A~Zed

A different take on the 100 THings. Got this off a new read called Pretty in Pink and Green .

A-Available or single? Very much taken and very happy.
B-Best friend? Have a few very close and very good friends.
C-Cake or pie? Hmm...tricky! Right now I will go for Lipton's (yes, the tea company has a chain of cafes in Japan) "Rare Cheese with Berry" cake.
D-Drink of choice? 1) Greek Frappe in the summer 2) Ogawa Strong Blend Coffee in the winter 3) Peach Tea 4) Water with lemon slices
E-Essential item I use everyday? My gold Kate Spade organizer
F-Favorite colors? Plum purple right now.
G-Gummy bears or gummy worms? Bears
H-Hometown? Greek-town, Queens, NYC
I-Indulgence? Almost anything in a green Kate Spade box, mani/pedi and a facial.
J-January or February? February. Anniversary with fiance.
K-Kids and names? I want three, and for now if it's a girl it will be Natasha.
L-Life is not complete without...family and friends.
M-Marriage date? Tentatively September 12, 2009. We will finalize it most likely in April 2008, shortly after I return to the States.
N-Number of siblings? 1 younger sister, 2 younger future-BIL and one younger future-SIL.
O-Oranges or apples? Apples
P-Phobias or fears? STAIRS. Yeah I know it's weird. But I have fallen down alot and that's why as much as I would love to wear heels, I really don't. And I am terrified of snakes.
Q-Favorite quote? "What is history, but a fable agreed upon?" - by Napoleon; sorta keeps me in check when I wax on a particular topic in my research.
R-Reason to smile? I am *almost* ready to finalize plans for the holidays.
S-Season? Autumn. Riding boots and tweed here I come!
T-Tag? You're it.
U- Unknown fact about me? I can whistle at a really high pitch, because I played the flute for about 4 years.
V-Vegetable you don't like? Weird Japanese things that I can't recognize.
W-Worst habit? I bite my nails way too much.
Y-Your favorite food? Butakatsu-don: totally fattening, but the best comfort food ever.
Z-Zodiac ? Sagittarius.

Gotta Love Me Some Meme

Got this off Tickled Pink - 4 Things Meme. Let's see how this turns out!

Four things that make me happy:
1. Mel's laugh
2. My dad's laugh
3. Chocolate mousse cheesecake - the one my dad gets from the Bronx
4. Lazy Sunday mornings

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knightley version)
2. My Big Fat Wedding (if only for the jokes and well, the fact that I am living the movie right now!)
3. I honestly have no clue on the other two.
4.

Four websites I check daily:
1. Gmail
2. Japan Addicted (my online forum)
3. News websites
4. Facebook
Bonus: When I am in the States I check J.Crew. At least twice a day.

Four favorite drinks:
1. Amita Dark Cherry Nectar Juice (from greece)
2. Amita mixed fruit nectar
3. Pellegrino
4. Ginger ale

Four places I have lived:
1. NYC
2. London
3. Kyoto
4. Don't have a fourth - I have moved only once in my life when I was 16 and that was just across town.

Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Top Chef
3. Bridezillas
4. Private Practice (when it starts, of course!)

Four favorite colors:
1. Chocolate Brown
2. Kelly Green
3. Plum Purple
4. Golden yellow

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Greece
2. Florida
3. Canada
4. Greenport, LI

Four things on my floor right now:
1. my Herve Chapelier bag
2. TV that I don't use
3. Futons (blankets) that I am holding for a friend till she moves into the dorm
4. laundry basket

Four blogs I read regularly:
1. Schoolbooks and Shoes
2. Lipstick and Legalese
3. Saisquoi
4. Tickled Pink

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Jumbo shrimp cocktail
2. The way my mom makes Greek salad (I try but it just never quite tastes the same...)
3. Tofu with kimchi
4. Greek chicken soup

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On vacation with Mel
2. Cycling on my Trek bike in Central Park (I really miss my bike ever since I got back on my mama-chari in Japan the riding is not the same!)
3. Having a frappe on the back balcony of my house with my mom and my sister, or at my mom's godson's house with everyone
4. in some dream world, where grad school applications don't exist and yet I still get into the one of my choice...(I just started them today).

I now tag:
Libby, Saisquoi, Midge and Tulip Mom!

Because Procastination is Preferable to Studying

Meme!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, my paternal grandmother. There are three "Maria's" in the family.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Maybe when I was homesick last.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? For a lefty, I am pretty proud of it. If I take my time, I write pretty nicely in Japanese.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Prosciutto!

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? I want three.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I'm from NYC. Sarcasm is part of the local culture. (^_~).

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I'm not too keen on having my vertebrae stretch then bounce back into place.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Olympic Cheerios (the triple flavor one that comes out during the Olympics), Corn Pops, Muesli, Raisin Bran, Honey Bunches of Oats, Rice Krispies, Plain Special K with fresh strawberries...I really miss American cereal.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? If they are sneakers, yes. Other than that, I don't wear shoes with ties.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically? Hell no. Mentally? I try to think that I am.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? My dad's Mister Softee in vanilla, with cookie crunch. Mint Chocolate Chip. Gelato: Pistachio and Coffee

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? In Japan? If they have orange hair or not.

15. RED OR PINK? Either, but I would love to get a classic red polo from Ralph Lauren.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? At this point? My eyebrows. No threading in Japan.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Family and Mel.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? n/a

19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Dark Uniqlo jeans, bare feet - don't have slippers and its hell to pay if there are shoes worn in a Japanese house.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Itaria-Don!

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My mom puttering at the comp over Skype.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Kelly Green

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS? Salvatore Feraggamo "Incanto Dream", gardenias, that Axe stuff that Mel uses.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Talking to mom over Skype now.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Saw it at Tulip Mom's blog.


26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball (boo to Yankees this season, however), rugby, soccer

27. HAIR COLOUR? Dark dirty blonde...wow, I just realized that all my blonde highlights are GONE.

28. EYE COLOUR? Blue-green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope, but I did wear glasses at a time for therapy because I was a bit cross-eyed.

30. FAVOURITE FOOD? BIG, juicy steak...or rather that's the food I crave right now.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Um...in the theatre? Don't remember (it's been that long). At home? Pride and Prejudice on DVD with Kiera Knightely.

33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Olive green.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? FALL.

35. HUGS OR KISSES? both

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I'm trying to finish "Memory and the Mediterranean" by Braudel

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don't have a mouse.


41.WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? No tv.

42. FAVOURITE SOUND? falling rain

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? the Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Japan

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I play the koto, and can roll my eyes into the back of my head.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Queens, NYC.

47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? Hmm...don't think I would want one because they all bite you in the bum and backfire in the end.

Toriaezu...

Japanese Lesson # 17:

1) Toriaezu - for now, in the meantime

I am still working on the Tokyo blogs - I write too much so stuff that happened in on day is splitting into two or three posts. So when I am done, I will let you know, but you have to backtrack, since I am going to put them under their respective dates.

So...toriaezu...

Karma can really bite you in the ass. I go to the Apple Store in Ginza to get the VGA adapter to do powerpoints so that I don't have to schlep to Apple Osaka and look what happens. A piece of my keyboard where the palms rest broke off for some reason and now I have to schlep to Osaka. Good thing my worldwide Apple Care hasn't expired yet.Which means that I can hopefully get this minor thing fixed for free and I just looked up the word for "replace" (torikaeru" - 取り替える) so I am ready to tackle this next big adventure - repairing your computer, in a foreign country. Now that is blogworthy, especially if something wacky happens, which I hope won't be the case. Wacky = frustrating here.

I am so glad that I have a Mac because of the Apple stores - my friend spilled coffee on her PC and trying to get someone to repair it in Japan was so much hell that she decided to fix it when she was back home in Spain.

Unless I blog from the computers at school (which will be unlikely because I really have to prepare for my presentation in two weeks) I will be on blogging silence. Pray that not only will I get my laptop through its cosmetic surgery but quickly and will little loss of data, which is why I am trying frantically to back up as much as possible. Docs and photos are more important than my movies and music at this point (though I do have all my music on my older iPod). My poor Ringo...has to go in for surgery...in a place far, far from home...(^_~).

The plastic piece that was sorta popping up just broke off so I am somewhat pissed.

It was kinda funny when I spoke to my mother:

Me: Ma, my laptop is broken.
Mom: What? But you are still on Skype.
Me: It has to go for cosmetic surgery in Osaka. Karma can really bite you in the ass.
Mom: Ohh...

Toriaezu...

I have been tagged for a Meme: Why I Blog. My first tag!!!

5 reasons:

1) I am living in a foreign country so blogging is a good way to keep in touch with people hack home (and in other countries that I know people in, i.e. England) - I don't have to repeat myself a million times and I prevent carpel tunnel, as I just tell everyone to refer to the blog.

2) I think I have become a bit of a better writer since blogging entails writing and processing and thinking and trying to get it all down as concise as possible, especially since I write too much. Doesn't mean my typing skills are much better.

3) Meeting fellow bloggers is fun. My blogger buddies are mega cool.

4) It's a good memory to have of my time in Japan - for all the souveneirs and the umbrellas and the bento boxes, I think I am going to cherish my blog the most; in fact I am going to print it and bind it when I get back home.

5) It's really addicting. I first started blogging just before I left for London, but I stopped because I was having a miserable time. However, blogging provides you the opportunity to reflect a bit on your life and how you want to present yourself so that is also a good exercise - I do regret not blogging my time in London, however there wasn't much to blog at the time. But I have learned some lessons and as such making the most of my time (and my life overall) while here, and do plan to continue to blog (though this particular link will be shut down in March 2008) when I return home.

Ok, since I do not have too much time since I am trying to back up my data before I schlep to Osaka to put the links in here are my tags:

1) Libby - A Study of Schoolbooks and Shoes
2) Midge - Lipstick and Legalese
3) Britt - Tickled Pink
4) Tulip Mom
5) Chen - Rambling Chicken
5) Colleen - Scribbles

My Inner Self, Revealed!

Got this idea off Libby. Apparently, I am a worldly Brooklynite who is a grad student that grew up in the 90s and hasn't forgotten my roots in spite of the yuppie-ness, a die-hard New Yorker who is a Life Blogger, has similar qualities to that of a beagle, will get killed if I set foot in the state of Massachusetts, and needs to live in Milan.

You Belong in Brooklyn

Down to earth and hard working, you're a true New Yorker. And although you may be turning into a yuppie, you never forget your roots.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

PERFECT! PERFECT! PERFECT! Seriously, the whole quote describes me perfectly. I am so happy! I was really looking forward to the results of this one in particular since I am from NYC - question 1 was actually quite hard for me!

You Are a Beagle Puppy

Cheerful, energetic, and happy go lucky. And you're sense of smell is absolutely amazing!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

You Are 12% Massachusetts

You Yankees loving homo! You probably think Starbucks coffee tastes better than Dunkin Donuts.

How Massachusetts Are You?

HA HA HA HA HA!!! Seriously, 'nuff said. (Though the Yankees SUCK this season, how in hell can they have the highest payroll in the MLB and be in LAST PLACE in their division?!?! Yes, even the disappointing news reaches this end of the globe, though the Japanese people I meet think it's really awesome that I have actually met "Gojira" - Hideki Matsui.)

You Belong in Milan

Stylish and sophisticated, you want to enjoy a truly European life - away from tourists! Milan fits you perfectly. Great shopping, high quality food, lots of culture... with very little hype.

What European City Do You Belong In?

And a couple of others that I thought were fun:

You Are Quite Worldly

You've done a good bit of worldly exploring, and you have an international perspective. And you're definitely looking forward to your future adventures abroad. You've got the passport, the desire to travel, and maybe even the language skills. Now all you need are the means!

How Worldly Are You?

Oh this one is perfect - all the grad school bloggers should do this one!

You Should Go to Grad School

Grad school definitely isn't for everyone, but it looks like it's for you. You have a pretty good idea of what you want to study - and how it will further your career. So go ahead and go for it! You're ready to be a PhD.

Should You Go To Grad School?

You Are 68% A Child of the 90s

Wassup!?! You remember the 90s like they were yesterday. And you're ready to open up a can of whoop-ass on any other decade.

Are You a Child of an 90s?

You Are 88% NYC

Congratulations, you are truly a New Yorker. You've seen it all, and you're more than a little cynical.

How NYC Are You?

and finally, the most relevant of them all:

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Three Things Meme

Got this off Britt at Tickled Pink:

Three Things That Scare Me:
1) Failing out of a Ph.d program/being totally unsuccessful in my career
2) Stairs
3) Dying too young

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1) Robin Williams - always with the "Live on B'way" DVD
2) My Dad - when he tells his stories
3) Mel

Three Things I Hate:
1) Stairs
2) Pedestrians in Kyoto who don't pay attention to my bike bell till the last minute
3) Tourists in NYC who walk too slow
(can I also add Japanese electioneering trucks?)

Three Things On My Desk (Ok there is a bunch of stuff on it so I will lump it in 3 slots):
1) MacBook, who is lovingly named "Ringo" (NOT the Beatle, "Ringo" is "Apple" in Japanese and thus a pun), my pink Nintento DS, and a bunch of research materials.
2) (I consider this as one since they are on one corner of my desk): Kyoto Starbucks mug, piggy bank in the shape of an old-school Japanese postbox, netsuke in the shape of a mermaid and a Darumakuji.
3) (and in the other corner of my desk) small ceramic box from Korea that I use as a jewelry box, on top of a plate that I got as a souveneir from the Miyako Odori

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1) Talking with Mel via Skype
2) Blogging
3) Using my webcam and seeing Mel via Skype

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1) Publish the first book in English on a definitive history of Kyoto after 1868
2) Have a long and fulfilling marriage
3) Have at least 2, max 3 kids and raise them to the best of my abilities

Three Things I Can Do:
1) Play the koto
2) Weave through pedestrian traffic really quickly, whether it be on foot (in NYC) or on bike (in Kyoto - trust me, this is an art form)
3) Hold my umbrella/send a text message via cell in one hand, while managing the handlebars of my bike (whilst riding it) in the other.

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1) Yourself
2) Parents
3) husband/wife - depending on the situation ;-)

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1) Knit
2) Drive
3) Drive stick

Three Favorite Foods:
1) Japanese Kimchi (Korean stuff is too spicy)
2) GREEK FOOD
3) Strawberry chocolate

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1) Whatever was on WPIX/Channel 11 in the afternoons (Family Matters, Fresh Prince, 90210, etc.)
2) Saved by the Bell
3) all the classic Nickelodeon (Britt totally got this one right!)

Three Things I Regret:
1) Being too much of a Type-A/OCD person sometimes
2) Not being as proactive/social as I would like to be
3) Not being able to enjoy my year in London as much as I would have liked to

Reading: It's What's Good For You

Got this off Ferule&Fescue, one of the many new blogs with an "Academy/Grad School" angle. I love those blogs.

The Book Meme

1. One book that changed your life?
Oh, this is easy - "Memoirs of a Geisha." I was at Costco with my dad at 15 and I saw it on the books table and since it said "Memoirs" and was written by a guy I was sorta interested and piqued - that or I had a weird mind. I convinced him to get it for me, in spite of the fact that he knew I already had too many books at home. I didn't notice that it said "A Novel" in teeny letters. When I read it, I was totally mesmerized and enraptured - never had an experience like that with a book before. Afterwards, I got very interested in Japanese culture, and wanted to know if the stuff Golden described was actually real since this WAS a novel. Plus, I was tired of the American/European history being crammed down my throat (AP Euro and American History, ya gotta love it, although I really want to read about Modern Greek history, more for myself), so I thought Asian history was interesting. This began my own form of teenage rebellion, where I told people in my family that I didn't want to be a pediatrician anymore and I will not go pre-med when I go to college. So because of that book, I decided to go with History, and here I am now in Japan for 18 months (12 and counting left, oh dear...)

2. One book you have read more than once?
Most of the books in my bookcase. I buy books that I want to read again and again. More specifically: Memoirs of a Geisha (still have the same copy from Costco, in 5 pieces now), books by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series) and the chick-lit from Anna Maxted - it actually does not instill the fear of lowering my IQ as other chick lit might (but I still read anyway especially when I need a break from heavy reading).

3. One book you would want on a desert island?
A really good historical novel (not Japanese historical novels, I deal with the real stuff already) that is over 1000pages. Preferably American Colonial/English Tudor/Italian Renaissance or some Medieval French historical novel. Nagai no hou ga ii!

4. One book that made you laugh?
Anna Maxted books. Before I lived in London, I couldn't get the humour, but after London I reread them and enjoyed them even more.

5. One book that made you cry?
Hmm...hard to say, but Pride and Prejudice garnered some emotion. I am more apt to cry at movies or Grey's Anatomy.

6. One book you wish had been written?
A basic, introductory, but extensive history of Kyoto AFTER 1868. Cut a girl some slack, please! (Hmm...maybe I will write it in the future, maybe?)

7. One book you wish had never been written?
Anything by Ann Coulter.

8. One book you are currently reading?
One? Come on!

Mao: The Unknown Story
Memory and the Mediterranean
The Culture of Civil War in Kyoto
The Dante Club
Sayuri ("Memoirs of a Geisha" in Japanese)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Abridged Audiobook - I listen to them to help me fall asleep, but if I can, I always prefer unabridged, just that some of the books I really like are so long they don't exist in that form, and yes, I have both print and audiobook versions of all the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon, obviously 6 600+ page novels would take up ALOT of space in my suitcase, so I compensate)

9. One book you have been meaning to read?
Vanity Fair.

10. Now tag 5 people.
Ok, I don't know how to do this, can someone tell me how?

Meme: Things I Like

Originally, the purpose of this blog was to keep everyone back at home/various other parts of the world that I know people in or have lived in myself updated on my (mis)adventures in Japan. But I think I'll try to get in on the tagging and meme's that other bloggers do, especially since I have come across alot of other cool and fun blogs, most of which are under "The Reading List."

Bloggers do this thing called "meme" - think those surveys that we used to email one another in high school and forward to everyone else. I would link back to the blog that I got this from (A Study of Schoolbooks and Shoes) but I am new to the meme/tagging thing, don't know how to put links in posts, and I don't normally do tags, though that might change (It's also kinda hard to navigate on the blogger website via Firefox b/c it's in Japanese, though I can do it in Safari, but I am too lazy to put Safari back in the Dock, and I like Firefox better for Blogger because it has SPELL CHECK). So, here is my first meme of Things I Like (via Vanity Fair, so this is a more make-up/fashion oriented meme):

Jeans: Citizens of Humanity Kelly bootcut, or my poor J.Crew Japanese stretch (not so much) cotton skinnys that got ripped and I can't wear anymore :-( But I am looking for a good pair of classic Levi's in the same color as my J.Crew ones.
Sneakers: Asics
Watch: I lost mine, but it was a cheap 2000yen one I got at the shopping arcade in Shinkyogoku on Shijo-Dori b/c my first week in Japan, I kept asking Deena (who was visiting me from Korea) what time it was since I didn't have a cell and she told me to get a watch. Literally.
T-Shirt: Hard to say, since I really don't like to wear t-shirts on their own. I do like the Ralph Lauren Skinny polos though.
Day Bag: Jack Spade Day messenger bag, Sky Blue Herve Chapelier bag, or one of the 2 other Kate Spade bags (I left my green KS bag behind and my sister stole my KS "Have Courage" bag) that I brought with me to Japan. But normally for school lately is the JS messenger, since I can have that on my back which leaves my bike basket free if I want to do grocery shopping or get books from the library and then I go home with alot of stuff in my basket.
Evening Bag: Gold Kate Spade shoulder bag (which can be a clutch or a wristlet as well) or my red and blue mini Herve bag.
Cell Phone: My Japanese cell phone is Sharp and my American cellphone was the magenta Motorola Razr, but my sister uses it now because a) I am not in the States anymore, and her's was washed in the laundry. so when i go back to the States, i use my really old Nokia since I still have my American cell number in use (I actually have it with me in Japan, to use it when I fly back and forth, but the battery is dead).
Blackberry or Treo: Hell no. I like my KS organizer (aka "The Big Gold Book" by Alisa) to keep me organized, BUT I am holding out in the future for the Apple iPhone.
Lipstick: Very rarely, Clinique Blushing Coral. Normally its chapstick, with either Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm or C. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint.
Mascara: Eh, not really. But the one I do own is CoverGirl.
Nail Polish: HA! Manicures and pedicures in Japan go upwards of about 10,000yen which is about $100. So its clear stuff by Sally Hansen, but when I do get my nails done ($20 manicure-pedicure in NYC right across the street from my house) it's usually Essie in either a pale pink/nude color or a coral color.
Soap: Ivory, and St. Ive's Medicated Apricot Scrub for my face. Sadly, I have run out of the former, and there is no Ivory to be had in Kyoto.
Shampoo: Garnier Fructis Body and Volume, or Bumble and Bumble Volumizing Shampoo
Moisturizer: The one I got from Clinique as a free sample is really good for me, I should get a bigger bottle of it because it is light.
Hair Product: Aveda Phomollient Volumizing foam (I have pathetically thin and limp hair, and Japanese hairstylists have a problem cutting Western hair. So it won't get cut till I get back home.)
Perfume or Cologne: Burberry Tender Touch, but it's at home because I didn't want the bottle to break in my suitcase coming over here. So I use mandarin or gardenia body splash from Bath & Body Works.
Toothpaste: Not Japanese toothpaste. It doesn't have fluoride.