Family Party

I went to my dad's family party yesterday. It was held in Takanawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, very nice place. There were about 3,000 people attending, everyone was chatting, drinking, eating, singing all kind of things.

I was introduced to many of my father's staff and everyone told me that my father is a hard worker, very strict person. He did a speach at the end and it was fantastic. I think it moved many people's heart and I even saw some tears in his eyes. It was a very hard year for my father and all of the staff but finally it succeded. I had few people telling me that they quit the former company and came to this company because of my dad. "Without him, I wouldn't be here.", one said.
Everyone respected him and I was very proud of being his daughter.

Atami Onsen

It's almost holiday and I went to Atami Onsen (2hours from Tokyo) with my good friends.

It was veeeeery nice. Good food, good onsen(Japanese style hot spring) , and what more, good friends. I've never been to Osen with a girlfriend, but actually I enjoyed it a lot. With girls, you can talk and stay in the osen for a long time (usually guys get tired easily) and enjoy the atmosphere from your heart.
The fireworks we saw was awsome! It went up right infront of us so we had to look up to see them.

When I'm in Osen, I'm always happy to be Japanese.
Enjoy the pictures!

My Recent Activities

My recent activities...

Went to work seeing the sunrise...
Had udon in Roppongi (huge size!!) at 12 am during weekday...

And gave myself a present to become beautiful!
Isn't it nice?

Date with my dad♡

Recently, it's a routine to have dinner with my dad every Sunday night.
Last time we went for teppanyaki steak, and today shabu-shabu in Ginza. Dinner in Ginza... the most expensive place in Tokyo. Aren't we romantic?
Some people are surprised and say "what do you talk with your dad just two of you!?" I guess it's not common for a Japanese family to go out just the dad and his daughter when you get older. It is really nice though. We talk about business, work, family etc. He is more like my adviser than a father now.
Plus, this Sunday dinner helps me to charge my energy and nutrition for the whole week. I eat very bad(little) during weekdays cause I finish late and don't have a chance to have a proper dinner.

Anyway, I really appreciate my father these days. The reason I can have this life, what made me now, is my dad.

Blue Tokyo

I was walking toward the station and saw this blue tokyo tower. I was very surprised, couldn't help to take a picture. It had totally different looks.

I don't know why it was blue though. If someone do know, plz tell me...

Actually, I've also seen Pink and Green tokyo tower. All of them by accident.

I wonder what's the next color.

Numbers and facts.

Fact 1.

イラクにおける米兵死者が２００７年1月～10月末までで、853人と報告された。
2004年年間累計849人が今までで過去最多だったが、今年はその記録を10ヶ月で超えた。これで戦争開始の2003年から累計3856人だそうだ。

The number of the American Soilders killed in Iraq war was 853 people from Jan to Oct, 2007. This was the hightest in the past which is more than 849 people in the year 2004. The total American Soilders killed in Iraq war since it started in 2003 is 3856 people.

日本にいると、戦争は自分に関係のない、地球の裏側で起こっている出来事のようにしか感じない。

直接、戦争に関わったひとは知らないが、アメリカにいた時、子供が兵士として派遣されている母親や、以前イラクに数ヶ月間派遣されていた人などと話をしたことがある。ほとんどの人がお金のために仕方なく行っているが、愛する子供がそのような所へ行かなければならない母親は一体どんな気持ちでいるのだろう。恐ろしくて想像もつかない。米国兵士だけでなく、この戦争で多くの犠牲者が出ている。歴史上、常にどこかで戦争が起こっている。どうしたら戦争はなくなるのだろう。だれもが戦争のない世の中を願っているのになぜ無くならない？
心からはやく戦争が終わってほしいと思う。


Fact 2.

世界の極度の貧困（一日の収入が50セント以下）に苦しむ人の数 : 約1億6200万人。その3/4がサハラ砂漠以南のアフリカにいる。この数は日本の総人口より多い。

The number of the world most poor (whoes income is less than 50 cents a day) ; 162 million. 3/4 of them live in South Africa. This number is higher than Japan's population.

これもまた、日本にいると全く違う世界の話にしか感じない。でもこれが現実。多くの大企業が毎年過去最大の利益を出す一方で、貧困はなくなるどころか格差がどんどん広がっている。
このままでいいのだろうか。どうしたらいいのだろう。。

Tokyo Life

View from my balcony. When I see this, I feel that I live in Tokyo.
Roppongi hills on the left and Tokyo tower on the right.

3 min walking from my place.

No matter how many times I see, I'm always impressed by it's beauty.

Tokyo Midtown

My best friend came to visit me and we went to Tokyo Midtown, one of the hottest place in Tokyo. I've been here many times but this time, I went as a tourist and took some pics.

Opened this year in spring, very modern but also japanese style. Even though it's in the middle of Roppongi, you don't feel like it at all.


Akko trying to take a picture of the tall building and me, taking a picture of that.

Happy Halloween!!!

This weekend was a Halloween party!

I thought I was too old to dress up but hell no! There were so many people (young and old, japanese and foreigners) in the street dresse up in costumes that we wanted to wear something also.
We were planning to go home but bought this dress at 12am midnight and went out partying.
I can't believe I walked down the street in a China dress! but since surroundings were much more crazy it wasn't embarrassing at all.

Happy Halloween everyone (^^)

Moving

I just moved to a new place and I'm so sick of doing things to make my room. I had to buy bed, frige, microwave, washing mashine, desk, chair, TV table, kitchen stuff, toilet stuff, curtains, and many other small things. Also, I had to have Internet connection, have electricity, gas, water etc. Gosh, it takes time and I have to carry heavy things, have to clean up, and the worst is that I have to wait for the delivery to come which you don't know when, so you have to stay at home for 3 hours just waiting. plus, it takes 1 week to come so untill then, I don't have them. Today, I bought dest and a chair so it'll come next weekend. I still have many things I need...
It's not just stress but it cost a lot!! ahhhh...

well, fun things is that I can make my own room in my own taste. My room is basically white, cream white and dark brown color with a little bit of red. My bathroom is mostly pink. looks nice!

Updates

It's been 2 weeks since I started working.
1st week past so fast. Very important customer from Italy came to visit us to have a meeting and I was one of the main person to organize everything. I will be the European Regional Sales (if this business works), so I was always with the Italians for 4 days.
Since I don't know anything about the company nor the products, I can't do any business negotiation but I did translation, explained technical stuff about products, helped to prepare for presentation etc. I worked from early in the morning till late at night but I enjoyed it very much. I get to eat sushi and tempura in Ginza and also, went to Nikko (3 hours drive from Tokyo where it has world heritage shrine) on Sat. which was considered "work" but me, I was enjoying sightseeing with them:)
Doing business with foreign company and Japanese company are very different. Their mind, their attitude, their questions are different. Sometimes they ask things we never imagined. I want to know more about the difference and be able to handle both well. Also, I need to learn more about the products... I'm not good in electronic device...

New Job

Finally, I've decided my way.
I was looking for a job and it's not difficult to get a job if you don't choose.
But to find the one that you want to do (and most likely you don't know what you wanna do exactly), was difficult.
Changing job is kinda like deciding your life. Especially in Japanese society. You can say that your private life depend on your job, company, industry, boss etc.

This time I've decided to work in a very small company. Very opposite from the previous company. Let's see which is better for me, big organization or small organization. It looks interesting though. I'm gonna be doing national and international sales. They've just launched their product internationally so I get to participate in un-established business. I don't know anything about sales but I think I can do it ;) I think "sales" is more of a people-to-people relationship.

Also, I'm excited about my new life in Tokyo! I found a very nice place near Tokyo tower. Finally I can have my own castle! I love organizing rooms and deciding bed, chair, curtain... make it in my style.

I'm gonna work hard and play hard to enjoy my life!

Bali!!!!!

If you go to Bali, make sure you go to Gili Islands as well. Much more beautiful and romantic than Bali. Above 3 pics are in Gili.

Do you have someone...

When you really need help, when you are down, do you have someone to talk to? When you're scared walking down the street, do you have someone to call?
You are very fortunate if you have someone to talk to without any hesitation. Maybe you don't have any reason to call but when you feel lonely and you need to talk to someone. Who do you call...?
Boyfriend, girlfriend...? Friends that you know for a long time?
When you become older, it's difficult to find someone new like that. Society covered with lies and pretense, it's hard to believe someone, get to know the true person.

When someone needs help (and that person is really important to you), give them a hand no matter what circumestances. Even though you're busy, show them that you care about him/her. When you need help, they'll give you a hand.
Do not leave your beloved ones.

What was the best thing that you did travelling?

久しぶりに会う友達とかによく聞かれるのは「一番よかった国はどこ？」と聞かれる。
でも、この前ある子に、「5ヶ月間周遊して帰ってきて、一番（周遊旅行に）行ってよかったなって思うことは何？たくさんの人に出会えたとかいろんな国がみれたとかじゃなくて。。」と聞かれた。一瞬考えたが、すぐに答えが出た。
「今しかできないことが出来たこと。みんながみんなできることではないことが出来たこと。」今、私の知っている中で仕事が楽しい、一生今の会社を続けたいと思ってるひとが誰一人といない。みんな何かしら疑問を感じ、近い将来辞めることを考えている。確かに周りの新社会人の方が私より遥かに社会を経験してるだろうし、仕事のことも分かるであろう。私は1年しかまだ働いたことがないから、スキルも何もない。悲しいことに、この国には仕事に追われ、自分の時間が全くなく、仕事のストレスでカラダが悲鳴をあげている人がたくさんいる。そんな人が世界中に何億といる中、世界を旅行ながら文化を見て、人をみて、触れ合って・・・っていうひとは一握り。やりたいって思ってるひとは山ほどいるけど、実際にやるのはごく一部。私は、仕事の経験はないが、人よりもいろんなもの見てきたし、感じてきた自信はある。いろんな国の生活ぶりをみてきて、いろんなものを感じる中、人生で何が一番大切なのかもわかった。大手企業をやめ、もったいないと人に言われたが、今でもまったく後悔してない。そのまま続けてたら楽しくもなく、悲しくもない平凡は日々だったであろう。

何人かの人は「そんななめたこといって。人生そんなに甘くない」と思うかもしれないが、それはそれでいいと思う。私はまだ24だし、まだ何も知らなくても許される年だと思う。（って思ってちゃだめかな？）20代はtake risks, experience many things as possibleだと思う。

友達にこの質問をされてから改めて、自分の幸福さに気づいた。自分はなんて幸せなんだろうって。こんだけやりたい放題できる人はそういない。何かしら制限があると思う。お金であり、親であり、仕事であり、恋愛であり。私が旅をできたのは、なんといっても、何も言わず私がしたいようにさせてくれた親のお陰。あと、旅費は自分の稼いだお金で行ったが、家が経済的に大丈夫でないかぎり、こんな冒険もできない。

私はいつも自分に言っている。「人生は一度きり。楽しまなくっちゃ☆」

When I meet my friends after coming back from the travel, everyone ask "where was the best country?" But the other day, one asked me " what was the best thing that you went travelling? Not that you met many people or you saw many places but..." I thought of it for a second but a had the answer immediately.
"the thing that I could do what I can only do now. the thing that I could do what not many people can do." As far as I know, none of my friends enjoy their job, none of my friends are thinking to continue their current job for a long time. Of course, other people has by far more experience than me, know more about business society. I've only worked 1 year so I don't have any skills. However, there are so many people that are too busy working, don't have private life, got sick because of the stress etc. There are millions and billions of people like that in the world, not living their life, not interesting life but meanwhile, I was travelling around, saw many things, experienced culture, met many people, felt so many things ... A lot of people say they wanna do this but people who actually do is only few. I don't have skills and working experience but I am confident that I experienced and felt many things than other people. I have courage. I've also found out what is really important in my life. There are people who says I'll regret that I quit a big company but I never do. If I've continued, I would be having same old life, not too hard but not exciting life.

Some people might think I am thoughtless for the future. Especially Japanese. But I think it's okay. I'm still 24. Someone said "When you're in 20s, take risks."

After being asked this question, I again realized how lucky I am. not many people can do this. More or less, you'll have some restraint to do this, whether it is money, parents, job, love etc. My parents understanding meant a lot to me. They didn't oppose, let me do what I wanna do. Also, I paid the travel money but if my family was poor, I couldn't do this either.

" You can only live once. Live life!"

Japanese Society

Again, I've been thinking a lot about Japanese society, Japanese Company since I'm looking for a job right now.

My girl friend who works in one of the biggest and intelligent company in Japan, work a lot. Too much. It's okay if she's enjoying it or getting paid well. But the thing is, even though she works till 10 pm, she doesn't get over paid. (usual working hour is until 6 pm) It's not because her boss says you cannot do that. It's because the whole atmosphere, the company culture makes her not declaring over time. Another friend of mine (same age) who works in Panasonic got ill because... I think too much working. Make you work a lot, stress, pressure etc... If you get paid very well, maybe MAYBE you can survive but if no, you know what happens.

The most beautiful sky I've ever seen

Australia was not much impressive but one thing that is really really beautiful is the sky. Seriously, I've never seen such a beautiful sky like here. Everyday clear blue sky, amazing sunset... breathtaking.

Ayer's Rock (Uluru)

Because of the VISA expiration, we had to get out from Indonesia, so we chose the closest country... Australia. From Bali to Darwin, it's only 3 hours. Australia was very expensive for backpackers. We were thinking to stay for a while but we only stayed for 10 days just to see this famous rock, Ayer's Rock.