"okaa san"

My okaa san is coming to Japan today - woo hoo!
We are going to have some fun times.

"hana"

Yesterday I had a nice surprise after getting back from a long night of craziness. Someone had left hana, or flowers in my bicycle basket. I highly doubt the hana were left specifically for me since my bicycle looks like any other bike, and it was in a parking lot with many many other bikes- but it made me feel good anyways. Maybe I can pretend the hana are from Mike Relm, he he...

"kakkoii"

Last evening I discovered my new love. His name is Mike Relm and I think he is totally kakkoii, or hot-handsome-cool-good looking-etc... etc... He may try and fool you with his nerdy suit and black frames, but this guy has got some skills. I mean, ANYONE who spins the Cure and Jay Z in the same set has most definitely got skills. And I like the outfit, it works for him. He is so kakkoii, I just spent the past two hours online reading his bio and downloading some tunes. Too bad he lives in San Fran. I may just have to move there to be with my new kakkoii love.

Check out his site at http://www.mikerelm.com and click on the My Space button for a real good tune, Josie and Relm. It's hot - like him. Or even try this http://www.mikerelm.com/music/thetwist_high.mov

more "kandou"

Yesterday I went to see a friend's friend perform in a Flamenco concert. It was my first time to see live flamenco, and it was fabulous. The dancers - kandou shita! The guitarist - kandou shita! It almost makes me want to learn how to dance flamenco myself.

OLE ! OLE ! OLE !

"kandou"

Kandou means impression, and if you add suru or shita on the end it means to be impressed.
The other day I FINALLY went to my first musical in Japan - The Lion King

The props , the musical score (all music was adapted into Japanese,) the singing

very very very kandou shita!!!!!!!!!!! Best musical I've seen yet.

"kousu gai"

Some people would call kousu gai "off course." Many of my European friends here in Japan call it "off piste." I call it the only place to hit some major powder and forest action when boarding the Japanese alps.

Kousu gai is my snowboarding haven. I am always in search of some kousu gai places since normal runs are usually too boring - an attitude spawned from being spoiled with deep, fresh powder every day for the few months I was in Hokkaido (northern island of Japan) a few years back. And even if the signs have DANGER and cross bones and skulls and other silly things written on them, the Japanese are pretty lax about boarders entering kousu gai areas, at least this is what I thought...

UNTIL yesterday, when I was boarding under a lift in a kousu gai area and got the whistle. Someone from the lift was not having it. I could NOT believe it. I was caught! I was going to be thrown out! I was going to get a life ban from the mountain ! All these thoughts were racing in my head as I looked up at the lift and saw the patrol, who looked down at me and said in Japanese, "Excuse me, could you please leave this part. It is dangerous for you."

Sometimes the Japanese politeness just kills me....

"kawaii"

These pictures have nothing to do with my life in Japan. I just wanted to post them because they are soooooooo damn kawaii, or cute. The top picture is my very very kawaii nephew and "his" pig. This pig was actually a present to me for my 23rd birthday, but he stole it from me when he was about 7 months old. The little scammer!

The next picture was taken last year during a family trip to Disney World. That is my mom holding my kawaii nephew while we were in line for the tea cups. The tea cups were fun by the way, although not too sure if the boy enjoyed it so much.

By the way, my mom is coming to Japan in two weeks. So excited!!

"chuudoku"

Chuudoku means addiction, and since being in Japan I have had a range of different chuudoku, always ending on a bad note. My first chuudoku in Japan was banana chips. I started out eating a handful as a snack and it gradually progressed into buying a bag almost every day. My banana chip chuudoku finally finished after I got super sick one night after eating a whole bag and a half as my dinner.
My chuudoku last year was TV show downloading, like Desperate housewives and Lost. Downlaoding all that crap TV led to my computer crashing (thank god for insurance!) and almost mental breakdown as I thought my thesis was a goner, too.
My latest chuudoku is earl grey tea. The other day I was at a friend's home and she made me earl grey tea and it just tasted so good! The next day I went to the store and bought a huge box of the stuff, and am to the point where I will drink at least 5-6 cups a day (or more if I am at home all day.) Of course, the weather is also a factor since it is soooo cold in my apartment and the tea warms me right up! I always like a bit of skim milk, and sometimes when I feel like a treat I add a bit of baileys. Oh, and it goes so well with a few cookies or some M&Ms.
I am hoping the weather will get warmer soon before something bad happens with this chuudoku - but really, what harm can tea do to you? Well anyways, I need to go now so I can make myslef another cup.

"genun"

...

For most people, the word genun, or vertigo, means a sick dizzy feeling, often caused by looking down from a very high place or by too much movement around you.

But for me, genun means one last hurrah in Japan before I head off for my trip around the world!

Guess who got lucky with U2 presale tix for the April 4th concert here in Tokyo??