la la Land of Cherry Blossoms

I also like Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow XD

I went to Azabu summer Festival a few days ago.

In Japan, we have a lot of summer festivals and fireworks everywhere in this season.
Many people wear Yukata when they go to festivals but it doesn't mean that you have to do so. I don't even have Yukata cuz I left it in the States when I was a high school student. I wanna buy new one... it has to be pretty :P

It was really really crowded as I couldn't move because of so many people... actually they elbowed and pushed their way forward X(
There were rows of stalls on both sides of the street. Usually they sell
fried noodles with sauce(in Japanese "Yakisoba"),

Japanese-style pancakes ("Okonomiyaki"),

octopus balls("Takoyaki"),

steam potatoes with melting butter("Jyagabata"), shaved ice("Kakigori"),

apricot candies("Anzuame"), apple candies("Ringoame")

etc! These are typical foods for summer festival here.
pictures below shows a stall and a man making Japanese-style pancakes. (I took these pix by my cell phone)




I like this atmosphere cuz it's full of life :D
But again, it was as crowded as a train in rush hour... lol

One thing that was different from other festival was Azabu summer festival had many "foreign" stalls. I mean, there were many stalls that sell other countries' typical foods or snacks. For examle, Korean, Chinese, Laotian, Indian, America, British, Egyptian, Swedish, German, Brazilian, Tunisian, Sri lankan, Turkish, Thai, Taiwanese and so on! I had Laotian and Tunisian foods... and that Tunisian guy was very kind to me :P

It was a fun night and became memories of a summer! I'm glad we have this kind of cuture here lol


photo:
http://www.hrcweb.com/ice-one.html
http://www.enjoytokyo.jp/OD002Search.html?ODEKAKE_ID=1&CATEG...
http://www.sozairoom.com/FS_E1021.html
http://www.santa.co.jp/wear/blog/kobe?page=3
http://kousokubiyori.jp/kuruma-de-go/main03/yakisoba.html?&p...

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First of all I wannna thank everyone who gave me encouraging words for my note a few days ago.
I actually realized that I was always supported by many people around the world.
It is said that man can't live without supporting each other and I think I now know what it means.

I was reading Joe Klein's ariticle in TIME magazine yesterday.
He says: "I have discovered that my two worst sins are anger and impatience."
I empathized with him. What I need now are patience and calmness.


I had dinner at a Singaporean food restaurant last night with Shota, Shun, Tomomichi, Haruki, Yuma and Yuki=)
Check out the pic on facebook!
Though I've been there three times before, last night was most enjoyable!!
I was convulsed with laughter till my throat felt funny...LOL
I could let off steam and I will remember it when I have a difficult time.

I'm gonna go to a summer festival tonight. I hope the rain stops by that time...


peace out

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Wow long time has passed since I updated here last time…

It was just about this time last year I visited Michigan and met again with great people.

A few days ago I was on a train and suddenly smelled America.
Well…this sounds weird.
To be more precise a nostalgic smell came wafting from somewhere and that smell was what I have smelled before, I guess, in the States.
That might be smell of Holister’s perfume or of American Eagle’s shop, or I might have smelled it when I hugged someone (cuz hug is popular thing in the States).
Anyway that incident made me miss America much more than before…



Today I was interviewed with two other interviewees for a part-time job.
An interviewer asked us to read aloud a given script written in both Japanese and English.
I didn’t expect that cuz I’d heard that the interview was very easy.
But actually they interviewed and scored our performance.
Those two other interviewees were bright and had a sensible attitude.
Furthermore one was rich in experience of vary kinds of part-time job, and the other had score 935 on TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) though she was a science student!
Me? … nothing! No experience, no ability of English…sigh.
Anyway the interview is already over and done with =P



After that I went to Ikebukuro to go to a book store.
There, sigh again.
I really want to know why I can’t read, catch, speak and write in English!
One book I found there says like this:

If you have trouble to listen to English, it is because...
1. poor vocabulary
2. no knowledge of grammar
3. no background knowledge for the topic

all three apply for my case...
I’m going to take TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam within a month. I’m very scared cuz if I don’t meet a certain standard score on the exam, I cannot go abroad to study possibly.
Problem is that it’s too difficult for me to reach the score within a month.
What should I do?
I have no clue how to study writing, listening and so on.
Some people go to prep school for that but I don’t have much time left… and money left. LOL
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
You are right, President Kennedy.
But question is “what are my purpose and direction?”

Hmmm…step after step goes far. I should exert all possible efforts everyday.


Holla at ya

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