Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!

I hope you all are having an exciting holiday.  I had a potluck Christmas party with friends at home (my new home in San Jose) and had a blast!  I made a cake with Akina and Aylene. I was supposed to make the main dish but Akina's boyfriend Casey is a great cook so I decided to ask him to take the most important role for the party. Although I could not go home to Tokyo this winter, this party and hanging out with all my friends totally made up for the loss.  Here are some pictures from the party!

preparing for the party with Akina and Aylene

Aylene and Me showing our holiday spirit!

food table

the great cook!

I sang at church for midnight mass on the 24th and I also celebrated Christmas at Nick's parents house with his family on the 25th. The Tree was big and pretty!!
Nick's family + Me

Thanks for taking your time and reading my journal. 

Have a wonderful and happy 2009 everyone!!

November 08

It's been a while since I posted pictures last. My initial purpose of creating this blog was to show my life in Japan but I had some people telling me to post more pictures so here they are.

First picture is Aylene and me at a diner near Aylene's house in San Mateo. I can't believe it's been almost 5 years since I met Aylene at Santa Clara University. I was wearing a Berkley hooded sweater that day and oh boy! I got 3 people yelling something like "Nor Cal!!!" or "Go Bears!!" to me... I had no clue why people are so "friendly" to me at first....the sweater must not be worn in public.

I baked cupcakes. I had a great baking day with my new friend Hien who is an almost-pro Cup Cake baker. I like how she is so creative and obsessed when it comes to cupcakes. =) She also bakes cupcake as a business, so should you need any delicious dozens catered for your party, let me know.

masterpiece, mixed, baked, and decorated by Hien =) Behold, it is a present box cupcake!

This pretty girl in the picture below is Aleena, Nick's niece. She is another one of my new friends and she just turned 8 last week =) I love hanging out with her and her sister May because they remind me of myself when I was 9 or 10. 

Aleena looking happy with her birthday presents.

Aleena's little sister May! She is a hyper charming girl who wants to be a model when she grows up.

way to go May!

Nick has three adorable nieces and the last one is Harmony who is still a little little baby.  I wonder what it's like to be surrounded by things you have never seen before. She has only been in this world for less than 5 months. She has a big adventure ahead of her!! 

happy with daddy

cuddled by mommy

Little did I know being religious is so hard. Going to church makes me have a time to think and I like that, but even after going to masses for over ten times, I still cannot say the prayers. I guess it takes time and practice. For me, the time I spend at church is the time to think of what I have now and appreciate how lucky I am to have everything I wanted. It is also a time to look back my past and think of what I miss or what I have gained from the loss. It is a place for me to talk to myself and the big guy!

I like Nick's car. I never liked sports cars because I think they look silly, but this one is cool. My next goal in life is to get a job and a driver's license. =) 

Sasha Pottypants Bargler, 3 years old.  I spend so much of my time with her that I started to understand her dog language. She is a dollface=)

August 4th Monday, 08

It's been a while since I posted pictures last. Here are some pictures that I have taken these days. Hope you enjoy them!

I took pictures at the office I am working right now as an intern. It's a really cool office with pantry area where you can get snacks and bevarages whenever you want. There are three floors in the office and I work on the main floor where the food is. =)

one of the 3 snack tables. along the curvy line on the ceiling is where the pantry area is and there are more food and drinks!


Staires. This guy in the picture is one of the ppl i'm working with. He is my boss.
View of the top floor where news, HR, broadcasting teams are.


One of the fish tanks has just gotten little nemos. scares me.


Today, after work, I went to have dinner and some drinks with my intern friends, Mizuki and Fumiko. I like them both alot. They are really fun to talk to. =) Mizuki is 5'11"!! VERY TALL for a japanese girl. She is going to go to a grad school in Paris after this internship, and Fumiko is going back to Haverford University to finish her school.


yesterday I went to my grandparents house to see my dog Gonta. This is a picture of my parents.


There was a matsuri (summer festival) near grandma's house. These are pictures of a partable shrine which people carry around to wish for the next year's prosperity and of a poster for the matsuri.


Gonta sleeping. =) He is getting very weak. He's almost 18 years old, but he looks like he is still a baby.


my dad and my family

grandma and gonta



me and my little gonta =) my mom is not a good photographer as you can see. lol