AKATSUKI

2 Weeks

2011-04-25T03:32:00.002-10:00

Two weeks until I finished graduate school.

So much has happened since my last post, which has crippled me from being able to writing. I won't discuss one of those events on this blog because it's just too tragic.

The other, as you might expect, is the tsunami and earthquake that affected the coast of Miyagi, a place I called home for 3 years (hence the url for this blog).

My life is going through some really rapid changes right now, but all I can say is that I feel really fortunate to have what I have, including my life, friends and family.

ただいま！

2011-01-08T00:38:00.004-10:00

あけましておめでとうございます！Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm back in Japan now after a one and a half year absence. It was a relief to get on the plane and leave school.

I had probably one of the most challenging semesters yet. My Japanese class kicked my butt and really challenged me to use complex sentences and difficult vocabulary. You'd think that after 3 years in Japan, I'd be more secure about my language abilities. I also took an incredibly challenging but rewarding real estate class and a wonderful history course called "Theorizing Race and Gender in Asian Historiography and Literature". I thoroughly enjoyed writing my final paper, which was about military bases in Guam, South Korea and Okinawa. I've never been able to envision myself pursuing a PhD in anything until I wrote this paper. While it probably won't happen (I can't believe I'm already 27), it's nice to know that there is something I could see myself spending my life, or at least a huge chunk of time studying.

As soon as I arrived in Japan, I fell ill with a bad case of sinusitus. It took me about 10 days to finally go to the doctor and get antibiotics, so I've spent most of my time here laying low and resting.

I did get to see Norwegian Wood in the movie theatres with my family.

I haven't read the book, but the movie was pretty good, albeit sad and disturbing. I also bought the book 『トイレの神様」or "Gods of the Bathroom". I hope to improve my J-skills by actually reading a real life book. We'll see how it goes.
Anyway, I'm in Fukuoka for a few more days and then I'm headed north to Shiroishi and then Iwate to visit some friends from my JET days. Then, I'm heading to Tokyo to see Maya and Taro who recently got married.

Now that I'm back in good health, I'm looking forward to the rest of this vacation. After this, I have to focus on getting a job and graduating.

Ithaca is Gorgeous

2010-12-12T18:24:00.000-10:00

TO DO　(11月30日～12月17日）

2010-12-12T18:18:00.002-10:00

1) ~~NAOKI PRESENTATION (MONDAY)~~
2) ~~メディアワークプック／クゥイズ（月）~~
2) ~~CASE 5 (TUESDAY)~~
~~spread sheet~~
~~Format~~
4) ~~PMF test~~
5) ~~Send out SAAGA yellow face doodle~~
- meet with AAS
- meet with Advisor
- meet with GPSS
7)~~書き直しや最後の論文（水曜日）~~
6) ~~Exit prjct final due WEDNESDAY 12/8~~
8) Real Estate Final 12/13
9) DEFENSE 12/15
10) NAOKI PAPER!!!! 12/17

email 竜太、直子先生、マヤ等
タクシー予約

Militarized Currents

2010-12-01T04:57:00.002-10:00

This is quite possibly my favorite academic book right now. I did a presentation a few days ago on Keith Camacho's chapter "Uncomfortable Fatigues", about Chamorros soldiers and the influence of militarization in Guam and implications on gendered identities. Camacho did his Masters and Phd at none other than UH Manoa, and now teaches at UCLA Department of Asian American Studies. It's really too bad that my masters program is ending in a semester, because I'd love to do further focused research in this area.

下妻物語

2010-12-01T04:52:00.002-10:00

I have to do a presentation for my Japanese class on ヤンキー(yankee) youth fashion in Japan. It's a bit out dated in the Tokyo area, but I certainly remember some of my 鴬沢 students dressing in the baggy sweatpants, hello kitty sandals, and riding their mopeds around. In doing some research for the presentation, I found 下妻物語, about the blossoming friendship of a Lolita-style and a Yankee-style girl, played by none other than my favorite Tsuchiya Anna.

It's cold and rainy in Ithaca

2010-09-16T09:41:00.002-10:00

My horizons widening
But nights are cold here, sometimes lonely
Eyes are open, so much to see
But sometimes they long for familiarity
And away on distant lands I always keep one foot on sand
-Justin Kawika Young

Relief

2010-09-14T14:32:00.002-10:00

I've finally started to get settled into the semester. My goodness has been a crazy first month (wow- I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've returned!). The apartment fiasco is finally almost settled. After going through a ton of paperwork and photos and prorating electricity bills, the subtenant situation is nearly over. I think I'm finally qualified to be a landlord now. No thank you!

I'm taking a pretty crazy schedule this semester. I have Nihongo 3 days a week, but I swear I spend half of my waking hours on it. As a result, I'm learning how to write, read and speak again which feels pretty good. I'm also taking a fantastic class called Theorizing Race and Gender in Asian Lit and History, which has forced me to finally think again and exposed me to some interesting aspects of US and Japanese military engagement with other Asian countries.
Last but not least, I'm taking a fabulous course called Principles of Real Estate. It has a reputation of being quite challenging, but also the best possible class one could take if they want to do anything related to real estate. Just to give an example, our first case study basically covers all of the concepts I covered in my semester long quantitative methods class last year.

So all in all, year 2 in Ithaca is so far so good. I'm already a bit chilly and have brought out much of my winter/fall wear, but I know the real cold has yet to even touch us.

Back to Ithaca

2010-08-21T12:56:00.003-10:00

After a 14 hour flight and a 25 dollar taxi, I arrive to my sweet sweet Aurora abode only to find that my subtenants have completely trashed the place. I'm so angry I can't even write about it, but if I had to sum it up in 5 words, they would be "rotting compost in the kitchen."

My wonderful roommate has put me up at her parents house until I can get the house cleaned and aired out. The cleaners came today and the place is more or less back to normal (minus a precious handmade knife, a few glasses and a broken toilet seat), so I will be able to start unpacking tomorrow when my two other roommates move in.

Yikes, lesson learned. Not the best way to start off the year. I hope the rest of the year runs a bit smoother. Definitely missing Hawaii today.

A hui hou!

2010-08-18T10:19:00.005-10:00

About to head on the plane back to Ithaca. Another year of classes and learning and adventure in the arctic tundra of upstate New York.

I'm already far behind on class selection and preparation but I seem to be incapable of having relaxed and chill starts to the semester.

I've had a wonderful 3 months back in Honolulu. As always, it had a little bit of friends, sun, mountains, ocean, family, love, and heart break. The love pulsing from the island is never ceasing and what brings me back year after year.

So, on that note, I'll work my tush off so I can graduate and move back with a good job, apartment, and car.

You've been good to me Hawaii.

A hui hou!

Mt. Kilauea

2010-08-17T12:54:00.001-10:00

The majestic Kilauea. Click on the photo for a larger scale.

2010-08-12T09:42:00.002-10:00

Wow, while life has been going full speed ahead, I forgot why I started this blog in the first place. I took a trip down memory lane (in my archives) to remind myself of the extraordinary life I've already lived. Perhaps this is why my list of 30 things to do before I'm 30 has been so difficult to make!

1 Week

2010-08-11T21:34:00.003-10:00

I'm headed back to Ithaca in a week.

It's a bittersweet feeling. Professionally I've made leaps and bounds this summer. Personally, I may have regressed a little.

I think I have a tendency to trust and forgive too easily. I hate the feeling of negativity, so instead of getting wrapped up in anger and hurt, I usually put myself in the other person's shoes. And because I think people have a natural (and sometimes healthy) tendency for greed and selfishness (some might call it survival), I usually can empathize with so-and-so who hurt me and move on. This works initially, but after some time, I think I just start to feel lonely and rejected. This has become a re-occurring pattern for me.

Perhaps related, I'm starting to feel the need to stay in one place. I'm thrilled to be going back to Ithaca, because I know that I will have wonderful friends waiting their for me and some close life-long friends will be nearby in the Baltimore area. But my gosh, I feel like I'm always coming and going.

This year will certainly be an adventure. I'll be leading the Society for Asian American Grad Affairs, taking Japanese and an Asian Studies course for my fellowship, writing a thesis or exit project, and trying to learn as much about real estate and city planning as my brain will allow me.

I also hope to spend lots of time with my roommate in our beautiful 1860s home.

In the next year, I hope to go to Japan and visit my brother for the first time in a year and a half. I'd also really like to go to Italy after I graduate if my funds hold up and I have a job waiting for me.

But beyond that, it seems like my last year before I can start my adult life. I've been living out of a suitcase for 5 years now, making wonderful friends but always leaving them. The closest people in my life are hundreds of thousands of miles away from me during most times of the year, and on top of that, I lack a hometown. I no longer connect to Newark, DE, I never lived in Auckland NZ, but I still feel the need to "prove" myself in Honolulu.

A few tomatoes from the garden

2010-08-08T20:37:00.001-10:00

Loving Summer

2010-08-08T10:05:00.003-10:00

Finally, I'm on summer vacation. For the next 12 days I'm doing nothing but eating, sleeping, hiking, swimming, and laughing.

I went on a beautiful 3-hour hike yesterday up the Moanalua Valley.

There were petroglyphs on some of the rocks about halfway through the hike and on the way back we found some fresh guava fruit to munch on.

I went home, ate some delicious garlic chicken from Mitsuken, a small obento shop in Kalihi on School Street, and then proceeded to take a 2 hour nap. Ahhh, bliss.

After that I busted out my yukata that I received in Japan 2 years ago. I ironed it out and got ready for the Manoa Koganji Temple Bon Dance. After taking numerous pictures with my friend (it felt like prom all over again), we headed off to enjoy the festivities. At the bon dance (which was packed btw), we ate beef stew and got a few andagis to go. Because it's Manoa and the weather's been acting strange this summer, it poured through most of the festival but everyone, including a fabulous Taiko group, toughed it out and enjoyed the festivities. Even Mayor Mufi Hanneman (who was wearing some kind of strange cape) and contestant for Governor Neil Abercrombie were in attendance, shaking everyone's hands and chatting away.

Today, I'm headed to a BBQ. Let the fun continue.

Last day

2010-08-05T21:59:00.003-10:00

The last day of my internship is tomorrow. I can't believe it's already been 9 weeks. I go back to Ithaca in 12 friggin days!!

Considering this is the last time in my life I won't be working, I gotta enjoy this next year!

I've got 3 years

2010-08-04T21:03:00.002-10:00

and a little over a month until I'm the big 3-0. I normally dont dwell on things like this but my friend brought it up (actually my cousin brought it up last year when he told me I had 14 years until I was 40).

My friend is making a list of things he wants to do before he's 30 and as a girl who loves lists, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. This is mostly focused on the next year, but hey, baby steps right?

1. Ride switch comfortably
2. Buy a yellow VW beetle
3. Negotiate a salary successfully
4. Graduate with a Masters degree in urban planning.
5. Go hiking in the S. Island of New Zealand (Jan 2012)
6. Revisit the clarinet

It's a hard list to write because I've actually done a lot already. I've grown my hair long, cut it short, died it purple, red and blue. I've lived in Alaska, Japan, Nepal, Hawaii, New York. I've learned Japanese, I've revisited my grandparents on both sides. I've climbed many mountains and surfed in many oceans.

I'm a pretty lucky girl. I think the one thing I haven't been able to do is stay put for very long, but putting that on a list of goals seems absurd and boring. Maybe I'll put that on my 14 til 40 list.

I got an Iphone 4G

2010-08-04T21:01:00.003-10:00

That's all I really wanna say. I caved in and bought it. It's wonderful and my favorite feature is Google Maps. For someone who depends on public transport, this machine is a godsend. If government had enough money, they should somehow hook up googlemaps to every single bus stop so people can figure out which bus they are supposed to take and where it's headed.

Rethinking the blog

2010-08-04T20:54:00.002-10:00

This blog has become a disaster. I never write in it and I think I know why. Ever since I moved back to the US, I've been a little self conscious about carrying a blog. In Japan it wasn't a problem because 75 percent of my friends didn't speak English and therefore couldn't really read my blog and the other 25 percent could but either didn't care or cared a lot because I was living so far away. Now there's this whole stigma associated with the self-obsessed blogger who cannot help but send her thoughts out into the internet superhighway (as they once called it). Well, I'll just have to embrace that fact that I in fact am that girl.

I referred to my good friend and former art teacher, Naoko sensei, for some reassurance. Her blog is exactly what I want mine to be like. There's no theme, except for "perspectives" (i.e. she's an artist and perspective drawings are a foundation of art, but she is also writing about what ever she wants to because its her gosh darn perspective). I tried with the theme thing,but I think my studies and career are so full of one theme (urban planning) that writing about it on my free time would just tire me out. I was never one to be focused.

So this will continue to be as all over the place as it's always been.

Hug a Hapa Day!!!

2010-06-03T21:25:00.003-10:00

I love top 10s, and this is by far my favorite. Today is "Hug a Hapa" Day and this day has created quite the buzz online. Check the below out from this blog.

So in case you're in the mood to give out some serious hugs today, or just want to stop using the "What are you" pick up line, here are my 10 easy, and completely stereootypical identifiers of HAPAs.

Simply look for these characteristics in white-ish looking people and you've probably got a HAPA on your hands:

1. Played a stringed instrument at some point in their lives.

2. Is particularly good at math - typically the very useless kind.

3. Has wicked knife skills but never went to chef school.

4. Cooks rice perfectly every time. In a pot.

5. Owns a rice cooker.

6. Uses chopsticks to do any of the following: eat rice with, cook with, stir powdered or mixed drinks with.

7. Gets the "you're one of us" eye, nod, and/or smile at any Asian eating establishment.

8. Can do a mean Asian American accent without using the words "Ching or Chong" and looking like a complete racist asshole.

9. Takes offense to the word "Oriental" unless it's being used to describe floor coverings or food.

10. Is fucking hot.

Pizza Hut Conversion

2010-05-23T10:42:00.003-10:00

I'm back in Hawaii finally and there is so much to catch up on. Before I go into all of that, I wanted to highlight the above picture. This is Fresh Catch, a seafood store that sells incredible poke at a reasonable price. For anyone who hasn't been, osusume. Also, for all of you planning nerds out there, please take note of the roof. Convincingly similar to the ubiquitous Pizza Hut building? Looks like we have a case of adaptive reuse here.

I've joined a cult

2010-05-13T02:43:00.002-10:00

I went to the chiropractor yesterday. Not just any chiropractor but the Ithaca Spinal Wellness Center. I discovered that my persistent colds and back pain are a result of the misalignment of my spine. Boy oh boy, is my spine misaligned. I had no idea!

So, first things first, they weighed me on a scale that measured both side of my body separately. Apparently my right side is NINE pounds heavier than my left. It's also an inch longer. With a few snap crackles and pops, the doctor moved stuff around in my upper spine and not my posture is better than it's ever been. What I discovered is that good posture isn't really about always sitting up straight. It really shouldn't take that much work. Your body should just naturally stand upright, shoulders back. Totally impressed. I have my second consultation tomorrow.

GIS: Oahu

2010-05-09T14:21:00.004-10:00

I've been pretty busy lately working on my final papers and studying for final tests. Only 9 more days until I'm back on Honolulu soil. In them meantime, I'm doing my best to learn everything and anything I can about the place. For my GIS class, I am analyzing transportation (and proposed transportation) systems in Oahu. Here are some preliminary maps:

Here are areas (by census block groups) with with median household income BELOW the area median income of the island. The depiction in the northwest is a little distorted, because the block groups are huge. In reality, not much of those areas are densely populated.

The dark red represents areas in which more than 50 percent of the working population (who don't work at home) have over a 30 minute commute. As you can imagine, many people in the dark red zones commute to the southern downtown Honolulu area. The scale shows that the island is really only 30 miles from east to west.

This map shows the zoning for the proposed light rail line within a half mile radius of the station. My goal is to demonstrate the possibilities/ restrictions for transit oriented development.

A Taste of Hawaii at Cornell

2010-04-25T03:29:00.003-10:00

The Hawaii Club at Cornell put on their annual Luau last week. My friends who went to schools on the west coast told me that college luaus are a huge deal. They said their respective Hawaii clubs would fly in bands and have spectacular feasts. Cornell doesn't quite have the same population as say, USC or Oregon State, but they still managed to put on a good show. The best part was the food. Check out my plate.

Lomilomi salmon, pineapple with lihing mui, kalua pork, butter mochi and much much more.
They even gave us gummy bears with li hing mui!

APA in NOLA

2010-04-25T03:17:00.005-10:00

The APA (American Planning Association) National conference was in New Orleans this year. I've never had the opportunity to go to NOLA and I doubt I ever will again, so I decided to hop a plane to the Big Easy. I was impressed by the National Conference and all of the interesting workshops. My greatest surprise was the emphasis on water systems and water policy. Granted, I'm sure the location effected the push for Delta Planning, but it was still a fascinating topic I had never spent much time thinking about.

Below are some pictures.

The Mississippi River!!!

Fellow CRP planning students

The requisite local brew

Cathedral

Beignets from Cafe Du Monde - these were delicious!

Our hotel, La Cirque

Alcoholic smoothies and potatoes and cheese (note- NOLA isn't an ideal city for starting a diet)

Yup! The home restaurant of the Emeril!!!
Unfortunately, my grad student budget couldn't support a meal there.

Acme Oyster House!

This was on the wall of a meat restaurant called BUTCHER. Great restaurant, but would have probably caused a shudder up the spines of my fellow vegetarian classmates.

CRP/NYC

2010-04-25T03:07:00.003-10:00

My cohort took a really well organized field trip to NYC a few weeks ago. The weather was spectacular and we got a tour of the City designed for future city planners. Below are a few highlights.

The High Line

Jane Jacobs Way

Lady Liberty

Port Authority Grain Terminal

Brooklyn Army Terminal (Adaptive Reuse)

Summer

2010-04-25T02:56:00.002-10:00

I'm not sure who reads this anymore and now that I'm no longer traveling, it feels slightly narcissistic. I may need to rethink this whole blogging thing now that I am in the same general hemisphere as the people I love and care about.

I'm kind of losing steam. The semester is less than a month from ending and I have a mountain of assignments. I'm hoping to get it all done, but I'm a little uncertain how great the quality of my work will be. I'm already looking forward to to next semester.

But first, SUMMER!

I got an internship in Hawaii with a private planning firm that works on many public private partnerships (P3s). I'm so excited to do work as a real planner, even if it just means being an intern. I was also lucky enough to receive funding from Cornell. They have a nifty cooperative program in which they pay half of my summer stipend, and the organization pays the other half. This prevents organizations from feeling the burden of paying an intern and allows us interns to live a little over the summer.

More good news.

I received a FLAS fellowship for Japanese studies for the next academic school year. The FLAS requires that I take a language class and area studies class each semester in hopes that I use the skills developed in my future career. In return they provide generous financial support.

I have in fact had a few experiences this past semester that are worth blogging about so I'll share them with you in the following posts.

Anti-SAD

2010-03-08T15:35:00.002-10:00

It's been really sunny lately, and all of the vitamin D has definitely been affecting my mood positively. I realize now that I was incredibly burnt out after ULI and unmotivated to do much of anything. On top of that, I took all of my required classes- urban theory, methods, GIS, and urban economics. They are great classes but I'm not as inspired as I was last semester in community development seminar and affordable housing. I'm trying to do a few things on the side to keep me going, like take an impromptu once-a-month land use course with my housing prof who will be on leave next year. I'm also planning on taking an urban history course during the second half of the semester to strengthen my conversational knowledge base of urban history.

A few things to look forward to:

My class is taking a trip to NYC next week. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but I think it will involve networking with alumns and hopefully meeting some government officials.

I have a friend visiting over spring break!
My dad is coming the following week, after his conference in Philadelphia.
I have another friend visiting the week after that!
I'm going to New Orleans for the National APA (American Planning Association) conference!

So yes, lots of things on my plate.

Happy Girls Day (3/3/2010)

2010-03-02T13:03:00.001-10:00

I finally got meds for my bronchitis and I'm feeling much better and less depressed. Tomorrow is Girls Day, which means that Boy's Day (5/5) is right around the corner, which means that SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!!!!

Well, by almost I mean two months away.

Sick and kinda miserable

2010-02-28T10:58:00.002-10:00

I was never one to endure sickness with grace or style. I think over the past few days I've developed a bout of bronchitis and I'm not really taking it well. I was completely in denial for a few days, and even went snowboarding yesterday and threw a housewarming party, only to wake up today with a huge headache and phlegm constricting my lungs. I probably pushed myself (as I always do) to the absolutely limit and not my body is yelling "STOP!". Speaking of yelling, I've also lost my voice. When it rains, it pours.

While I wait for my dvd to download, I'll take this time to catch up on this blog. Since my last post, I found out the result of the ULI competition. My team, unfortunately did not place, but another team from Cornell was offered Honorable Mention. The finalists came from NC State/ Chapel Hill, Harvard, Penn, and Maryland College Park. Definitely hats off to them because the competition was steep this year with 117 submissions.

It's been snowing for what seems like forever, and the 5 day forecast is all snow as well, and I'm really REALLY ready to go back to Hawaii and just start my life again. Spring semester is most definately not cornell's forte. I think I'm gonna spend next year in Washington DC if I can. Its a few degrees warmer, isn't it?

It's hard to believe tomorrow is March. That means that there are really only 2 more months until the end of the semester. I cannot wait for summer more than anything.

Finished

2010-02-05T15:36:00.003-10:00

My team successfully submitted our ULI competition submission. We had to redevelop the northeastern most quadrant of the East Village of San Diego. The challenges in the redevelopment were its location next to I-5, a large highway, its history and reputation as a homeless and social service center and position on top of a major geologic fault. I think many of the teams from Cornell submitted solid panels and had interesting financial concepts. Fingers crossed that one of us makes it into the finalists.

Now I need to start my semester. I'm taking pretty standard classes: urban theory, research methods, GIS, and urban economics. Three of them are required, and GIS completes an advanced method requirement, so in a sense, none of these classes are electives. I think I'm going to audit a class called Non Profit Management and Finance. I feel like I can learn some quick and easy professional skills just by attending the class.

It's been pretty cold and dreary here. I wouldn't mind a little bit of sunshine and slightly warmer weather. I guess that means I'll have to bust out my board and take advantage of the snow while its here.

ULI Design Competition

2010-01-30T21:32:00.001-10:00

One day left before the ULI-Hines design competition is due. I can't wait. I think my team has a pretty solid design concept, but you never know what the judges will be looking for. All I can say at this point is we tried our best.

Finger crossed!!

xx

2010-01-16T15:59:00.000-10:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
–Mark Twain

あけましておめでとう！

2010-01-04T18:07:00.003-10:00

Happy New Years Everyone!

My New Years Resolution, you ask? To get back to Hawaii this summer with a planning related internship.

These past few weeks have only reaffirmed my love for this place. I spend my mornings surfing in Waikiki, my afternoons lazing around, taking trips, meeting friends, or working, and my evenings out wining and dining with friends.

My uncle told me that according to my fortune I'll have to watch myself over the next three years and not take too many crazy risks. I guess that depends on how you define risk. Luckily, Ill be spending two of those three years as a student, which is far from a dangerous lifestyle.

Tonight, out with the girls. Tomorrow, surfing and then lunch with friends and co-workers and a job interview at 3. Tomorrow evening, dinner and drinks with friends. Repeat.

Russ and Daughters

2009-12-20T08:05:00.001-10:00

1st and Houston

Food pilgrimage

Our work

2009-12-11T03:11:00.001-10:00

We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that -- for that is the story of human progress; that's the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

-President Obama

Half Miyuki- Half Michelle

2009-12-09T07:51:00.001-10:00

So very proud to say I'm half Japanese half American.

Checklist

2009-12-08T11:32:00.003-10:00

1 term paper down.

3 more assignments to go.

Real Estate Dev. final tomorrow at 7pm, Housing due the 15th, and Law final on the 17th. And then I'm FREE!!!!

Oh yeah, did I mention I was moving?!

Housing Poster!

2009-12-06T05:57:00.002-10:00

Below is the poster I made for my Affordable housing term paper.

Update

2009-12-06T04:24:00.003-10:00

Man, I feel like I'm always updating.

So, first thing's first: the World Cup draw is out.

Japan:Group E against Denmark, Netherlands, and Cameroon
New Zealand: Group F against Italy (ahem, Federica), Paraguay and Slovakia
USA: Group C against England, Algeria, and Slovenia

So much for research and internships this summer. I know what I'll be doing.

In other news, I am suffering away during finals period right now. I have a final paper due Monday and on the 15th, and a final exam on the 9th and the 17th.

Pretty busy and trying to make time for the gym to a) keep me sane, b) get ready for beach weather, and c) make sure I don't end up like one of those obaachans who works in the rice fields and has a hunched back.

All for now.

Matsui Hideki named MVP World Series!!!

2009-11-05T03:24:00.004-10:00

Just had to celebrate!!!

Matsui is from my mom's home prefecture of Ishikawa. They sell cookies with his face on it at the Kanazawa train station. I'm sure things in nihon are crazy right now.

Land and Power in Hawaii

2009-11-04T18:12:00.002-10:00

Before I go to bed, I just had to mention that I received the book "Land and Power in Hawaii" from Dartmouth library yesterday. Out of Cornell's hundreds of thousands of books in their multiple libraries, they didn't have a single copy of this must-read. After ordering it from a neighboring university, I promptly requested that Cornell purchase it. I'm using this resource to provide background information on my term paper for affordable housing that focuses on municipal land trusts as a means of providing long term affordable housing.

November Resolution

2009-11-04T17:50:00.003-10:00

Okay, I'm really going to be much better about blogging now. I need to treat Ithaca as though it's a new and exciting place. Live my now non-nomadic life as a nomad. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to keep this resolution, at least for the entirety of November. First things first. Pictures. Here are a few shots from the past few months.

I've gotten to visit my family on several occasions already. First before school started, then when my Aunt Pat and Uncle Skip so kindly drove up and took me out to some vineyards, and finally when I went to Oxford to visit my Grandma and a few Aunts and Uncles.

Here is a picture of me with my Aunt Pat at a Vineyard on Seneca Lake

Aunt Pat and Uncle Skip

My cousin, Lee (son of my first cousin Emily)

Hmmm... That's it for now. More to come.

Projects

2009-11-02T15:46:00.003-10:00

Trying to stay positive as of late. It's usually not a big deal, but going to such a large school with so many young, intelligent, talented, but not always emotionally or psychologically stable individuals exposes me to a demographic that I'm not all together comfortable with understanding. I suppose there are some detrimental qualities with a fully type A personality (and several in one space for that matter).

Moving on, some projects as of late.

I entered the ULI-Hines competition. Every year the Urban Land Institute and Hines Real Estate sponsor a multi-disciplinary competition to re-develop an already existing space within a US city. Each team must consist of 5 graduate students representing 3 disciplines (Real Estate, landscape arch, arch, city planning, law, business, etc). We must create a financially feasible and profitable design that takes into consideration history, culture, demographics, design, and environmental sustainability.

My team consists of two landscape architects, another planner, and a real estate student. I think we are a pretty strong group and together we can think of some pretty innovative stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to working with these folks and getting to know them a little better. The competition won't take place until January, but for the rest of the semester, we will meet once a week to go over design and planning theory and critique past entries.

At the moment, I'm also writing a final term paper for my affordable housing class. I hope to examine municipal land trusts as an option for developing long-term affordable housing in Hawaii. The main crux of the argument is that housing is overpriced because of the inflationary qualities of land. If the government owned the land in the form of the trust, and people were okay with just buying the structure, housing would remain affordable for a long period of time. This land trust theory has worked well in places like Burlington Vt, but I'm eager to find examples where it's fallen through the cracks, and figure out why.

All in all, school is really good. I love being able to focus on ideas, while still leading a very balanced life. I think moderation is definitely the key to making it through the long haul.

Asia America

2009-09-17T15:38:00.003-10:00

There's not much I can say here. Just watch and listen.

Best. Website. Ever.

2009-09-13T13:12:00.001-10:00

I hate citations. This is why I love MLA GENERATOR!!!

Check it out!

東京モード学園

2009-09-12T06:15:00.004-10:00

When I lived in Sendai, I used to always take the bus to Tokyo and get off in Shinjuku next to a soon-to-be-completed fashion school called Tokyo Mode Gakuen 東京モード学園. The structure of the building modestly resembled the Beijing Olympics, Herzog/ Ai Wei Wei Birds Nest Stadium, if it were unraveled and shaped into a skyscraper. I absolutely loved it and never got a chance to see it completed until I went back to Tokyo in July. It's completed form really revitalizes the Shinjuku area, giving it the futuristic feel that everyone expects when they come to Tokyo.

After a little Wiki-research, I also learned that it's the 2nd largest educational structure in the world, and designed by Tange Associates, aka. Kenzo Tange, the architect for the Tokyo Metro Government Building and Tokyo Dome, among many others.

Thoughts on planning

2009-09-11T13:29:00.003-10:00

There are two new profs in my department who, in my opinion, are the saving grace of what will be my exit project. One focuses on multi-racial and predominantly Asian American issues and their relationship with space, and another was trained at University of Hawaii and will hopefully hook me up with some connections. I feel lucky that they were both recently hired, because sometimes I fell like a stranger in this school.

I joined the Planning Students for Diversity club yesterday. It's a very small club that needs more members and more voice. Planning isn't the most diverse field, if you can imagine. It requires the imagination that one has a voice or control over the land they occupy. Even Eric Shaw, Director of Community Planning at the Louisiana Recovery Authority who spoke to the department last week, mentioned that Cornell had one of the most diverse planning departments. Let's just say, if our course is diverse, I'd like to see the rest of the programs.

Anyway, I hope this organization, PSD, fills in the areas where the classes miss out. So many of the classes cover such broad topics that if they do include "diversity" issues, they either use international case studies or pessimistic statistics. A lot of planning history seems to be written as most history is written, from the colonizers perspective. It might be a bit of a reach for PSD, but it would be interesting to hear the voice of the unheard, whether it is that of the ethnic minority or the real estate developer.

Back to School!

2009-09-07T14:34:00.002-10:00

Obama is making a speech that will be broadcast around the country to students on their first day of school.

The speech is fabulous and inspirational, especially to me who was just questioning why the heck I put my life on hold to go back to school. The only weird part was his statement about washing our hands so no one gets the (swine) flu. Yikes! Talk about not being subtle!

Kusai!

2009-09-06T14:10:00.005-10:00

Here's my first city planning post.

Apparently the city of Honolulu is going to try to do something about the odor problem on The Bus.

I have no idea how they'll be able to enforce something like this, but this article claims that there have been many complaints about stinky passengers. I, for one, can attest to this problem. From my Bus riding experience, there were a significantly larger percentage of stinky/urine-smelling passengers in Honolulu than in any other public transit system I've ever ridden. Granted, these are just observations, but there must be some kind of information out there on ways to control personal hygiene.

Is this the new intersection of public health and planning?

Switching gears

2009-09-06T14:09:00.002-10:00

I've been thinking lately that I should attempt to focus my blog a little. The first topic that comes to mind is planning/ space issues.

We'll see how much time I have to do this (there is always time to procrastinate).

Here goes nothing!

Still shopping

2009-09-05T17:13:00.004-10:00

Since my last post, I've dropped and added a few classes. I suppose that is what shopping period is all about.

I dropped Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision and replaced it with Land Use Law which is offered in the law school. I'm slightly nervous about the whole Socratic method aspect of taking a class in the law school, but at least I feel semi-confident with the material. Although I'll be affected by Public Agencies and may someday even work for one, I think learning about important cases that have affected urban land use regulation is more appropriate for my future. I also am dropping Privatization and Decentralization and replacing it with a 2-credit Community Development Seminar. I don't want to commit to more than I can handle this semester, and I know once I have 30 page papers and presentations in each class, I'll regret taking a larger than necessary course load. Just trying to be pragmatic and maintain some sense of sanity while I'm here.

To continue the theme of shopping, I just bought some Columbia white snow boots. They should be fully water proof and keep my toes cozy during the coming winter.

In session

2009-08-29T12:56:00.002-10:00

Classes started on Thursday. Students have the option of "shopping" for classes, allowing us to visit classes, even if they are during the same time slot, and compare subject matter, teaching style and work load. I've "shopped" a handful of classes during the past few days and here is what I've come up with:

Intro to Planning Practice and History
Affordable Housing
Devolution Decentralization and Privatization
Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision Making

I think it'll be pretty writing intensive, but I'm covering a lot of important basics: housing, law, history, and private vs. public ownership of natural resources. I'm looking forward to the day when I can apply everything I learn to a small island chain out in the pacific.

Minerva

2009-08-25T12:31:00.002-10:00

"The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk" -Hegel

These are words of advice on of my planning professors gave us at orientation today. I guess he doesn't want us to raise our expectations too high- we won't solve all of the worlds problems before they happen. I think he wants us to be realistic, knowing that the best we can do is understand the mistakes and possible solutions of the past in hopes of preventing future misfortune.

Graduate School

2009-08-23T05:22:00.002-10:00

Classes start on Thursday. I can't wait! I feel like I've been waiting four years for this opportunity.
The opportunity to have a second chance at college. To do it the right way. To choose all of the right classes without the distraction of personal development and teenage insecurity. I'm older and hopefully wiser, and I finally know what I want out of the 10s of thousands of dollars I'm paying for my education.

As I begin to prepare for classes, I can't help but think about how different this experience would be had I not spent this last year in Hawaii. Although Hawaii is nothing like the mainland, it's closer to the US than Japan is, and living and working there provided me with the access and the opportunity to really understand how business and development works. In fact, I left thirsty, eager to learn more about development, the practicalities of affordable housing, the environment, and immigration/race relations.

I'm sure when I am in the depth of classes, it will be hard to see the big picture, but as I stand on the edge about to jump in, my heart is beating with excitement.

Memories

2009-08-23T05:13:00.004-10:00

I just bought a scanner-printer-copier combo and I've been scanning old pictures taken before the age of facebook and the digi-cam. Above is a picture of my mom eating a chocolate parfait while I was in her stomach. I'm guessing that's where I get my sweet tooth from.

I'll post some pictures from Nepal and Cambodia (2003) below.

Boy on the street of Kathmandu

Monks in Angkor Wat

An article I wrote for the Kathmandu Post

My Nepali Language Teacher

Market, Cambodia

Saddhus, Kathmandu

It's been a while

2009-08-10T08:04:00.004-10:00

Sorry. Life was just too good to blog about. Every time I sat down, all I wanted to do was gush about my wonderful life.

But alas, Im back to the life of an academic. I've returned to the East coast after four years, and I definitely see myself as a different person. After spending 3 years in Japan and one year in Hawaii, where I finally came to grips with not only my Japanese but my Asian-American identity, it's been a little weird not seeing my Asian bruddahs and sistahs out and about. I no longer fit in in the way I had gotten used to.

I took the scenic route to Ithaca, spending 10 days in Japan and 3 days in NYC. My journey was great, but I was glad to finally settle down in my own space. I'm living very close to campus in a great apartment. It's one of those so-old-it-leans-to-one-side houses with wooden floors and worn-out radiators. I'm living with another graduate student who has fully furnished the place, relieving me of the responsibility of buying furniture and kitchenware.

That's it for now.

RIDEDREAMS

2009-06-05T14:44:00.002-10:00

I can't WAIT until next year's snowboarding season. Vermont HERE I COME!

Obama's Speech in Cairo

2009-06-05T13:39:00.002-10:00

Did anyone watch (and LOVE) Obama's speech in Cairo?

In case you haven't, I've cut and pasted nearly the entire speech. It's very uplifting, and though loosely, reminds me of MLK's "I have a Dream" Speech. Some have criticized him for not issuing or discussing any policy changes or proposals, but I say, the nitty gritty can wait. A solid foundation and philosophical framework is necessary before we start taking action. This provides all of us, from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds, with a point of reference and unified goal.

Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered.

* * *

Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.

But we have a responsibility to join together on behalf of the world we seek - a world where extremists no longer threaten our people, and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own, and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes; a world where governments serve their citizens, and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek. But we can only achieve it together

* * *

Some are eager to stoke the flames of division, and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort - that we are fated to disagree, and civilizations are doomed to clash. Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country - you, more than anyone, have the ability to remake this world.

* * *

All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort - a sustained effort - to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.
It is easier to start wars than to end them. It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religion - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoples - a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian, or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization, and that still beats in the heart of billions. It's a faith in other people, and it's what brought me here today.

* * *

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.

Manoa Neighborhood Meeting and Honolulu Christian Church

2009-06-04T13:41:00.002-10:00

I went to my first Manoa neighborhood meeting last night. I walked into the cafeteria of Noelani Elementary school a few minutes after the meeting had started, only to find the room was packed with church attendees clad in white t-shirts. The biggest point of contention for the evening was a land use issue between the church and the neighborhood. I immediately knew I was in for an urban planning treat.

Honolulu Christian Church is a Japanese non-denominational church, an offshoot of the Church of the Orient, based out of Japan. The church was first established in Manoa about 50 years ago, having been granted a conditional use permit (CUP) by the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). This CUP allowed it, a religious structure to reside in an area zoned as residential. The congregation at the time consisted of about 80 members, but due to its success and large following, it has expanded to over 200. Interestingly, many of its members aren't residents of Manoa, making parking a pressing concern by both the church and the neighborhood.

Now fast forward to 2003. The church purchased a residential lot for over $1 million. The lot,on which two cottages exist, holds some historic value, as it was once a residence of the Obama family, but more significantly, it is zoned as a residential lot, as are most other Manoa lots.

Now fast forward to 2009. The church has proposed to demolish one of the two cottages on the lot (obviously not the Obama house) and make the rest of the area a paved (or shall we say, grasscreted) parking lot. They also plan to expand the church to two stories and make one of the two chapels completely air conditioned!

There are several points of concern from both the outspoken neighbors and myself.
1. Once the DPP grants a CUP for a parking lot to the church, it sets a precedent for other churches and organizations to buy lots and create more parking lots.

2. Traffic on University Avenue going into Manoa is already a race track. The left hand turn necessary to turn into the proposed parking lot will most definitely increase traffic AND cause a few accidents.

3. The neighbors surrounding the parking lot will be forced to live with the noise of the proposed air conditioner, construction, and constant incoming and outgoing access, not to mention the likelihood of 24 safety lights. Their land value will probably likely go down, and their dreams of moving into a purely RESIDENTIAL neighborhood will be tainted forever.

I(and those who spoke at the meeting) are totally against this. One great alternative to relieve this parking conundrum would be to set up a shuttle service on Sundays from a rented parking lot. Another one would be to buy a lot in a properly zoned area. Although the church argued that their expansion is for the good of the community, it strikes me that they are taking advantage of their position as a church (people tend to be more forgiving to churches) for self serving interest.

All in all a great look at the fusion of community development and urban planning.

Moving on

2009-06-03T16:17:00.005-10:00

There are few things on the table at the moment. I've moved back to my Manoa house. I'll set up a home base there until I leave in August. This Saturday I'm starting my one-month house sitting job at another house down the road. I need to sort through my junk, pack up everything I don't need until I move to a warmer climate and give away everything I'll never need. I love the catharsis of moving and paring down to the essentials. I'm quite the packrat when it comes down to it, so if it wasn't for my bi-annual moves, I'd need to invest in a self-storage unit (for anyone who knows me well, I hate self storage and I think it's not only an enviromental wasteland but the embarrassing manifestation of the waste that exists in American culture).

Moving on. I think I forgot to mention, but I got second place in my age group (F 25-29) for the Honolulu Triathlon Sprint! This came as a total surprise and I credit my high placement to the fact that anyone who was slightly competitive would have been in the olympic distance heat.

In other news, my mom and brother are coming in two weeks. I can't wait! I haven't seen my brother in almost a year and my momma in 5 months. I hope I can spend some QT with my big bro and Mom. My dad, unfortunately, will be partying-- i mean, working--- hard at a conference in Sydney.

Life's been going full swing ahead. It's almost been so busy that I feel like I've lost a little bit of myself in the steady 9-5 job and routine. I suppose one of the things I love about travel is the spontanaety that everyone around me also carries. It's easy to lose that happy-go-lucky attitude when responsibilities kick in. I also feel (as you can probably sense in the absence of my posts) a failing creative drive. I feel myself conforming more so than I did while I was in Japan, and I don't know why.

In transition

2009-05-25T10:13:00.002-10:00

I've started packing my bags for the big move. I got a house sitting job, so I won't have to pay rent for the two months before I head off to Ithaca. I'm excited because I can really use the money. The down side is I have to pack my belongings up two months prematurely, and live out of a suitcase for my final weeks. I guess it's nothing I'm not used to.

So what are my thoughts on leaving. 6 months ago, I was hesitant to rush off to grad school. The economy was bad, I had a secure job, I had a handful of good, loyal friends, and I was living in paradise! Why leave? Now that its getting closer to my departure and I've gotten in touch with people back East, I'm happy with my decision to go to grad school. The more I listen to Obama speak, reminding me of my true passions of improving the built environment, examining (and hopefully fixing) things like environmental racism and inadequate subsidized housing facilities, the more fed up I get with my complacent life. Yeah, I'm enjoying myself. I have a job, friends, and a tropical beach only a bike ride away, but I'm too young to be this relaxed. I'll leave that for my forties.

2009-05-18T21:50:00.001-10:00

An excerpt from Obama's race speech, March 2008.

I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one.

Dream from My Father

2009-05-18T20:56:00.003-10:00

I just finished reading Dreams from My Father, an autobiography written by our president, Barack Obama. He was commissioned to write this memoir after being recognized as the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review. I was deeply moved by this book. I had high expectations and felt moderately knowledgeable on the genre having taken a course in college focusing on African American memoirs and autobiographies, but my oh my, did it surpass my expectations tenfold.

Before I write a down-and-dirty reflection piece on this book, I'll cut and past a few excerpts that grabbed my attention.

I sense, though, that at some stage- maybe when you had children and decided that you could stay in the city only at the cost of a private school, or when you began taking cabs at night to avoid the subways, or when you decided that you needed a doorman in your apartment buiding- your choice was irrevocable, the divide was not impassable, and you would find yourself on the side of the line that you:d never intended to be on. p 122

And I had things to learn in law school, things that would help me bring about real change. I would learn about interest rates, corporate mergers, the legislative process; about the way businesses and banks were put together; how real estate ventures succeeded or failed. I would learn power's currency in all its intricacy and detail, knowledge that would have compromised me before coming to Chicago but that I could now bring back to where it was needed, back to Roseland, back to Altgeld; bring it back like Promethean fire. That:s the story I had been telling myself, the same story I imagined my father telling himself 28 years before, as he had boarded the plane to America, the land of dreams. 226

For the first time in my life, I felt the comfort, the firmness of identity that a name might provide, how it could carry an entire history in other people's memories, so that they might nod and say knowingly, "Oh, you are so and so's son." 305

The coolness reminded me of the streets around Punahou, Manoa, Tantalus, the streets where some of my wealthier classmates had lived back in Hawaii. Staring out Auma's car window, I thought back to the envy I'd felt toward those classmates whenever they invited me over to play in their big backyards or swim in their swimming pools. And along with that envy, a different impression- the sense of quiet desperation those big pretty houses seemed to contain. The sound of someones sister crying softly behind the door. The sight of a mother sneaking a tumbler of gin in mid afternoon. The expression of a father's face as he sat alone in his den, his features clenched as he flicked between college football games on TV. An impression of loneliness that perhaps wasn't true, perhaps was just a projection of y own heart, but that, either way, had made me want to run, just as, an ocean away, David had run, back into the marketplace and noisy streets, back into disorder and the laughter disorder reduced, back into the sort of pain a boy could understand. 340

"How does that saying go? When two locusts fight, it is always the crow who feasts."

"Is that a Luo expression?" I asked. Sayids face broke into a bashful smile.

"We have a similar expressions in Luo," he said, "but actually I must admit that I read this particular expression in a book by Chinua Achebe. The Nigerian writer. I like his books very much. He speaks the truth about Africa's predicament. The Nigerian, the Kenyan-- it is the same. We share more than divides us." -- 382

I realized that who I was, what I cared about, was no longer just a matter of intellect or obligation, no longer a construct of words. I saw that my life in America-- the black life, the white life, the sense of abandonment I'd felt as a boy, the frustration and hope I'd witnessed in Chicago-- all of it was connected with this small plot of earth an ocean away, connected by more than the accident of a name or the color of my skin. The pain I felt was my father's pain. My questions were my brothers' questions. Their struggle, my birthright. 430

(spoken by Rukia, friend of Obama Sr.) But I'm beginning to resign myself- there's nothing really to do. They live in a mixed-up world. It's just as well, I suppose. In the end, I'm less interested in a daughter who's authentically African than one who is authentically herself.- 435

The study of law can be disappointing at times, a matter of applying narrow rules and arcane procedure to an uncooperative reality; a sort of glorified accounting that serves to regulate the affairs of those who have power-- and that all too often seeks to explain, to those who do not, the ultimate wisdom and justness of their condition.

But that's not all the law is. The law is also memory; the law also records a long-running conversation, a nation arguing with its conscience. 437

Happy belated Haha no Hi

2009-05-11T21:28:00.005-10:00

Happy belated Mother's Day. I called my mom/mum/ma on Saturday (Sunday in NZ) to wish her a happy day and secretly see if she'd received a bouquet of flowers I sent her via the internet. She hadn't received the flowers yet, but surprised me by buying two potted plants for herself which were supposedly from me and my brother (paid by my father). Yeah, my family is weird.

I also have two Hawaii Mamas out here who are good friends of my real mama, so I went on a bike ride with one of them (up Tantalas, a HUGE Mountain behind my house) and helped the other one garden. I got them both handmade silkscreen dishtowels (see above) which I bought at the nearby Sunday farmers market. I then watched the Japanese film, "Kabei" (母べい), which starred my FAVORITE actor, Asano Tadanobu (who, by the way, delivered an incredible performance as Yama-chan) with my friend and we cried our eyes out. There's nothing better than a good sad movie.

Banzai!

2009-05-11T21:04:00.003-10:00

I've really been neglecting this thing, haven't I. I hope it's not a trend that continues on for too long. I find that I keep playing catch up when I write blog entries and consequently, my entries become laundry lists of things I've done in the week prior to blogging.

So that being said, here goes my recent laundry list.

It's 100% official. I'm going to graduate school. I'll be studying urban and regional planning at Cornell University starting this fall. This is something I've wanted to do ever since graduating college four years ago, so it's a great feeling to finally make the necessary steps (and flights) to follow my dream.

Heck, since graduating I've done every other job besides those relating to urban planning. I've been a waitress, an English teacher (high school, agriculture school, and school for the deaf), a research assistant for sea turtle conservation (!) and worked in educational administration. I've had part-time jobs at a drive thru cafe and Lucky Brand Jeans. I almost even got a job selling $1000 handbags (and fur) at Fendi had it not been for the attractive world of property and casualty insurance. I think it's time. I KNOW it's time. It's been too long since I've had to think about land-use ordinance, solid waste management, and transportation. I can't wait! I can't wait to be passionate about what I do 40 hours a week.

In other news, I'm participating in the Honolulu Triathlon this weekend. The swimming portion of the race was cancelled due to a mysterious jellyfish problem, but the running and biking portion will continue. I'm pretty nervous. I haven't been in a race for quite some time, and I have no idea how the bike portion of the tri(bi)athlon will proceed.

<3 Obama

2009-05-10T20:05:00.003-10:00

Why is our President (I love saying that) so freakin' hilarious.

This is from his White House Correspondents' Speech.

2009-04-28T21:50:00.003-10:00

Dear Blog (and blog readers),

I have really been neglecting you as of late, and I don't have anyone to blame but myself. Life has been hectic and wonderful, and in all honesty, I haven't been spending much time in front of my computer!

I've since recovered from my 2nd degree sunburn, and have had two surprise visits from friends of my past! Kat, my Philippines-traveling-Fuji-climbing-computer-geeking friend came to visit for a solid week and we rented a car and roadtripped all around my backyard! Then, Clare, a friend from JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, was here for about a week attending a biomedical engineering nerd (in all the best ways) -convention at the Honolulu convention center and snuck out of a few meetings to hang out with me-me-me! We ended up taking a hike up the Olomana Ridge and spent some time sunbathing at Bellows Beach while dissecting the pros and cons of the Delaware public education system. In short, lots of giggling and laughing.

I'll try to snap a few more pics in the coming months and take detailed records of my last few weeks in paradise. I don't think my heart can take the bittersweet goodbye, so I'm gonna treat it as a see-ya-later alligator.

In the meantime, TOKYO SONATA (playing at Kahala Theater!!!!WOOOT) tomorrow arvo!
Check out the trailer HERE!

The adventure begins

2009-03-25T18:58:00.007-10:00

photo courtesy of MW

En route to Panama coming from Cambodia, Michael found a cheap ticket that made a 10 day pit stop in Hawaii. This kid makes me look like a homebody. After picking him up from the airport early Saturday morning, we got our rental car and headed out to the North Shore to watch surfers in 10-foot waves and eat fish tacos. It's been two years, but it doesn't seem like a day has passed since we went our separate ways in Sendai.

photo courtesy of MW

I was slightly embarrassed of the rain, a characteristic of Hawaii's month-long "winter" season, but Michael didn't seem to mind. He had just experienced four long hot dry months in SE Asia and welcomed the drizzle.photo courtesy of MW

We unfortunately couldn't explore together as much as we had hoped because of my professional responsibilities (i.e. my job), so instead I introduced him to a bit of the Honolulu city life that I've gotten sucked into-- downtown bars, St. Patty's Day block parties, and Dim Sum in Chinatown. While I was in the office, he roadtripped to various beaches and bamboo forests, and Buddhist temples and windsurfer hangouts. I'm pretty sure Mike has seen more of the island than I have.

*** dont ask about the 'stache.... hahahha

Into thin air

2009-03-24T18:50:00.003-10:00

Michael came and visited me this past week and we had a wonderful time exploring Oahu and the Big Island together. I'm looking forward to documenting our trip on this blog, but I'll have to leave you readers waiting a few more days before my face heals.

"What?!!" you may ask. "Your face?!"

Well, our trip to the Big Island was so adventuresome that we forgot to apply sunscreen when we were climbing up the 14,000 foot volcano, Mauna Kea. 12 miles and 4000 feet of elevation later, I start to resemble a rare hybrid of lobster cum tanuki. Yes, this isn't just any ordinary sunburn. I've already missed two days of work and the bottom half of my face is as tough as a worn-in football. Gross, I know. Really really gross.

I'm dreading the moment when I have to interact with people face to leathery-botox-injected face.

In the meantime, here's a picture (c/o Michael) taken just before reaching the summit.

NHS reunion

2009-03-07T14:51:00.005-10:00

Over the past 8 or 9 years, I've only run into a few of my friends from high school. The day I left for college, I left Delaware for good. Liabeth and Kyle are the only friends I keep in touch with on a regular (by regular, I mean an average of twice a year) basis, and I ran into Clare last year during my brief visit to Boston. After five very developmental years in Delaware (ages 12-17), I have 3 friends with whom Ive kept in touch. I'm not including facebook into this list, because... well... facebook doesn't count. For high school friends, it seems like a real-time senior class yearbook or something. Facebook friends aren't real friends and messaging/wall posts doesn't equate to keeping in touch.

Last Friday I had the opportunity to have a few drinks and catch up with Stephanie!!! Waves of memories from early morning Latin class (yes, we were huge nerds), New Years eve parties, orchestra and wind ensemble rehearsals, and my first experiences of self awareness rushed to the forefront of my mind. Great start to a month of reunions!!!

NHS Reunion

2009-03-06T12:24:00.001-10:00

Newark High School... what what?!

Im meeting my friend Stephanie at First Friday celebrations tonight. 8yearPlus reunion!!!

Can't Wait!!!

Memories of New Zealand

2009-03-04T20:49:00.003-10:00

Sometimes I miss my mommy. And when it's rainy and gross for weeks at a time, I get urges to hop a plane to New Zealand summer sunshine. The above picture was taken when my family took its first vacation in about 10 years to the most northern region of the north island. Takubo and I went sandboarding while Ma and Dad watched.

To all the ladies in the house!!!

2009-03-03T18:12:00.002-10:00

Happy Ohina Matsuri!!!

Honolulu Triathlon SPRINT!

2009-03-01T12:21:00.003-10:00

I just signed up! May 17th!! Bring it on Baby!!!

Just in time. I visited my old job at Lucky yesterday and one of the girls I worked with told me (in Japanese) あきちゃんちょっと太ってきたね　(meaning, Aki, you've gotten a bit chubby havent you). This doesn't sound so bad in Japanese, but I think I should take the hint and go run (literally) with it.

On beauty and techonology

2009-02-28T18:56:00.002-10:00

What is the digital equivalent of lovely... What are the digits that encode beauty, the number-fingers that enclose, transform, transmit, decode, and somehow, in the process, fail to trap or choke the soul of it. Not because of the technology but in spite of it, beauty, that ghost, that treasure, passes undiminished through the new machines.

- Rushdie, Fury p8

Fury

2009-02-28T16:26:00.003-10:00

Dear Mr. Rushdie,

I think I've fallen in love.

I've started my second of his novels, Fury, and ordered Midnight's Children from the State Library.

I haven't had this feeling since I consumed all of LM Montgomery's novels in the 4th and 5th grade.

smitten

2009-02-27T18:46:00.002-10:00

Half of my mouth is aching and numb. I'm really hungry, but after trying to eat and only being able to taste food on half of my mouth and nearly biting my lip off, I gave up. I just got my teeth drilled and cavities filled, a process that was less painful than I expected. I've learned my lesson though. Brush, floss, and never ever go 3 years without seeing a dentist again.

After catching a cold (see previous entry) and being incapacitated for 3 whole days, I felt a sudden urge to put order in my life. I can't say I'm doing a stellar job of it, by any means, but intention is the first step.

I think Mardi Gras, yup, Fat Tuesday, the pinnacle of self indulgence, pushed me over the edge a little bit and Ive been in a mode of self-reflection for the past few days. It's been great and my head has cleared up a bit and I'm starting to feel more centered (self centered?).

I have a series of three friends coming over the next 4 weeks. One of them, I haven't spoken to or seen for over 8 years, but I am deeply indebted to her for taking me under her wing my sophomore year of high school and inspiring me to take harder classes and think outside the box a little. Heck, if it wasnt for her and her group of friends, I'd have probably ended up fat and still in Newark working a boring job and falling into the quagmire of mediocrity.

My other friend, I mentioned before. Still incredibly excited to reunite with "Naruko" Mike. And last but not least, my favorite travel companion (FujiPhilippinesShizukuishi) and Ume-shu chef, Kat, is coming to visit for a whole FIVE days! Woot! Cannot wait.

The next month will be hella busy (can you believe it's already March?) but I have high hopes for the fun factor.

ACHOO!!!

2009-02-21T19:16:00.004-10:00

I caught a cold and I seem to be nonfunctional. I've been OD-ing on romantic comedies and trashy TV shows. I really do hate TV, but I am indebted to it for getting me through this day of sneezing and stuffy nose (achew!).

For those who haven't seen them, I totally recommend:

He's Just Not That Into You and 40 Days, 40 Nights.

Murakami Haruki wins Jeruselum Literary Award

2009-02-18T08:38:00.003-10:00

Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always
stand on the side of the egg.

Here are excerpts from his speech (completely out of order), but if you have a few moments to spare, I recommend reading it in whole.

Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable
soul enclosed in a fragile shell. This is true of me, and it is true of each of
you. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid
wall. The wall has a name: It is The System. The System is supposed to protect
us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us
and cause us to kill others - coldly, efficiently, systematically.

I fully believe it is the novelist's job to keep trying to clarify the
uniqueness of each individual soul by writing stories - stories of life and
death, stories of love, stories that make people cry and quake with fear and
shake with laughter. This is why we go on, day after day, concocting fictions
with utter seriousness.

I have come to Jerusalem today as a novelist, which is to say as a
professional spinner of lies.

...by telling skillful lies - which is to say, by making up fictions
that appear to be true - the novelist can bring a truth out to a new location
and shine a new light on it. In most cases, it is virtually impossible to grasp
a truth in its original form and depict it accurately. This is why we try to
grab its tail by luring the truth from its hiding place, transferring it to a
fictional location, and replacing it with a fictional form. In order to
accomplish this, however, we first have to clarify where the truth lies within
us. This is an important qualification for making up good lies.

2009-02-17T22:20:00.002-10:00

Oh, and just to toot our own horn, FREESTYLE: the MAJET ART AND CULTURE SHOW won the AJET Award for Best Local Community Event for 2008.

High five Mayaki and Makie, Nata, Amy, Kaleb, Morgan, and everyone else who worked so hard for the Art Show last year.

本当にどうもありがとうございました。 m(_ _)m (^.^)/~~~~~

ART Bento: MAJET ALT ART AND CULTURE SHOW 2009

2009-02-17T22:05:00.007-10:00

My (or Mayaki's) successor for the annual Art Show held by Miyagi ALTs just sent me the proofs of the posters and post cards. They're awesome. I'm totally floored and impressed and all that wonderful gushy stuff that only someone who has been through the whole art show planning process can be. GREAT JOB NATA. You're (as Maya and I would say) Redonkydonk aka BAKUDAN!!!

*** Just for clarification, the theme of the show is Art (イ　or "E" in katakana) Bento. Bento is a traditional Japanese lunch box. E-ben-to is how one would pronounce the word "Event" with a Japanese accent and is also commonly used in Japan to express a musical/art/sports event. Therefore "Art イ Bento" is an ingenious play on words meaning both Art Bento (art lunch box) and an Art Event. Mayaki (Maya and I, who were Art show Co-directors) got a bit cocky when we thought we would throw the best art show of all time, but Nata has surely most definitely outdone us. One of these days, I'll go into more detail about how much I absolutely LOVE the art show.

Check out the back of the postcard and all of the wonderful workshops being offered!!!!!

Weekend in Review

2009-02-16T11:46:00.002-10:00

I never appreciated Presidents Day until now. My life has been going full speed ahead and my personal hygiene has suffered because of it. I woke up today and spent the morning talking to far away friends, doing laundry, and cleaning. I have to head to the supermarket later today to restock on soymilk, bananas and veggies.

My Valentines/Presidents Day weekend has been an absolute blast. I hit up some house parties and best of all, one of my friends took me SURFING!!! So fun and my arms are so sore. Im already looking forward to round two!

Friday the 13th, however, was a bit of a downer. I had my first dentist appointment in 3 years only to discover that I had a cavity for each year of neglect. Gross right? I'm gonna get them filled in two weeks and I can't wait to have that bacteria out of there! shivers I then returned home to find that I had left my keys in my jeans the night before and couldn't get into my house! One of my friends kindly picked me up and took me to fill my rumbling tummy with pho and then let me sleep on her couch for the next three hours while she tied up loose ends and got ready to go out for the night. Not my idea of a fun Friday night, but I appreciate the appropriateness of all of my bad luck, it being an auspicious day and all.

Happy RABU RABU DAY!!!

2009-02-14T10:59:00.003-10:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Great news! My good friend Jae just had a baby girl, Gabrielle Imani Love Jones! CONGRATULATIONS JAE!!!

Friday the THIRTEENTH vs. V-Day <3

2009-02-13T07:15:00.004-10:00

It's Friday the THIRTEENTH! If today had feelings and emotions (yes, I'm attempting to personify a day) I would feel sorry for it because it's being overshadowed by the more cute and attractive Valentines Day.

Even I, queen of empathy, am making no attempt to watch scary movies and follow superstitions. Instead, Im handing out chocolate with pink ribbons wrapped around them and wine and hello kitty stickers to my gfs.

Just Do It! Or can I?

2009-02-12T20:38:00.004-10:00

I've been looking into the Honolulu Triathlon in May. I think I'm gonna sign up! I have a swimsuit, a sweet bike, and a pair of kicks, so why not? The only concern I have is, do I have the endurance? There are two options, the sprint and the olympic course.

Choice A: The Sprint Course
400 m swim (basically 16 lengths of a pool=cake!)
5k run (I can definitely handle this as well)
20k bike (not so confident on this one, because I have no sense of distance on bikes. But really, how hard can it be to ride a bike?)

Put 'em all together and whatdya get? Ding dong hotdog.

Um... I mean, one tired chica.

Choice B: The Olympic Course
1.5k swim which is equivalent to 60 lengths of a pool (significantly more exhausting)
40k bike: again, no clue how difficult this.
10k run: This would be no problem solo, but I may lose steam when put in combination with the other two events.

So, what dya think? Can I handle it? I definitely have to train hard, but it'd be a great feat to complete the Olympic distance. I've done a half marathon before and of course swam and ran competitively for several years, but can I handle a triathlon? You only get one body, so I may as well make the most of it, right?

Itch relief

2009-02-09T21:29:00.005-10:00

Have I mentioned yet that Michael is visiting in March? Well, if not, he IS!!! He managed to book a ticket on his flight back from Cambodia where he's been working for PepyRide leading bicycle tours, lounging around Angkor Wat (wtf, right?!) and doing some really friggin cool stuff for the past few months. Way to work the airlines to your advantage. I really can't wait. We have big plans that involve renting a car, eating Cherry Garcia ice cream, and flying to the Big Island to check out the volcanoes and lava. I can't wait. My feet are starting to feel slightly itchy, so this excursion will provide some relief.

Work's been pretty busy lately, but because I really love what I do right now (and I actually have a job, which a lot of people unfortunately cant say right now), I don't mind one bit.

Labeling

2009-02-08T08:57:00.002-10:00

Organization is not one of my strengths. So, I've decided to spend my Sunday morning labeling and skypeing friends and family.

Obama artist gets arrested in Boston for graffiti | csmonitor.com

2009-02-07T16:01:00.006-10:00

Obama artist gets arrested in Boston for graffiti | csmonitor.com

The artist who designed the Obama piece below got arrested for the 15th time while tagging on his way to his OWN gallery opening. Talk about dedication!!!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

2009-02-05T06:41:00.005-10:00

I posted this on facebook. Anyone with a profile probably knows what I'm talking about. I withheld after a few tags, so as not to be entirely ego-centric, but after realizing that i loved reading other people's lists, I decided to share my own. Plus I was bored. And, let's face it, I have a blog. 3 years of solid evidence that I love talking about myself.

25 random things about myself.

1. When I was born, my last name was spelled MARSO.

2. I was nominated for Prom court during my senior year of high school. A conundrum to this day, because I was neither popular nor pretty in high school. Heck, I didn’t even have a date!

3. I am easily disappointed by guys. I think it’s because my first boyfriend set such high standards and no one has been able to meet them. Despite all this, I've still managed to get burned.

4. My career has become less and less important to me over the years. Quality of life and a sustainable lifestyle, however, has followed the opposite trend.

5. I’m insanely envious of people who have better Japanese than me, yet I never put forth the effort to improve my own. I guess I feel like I have some undeserved entitlement to fluency and stubbornly believe it should come naturally to me.

6. When I was in 7th grade the kids on the bus called me Chinese Wannabe and refused to let me sit down next to them, Forrest Gump style. I hate to admit it, but I get great joy out of knowing that I’m better off than them right now.

7. I used to be very stingy with money. I’m learning to let go of it little by little.

8. I think I had a small eating disorder in college. Moving to Japan after graduation, reminded me of how much I loved food. Now I get irrationally annoyed by people who eat salads for meals and drink diet anything.

9. I’ve always dreamed of becoming an architect, but I don’t think I ever will. Why? See #4 and then #10.

10. I hope to some day live in Manoa (Honolulu) with a family, a chocolate lab (or cockapoo), and a vegetable and flower garden. I’ve been having urges to be incredibly domestic and play the typical female caregiver role. I have no idea when this started happening and I've stopped trying to fight it.

11. I am insecure about people thinking I’m pretentious because I’ve traveled the world and went to a fancy liberal arts college. Sometimes I wish I could take them to my Newark High School roots. Though not entirely ghetto, are more humble than I come across.

12. My brother will forever be my music consultant, my mother my life consultant, and my father my mind consultant.

13. My favorite thing about Delaware: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPAs

14. For someone who didn’t grow up near mountains, I love snowboarding and mountaineering more than just about anything.

15. I have a love-hate relationship with symmetry.

16. Im glad I was born with freckles, because I never had to worry much about being perfect. My skin was naturally flawed.

17. My favorite places: White Clay Creek State Park, Delaware; The Muldrow Glacier, Alaska; Hirose River, Sendai; Niseko, Hokkaido; Jomsom, Nepal; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; 122 Holly Rd, Virginia; Manoa, Hawaii

18. 2 years ago, I almost went to the London School of Economics to get a Master of Urban Planning. I’m glad I didn’t because my last year in Japan was irreplaceable.

19. I think I like Death Cab For Cutie because they remind me of Neutral Milk Hotel, who I listened to (in alternation w/ Beastie Boys and Op Ivy) incessantly during grades 6 and 7.

20. I get really offended when people call me white. Not because I’m racist, but because I’ve worked so hard to uncover my Japanese side.

21. I was vegetarian for 7 years until I went to Nepal and my host family sacrificed a goat for me (well maybe not for me, but the goat was sacrificed nonetheless). At that moment, I realized how annoying picky eaters were and I’ve been eating meat ever since.

22. I think young adult is the best genre of literature. Anne of Green Gables (and everything else written by LM Montgomery), the Narnia series, White Fang, Old Yeller, Adv. Of Tom Sawyer, Ramona, Boxcar Children, Indian in the Cupboard, The Giver, the list goes on and on.

23. Nepal was the first place where I felt like I blended in. Then, I discovered Hawaii.

24. I was obsessed with playing the clarinet for 8 years and regret never learning jazz or music theory.

25. The best thing about having friends all around the world is that I always have a place to stay wherever I go anywhere. The worst thing is I never see them.

Insurance License

2009-02-03T09:33:00.002-10:00

Guess who passed her insurance test!!! Officially certified (yet somehow know nothing about insurance).

BANZAAIIIIII!!!!! (^-^)/~~~~~

SUPERBOWL!!

2009-02-01T20:09:00.006-10:00

Wow, I'm gosh-darn proud of my Tri-state roots! GO STEELERS!!!!

And speaking of the Superbowl, my friend and I made a pretty super bowl of chirashizushi as an alternative to fried chicken and Zippy's chilly (though we did have that as well).

Check it out! Here is the zoomed out version. 100% handmade with local ingredients (Manoa Farmer's market).And, we zoom in. Gotta love the tobiko!

All in all, I'm very happy with the Steelers, especially because I was in a room full of Cardinal fans. It was a close (and questionable) game though, keeping us all on the edge of our seats, making full use of TiVo for replays and of course bringing the aggressive trashtalking out of even the most timid of us.

Vista

2009-01-31T13:32:00.000-10:00

Just rode my bike up Tantalus with a friend. Exhausting but wonderful. We did it in a little under 30 minutes! I'm looking forward to more bike rides!

More of Ormus and Vina

2009-01-30T19:55:00.006-10:00

I know I keep talking about Rushdie, but I can't get enough of him. He makes me wonder what the people behind the books are like. Are their novels products of their lives? Or are they just really ordinary people with vivid imaginations and an aptitude for penning publications. Rumor has it that Nobokov wasn't actually a pedifile. But then, you get people like Edward Abbey who write almost completely autobiographically. The protagonist in "Invisible Man" is most likely a relection of Ellison, himself. And Sylvia Plath was a pretty bonafide nutcase, wasn't she? The trend suggests that the contents of most manuscripts reflect the lives and experiences of their writers. I wonder which character Rushdie played in "The Ground..."? Vina or Ormus? Or was he Raj, the narrator?

The thing with Vina, being her spare prick, coming off the bench a few minutes per game, this was hard for me. There was too much time and room for my imagination to work. I imagined their lovemaking so often, and in such Kama Sutra variety, that I would break out in a rash. I actually would... I tried to make myself believe that the marriage with Ormus wouldn't last. When she told me that she had reached an understanding with him, that he would turn a blind eye or at least a patched eye to her amours as long as she didn't flaunt them in a crass and obvious way, at first I felt a spurt of hot joy because she had gone to such risky trouble to make room in her life for me. Later... I felt my reactions becoming more complex. It was, I thought, as if I were a clause in their marriage. A sleeping partner in their merger. This doomed me to play second fiddle forever; it was in the contract. My rising anger informed me of a truth I had thoroughly suppressed: viz., that I still entertained hopes of having her all to myself.

Verdict!!

2009-01-29T20:32:00.003-10:00

After all the prop/casualty insurance test hype, I managed to pass 3 out of the 4 sections!!! I missed the general property section by 1 stinkin' point!!! I was pretty happy with how I did, but I won't be completely satisfied until I pass all sections and become officially certified. Interestingly, I dont feel any more knowledgeable about insurance than I did 3 days ago. Yeah, I understand that surplus lines are taxed an added 4.68%, but really, who cares? I guess people with really really old houses.

In other news, the house passed Obama's economic stimulus package with a whopping ZERO votes coming from Republicans. We'll see how it fares in the Senate. I'm really stoked about all the money he is giving to public schools. I have a lot of friends who work in those places and after going through the system myself, I know that they could use the money. Even if it means putting heaters in the NHS physics classrooms so we can study thermodynamics without our parkas.

GONG HEI FAT CHOI!!!

2009-01-26T18:17:00.003-10:00

Happy Chinese New Year! If you've already broken all of your resolutions for the Western New Year, here's your 2nd chance!

I celebrated with my co-worker (who thankfully speaks Chinese), by going into Chinatown for lunch and indulging in some DELICIOUS dim sum. I was soooo stuffed by the end of the meal, but oh-so satiated. If I had a camera and I wasn't with coworkers, I totally would have surreptitiously snagged some food snaps, but pride and limited materials prevented me from doing so.

I hope all of you enjoyed the New Year as much as I did! Now, back to studying!!!! Only T-12 HOURS!!!

2009-01-25T22:44:00.003-10:00

Trying to unwind from all the studying today, so Im doing what any girl in need of a laugh would do.

Im reading Go Fug Yourself: Because Fugly is the New Pretty.

Its basically a blog completely devoted to celebrity fashion faux pas. The commentary is absolutely priceless. I think Kat first told me about this blog a few years back but I only just rediscovered it. GREAT procrastination material.

Details

2009-01-25T16:21:00.002-10:00

The other day I realized Obama was left handed.

Ratatouille TIME!

2009-01-25T15:40:00.003-10:00

I woke up early this morning and took a trip to the Manoa farmers market. Delighted to find so many inexpensive fresh veggies, I decided to splurge and make some ratatouille! All the vitamins and minerals packed into my homemade goodness should provide sufficient brainfood for my property and casualty test this coming Tuesday.

On a slightly related note, I find it interesting when I find I'm at a loss at how I should be living my life, I default to what my mom does. I doubt I'd be making early morning trips to the farmers market if my mom didnt do just that while I was asleep (read: hungover) on Sunday mornings. Good thing I have such a good okaasan!! I may make it as an adult afterall.

<3

BOPs and PIPs

2009-01-24T20:59:00.004-10:00

I spent all day today studying for my property and casualty insurance exam. I'm pretty nervous about it, because everyone in my office has pretty high expectations of me and passing (or not passing) will give them a tangible idea of how employment worthy I am.

No pressure, right.

I spent the day studying at my old house and got a chance to spend time with the lady who was living with me and my parents for 6 months. We studied and ate dinner together and indulged in homemade umeshu and Cherry Garcia ice cream like the good old days (my life 2 weeks ago when my parents were here). It was really nice spending time with her and especially speaking in Japanese. I sometimes forget that it has only been a few months since I left my life in Japan and the identity and home I had for three years, learning to communicate during most of my daily life in Japanese. I definitely miss speaking Japanese, because there is a part of my identity that only comes to life in that language. I've notice my language proficiency has declined since my parents have left. I should make a habit of using my nihongo more.

Spending time at my old house was also great because I could separate myself from all of the drama that goes along with being a 25 year old. The uncertainty of future, career, love, and friendships. Being 25 sometimes seems like a second adolecence, but instead of spending all of my time trying to escape from the restrictions of family so I can "find myself", I end up seeking the structure of parameters. I was feeling pretty homesick, doubting whether or not I was as grounded as I thought I was, and spending time with such a close family friend was exactly what I needed. I don't feel so alone any more. I'm still uneased by uncertainty, but at least I don't feel lonely.