samedi, août 21, 2010

1週間

A week since I came back,

After two weeks of leave, of course all my tasks are all severely behind! I am slowly (and surely hopefully) trying to catch up. Despite many frustrating things at work, I feel rather refreshed. I think being away for 2 weeks was very helpful.

Other than the fact that no one believes that I got my hair permed (oh no my 100$ investment!! but it is OK as long as I like it....) I am feeling happy and peaceful.

Certainly it is worrying that I don't know where and what beyond December, but I will take one thing at a time and not to stress over that. :)

元気取り戻したよ。

dimanche, août 15, 2010

What I bought

旅行先であまりにも可愛くて、思わず買ってしまったお椀。健康的な食生活にしようっと。

温泉家族旅行

It has become almost a tradition that when I come back to Japan, my parents organize a trip to a hot spring. This time the destination was Yamanaka Onsen in Ishikawa prefecture, which is about 3-4 hour drive from Kyoto.

It has strictly two purposes: take a bath in a hot spring as many time as possible in one day (!) and eat good seafood.

As you can see on the photos, the mission was completed ;)

The 1st picture is dinner time in the hotel where we stayed. Excuse my face with no make-up! The hotel had three types of bath, one normal one, one outside and another outdoor one really close to a river (mixed one). We (three women) went to take a bath cumulatively 5 times in total, which is not too bad.

それにしても温泉って病み付きになるなー。京都に帰ってからまた妹と近所の大型風呂?温泉に行ってしまった。

This bridge is called "Ayatori Bashi", since it has a very complicated structure. (Ayatori is a children's game in Japan to use a string and make different patterns by crisscrossing it with two hands).

My lovely parents (it seems that this outfit is their traveling uniform - see photos from their visit to the jungle when they came to visit me)
My lunch.....

Being in a landlocked country, seafood is one of main focuses of trip home.. (also because I am not eating meat.)

I am looking at this picture and drooling... My fridge is empty and it is a general strike today in this country and can't even go grocery shopping (back to reality!!!)

samedi, août 14, 2010

Okonomiyaki dinner with my sisters

3人姉妹で夕ご飯を食べに行きました。お洒落なお好み焼き屋さん。私は1杯のチューハイで赤くなっております相変わらず。

その後、デザートを食べに。巨大なかき氷の向こうに写っているのが真ん中の妹さんです。

全部美味しかった!二人とも色々なところに引きずり回して付き合ってくれてありがとうね。

2 weeks in Japan

2週間のお休みから戻って参りました。

I am back from my home leave. This time I decided not to see any friends and just focus on "me" and "healing". But, as usual I ended up filling two weeks with quite a few things.

Some of the highlights:

  • Went to Ishikawa for a hot spring/spa with my family (minus my middle sister)
  • Firework festival with my youngest sister (I love love fireworks! Canadian ones are never good enough as far as I am concerned)
  • Had some sort of reunion barbecue party with my NGO internship friends after 10(!!) years.
  • My parents 60 year (Kanreki) celebration dinner at a lovely restaurant which was the only full family member event (my middle sister is always busy)
Other things include, going to a swimming pool, art exhibition, cinema, cemetery, shopping and hair-cut (I had my hair permed this time!!)

こんな物を買ったコーナー:

シンプルなワンピース2枚(秋口にも着られるようなやつよ)
文庫本7冊とマクロバイオテックのお料理の本
ルスポの旅行カバン(過去3年くらい悩んでいて買わなかったけど、今回は友達にあると便利よ〜と言われてついに買った)
日本食4千円相当-もっと欲しかったけど重量オーバーが懸念され我慢
梅酒
バーゲンで遅ればせながら夏のサンダル(ゴールドメタリックな色でも大人しめのデザイン)
5本指靴下6足!(現地スタッフの友人へのお土産)
お化粧品多少(美白エッセンスも)とランコムの香水
ユニクロと無印良品の品(無印は好きでNYでもイタリアでも2割増の値段なのにいつも何か買ってしまう)
1900円のiPodのミニスピーカー

今回はあまり買い物するつもりなかったのに、日本には可愛くて綺麗なものがたくさんで誘惑が多いな〜と思った。でも円高なのでお金はあまり使えませんがね。

It was extremely hot in Kyoto. Around 35-37 degrees everyday and it felt like I was in a mild version of sauna. We had to make an emergency visit to my grand mother who lives in Okayama, because she was hospitalized due to a severe dehydration. She is already released from a hospital but it is worrisome. (she was physically weak when we saw her, but she was luckily mentally quite strong- she asked my youngest sister whether she will get married or not. My sister answered "we should let M go first" and then my grandma said "I can't count on her (oh no she has already given up on me!!)"

I was still dealing with a residue of things and could not relax completely. However, it is always nice to see my family and spend time with them. I am a bit scared of going to the office in Monday but I will (try to )stay positive!!

日本のお友達、連絡もしなくて本当にごめんね。次回の帰国時には是非会って下さい!