Some random thoughts

I'm less cranky than yesterday. I just had lunch with Yasuko, my fabulous friend, at a Mexican/Peruvian restaurant "Casa Blanca." They have really good food at really good bargain price.

Let me just summarize my last weekend. Friday, Happy Hour with Steven, Roberto and Mike at Halo. Fun as always. Saturday, BBQ hosted by my sweet neighbour next door. Lots of fun. Sunday, I invited my Vicious, Unrepentant, Bitter, Old, Queen neighbour for my experimental Tom Collins and watched some episodes of SATC Sixth season. We reaffirmed our love for Samantha and Miranda. Then VUBOQ neighbour headed for fun True Colors concert, which I stupidly gave up for attending Japanese people's party.

This weekend, I don't have any plan so far. Maybe some cooking, a recipe from today's Washington Post. And gym, and reading. Maybe some drinking.

BTW, I found this article on Washington Post the other day, about "What Bugs Me." A man complains about "environmentally friendly" automatic hand dryers. He said "They never dry your hands unless you let them run for five to eight minutes. And if you actually want to wipe something off your hands or shirt, blot a spot or wipe anything, you can't do it. And suppose you want to rinse your face? How then does one dry his or her face? People do spill things --soda, food, ice cream -- and need to wipe it off. What is one to do? Use an undershirt? " Basically he wants paper-towel dispensers back. OK, here is my suggestion. How about having handkerchief with you? I do. Actually we were punished if we didn't have handkerchief at school in Japan.

Roberto Cavalli for H&M

ROME (AFP) - Roberto Cavalli is set to be the latest designer to create a collection for Swedish clothing giant H&M, he announced Wednesday, following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.

The Italian will create 25 pieces for women, mainly evening wear, and 20 for men, as well as accessories and lingerie. They will be available in about 200 shops from November 8.

"I hope that on December 8 there will be nothing left in the shops! I am very flattered to be the first Italian chosen by H&M," Cavalli said from the Pitti Uomo fashion fair in Florence, according to Italy's Ansa news agency.

Agh.

I'm cranky. I chose wrong shoes and outfit. My hair is out of control. My make-up is scary. I have a lot of work to do. I know Victoria's Secret Semi-annual Sale starts today, but I may not have time to go there. Hillary Clinton campaign has just announced their campaign song...."You and I" by Celine Dion. AGHHHHHHHHH! I'm cranky.

This is what I need.

Can I hate her?

Do Not Discriminate Shoes

OK, I don't have enough pairs of shoes. So I decided to buy more. I bought this yesterday. Mine is in white, though. I thought yellow was cuter, but it doesn't go with my blue pants which I'm planning to wear this coming Saturday. Or should I have got both? I still can do that. I love Payless! I love Payless shoes as much as I love Manolos. I don't discriminate shoes, you know.

I have been as cranky as VUBOQ since yesterday. I need some treat.

I'm a Shoe Whore

This morning, a DOS security guard stopped me and asked "Hey, how many pairs of shoes do you have?"----I said "Oh, that's funny. I just counted them last week. It was 40." He said to another security guard "Damn, man, we were wrong!" I asked "Oh, what was your guess?" They said "100!" Hmmmm.....I should buy more.

Good Time

Mike sent me this cell phone photo he took last year. Great photo! I love it. I think we were listening "Carnival" by The Cardigans on my MP3 player.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It was fun weekend. On Friday, I really wanted martini. I dropped in a liquor store near my office after work and grabbed a bottle of Vodka (Skyy....sigh) and Vermouth. I had some martinis at home. Then my mother-in-law called me. She said she was in an emergency room because she had high fever and was short in breath. I called my husband and brother-in-law. She's got a bad case of pneumonia.

Saturday, I visited my mother-in-law at the hospital, headed back home and then met Steven and Mike at Alero Cleveland Park for SAM Me and Mike's Birthday (SAMMMB) edition. Steve and Bobby joined us. It was THE perfect day for SAM! We ended up in consuming four (?) pitchers of margarita. Then we walked to Dupont Circle and had a dinner at Italian Kitchen (?). It could have been the first going-home-drunk-together night for me and my neighbor downstairs, but the vicious, unrepentant, bitter, old, queen neighbor betrayed me...:-p So I went home alone.

The neighbor has been forgiven for buying me a movie ticket and opening his special gin for my birthday:-) Sunday, I went to the hospital to visit my mother-in-law again, and then went to see the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 in Silver Spring with Steven and his friend Y. The movie was good, but I needed more of Johnny Depp. We had margarita again at Austin Grill. Yum. I love my new neighborhood.

Monday was my birthday, the national holiday. I visited my mother-in-law in the morning and ran to Home Depot and Shoppers for some shopping. My friend in NYC, Ayako, called me on my cell phone to say Happy Birthday. It seems that her husband's family lives very close to my new home...nice. The vicious, unrepentant, bitter, old, queen neighbor invited me for the special martini at his place. OMG! The best martini ever! He needed to leave for a party so I went home. My husband came home, and we went to pick up my new TV. Yey! Now I can watch Sex & The City on big screen in the couch, which I did at the night. My husband had no present nor plan for my birthday. After having a Chinese carry out dinner, I got furious. So I decided not to talk to him and watched SATC drinking beer.

Except for the last part, it was a great birthday weekend.

GAP?

BITTEN Sarah Jessica Parker.

Hmm. They are reasonably priced, but not something I want to wear. A little disappointment.

Manolo Blahnik Website

ManoloBlahnik.com!

I've just found this info on Manolo's Shoe Blog.

Silver Shoes for Silver Spring

I've moved to Silver Spring! Yey.

My friends (Steve, Bobby, Aki, Steven, Roberto and Mike) and my husband's brother and friend helped us move last Saturday. Many thanks to them.

It's so good to have a living room separated from bedrooms.....because we lived in a studio. I feel that now I live in a real "home." It makes me want to buy some new things...a bigger TV, a wall clock, a new pair of shoes....OK, I bought this one. I know I should have saved money for mortgage....this one will be the last one. Maybe.

I couldn't sleep well at the first and second nights because of the traffic noise, but it seems that I've already got used to it. I haven't had problems sleeping since then.

I'll try to explore more about my new neighborhood this weekend.

Why I hate VUBOQ today

Last night, I and my husband had a dinner at Bennigan's (I know, I know. Don't comment on our restaurant choice. It's a long story). When I came back from a lady's room to our table, my husband said "Did you see how those men over there were looking at you?" He looked surprised, then suddenly tried to hold my hand. Heh. Honey, have you finally realized how lucky you are???? Apparently he hasn't. No sex for 2 months. That's why I hate VUBOQ today.

Harsh reality

I've just realized Cate Blanchette and I are the same age. I need to grow up. I may need to throw away some of my funky clothes.

A Woman's right to shoes

OMG! I have to divorce my husband and marry a rich lawyer to have this amazingly beautiful shoes! Sigh.

I've finally finished a never ending article. I need a reward. OK, let me go to Nine West. Sigh.

Well, I'm moving this weekend. Yey! I'm so excited. I can't wait.

My birthday is coming soon. I don't have any plan yet. I may not plan anything. There isn't much difference between 7 and 8, isn't there?

I. Need. Martini.

I'm bored.

I've got stuck in writing an article. The more I write, the less interesting it looks.

Let me make a plan to lure one of my co-workers/sponsors into Happy Hour.

Just another day

I sometimes can't help but wonder why it is so hard to enjoy and appreciate each day. I know every day is precious. Today may be the last day in my life. I wasted another day today.

Well, I blogged at least.

This is a room of the house I will stay in Hawaii with my family this summer. I can't wait!

Well, I should go home now not to waste the rest of the day. I may watch Sex and the City DVD to cheer me up. Is it wasting time? Maybe. Who cares.

Just a follow-up to the scoop by VUBOQ

Somehow VUBOQ has reported the exclusive breaking news about the closing on my new apartment. It's another indication that I'm not a good reporter.....

Anyways, now it's official. I'm a homeowner (Woo Hoo!) and moving to Silver Spring (Woo Hoo!!!)

My husband doesn't seem to be as excited as I am, but I don't care. It's MY apartment. And I'm sure he will love the place.

House warming party! My birthday party is coming, too! Party! So, I think I need this dress.

Very official comment

This morning, the deputy press secretary of DOS commented on my dress. "Oh, lots of blue going on there. That's a great dress." Should I be glad?

From Buenos Aires to Silver Spring

This puppy lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My husband's aunt has just adopted her.

I've just had Dulce de Leche Frappuccino at Starbucks. Hmmmm....yum. As you may know, Dulce de Leche is the Argentinians' national obsession.

I'm tiiiiiiirrrrrreeeeeddddd. I want to go home. Now.

BTW, thanks for the information for allergy drug. Actually it turned out that mine was a cold. I took some cold medicine, and I've been OK.

As some of you already know, I'm moving to Silver Spring soon. Yey! I'll make it official after the closing on Friday. I met some of my neighbor-to-bes last night, and they all seemed to be nice, except for a vicious, unrepentant, bitter, old, queen one:-p Stay tuned!

I'm sick

I'm not sure if this is allergy or cold....I have running nose, sore throat, headache and mustle ache. I couln't sleep last night...Ugh. Neither allergy medicine nor cold medecine work. What do I need?

Amy Winehouse

I'm in JFK airport and heading back to DC soon. I'm on Wi-Fi and enjoying a glass of dirty martini with Grey Goose. It's a little treat for me after the four-day business trip. I couldn't have any Long Island Ice Tea in Long Island.....I had beer, the second worst sushi, Chinese take-out and some Portuguese food. There are many Portuguese people living there. I don't know why. Oh, and a lovely Mexican illegal immigrant bought me a coffee and a cake. Gracias, Jose:-)

I listened to this song "You know I'm no good" once at JR's and last night on MTV. I really like it. And the singer, Amy Winehouse has a drinking problem. Perfect! I'll definitely download her songs.

Hello from Farmingville, NY

If you have never seen the movie "Farmingville," see it. I'm there now.

Yesterday was not my day. At all. I was trapped in a airplane for an hour and half because of the traffic in JFK airport...which, apparently the UA people didn't realize until the plane was on the runway. I wanted to arrive in JFK before dark. But of course, it was totally dark when I got to the rental car counter because of the delay. I had to wait 40 minutes more to get a car. Then I got lost. Never believe in Yahoo map!! I got into a sketchy area....I decided to make a U-turn. Then, siren. Police siren. I got caught by a police in the first time in the US!! "What did I wrong, sir?" "Just show me your licence and registration." "ok...." "You can't make a U-turn here." "Oh, I can't?" "No, you can't." The bright side was that the policeman showed me a way. And he was cute. But he gave me a $90 ticket. When I arrived in a hotel, it was almost 10:30pm. I was starving. I had a quick dinner at a Japanese restaurant across the street. The second worst sushi I'd ever had (the worst was the one from THE Japanese restaurant in Phnom Penh in 2000. There may be more now).

Oh, there was one luck. There was a video tape in TV in the hotel room. It said "Asian Girls." First I thought "OMG, it could be the 'Ring' video tape." I saw it anyways. Of course it was a porn. Very funny porn. The pseudo-Asian porn actresses made me laugh.

Ok, I go to bed. There is nothing to do here. Really. People are nice, though.

Sometimes I have an opinion

The mayor of the Japanese city of Nagasaki died yesterday after being gunned down by a gang member. He was my friend's father-in-law. Now my friend is running for the mayorship. Many good luck for him.

The Japanese government has already started acting to strengthen its already very strict gun control. Hand gun is banned in Japan. The government will step up the enforcement to stop gun trafficking.

Well, you know. More than 30 people were killed by a student in another country. Let's see whet the county will do.

For me, it's very simple. Gun kills people. Many, many people at one time. Why don't some people understand? I don't get it.

Now you can see how much fun and drink we had

Roberto ate my hand! This is for the record when I file a lawsuit against him.

Happy Easter!

I'm just trying to make Bala Wala Shi more jelous about my sweater/jacket.





























Can you find Roberto in this photo?

I'm a "dreamer"

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Panda Porn

I love this news!

March 26: Chuang Chuang checks out a video of his fellow pandas mating at the Chiang Mai zoo in Thailand.

sakura sakura

Nostalgia

When I was reading Vanity Fair, I found a photo of my old favorite place.....FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) Bar Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is located on the top floor of a riverside old building in downtown Phnom Penh, where I visited three times including three months stay.

I want to be there, NOW!

I really miss the atmosphere of Southeast Asia. The smell of noodle soup, humidity, chaotic noise of motorcycles, distant voice of street vendors, dusty sidewalks......

Sometimes in summer, the smell in the DC street reminds me of Phnom Penh. It seems that both cities use the same cheap asphalt. Haha.

Shoe healing

During my search for a perfect pair of metallic silver shoes, I have encountered this amazing pair. What do you think?

Come on, I'm tired and pissed off. I need something to cheer me up!

Sometimes I wish I were one of those typical adorable Japanese girls. If I could.

Happy Happy Hour

After the hustle, I've got $15 refund from Chase. Yey! Power to the people! And I cancelled the card. I don't like their service. I have three other cards, so I didn't need it anyways. Heh.

I went for Happy Hour at Halo with Steven and Roberto last night. It was lots of fun. Kittens, please remember to stop me if I try to order Cosmo with Grey Goose next time. It's $14!! I always forget it's so expensive. It's delicious, though. So, from next time, unless I'm in the mood for an expensive drink, please stop me. I'll run out of cash for tips like last night, otherwise. Steven and Roberto, please also remember I owe you guys some bucks. Or not.

Anyways, after a few drinks, we went to Thai Tanic for a dinner. Seafood Drunken Noodle. Yum. Oh, please remember to stop me if I try to order their original cocktails next time. They are too sweet for me. And then we moved to this place called Titan's Ramrod across the street. Mmmmm...my first exposure to the....um, wonderland. It was fun. There was a banner of a local Rugby Football team. I don't remember the name of the team....I love Rugby. Rugby is the only sport I really enjoy watching. Sweaty big muscular men groan and tackle....who doesn't love it? Well, seriously I love Rugby.

I don't have a hangover today. I'm happy. I and my husband may go to Frederick this afternoon. Tomorrow, I'm planning to go shoe shopping. Search for a perfect pair of metallic silver shoes.

I feel better now

http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/03/Apr/correspondence.html

Chase Customer Service

I've just had a fight with Customer Service of Chase credit card. I sent three e-mail inquiries. They failed to answer my question and kept sending me off-the-point automatic responses. They even suddenly closed my account. I called. I was transferred to three different people and forced to repeat my explanations I got no right answer. I'm sooooo frustrated. I will never use Chase again. But is there any better customer service? Do you know any? Sigh. 

Roberto's Birthday Bash 3

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Originally uploaded by diablorhino.

How fabulous we are (especially me;-p)!

Happy Birthday Roberto (oops, you are not in this photo...)!

It was lots of fun on Sunday. The Chilly wind couldn't defeat our strong will for drinking! We started with a brunch at Beacon Grill (lots of Champagne), moved to JR's, then Halo, and ended in Luna Cafe. More birthdays to come! Woo hoo!

Roberto's Birthday Bash 2

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Originally uploaded by diablorhino.

Roberto's Birthday Bash 1

halo2
Originally uploaded by diablorhino.

My New Purse

It's raining. I'm tired. But this new purse arriving today cheers me up a little bit.

Tomorrow I'm planning to go to Pilates and then to Korean massage in Annandale. This Korean place is amazing. With $80 (well, you need to add $20 tip, though. When I added just $10 tip---I was a student at that time!---a woman exclaimed "Not enough!") , you get body scrub, massage, cucumber face pack, hair treatment, plus herb sauna. You also receive a toothbrush. I don't know why. I don't recommend this place for those who don't feel comfortable being totally naked in front of bunch of people. Yes, you'll get body scrub and massage being naked in front of other people. You'll even be ordered (yes, ordered) by the full-figured powerful Korean masseuse, who is usually in a black lingerie for unknown reason, various embarrassing poses which I can't explain to you. Having said all of these, I'm going there tomorrow. Oh, by the way, this place is only for ladies.

Viva Patricia Field and Comma Cafe!

This year's Oscar was another disappointment. I know it meant to reward Scorsese. But Best Director award was enough!

Anyways. I'm excited to know that Patricia Field, the costume designer for Sex & the City, Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada will create a line for Payless Shoesource!! She wore one of the shoes on the red carpet. See the photo.

My Nevada trip last week was interesting. I stayed at a hotel in Reno and visited Carson city. Reno is a kind of Middle Class Consumerism Wonderland. If you are lucky enough to earn some bucks from slot machines, there are jewelry shops, all-10-dollars-apparel stores, gun shops, games for kids, all waiting for you. Of course, there are bunch of money loan, if you lose. How convenient!

In Carson City, I dropped in this super cool Cafe "Comma Coffee." It's a really nice place, and I wish we had this kind of place in DC area. If you ever have chance to visit Carson City, don't forget to have some coffee or mate tea (yes, they have mate!) or lunch there.

some pics from Nevada trip

On the way from Reno to Carson City. And Lake Tahoe.

My beginner's luck

I'm in Reno, Nevada. I won $45 with $2....so I quit immediately. Call me coward.

What constitutes "news"?

I've just had a sex with my husband (yes, kittens, with my HUSBAND) this morning. Why is this a news? Please refer to my previous post. Yes, that was the last time.

I tried to go to the gym this morning, but decided to sleep until noon. The last week was a little hectic, and I'm old. I'll be traveling to Carson City, Nevada on Monday. It's a business trip, but I've decided to stay in a hotel in Reno.....the hotel named "Circus Circus Reno." You know. I will either earn enough money to cover cost of the trip, or....will be washing dishes. Stay tuned.

Are you guys having fun?

I'm in Manchester, New Hampshire. I'm in a hotel room drinking wine and watching "Ugly Betty" on the Internet. Fun time!

OK, I'm going to bed now....oh wait, I need to take a shower...then go to bed.

Yes, I'm a little drunk.

FYI, HRC was great today. Now I understand a little more why she is popular. I'm still not sure if she should be the president, though.

GAH

I'm going to New Hampshire this weekend on business. It must be freezing up there....:-( I hate cold weather. It makes me unnecessarily tired. Plus, I will miss VUBOQ's CHILI party tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will miss me at the party:-p At least I've found a hotel close to downtown. I'll try to find a restaurant/bar which serves chili and alcohol.....

OK, I'm going home now to pack. Have a grooooooby weekend everyone!

Dear Washington Metro

I have just learned Washington Metro is finally planning to equip its trains with handles which gives "short" riders a grip. I'm 5'4 and usually wears high-heels (2-4 inches) and still have had hard time to reach those bars. Anyways, Japanese trains and buses have been equipped with the handles for ages, and they seem to be much more sofisticated than the ones you are planning to install. Just FYI.

Viva Pedro!

I've just purchased this DVD collection of Pedro Almodovar movies. It contains 8 movies, one vonus disc and postcards of all 8 movies. I'm quite happy with it.

I also recently bought DVDs of my most favorite Japanese TV drama "Tantei Monogatari (A Detective's Story). My love for life, a Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda, played the lead role in this series. He appeared in a Hollywood movie "Black Rain" just before he passed away from cancer. I'm planning to spend a whole Saturday to watch these DVDs. Especially because I've been mad at my husband and don't want to talk to him.

Tasty!

I just had this instant Thai green carry with Jasmine rice. It's really good!

Hmmm...I checked the ingridient...it contains fish sause as I suspected. Sorry, my vegetarian friends. But other Tasty Bite products are vegan, and good, too.

I've finally fully recovered from three day long hangover from the last weekend. Friday night happy hour + two clubs-->6 hours long dinner&drinks (beer plus 3 bottles of wine for 3 people) at Yasuko's place on Saturday night-->Brunch with Steven, Roberto, Darryl and Mike at Beacon Bar (bad bloody mary and lots of mimosa) and two drinks at Halo on Sunday. I didn't drink at all on Monday. I had a dinner with my co-workers at Kaz Sushi Bistro and had some beer yesterday. I ran into Margot there. I'm totally "clean" now. Yey.

My life doesn't look bad

I've got this "word crowd" link from Vuboq.

I. Need. Martini. Now!

I'm pissed. I'm stressed. Can I have a drink at a business lunch? No? Ugh. I haven't prepared enough for the meeting....

Ugh.

I'm exhausted and stressed. What should I do??

 

Let me see if I can find anything at Filine's.

Oscar

Every year I care less about Oscar, but, well.

1. Best Picture:
"Babel"--haven't seen. like the director ("Amores Perros") and Gael!!
"The Departed," ---haven't seen. but please remember it's a remake! the original "Infernal Affairs" was great.
"Letters From Iwo Jima,"--seen it. a little cheesy like other Eastwood movies (yes, Bala Wala Shi), but for the Japanese, it's good to see.
"Little Miss Sunshine,"--loved this movie!
"The Queen."--haven't seen. no interest.

2. Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"--haven't seen. i can't stand him.
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"--haven't seen.
Peter O'Toole, "Venus"--haven't seen, but want to see. i want him to get Oscar.
Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"--haven't seen. i like him:)
Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland."--movie was terrible, but he did a great job.

3. Actress:
Penelope Cruz, "Volver"--she was really great....just like other actresses in the movie.
Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal"--haven't seen. i like her.
Helen Mirren, "The Queen"--haven't seen. but does an impersonator deserve Oscar? or was she more than that? i don't know.
Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"---she was great, but.....
Kate Winslet, "Little Children."--haven't seen.

Where is the girl from"Little Miss Sunshine"?? I thought she was a main character...

4. Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"--yey.
Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"--haven't seen.
Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"--haven't seen.
Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"--haven't seen.
Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed"--haven't seen, but i love him:) i want him to get Oscar.

5. Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, "Babel"--no comment.
Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"--haven't seen, but i like her.
Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine"--Yey!
Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"--no comment. heard she was good.
Rinko Kikuchi,"Babel"---haven't seen. my Japanese friends thought that her character was too eccentric...it's easy to play an eccentric role, isn't it?

6. Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"--i like his movies.
Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"--never liked his movies.
Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"--never liked his neither. but this movies was ok.
Stephen Frears, "The Queen"--no comment.
Paul Greengrass, "United 93."---no comment.

7. Foreign Language Film: "After the Wedding," Denmark; "Days
of Glory (Indigenes)," Algeria; "The Lives of Others," Germany;
"Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico; "Water," Canada.

I loved "Pan's Labyrinth"!! Where is "Volver"??

18. Documentary Feature: "Deliver Us From Evil," "An
Inconvenient Truth," "Iraq in Fragments," "Jesus Camp," "My
Country, My Country."

I loved "Jesus Camp."

Snow!

Snow! It's the first snow this winter. I don't like snow anymore (I used to be so excited to see lots of snow since I came from the southern part of Japan where we had little snow), but it's still beautiful.

Friday night, I went to Mike's Game Night gathering. There were Steven, Roberto, Tiger, Darryl, Sven (I'm still not sure of his name) and Mike's roommate. It was fun. I learned a card game called "Garbage." I was totally screwed, but still had fun.

At the party, I asked Mike and Roberto: "Don't I look a little different today?" Roberto: "Did you change your hair?" Me: "Nope." Mike: "Did you have sex?" Me: "YES! Last night!" R&M: "Congratulations!" Me: "Thanx!" R&M: "With who??"........A little later, I told Steven: "Did I tell you I had sex last night?" Steven: "Really? Congratulations! With who??" Ahem. FYI, I'm married.

Since most (if not all) of my readers are my friends and most of them are already aware of (or tired of hearing) my "issue" with my husband, you know it is a news. Well, I haven't told my female friends about this issue.....because most of them are Japanese. Girls usually don't talk about sex in Japan. Conversations like in the Sex and the City are almost taboo. Once I tried to talk to one of my Japanese female friends here about my "issue," but her reaction to my first sentence discouraged me. Anyways, it was not only the first sex this year but also....in more than 6 months. I raised this issue to my husband, and finally we did it last Thursday. Let's see when will be the next one.

How important is sex for you? Well, for me, it's important. I can live without it, but I need it. First, it feels good. Second, it makes me feel alive (somewhat). Third, it makes me believe that I'm still a "woman." On the other hand, sex is not that important for me in a way. I mean, quite frankly, I can have sex with someone who I don't love or care. I didn't like one of my ex-boyfriends as a person at all, but sex was great. I have to admit that I tend to have emotional attachment to the person after having sex with, but not always. I may be OK if I find out my husband has sex with other women. But since I know that my husband can't have sex with someone without any emotional attachment, in reality, I won't be OK. Am I selfish? Oh, BTW, I've never had sex with anyone but my husband since we started dating. I swear. But one point, I thought about it. I still don't know if I can do that. I don't know why not, neither.

Anyways, I didn't do much on Saturday. I and my husband watched DVD "Little Miss Sunshine." We both liked it very much. Sunday afternoon, I went to see the movie "The History Boys" with Steven, but at the theater in Dupont Circle, we found out that the movie was canceled because the projector was broken. How could it happen?? We decided to have some margaritas at Alero. We had a half pitcher and brunch. I also had a liquor coffee which kept me warm until I got home. It started snowing a lot, so I went home and watched DVD "Pirates of Caribbean" with my husband. OMG, Johnny Depp! So hot! Now he is my second most favorite actors in the world....the first is always, and will be forever, Yusaku Matsuda, a Japanese actor.

Me photos

Here are some photos from Mike's party last Saturday.


Me angry with out-of-control husband.






Me sleeping.












Me and Steve:)

Lots of drinks, Greasy Chinese food and movies

What a weekend. I'm sure I've gained at least 10 pounds. I joined Steven and Roberto for Happy Hour at Halo on Friday. I wore my new Manolo. Yey. Did I tell you this Manolo appeared in an episode of Sex and the City? Yes, it's Carrie's "urban myth" mary jane. Anyways, I had Dirty Martini with Ketel One (Steven's suggestion) and Cosmo with the same vodka, one each. Then we headed to Luna Cafe for a dinner where I had a pasta and salad, and 1 1/2 beer. Steven and Roberto introduced me to a new place (for me), Omega. I was the only girl there. I found one woman, but Steven and Roberto said she/he was a man. Hmmm.

I had a slight hangover next morning. I and my husband had a lunch at Pho 75, a Vietnamese noodle restaurant in Rockville. I prepared some dumplings and appetizers and headed for a farewell party for a Japanese banker at 5:00pm. I stayed there until 8:00pm, and then picked up my husband to go to Mike and his roommates' party. It was lots of fun. I met many interesting people. Around 1:00am, I dragged my husband out to go home.

On Sunday, I went to see the movie "Pan's Labyrinth" with Steven. It was a beautiful but sad movie. I was cold-hearted enough to make fun of sobbing Steven. The movie reminded me another Spanish movie "Devil's Backbone." It turns out the both movies were created by the same director. (Don't read the next sentence if you are planning to see Pan's Labyrinth) "This director kills kids in his movies." It may sound cruel, but well, you know, thousands of kids get killed everyday in the real world. They often are the first ones to get killed in wars, famines and abuses at home. After the movie, we met Roberto for some drinks and then strolled around the China town. We had a dinner and Margarita at Austin Grill, then got tired and decided to go home.

On Monday (MLK Day), I and husband had a lunch at all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. OMG, we were about to explode after eating, eating, and eating lots of greasy Chinese food. And we went to see the movie "Letters from Iojima." It was much better than I expected. My husband kept weeping. I wonder why we couldn't make this movie in Japan. I was discussing about this movie with my co-worker this morning. We agreed the movie was very good. He has been to Iojima once. He said the the movie failed to describe the harsh condition of the island and the hardships those Japanese soldiers (and maybe the Americans) really experienced. They fought 40 days with no water, no food. When he visited the island, he and others brought water and poured it on the memorial for those Japanese soldiers who died crying for water. My late grandfather who went to the war in China once told me he had never seen any soldier who shouted "Long Live the Emperor!" before dying like in the movie. Most of them said "I miss you, mother!" I think that's the reality. The thing is, Japan fought the war where they had absolutely no chance to win....The stupid leaders of the Imperial Japan dragged people to the hopeless war.

The Shoes

I'm too old to be a party girl

Saturday night was my husband's birthday party. About
30 people came (I think), danced and drank. It was
fun. Maybe I was the one who had fun the most....a bad
hostess. But I was glad to see that my friends were
making friends with my other friends. My friends left
around 1:00am (I guess), but my husband told me some
of his friends stayed until 5:00am after I went to
bed.

Unfortunately, I can't throw a big party at home
anymore....I rented a party room in my apartment
building for $50. The building manager informed me
that the fee would be increased to $100. I can't
afford it. Or I just should move to a bigger apartment
which I can have more people. So, for my birthday in
May, I'm thinking of a small gathering with my close
friends at home, or Saturday Afternoon Margarita
Tomokito's Birthday Edition at Alero, or happy hour at
Halo.....

In addition, I'm thinking of having a small gathering
of 5-6 people just to watch everyone's pick of
favorite Sex and the City episodes drinking Cosmos.
Must be fun.

I had a little hangover Sunday morning. My husband's
mother invited us for a lunch at her place. After
lunch, we played Argentinean dice game. It was fun to
hear my usually-refined-mother-in-law cursing a lot in
Spanish during the game. It's Argentinean thing.

At night, I and my husband watched a DVD "Queens
(Reinas)." When this movie was released last year, it
didn't get very good reviews. But actually I liked the
movie. It's not a great movie, but good. I'm still
waiting for "Little Miss Sunshine" to arrive.

The sky is getting clear! Woo hoo! I'm wearing my new
Manolo which is my Christmas present to myself
today....I had to be so careful to walk in the rain
this morning.

I'll have a lunch with my friends at Cafe Asia. Yum.

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Eat mochi!

According to Japanese newspapers, two elderlies were suffocated by rice cake in Japan...so far. The news is almost Japan's New Year ritual....It's a Japanese tradition to eat rice cake (mochi) on New Year's Day. Since mochi is very sticky, several old people die from suffocation every year. This year is not an exception. I haven't eaten mochi yet this year....I bought some, though. I may eat them tonight trying not to make a headline on a Japanese newspaper.

 

Another news from Japan:

TOKYO (Reuters) - A troupe of dancers in skin-coloured body suits had Japanese national broadcaster NHK apologising to viewers of its New Year's Eve music special for what seemed to be a full-scale Janet Jackson-style wardrobe malfunction.

The dancers, who all appeared to be topless and wore skimpy bikini-style bottoms and feathered head-dresses, covered the stage during a performance by singer DJ OZMA, prompting about 250 viewers to phone in and complain.

"The dancers were wearing body suits, but we apologise for any misunderstanding," a presenter announced towards the end of the 57th annual "Red and White Song Contest".

"I guess it looked a bit too real," local media quoted the singer as telling reporters after the show, which regularly tops viewer ratings on New Year's Eve in Japan.

You can watch the video on YouTube, if you are interested. You can seach the word "DJ OZMA."

Here are my New Year's resolutions....In 2007, I will......

 

1. Learn how to dance Argentine Tango. The class will start on Thursday. I'm so excited.

2. Read more books.

 

And I will TRY to.....

3. Be a better person. Be a better friend to my friends and be a better daughter to my parents.

4. Move.

5: Have a baby (!)

 

I'm in the office, but not really working....

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year 2007!

Happy New Year! Akemashite Omedeto! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

I wish you all another happy, groovy and smashing year!

Well, I have some hangover....my new year's resolution? Try to have less hangover....

I went to Roberto's New Year's Eve party last night. It was so lovely. Nothing is better than celebrating with your friends. Today I'll go to Steven's place for non-traditional Japanese New Year's party. I'll prepare some Inari-zushi (a kind of sushi wrapped with seasoned bean-curd) and vegetarian Nabe (kind of hot-pot). Japanese beer and sake should ease my hangover...

Oh, another new year's resolution....update this blog more often.

Volver

I saw the Pedro Almodovar's new film, "Volver," on the Christmas Day with my husband, my mother-in-law, brother-in-law (all Argentinean) and his girlfriend (Mexican). Despite the fact that I was the only one among them who had to follow the subtitles and sometimes delayed laughs, I loved the movie! Penelope Cruz glows in the movie. I told you! You shouldn't have been in the Holywood movies! This movie could be my third most favorite Almodovar movie. The first and the second are the title and the subtitle of this blog.

Ok, I'll blog tomorrow....as I don't have to work tomorrow! Yey!

Hello, Kacky

Hi, Kacky, one of my best friends in Japan. For my other friends' information, her real name is Rikako. She is a mother of two (a son and a daughter) and works as an advisor for a Japanese NGO which runs a domestic violence shelter. She used to work for a Japanese newspaper, where we met, and then for a NGO in northern Thailand. She is fluent in Thai. The NGO provided education for girls and kept them out from prostitution. She is the one who I drunk 8 big bottles (or more?) of Singha beer with....and we became a local legend:-p I saw her when I was visiting Japan two weeks ago and told her about this blog. We call each other "Kacky" and "Assy." So, ok, Kacky, this is my blog. I hope you can find time to visit once in a while....

I have been back

I came back from Japan on Dec. 3. It has been a little hectic to deal with a pile of work and to adjust to my DC life again....

Last Friday, I went for Happy Hour at Halo with Steven, Roberto, Darryl and his friend from NYC. Yeah, I really felt like being back in DC! As a result, I got a little drunk...yes, I never learn lessons. I thought I had two Cosmos, but according to others, it was at least three. Then we met Mike and had a dinner at Thaitanic. Yummy! It was my first time to go to the restaurant. I still believe that 4912 on Wisconsin Ave. is the best Thai restaurant in DC, but well, I'm not sure now...I was too drunk to remember the taste of Drunken noodle and Papaya salad....maybe I should go there again.

On Saturday, I had a little hangover in the morning. I had lots of Ukon tea, a miracle Japanese tea which eases hangover.....at least my hangover. Then I met Roberto, Mike and Atul at Alero Dupont Circle. We had margaritas and liquid cheese....I felt like being back in DC, again. Then we headed for a Christmas party at the apartment of Mike's friend's. The place was packed with Italian guys....actually I was the only woman there. I have always had something for Italian guys. So it was heaven...even though none of them were available.

Sunday night, I and my husband had the second Nabe, a Japanese hot-pot, of this year. Yummy, yummy. I cooked curry and Oden...a kind of Japanese stew?....to store for this week. My husband was in a festive mood after learning Pinochet's death. Well, he was a bastard, but it's not Japanese culture to cerebrate someone's death even if he/she was a devil.

I'm reading this book "Why the Japanese have no religion." The author said the Japanese DO have religion, but it's just not institutionalized religion like Christianity. We do have beliefs and rituals to honor ancestors and awe for power of nature and spirit. I agree. I'll continue reading.

Oh, one news. I'll start taking Tango lessons in January. Finally! I'm so excited.

Autumn in Japan

Beautiful Japanese garden at Koumyou Zen Ji, a Bhuddist temple in Dazaifu, Fukuoka, Japan.











My mom and dad.













Me.

I'm in heaven

Hello from Fukuoka, Japan. I left DC in the morning of 23rd, and after 14 hours of flight, arrived in Narita Airport of Tokyo on 24th. Then I took a connection flight from there to Fukuoka, my hometown. The flight from DC to Tokyo was OK....the airplane was new and not crowded. There were many Vietnamese Americans going to visit their relatives in Saigon around my seat....they just kept talking loudly....it was a little annoying. Well, very annoying. In-flight movie line-up was not very good. I saw "The Break-up" and "Nacho Libre." The first one was a waste of time, the second was just OK. Oh, I saw Pirates of Carribian: Dead Man's Chest. The movie reminded me how much I loved Johnny Depp. On the way back to DC, there will be "The Devil Wears Prada." I look forward to it.

I've been doing absolutely nothing here at home. Wake up, eat, chat with my parents, play with my nieces, eat, watch TV, drink, eat, take bath, and go to bed. It's great. I'm sure I will gain weight. I eat two bowls of rice with miso-soup and Japanese pickles for breakfast every morning. I just can't stop eating! My mom's cooking is so great, and rice taste so good. Last night we had a small birthday party for my niece, Namiho. She will be 9 on 28th. We got great carry-out sushi for a dinner. $60 for 7 people! I'm so amazed how inexpensive everything is here in Japan compared to DC. Believe me, Japan is not expensive. You can buy almost everything at 100-yen ($1) shop....T-shirts, watch, even DVDs. You can have very tasty lunch for $5, and you don't need to pay tips. A dinner with all-you-can-drink option can be $20.

Well, but I'm not sure if I can live in Japan again....I'll write about it later. My mom said dinner is ready. Today's menu seems to be Tonkatsu, deep fried breaded pork. Yummy.

My obsession is not only alcohol

Just a quick note. There are some movies I want to see. First of all, "Volver." I can't miss Pedro Almodovar's movies. Penelope Cruz is back to Pedro's movie. Good. I like her only in Pedro's movies. And "Babel." I like the director ("Amores Peros" and "21 grams"), and love Koji Yakusho, a Japanese actor (he was in original "Shall we dance?" and "Warm Water Under a Red Bridge") . Believe or not, I may want to see "Casino Royal." Well, most likely, I will wait for DVD for this. I haven't seen "Little Miss Sunshine." I want to see it. Maybe "Running With Scissors"? I'd rather read the book...Oh, and I want to see "Borat"!

Tomorrow, I'll go to see "Nightmare Before Christmas" 3-D version with Steven and Mike and maybe some others. I'm not sure if I'm eager to see the movie itself, but I'm interested in 3-D. And it's always fun to see a movie with friends.

Ok, now I need to go back to work....yeah, it's Saturday...but.....sigh.

Americanization....and farewell to Junko

This is a peaceful weekend after hectic busy weeks. Today I slept until around 11:00am, and then realized it was actually 10:00am. My very smart cell phone (actually it does have a brain. A little cell phone accessory with a photo of sliced brain, which I bought at "Body World" exhibition in Philadelphia, is attached) told me the daylight saving time was over. I remember I was so relieved to learn I had one more hour to read before a class in my first year at a graduate school. Now I don't have to read thousands of pages of academic papers filled with incomprehensible sentencesand gigantic words. Thank Buddha.

Instead, I spent the extra hour to read VOGUE magazine. Yes, I actually "read" the magazine. There was an interesting article about a do-it-yourself DNA kit that analyzes your genetic profile and prescribe nutritional and lifestyle solutions that would help you avoid aging and disease. The article also says some genetic analysis can tell you the possibilities you will develop breast cancer or Alzheimer's. The question is if you want to know the information since there is no cure found so far, for example, for Alzheimer's. I sometimes think abut what I would do if I were diagnosed with the last stage of cancer. I may go to visit countries I have wanted to go
and then go back to Japan to spend time with my family. Or I may go to Cambodia to launch some projects to help slum communities so that I can feel my life was a little helpful for the society (how Angelina of me it is!). Oh well, the chances are I probably will spend the rest of my life at a hospital to try to survive as long as possible. I am coward. So I don't want to know my genetic information. I'd rather live with the uncertainty.

At Steven's party, Bill, my friend who I hadn't seen for ages, said Americans are too obsessed with their appearances. And today when I was zapping TV, I found so many ads about new diet program which helps you lose weight, new exercise equipment, botox, etc. Hmm. Now I do care about my appearances more than I did when I was 20-something in Japan. I go to gym and take Pilates classes, which I'd never thought of before. I buy much more clothes and shoes than before. Ok, maybe it's just because I'm getting old and now have more time and money than I did when I was working in Japan. But there are other things. I speak louder than before. I express my emotion by gesture and expression more than before. I eat donuts. I'm OK with
Starbucks. I wear pumps with bare foot. I debate with my mother. (And I'm blogging in English). I can't help but wonder: am I Americanized? Is it good or bad for me?

Well, I wasn't a typical Japanese girl even before I came to US. Maybe my characteristics have just been enhanced by this American "free society." When I saw a Japanese couple just typing text-messages on their cell phone silently without talking each other in a Tokyo commuter train, I thought it weird. Few people think that is weird in Japan. I guess the Japanese society
has changed, too.

I've just received an e-mail from my high school friend. One of my classmates died from cancer. I hadn't seen her since we graduated, but I remember her smile. I heard that after she had graduated from a college, she changed her career objective and went to a medical school to be a doctor. And she made it. I admired her courage. According to my friend, she had just had a baby girl last year. How cruel a fate can be. I guess I'd better live a better life. Well, I had a very good day today. I'll try to do it tomorrow, too. I really hope my friend, Junko, is in peace now.

Hmm

This morning, at the gym, I found out that I lost 5 pounds. I don't know if it is because I stopped drkinking or because I haven't eaten much these days. Hmm.

Last night, I went to Steven's Pumpkin Carving Party. I didn't carve a pumpkin again this year, but the pary was fun. It was good to know that I could enjoy party without drinking alcohol. Hmm.

But still, I think I will eventually start drinking again. Why? Because I can. Because drinking is a part of my life. Seriously.

The photo is a bar/grill I dined in Newport RI.

I'm sleepy

It's almost 1:00am. I'm still working. It sucks. But tomorrow is Steven's Pumplin Carving Party! Thinking about something fun always helps. When I have tough time, I always tell myself: Everything has the end. Yeah. My husband will pick me up at the office. I love him.

Trip to New England

I visited Rhode Island and Connecticut from 15th to 18th. It was a business trip, but I had some good time. In Rhode Island, I stayed in Newport one night. It was a beautiful day, and Seafood Festival was being held at the ocean front area. Since I didn't have any appointments until the evening, I decided to have some drinks with lunch. I enjoyed Sunday Afternoon Margarita Newport Edition....alone. I text-messaged Roberto. He said he was cleaning. Boo-hoo!

I stayed at Jailhouse Inn, a cozy B&B , which used to be the old Newport County jailhouse. My room had two bedrooms with big windows. I had a late dinner at a bar/grill next door "A&O Fish." It was a find. Great martinis, sophisticated dishes, and cute chatty bartender. There even was a real fireplace. The bartender said the bar was the second oldest house in Newport.

Next day I stayed in Providence. My hotel choice was right this time too.The hotel "Dolce Villa" was located in the middle of Little Italy (the photo was taken in front of the hotel). I didn't know Rhode Island had such a large Italian community. I wish if I had more time to walk around there. The hotel was actually for a long stay, and all rooms were suits. My room had a living room with a full kitchen, a bedroom (with memory foam beds), sleep sofas also with memory foam, Jacuzzi(!), flat screen TVs, DVD, VCR, and CD players, free High Speed Internet, free popcorn, hot chocolate and biscotti (ok, enough advertisement. I promised the hotel manager I'd blog about his hotel). Rooms were all in white. It was cool. There was a cafe/restaurant/bar next door (Cafe Dolce Villa). The bar had excellent martinis. I also found a little Italian pastry shop nearby. It had a great Cappuccino and biscotti. We need that kind of a little cozy cafe with homemade sweets in DC.....

I didn't have much luck in Connecticut. I arrived at hotel around 10:30pm, exhausted from long driving in a heavy rain. After I checked in, I immediately asked concierge what time the bar would close. She said 11:00pm. I rushed to the room, closed the door, then, fire alarm started. All guests were kicked out from the hotel. We were allowed to go back around 10:50. I rushed to the bar, it was closed. Aghhhhhh!!!! I begged to the bartender: "I just arrived and the alarm started. I'm exhausted. I need drinks!" The bartender: "I'm sorry, mom. We've already closed the bar. And I don't have a key." I hated him.

There was some fun in Connecticut, too. I visited Pez factory. Yeah, there were tons of petz candies and various kinds of heads. I made friends with some British reporters. We'll hang out sometime after the midterm election. I had a dinner at a local diner, I don't even remember the name, somewhere in Wilton, CT, and the dinner was enormous. Three huge stuffed peppers, rice, broccoli, bread, and garden salad. It was just $9. It was amazing. I couldn't finish even half of it.

Ok, now you think I just enjoyed staying at nice hotels (FYI, all stays cost less than $130 per night), dining good food and drinking heavily. I DID work, too, but I can't write about something related to my job. I'm now in the process of organizing thoughts for my article. I love my job more if I don't have to write articles.....sigh.

Never say never

I'm testing to blog via e-mail. I hope it works.

My weekend was perfect until around 11:00pm on Saturday...according to Angel
Roberto, who kindly took care of this drunk puking idiot. I went to Ray and
Joey's house warming party in Arlington. The party was lots of fun. I had
ONLY three martinis but somehow got drunk miserably. I got sick in a merto
and puked to a garbage can at the Metro Center station, again, according to
Angel Roberto. I vaguely remember I puked and said "I....'m sooooorrryyyyy"
to Roberto. He called my husband and my husband picked me up outside of the
station.

Next morning, I realized my wallet was missing. Then I got a call from a
hotel near the metro station, saying someone found my wallet and brought it
to the hotel. It's a miracle! My wallet was returned with my driver's
licence and all credit cards! And they were not used! But just in case, I
cancelled all cards.

I promised to my husband I wouldn't drink until his birthday party in
January.

I'll NEVER drink that way again. NEVER!

I'll blog about my trip to Rhode Island and Connecticut later.

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Dear Vuboq

Dear VUBOQ:

You must have sexy British accent by now. I'm sure Bala Wala Shi loves it (ask her about her classroom embarrassment). Monday Afternoon Margarita Columbus Day Edition (MAM:CoDE) was a success. We had a lot of fun WITHOUT YOU. We were planning to meet at Alero Dupont Circle, but it was too gorgeous to stay inside, so we decided to change the location to Alero Cleveland Park. When I and Roberto were almost to finish the first pitcher, Roberto mentioned how different the neighborhood was from Adams Morgan. He said Cleveland Park looked mostly straight and conservative (I don't remember exact sentences...). Then I said "well, not really. I see two gay people walking down the street." Roberto looked at the direction and laughed. They were Mike and Darryl. Darryl's friend (?), 22-year-old (!) student, Jon (if I remember his name correctly) joined us. We had three pitchers of Margaritas (I think) and chatted until around 9:20pm (I think).

We talked a little about if we could have sex with someone without any emotional attachment. I have to say "yes." I tend to have emotional attachment to the person after having sex, but to be honest, not always. Mike said "well, but there is passion involved in sex." Maybe, but it doesn't have to be "passion for love." It could be "passion for a great sex." Well, I guess it depends on the person. For me, sex is sex. No less than that, no more than that.

I saw two movies during the weekend. "The last king of Scotland" and "Jesus Camp." I didn't like "The last..." very much, because while I know the movie is meant to be fiction, it confuses audience about the fact and the fiction. The actor Forest Whitaker did a great job to scare me out, though. "Jesus Camp" was very interesting. It's a must see movie to understand "ordinary" Christian right people and the reason why Bush won the second term.

Oh, and I had my first spinning class Monday morning. It was fun.

Better than nothing

I've just got back from Pilates. I've been taking 8 sessions of "Pilates Reformer" class which uses some equipments to build your core muscles. An instructor recommended me to take this class because I don't have some necessary muscle and if I keep doing Pilates without those muscles I may hurt my back. Well, she might just have wanted me to spend more money, but I've decided to take her advice because my back actually hurts after Pilates. I forewent buying a pair of shoes for this. I think it was a good decision. Class is 8AM every Saturday. It's not easy to get my ass up early in Saturday morning, especially after Happy Hour on Friday....but I can feel the day longer. So I'm blogging:-)

My company has imposed more strict regulations for employees' internet use at the office. So I can't update my blog as frequently as before....it sucks. I may also need to cut my internet shopping....this is good for me.

I remember one thing I need to note for my own record. "I don't like seafood salad at Alero." Ok, my SAM (Saturday Afternoon Margarita) comrades, please remind me this when I try to order it again. This is one reason why I need to blog. I don't remember many things. Last weekend, me, Steven, Roberto, Terry and Jake---Steven's friend who was visiting DC from NYC---had SAM at Alero Dupont Circle. I was going to order seafood salad. Steven: "Didn't you order it before?" Me: "Yeah, I think so...but I don't remember if I liked it or not...." I ordered it, and when it appeared in front of me, my memory suddenly flashed back.....I had it before, at the same Alero, at the same table, and I didn't like it!!! I guess I'm officially getting old.

I was talking to my mom in Japan on the phone the other day. She lamented how reckless and brutal Japanese, especially young people, have become these days. Teenagers or sometimes even primary school kids kill homeless people or elderly just for fun. Young parents abuse, neglect or kill their babies just because the babies "cry" or "poop." My mom said maybe a part of the reason is the fact that the majority of Japanese don' have any faith/religion. No moral values based on religion exists for them. Hmmm. Maybe. But how about Aum cult? They killed bunch of people with Salin gas for their faith. Certainly faith could sometimes be a brake to keep people away from some wrong doing. But it could also be a trigger for some fanatic act. It is true that Japanese don't have the core "value" they can originate with or they can use a guidance. Some conservatives are trying to find it in nationalism. In my opinion, that's very dangerous. Nationalism can lead Japanese into "state of denial." Denial of anything bad about us. I feel that "bad old days" are coming back to Japan.....well, maye not only in Japan.

BTW, my photo is on "Metroweekly." I'm famous! Woo hoo! We look so cute, don't we??

I bought this shoes . When you buy a pair, another pair goes to a child in Argentina. I get cool shoes, and an Argentine kid become a little happy. A little bit. I'm not that naive to believe that it can change something dramatically. But well, it's always better than nothing.

The photo is my spoiled and the cutest nieces.