jamie cullum || blame it on my youth



If, I expected love, when first we kissed, blame it on my youth
If only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth
I believed in everything
Like a child of three
You meant more than anything
You meant all the world to me

If, you were on my mind, all night and day, blame it on my
youth
If, I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth






a list?

nujabes || lady brown, horn in the middle
mr.children || hero, kurumi, drawing
m-flo || magenta rain, miss you
utada hikaru || colors, dareka no negai
ketsumeishi || tomodachi, natsu no omoide
common || the light, the 6th sense
de la soul || eye know
outkast || the way you move
maroon 5 || she will be loved

wowweeee!

congratulations brian & alli!!!!!!!!!
brian: you're a man among boys =) (esp.with the beard hahahah)

i've never been to a jewish wedding before, so hurry up and get the party started




supoyb! lovely! l'amour l'amour!





also, of equal if not lesser importance, yet still vital to character development:
i went apple picking w.akiko, rie and ots. felt v.proud to live in markham =) they had MACINTOSH, royal gala (enh) and courtland (nice!), and fresh pumpkin pie (drooool).




going for the gusto




akiko doing her impression of a roasted pig




rie is like, SO japanese...




sittin' on some there ha-y




kabocha-chan ga daisuki!!




the girls and mommy's curry "hisashiburi!!"




i am so dark no?

go see!




saw this friday night with seiji. we met up earlier to get dinner koreatown (Liz! your peoples!). the restaurant we went to was serving up steaming bowls of spicy pork bone soup, but i opted for the jijimi which was pretty good. i still prefer the versions i had at tile and namba city, but i'm sure the rest of food was good. Bloor & Christie baby!

I know Banana Boys the book really well, so i went in without any expectations, just hoping it would do the book justice and be a quality production. Technically, the adaptation was almost flawless. The actors moved really well, and there were new sections of dialogue that were SO FUNNY!!!! (almost pee laughter worthy!)...especially when the Boys present their versions of Mike's breakup... something to do with Tibetan masters and boy bands, you just have to see it, I was laughing sooo hard. My favourite Boy by far was Luke, played by Insurp Choi



he was my favourite when I read BB, and Choi presented Luke's character really well. Some really nice surprises, that moved the entire audience i think...they didn't really answer any Big Questions, which made the ending feel a bit premature, and Rick's constant re/disappearance would have been confusing if you hadn't read the book.

I was just so glad the performance was well-thought out, funny and professional...i think there'll always be this teeeeeny bit of anxiety whenever any asian-canadian/american figures are given the spotlight, just because there are so few Asian faces in the media, you want the ones who do get 15 minutes to Represent. With grace, class, authority... because people will be listening.

egh.

i should really get outside instead of conducting aimless job searches on the net, and listening to yamazaki masayoshi songs which make me v.natsukashii and a bit sad.

when life hands you apples...

make some applesauce. and eat at least one a day to keep the doctor away.

or
just go and visit your best friend and try to conquer the biggest apple of 'em all...





New York City


i hadn't seen Liz in over a year and a half, and so i didn't really have a plan to cram as many sights into my four days, opting to just "go with the flow" and spend as much time w.my girl as possible.

the first night included a guest appearance by Ruth, the uber-talented Singaporean ex-roomie from Liz's Beantown days. I was SO surprised when i first saw ruth, since her appearance had changed drastically, but she still made me laugh, especially her sudden craving for buffalo wings...which forced an impromptu vote for a greasy spoon establishment vs. the posh looking Greek restaurant Liz wanted to patron.

And thus, the love affair with Madison Avenue diner begins...



the menu had TWELVE panels. colour me shocked and confused, but i managed to order an excellent tuna penne salad which hit the spot. the night was an all-around success, as good food was soon followed by insightful conversation (engineered by ms.ling and ms.man) and encouraging prayer.




a failed gene kelly imitation

saturday started with an overwhelming lunch at Patsy's, where liz and i unknowingly ordered a small pizza, which ended up feeding us for the next three meals since it was actually ginormous (yes, that's a word). we then headed off to the Met to get us sum of that culture. the Met is a gorgeous piece of architecture; marble flooring, majestic pillars, beautiful showrooms, airy atriums.. eeee! and the best part? they allow you to take non-flash pictures!!!!!!!!!!! woooooooooooo!!










we then bussed it all the way to 5th avenue, hoping that we could be disappointed by the H&M flagship store. and boy, did H&M pull through. afterwards, being the two grannies we are, we walked back to Liz's on 58th and 2nd (w.a slight detour at the Kenneth Cole store.... Ahoy landlubbers! cute shoes & watch on yonder horizon!), tucked into yummy Patsy's grub, then proceeded to get sucked into the world of Trump. Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, I am officially on The Apprentice bandwagon. The business world is just so cutthroat... and dishy! Goooo Stacey J.! To even out sudden impulses to buybuybuy!! foreign stock and fire the doorman, we watched Love Actually, which i had been wanting to see for a while. It was allright I guess... i was just really upset that they referred to the PM's assistant as "chunky" and the video guy was v.creepy.

Sunday was church on 77th. The message was quite excellent and timely (well, for me). Good job Southern boys! After service, liz, john and i hightailed it to Good Enough to Eat, which was apparently the best brunch place in the whole universe.



mine




hers


so good.


after having such an awesome meal, i think we were both delirious. i mean, how else do you explain the plan to traverse the entire midtown and most of downtown Manhattan...in heels?



Liz just doesn't listen to rationale.



i felt very repressed this weekend.

we went over to central park, and sat down on a bench to take in a nearby baseball game. it was perfect... beautiful sunshiney day, giggly conversation, sweet air, lively setting, and... Mr. Tony Danza.

yes that's right kiddies, the man we all know as Angela's housekeeper, Tupac's friend, and the consummate entertainer, was taking a break from rollerblading, stretching out 7 feet away from us, watching the same baseball game. it's sad, but we were both a little thrilled. Tony! Ey oh, oh ey! I loved Who's The Boss and Taxi. He just looked like a really happy go-lucky guy, sitting under the tree, baseball cap sitting rakishly on his head. Yay!

Then a man w.a lycra t-shirt and too-tight pants who was playing in left field started waving at us and so we ran away.

Running away in heels proved a bit challenging. Luckily, we are both Public Transit Princesses (yes, that's a real title), and our gleaming silver chariots arrived at the brink of collapse.




we emerged from the underground and found ourselves in union square,




steps away from the cutest shoes ever:




agree?
look! those shoes are definite head-turners, i should get them right?



ok, i'm convinced. =)


after an exhausting but wonderful day, we capped the night off at Serendipity, the dessert place that appears in the movie w.the same name. Unfortunately, we overindulged, and it felt like i was going to have a coronary after we ate a sand tart sundae and the (in)famous frozen hot chocolate.



sucking it up and in


oh yeah, meet Larry, the nicest doorman in all of Manhattan:



hi larry! we really are Party Girls. I swear. Late nights and loud music is my motto!


monday was a bit of a blur, running around town to drop off stuff, pick up stuff...but the climax was the fight i had with liz at Bridge Market. !! I've never fought with Liz ever, and it was a very interesting event... like i wasn't totally participating, as half of me was just watching her reaction because i've never seen her so mad with me before. Lots of whining and yelling in front of the salad bar =) over what you may ask? where to have dinner =) because we both have bumpy noses, we are two stubborn grannies. poor isobela was left to fend for herself amidst the numerous salad bar options. in the end liz won, because i was actually a bit intimidated (and was afraid she would kill me in my sleep). but it was a win-win situation (of course) as we hightailed it to Madison, and ate some cheese, beef and bread i.e. cheeseburgers.

Tuesday was goodbye day, but before i left, I met up w.Liz for lunch (lunch? outside? whattaconcept). and we eagerly hunted down an authentic NYC hot dog vendor. We came across this guy in front of Madison Square Garden.



He was quick and efficient, making the most of a streamlined delivery. However, despite his professionalism,

New York City hot dogs SUCK

pitiful. thumbs down. grade Blah. you feel me? good. let's not revisit this experience again.



it was a really chill weekend, just what i had hoped for. i learned a lot about Liz, myself and our friendship this weekend. sounds cheese i know, but i think it's useful. any future blackmail material? of course =) but so amazed she made it in NYC you know? she is so much more stronger than i am; i don't think i could do it, especially if i didn't know anyone in the city. there's just this oppressive intangibility about the NYC that would frustrate me; i just couldn't sense the real NYC..but maybe one day.






bye bye nyc!


wow, i am so tired!

u know what?

i haven't been to tim horton's yet.








or congee wong.



not really feeling v.foody lately...i feel like i no longer have as much enthusiasm for food since i've been back...



BUT
(there's always a but)

i discovered this show


David Rocco's Dolce Vita

he makes really fresh and simple italian dishes, like the seared tuna and pasta salad in this morning's episode, so YUM




and boy did i eat in kuching...







maybe nyc will change this. or maybe not?

and poo, no yankees game, cuz the flights back are more expensive. sigh. ONE DAY, i will sit in the home that Ruth built

aiko || eriashi

I'm sorry for hitting you.
Couldn't help it, I love you too much
and, I'm sorry for putting on the waterworks
I wanted to see your conflicted face

and I watch you walk away from me
the sad fool who finally realized

time goes by, even when I shut my eyes
I can still walk, my journey.
I withstand the season, still in my thoughts
even still I love you.

My heart cries in pain at matter-of-fact kindness
I get choked up by your glorious hopes.

Listen, even as I am,
from now on I'll keep only these feelings which never change.

time goes by, even when I shut my eyes
I can still walk, my journey
even if I go far away, even if we're apart
I think only of you.

If I find you five years down the road,
I'll straighten my back and call to you.
I haven't forgotten, not even once
the nape of your neck, a little longer than it was then,
and your awkward smile.






buttari shite gomen ne
itoshikute shikata nakatta
nee nakimane shite gomen ne
komatta kao ga mitakute

soshite anata no senaka ga toozakari
saigo ni kizuku hakanaki orokamono

toki ha tachi me wo tsumutte mo
arukeru hodo yo atashi no tabi
kisetsu ni sakarai omoitsuzukete
ima mo anata wo suki na mama yo

massugu na yasashisa ni mune ga itai to itta
kagayaku anata no kibou ni iki ga kurushiku natta

ano ne konna atashi demo kore kara ha
kawaranai omoi dake wo dakishimete

toki ha tachi me wo tsumutte mo
arukeru hodo yo atashi no tabi
tooku ni ite mo hanareteite mo
ukandekuru yo anata dake ga

gonengo anata wo mitsuketara
sesuji wo nobashite koe wo kakeru ne
ichido tari to mo wasureta koto ha nai
sukoshi nobita eriashi wo
anata no heta na egao wo




http://www.centigrade-j.com/translations/eriashi_aiko.htm

mata, aimasho ne~...



moriyama naotaro || natsu no owari

mizubashou yureru azemichi kata narabe yume wo tsumuida
nagare yuku toki ni sasabune wo ukabe
yakeochita natsu no koiuta wasureji no hito wa utakata
sora wa yuugure

tohou ni kureta mama furiyamanu ame no naka
anata wo matte ita hitokage no nai eki de

* natsu no owari natsu no owari ni wa
tada anata ni aitaku naru no
itsuka to onaji kaze fukinukeru kara

tsuioku wa hito no kokoro no kizuguchi ni fukaku shimiiri
kasumi tatsu nobe ni natsukusa wa shigeri
are kara dore dake no toki ga itazura ni sugita darou ka
seseragi no you ni

dareka ga iikaketa kotoba yoseatsumetemo
daremo ga wasure yuku natsu no hi wa kaeranai

natsu no inori natsu no inori wa
taenaru hotarubi no shirabe
kaze ga yurashita fuurin no hibiki

"...reunited, and it feels..."


pretty good. except for a few moments on the plane and in the early gray hours of my first morning here, it's been a lot better than i expected. i think because i was anticipating the Return to be a lot worse, but being back with the family and the most adorable dog in the world has been fun and comfortable. and i'm pretty much over my jet lag i think.


i forgot about wide open spaces...
i was at UT today, and was totally natsukashii for uni days on that beautiful broad green campus. it's the tail end of patio season, and start of the film fest. it's beautifully sunny during the day, and just the right amount of chill at night. fall in toronto is one of my favourite times of the year... it's just clean and crisp... the air is almost..tangy. and of course, sweater season! wooo!!

i have yet to see any friends. i'm a bit apprehensive of the inevitable missteps that will occur when we get together. i hope it doesn't last for very long. i'm also going to church on sunday, and no one knows i'm back... eeee. well the reactions should be amusing =)

so strange so strange so strange.


still miss japan though.

but i'm...home...

split






i was never good at finishing things.









my heart feels muddled and heavy.






u know those times when you must cry, for your own sake...watashi no tame ni...

but i`m at Kansai.




waiting for my plane...home...

peekchurs



makin` cement (10 tonnes of raw material)



leah, yasuko and i with some of the family children



floor of the house



some of the girls



beach anyone?



pazaar in jakarta



bali



hanshin tiiiiigerss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



a JOYO-ful reunion: yaji, me, mari