, especially for this time of my life, I need someone to encourage me to do "what I love".

I need to stay strong and believe in my faith.

I am not gonna waste my time for someone's life.

Thanks to this great man in the world.

Korean Market

So I finally found the Korean Market right by my place.

Holy Sean Paul!! I love this place!!!!!

They have everything!!! It's crazy!!

They have not only Korean stuff, but also have Japanese products....MANY products.

I also love their fresh asian vegetables, variety of mushroom (which I really missed), shin sliced meats (which I didn't have in MN), and most of all....fresh FISH!!!

I had hard time not to buy all those treasures...I kept telling me that I need a job before I feed those to myself. lol I gotta be good at it... BUT... excuse me...I got a new phone today...

It wasn't my choice. My phone started acting really funny last night when I was about to text to my friend, and the phone automatically turned off and didn't charge at all.

So I went to the store to get fixed. But they told me that I should get a new one so I did...

I'm not gonna take a picture of myself in the bathroom like everyone does nowadays, but I might start taking those random pictures with ma brand new phone... :P

Coffee Break. Yummmmm.

STATE OF EMERGANCY

Please. Haiti needs your help!

You can make donation from here...http://www.yele.org/donation/

I've been following Wyclef Jean on Twitter.

Haiti is his homeland.

He is my absolute favorite person in this world.

He is trying really hard to help people from this terrible disaster.

Since I'm from Japan where I experienced many earthquakes, I cannot close my eyes from what's happening there....

Watch this video...http://video.foxnews.com/v/3968850/wyclef-jean-on-ground-in-haiti/

There is something you can do.

Smile Everywhere

Smile is always good.

I've been watching news about Haiti....it's sad, and I really wish people around the world can reach their hands to them.

I have no one to talk.

I know nobody here.

But it's okay.

It's not too bad.

Gotta keep smiling to the world!

See? It's everywhere!

New Life

So I finally move to New York.

I still don't feel like I'm in NY, I guess it's because I haven't been to Manhattan. lol

I'm living in Queens, and I really don't care about going to Manhattan today unless I have some business to take care....I've been there too many times...

I move into this apartment yesterday, and all I did was unpacking and spacing out and sleeping.

I literally slept 12 hours last night. Am I having a jet rag or what? Soooo creepy.

The craziest thing was to leave my apartment and my roommate and her cat.

I feel like I am still coming back to that place, but I'm not! I packed all my stuff. I miss my apartment. It was my home. It was where I belong. I left so many memories in that apartment, and my roommate needs to live with them. damn the change is tough.

So I woke up this morning, and I had nothing to eat (of course!).

I quickly took a shower and decided to explore my neighborhood. Or I should say to get food. lol.

I knew it's a south asian/colombian/south korean neighborhood, so 98% of people I saw today was somehow Indian-looking or Spanish-looking people. (which I am so used to see on campus as well. lol) I had no problem with those people, BUT the problem was....

WHERE IS ENGLISH SIGN??????????

I THOUGHT I WAS IN AMEERICAAA!!??

All I want was basic grocery...like eggs, breads, milk...and maybe some vegetables, but I had no clue what kind of stores they were. The street was all covered with the signs in Indian, Korean, or whatever the languages I don't read. Dang!! I'm so lost!

So I walked 4 blocks with looking around those languages, and I finally decided to go into one of the brand new store. I got some stuff from a mexican lady and walked back with 4 heavy bags....

My first grocery shopping here was not very successful, but I think I will like this place.

This Feeling

I guess I can say I am excited but beyond that feeling, I have this indescribable feeling in my stomach.

My African brother took off yesterday. I thought I would be okay since it's not like the end of the world or not gonna see him again, but the reality hit me right after he took off. Men I guess I wasn't mentally prepared for that moment and I started to cry and cry and cry. The worst part was that I was with some girl friends, and they tried to cheer me up. They wiped my face, and my make-up came off... looking quite ugly.

...I was really embarrassed. I wish I were alone!

But they are super nice, and I love them. It'll be hard for me to leave here.... :(

2 more days.

From now on.

I will start writing this blog in English once in a while since some of my blog readers don't read Japanese.

I started writing in Japanese because I wanted to practice writing in Japanese. lol

It might sound silly, but I am forgetting Japanese really bad.

Spelling, Kanji, grammar, ya le ya le yah.

But at the same time, I need to practice writing in English since I am no longer taking any English classes in college. Yes, it's good for me and bad for me.

I wrote zero paper last semester, not even 1 page!! I usually had to write at least 1 research paper which was about 10 pages long, so I don't even know why I didn't have one single paper to write.

So I would love to share this story that just happened to me 5 min ago.

My friend knocked on my door. He was all covered with snow and said "Can you help me pushing my friend's car? It's got stuck in the snow."

It was snowing and really cold outside, ...besides I am a skinny muscle-less girl you can easily imagine. I never work out or do any sort of sports. I knew I couldn't be a good help.

But I figured it's better than nothing, so I went to his friend's car and started pushing it.

"Are you really pushing!?" He asked.

I told you that I wouldn't be a good help...I'm trying all my best to help this girl's car!!

The car was kind of moving, but the hole was too deep to push the car out.

My fingers were freezing, and I felt helpless.

I started calling people who live around my place, because I knew that that was the best way to help this poor girl rather than killing myself pushing this car all night long.

The girl in the car was not serious about this situation AT ALL, and she was keep looking at her phone and not listening to what my friend was asking her to do. I didn't care if she was nice to me or not, but I could not stand this one phrase.

"I'm hungry."

...is this girl serious? Are you seriously saying that in front of me and this guy pushing your car in this f**king snow?? I don't even know you, but I am helping you...can't you see that? Is that really what you suppose to say now? I DON'T THINK SO!

My friend tried one last push, and the car finally got out.

and the last thing she said to me? Nothing. Not even a one word.

I just took off feeling awfully unfair...

You know it's funny that sometimes you need to think about what you learned in preschool.

Apparently so many adults don't know how to communicate people.

Meanwhile

ミスキティ＋フロギー。

どうでもいいことに時間を費やすのはなんで楽しいんだろう？

新年早々

ここ数日は外の気温がマイナス３０度とからしいので、どこに行く気力もでず、

ネットを使うために家から５分のカフェに行くことだけが最大の労力を費やす行動。

ミネソタすごすぎ。

ここで４年以上も生活している夏女の自分にもう驚きを隠せない。

家にいる時間が長い分、することと言えば映画見るか、料理するか、食うか寝るか。

ぐーたらとはまさにこのこと。

仕舞いには冷蔵庫にしばらく眠っていたどうしようもない生のクランベリー。

メグがウキウキで購入してきて、「あんたそれどうするの？生でなんて食えたもんじゃないの知ってる？」

もちろん知らなかった彼女は生のクランベリーをほおばり撃沈。

どうにかしてと頼まれてて仕方なくドライクランベリーを作った。

丸一日かかるんだね、知らなかった。もう二度とメグには生のクランベリーを買わせない。

あとはワッフル作ったり、ピタパン焼いたり、ベイリーズチョコ作ったり、自作のチキンレシピを試したり。

食べてない時間はひたすらアパート探し、バイト探し、そしてさらなるインターンシップ探し。。。

荷造りもそろそろ始めないと。

この４年間で溜まった荷物思い切って捨てて、こっちに来たとき同様スーツケース１個からスタートするつもり。

大分物は減ったけど、まだまだ整理しないといけない。

フレッシュマンだった頃のエッセイとかノートも出てきて、すっごい頑張ってた感が出てて、ビックリ。ありえない量のノート取ってたし、毎ページにずらーとならぶ単語リスト。もうこんなことすることもないって思うと、なんだか切ない気もする。

明けましておめでとうございます。

アメリカ時間にて新年を迎えました。

今年は初めての自分のアメリカのアパートでの年越し。

毎年どこかに旅行していたからすごく変な感じだったけど、

どこにいるってことよりも、

大好きな友達と一緒に年越しをできたってことが大事。

日本時間の新年のお昼ごろには家族にスカイプ電話して新年のご挨拶。

じいちゃんばあちゃんはすごくビックリしてて、一年ぶりの会話。

電話してよかったー。すごく会いたくなったけど、元気そうな声聞けてホントよかった。

アフリカ帰国中の友達からも電話がきて、元気そうな声聞けて大満足。

そして今年の年越しのディナーはテイクアウトのチャイニーズ。w

ジャマイカンスタイルで酒屋に行き、

ライオンキングとボブマーリー、そしてワイクリフをドラムと共にジャムしながら

歌いまくり踊りまくり、

映画スーパーバッド見ながら（何度見ても飽きない！）

思いっきりジャンキーな年越し。

こんなんでもいいんだ。

２０１０年、

どんな年になるのかな。

フォーチュンクッキー。

ちなみにゆきのは真ん中の。

ものすごく大事なメッセージな気がするから、

写真におさめた。