Happy Halloween!

I stayed over at my brother's new house.

My niece and I had great time together!
As it was Halloween, we made pumpkin... sadly fake one... Oh, well we don't have Halloween in Japan.

Anyway,

"Trick or Treat!"

Nagano sunshine

Since I always give blessing rain shower wherever I stay, I detected sunshine in Nagano to see colored leaves.
There is small winery which wine was selected to serve for G8 summit conference in Hokkaido. We had lunch there and enjoyed mountain scenery with colorful leaves.
Air was sooo fresh, flowers were swinging, quiet and very lovely…

Look at these picture!

Perfect composition and color contrast!

I remember I even used to go out for taking pictures before... driving, walking with my camera...

When I was taking photograph course, professor said I am not very good at taking photo of human, but very good at compositions of nature, architecture, and color.

Well, maybe it’s my grandpa’s blood?

Vacation---!!!

I am in Japan!!!! Enjoying Fall in Japan = Best season of Food, Onsen and Nature activities!!!

Hope to see more Sunshine then I can smile :)
Everyone remember I am rain woman....* shrug*

Grand parents

I wake up early and went to see dentist.

I needed to take the cover off and fix the cavity underneath during my stay.

Then, I went to see my grandparents who live 20km away from my parent’s house.

They live in little house which sits at the foot of mountain in suburb of Nagaoka city.

They’ve got small plants and vegetable garden.

My grandma loves to cook and she always uses her vegetables for her special dishes which makes her cooking more special and delicious!

After enjoyed her traditional and original dishes, we went to their vegetable garden to harvest Daikon (radish), Negi (leek), Kiku (edible chrysanthemum), Hakusai (kind of cabbage)… They put all the vegetables to my tiny car and my car got full of vegetables!

You can imagine the mixture of all the vegetable smell and dirt in the car makes you feel you are farmar ;P

My grandma used to be a tailor at Matsuya (biggest and oldest department store I Japan) in Tokyo.
My grandpa used to be a photographer for local news paper.

Oh, during my stay, he was interviewed and got on the paper!

He is telling how it was hard to get to the happening site, manual development process, how to deliver the film and so...

He got the moment of getting first gas in Nagaoka, walked over the Mikuni mountains to have picture of the tunnel the "Kanetsu tunnel" which everyone go through when you come from Tokyo, got on the bucket Tarai bune to follow up an over night event.

I love my grandparents very much.
They make international call for me almost every two weeks to Singapore! Isn’t it cool???

My nieces

My dad picked me up to Nagaoka station :)

When I got home my nieces were there and they were pretending being shy to say hi to me. Well, within few min, they were in my arms in anyway :)

Older one is Chiyo, 5 years old, younger one is Kotono 3 years old.

Both are fun!

Business trip: a.k.a. this time vacation!

I have to say that I am lucky to be able to go home by company money.
I am in special team which does global recruitment and placement for Japanese.
So, periodically either of me or the other Naomi who is much taller than me would have business trip to Japan, sometimes to other locations like Malaysia, NZ, AUS, UK.
In 2008, I got to go to Japan 3 times and to UK once.
Busy but our team isn’t always busy so it’s alright for us.



This time I took vacation before my work in Tokyo, thus I got to go to Kamakura, Nagaoka, and Nagano.
I’ve arrived Narita on 25th, Nov evening and took 2 hours train to Kamakura where my best friend Yukari who is acupuncture lives.
She is my best friend from college, we were roommate in Nakajo and she got transfer to CA, I got transfer to CO.
We saw two other great old friends Wataru and Ryuta from college and had good reunion dinner.
They are both from Niigata but living in Kamakura, they are now both dad… we studied at same school, took same classes, but graduated from different schools, but still having dinner like this to share good time; life is good!



Next morning, Yukari and I wake up early and rode bicycle to Inamura beach, pacific ocean.
We had tong, gloves, and plastic bag… as we walked on the sand, we picked some trashes we see… it really felt right and good!
Then we sat down, watching people surfing and didn’t talk much… and I felt something coming out from my eyes… I wasn’t depress or thinking something…just my salt water came out from my eyes… it was so wired.
May be my eyes wanted to wash off something...I don’t know… but I know that I felt so relaxed being and touching real nature for sure.- amazing nature power for sure :)

Last night I saw Michael from Australia who works for Sydney chemical / process engineering risk management firm. He is in Singapore for special project and I got a chance to have good reunion dinner with him and his colleagues last night. (Special dish was fish with strawberry sauce at very nice Chinese restaurant!!!)

I met Michael and his fiancee on the nature trekking trip in Chaing Mai, 2007/2008 new year vacation.I took the trip with Ahn; my colleague and explored the great nature of Chaing Mai.We joined 1night 2 days trekking tour and became a group of 10 people including a well experienced guide.

We did trekking, stayed at tribe house, kanoeing, bamboo rafting, and elephant ride!I enjoyed beautiful sunset, full of sparkling stars, and sun rise when we stayed at tribe family in mountain the most.It was perfect to take your blanket out and lay down to be covered by twinkle thousands of stars!!!

You would imagine SE Asia hot and humid, but that time of season in northern Thailand could be around 12-16degree which is perfect to enjoy hiking!Refreshing breeze, a lot of greenery, interesting plants and fruits, mild mountain range...It was so much fun for me!

This is my way to make good freidns; through those outdoor activities.It has been nice to keep in touch with them and had good time catching up with Michael :)I hope to see Michael and his fiancee soon in Sydney!!!

改めまして！マイミクの皆様へ

こんにちは！

今日のシンガポールはちょっぴり曇り空です。
昨日から、ミクシィにブログをつなげました。

ブログは数年前に始めて、続かず、、、
心新たに、先日改めて開設しました。

英語で書いているわけは、最近英語で物を考えることが減ってきているからです。
たいしたことを書いているわけではないのです。（笑）

今回は１日でも続くよう、みんなからのコメントを支えに頑張りたいと思います！
協力お願いしますっ！！！（もちろん日本語でＯＫだよー！）

German breeze♪

Some of my dear friends from Germany e-mailed me today!
What a coincidence!
I love to hear from my friends :)

One of them from Hanover is a wonderful gardener.
His garden was interviewed, taken photo and published in this book!!!
↓　　↓　　↓
http://www.amazon.de/Wie-euch-gefällt-stilvolle-inszeniert/dp/342103642X/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224491199&sr=8-16

I used to live right in front of his garden.
Sometimes I helped to water.



Oh, I happened to find his garden picture from top and little detail of the wall.
The last picture is his renovation work he was working on! I wonder how it is now!
















Now, he says Autumn has arrived to Germany and leaves turns yellow and red...
It must be very nice!

Fresh juice

It's privilege of living in S.E. Asia - Fresh juice!!!

You go to one of those stand and choose whatever you want to mix.
It's about 2-3 Singapore dollar!!

"ABC" is popular Singaporean mix juice :)

Apple
Beetroot
Carrot

Can you imagine the color of it???

Patronize local farmers' markets

At the farmer's market, freshness if judged by hours, not days.
It's a beautiful, sensual experience to go to the market.- byAlice L. Waters, food activist.

When I was in Germany, I loved to go to markets.
Waking up very early morning, feeling bit cold, pulled on my life-time first red sweater and riding my bicycle... to the markets.

They had so many kind of markets; vegetable, meat, deli, flower and antique...
Gosh, I was so into those markets and had to stop every single little stand.
And little chat with people there- always good time.

My home town also have farmer's markets.
Not big as Germany, but still it's good to see all the local products.

I miss markets.
I miss vegetable with dirt.
I miss seeing all the proudly faces selling their own products.
I miss socializing in small town.

Cheese :D

I made sandwich this morning with camembert and ham :D

Then I wondered the differences between Camembert cheese and Brie cheese.
I've never see remarkable differences...

Anyone know their differences?
Yeah, google knows!
Here is rough summary, it's rather simple ;P

The variations in the two come about from their sizes and their different terroirs,
a French word meaning something akin to “sense of place.”

So, Camembert is about 10-12cm, about 250g, and made in Camember,
Brie is about 27-37cm, about 1500-2500g and made in Brie.

Anyway, I love cheese♪
Japanese say "Cheeeeeese" when we take pictures to make a smileeeeee ;D

Cheeeese, everyone :D

Tonight

I hope everyone gonna have time to look at sky!

There should be the perfect full moon smiling at you :)

Trumpet player's soliloquy

It takes 40-50mins from my apartment to the office.I use most of the time reading books, listening classic music on radio... or in a drowse...

This morning, I was listening radio and heard "Tannhauser" by Wagner.I used to play trumpet, I played for 6years!I was so into practicing in marching band and brass band.

I played Tannhauser when I was 14years old!
It had dramatic Trumpet highlight play and surprisingly I still remembered all the keys!!!From the fanfare to the finale!!!!

You tube:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=_UvqdCU4dIs

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannh%C3%A4user_scandal

Gosh, I miss being a band!
....mmm... but I am not sure if I can still read score...
*shame* I played piano from 4 years old to 12 years old! *shame*

Okinawa restaurant wih my girl friend!

Good friend of mine and I went to Okinawa restaurant last night.
Because of her big eyes and clear -cut features, she looks like a model from Okinawan or Thai, but she is from historical Kyoto :)
Anyway, we had good dishes there at Nirai-Kanai, at Tanglin shopping center.

The Okinawa has some special dishes!
Here is my favorite "Rafute" aka "Kakuni" in other word.
Here is my recipe :) (not Okinawan style... but anyway!)

・豚バラ肉（最初にフライパンで前面焦げ目をつけて、水でよく油を洗ってね）
・大根（半本くらいお好みで。水からゆでて。）
・ねぎ（青い部分を適量）
・しょうが 1かけ
・しょうゆ 150cc
・酒500cc
・砂糖 大さじ3

Wooooow, yammy!!!!

Fig

Back home, when I was living in small village, there was a fig tree in neighbor's house.
My grand parents were nice to them and my brother and I always got the blessing of the tree and it's fruit :P

There was few pieces of fig in the salad which my colleague had for lunch today.
I got one piece, and remember the tree and the taste...

I just learned the fruit is good for constipation :P

Somehow I feel fig is very feminine.

Anybody agree?

Drink water!

It's essential for the proper functioning of the body to drink at least eight glasses of QUALITY water each day!

Our bodies are two-thirds water; the human brain is 95% water, blood is 82% water and the lungs are nearly 90 %water.

Water removes toxins from the body and helps with elimination.
It aids digestion and converting food into energy.
It helps to have more energy and perform better.

Drink water :)

Singapore is importing water from Malaysia. Thanks to Malaysia ;P

Tomboys!

I found my picture and my niece's picture :)

We are definately Tomboy!
Do you think we resemble?

Washing Soul

Take a Japanese bath-

In the West, a bath is a place one goes to cleanse the body.
In Japan, one goes there to cleanse the soul.

Autumn is the best season to go to hot springs in Japan :)

We have a lot of outdoor natural hot springs.

Some of them are deep in the mountain and along the way you can enjoy the leaves changing colours, gathering some mushrooms, and meeting wild monkey!

Very nice!

Un crabe de pain

"Croissant" -is my life time favorite kind of bread!

I lived in small village till 8 years old.
Everytime my mother took me to see a doctor in city for check up or vaccination, I was excited!Because of this bakery, baking delicious croissant!
(Definitely, it was frontier having the french bread in Nagaoka, my home town!)

I asked my mom the name of the bread and she answered "croissant" in Japanese pronunciation. (Whoever know how we Japanese are good at pronouncing English, you can imagine! ;P Oooops! it's French! )

Anyway, it was hard for me to pronounce the word and I decided to call "Kani-san no pan" which means "Un crabe de pain" in French.

Did you guys ever think the bread look like claw of crab?

My lunch was "Croissant", now I can pronounce to order!

Please Support!!!

As many of you guys know I am in recruitment bussiness...
As a consultant, I interview more than 100 people in a year...

I look friendly, I look talkative, I look good at communicating with others...
yet I know I do have problems with communication.

I have so many good friends and I don't wanna lose them because of my poor communication.

So, this blog suppose to give me a chance to express my feeling.
So far, I haven't speak much of my feeling yet again...
it's because I usually take time to put my thoughts together, it's because I am not use to it...
*oh.... again started my excuse...*

Here I am to ask for your support for me to give frequent comments on my contribution!
PLEASE!!!

Blue cheese sauce

Here is my original recipe!

Blue cheese has some unique smell and strong flavor which not everyone like it...
But here is the special recipe you can enjoy it without hating the taste.

-Onion (half, minced)
-Garlic (minced)
-Stir with butter
-Few kinds of mushrooms (Maitake mushroom is recommended! very nice fragrance!)

-Add heavy cream
-Sour cream
-Blue cheese

-Pasta(Ribbon pasta was good)

-Sprinkle some parsley

Enjoy your dinner with special one with white wine!
Bon appetit!

Rare Fruit in Vietnam

I don't see this in Singapore, but in Vietnam.
Very juicy and sweet!
Anybody have an idea what does it called?

Maybe my gardener friend in Germany might have an idea???

S.E. Asian Plant

This is an interesting plant you ever seen isn't it?

Usually, you don't see this plant itself, but you see its fruit at many of markets in SE asia!

Does anybody know what's this fruit ??

Whoever got the right answer, I will get the fruit ;P

Moon

I don't know how many of my friends know that I have complete moon calender over years and years!
I love watching moon... just make me think it's dynamic of universe...
You can enjoy it more especially when you are in a mountain covered with chocolate dark night.
It's so sweet and quiet.

Last night, I watched it from city area; it was 3Ss as in skinny sexy and stylish one!
Anyone watched it?

Prologue

When I was in Germany, I tried to keep my blog for my family and friends in Japan...

And I just found out that it's still here!!! : http://sunshinesmile.blog64.fc2.com/

And you will see, that it didn't last long *shrug*

I was told that I can write eloquently in English, so I shall try to keep it up!
I hope this blog will help all my English speaking friends close to me and unite!!!