writing in japanese

i've been working on my resume, an entry form, and a cover letter for one media company since this morning. why is this taking so long??? it's 3 in the afternoon now.

i am creating sentences and paragraphs in english manner, and it is so unnatural and strange when i translate them into japanese. crap.

the entry form pdf has been locked that i have to fill them in by hand. 3 copies have been wasted because i'm not used to writing japanese with a pen and a sheet of paper...

i thought about applying to positions for writing, but now i know that my japanese has recessed pretty badly.

mobile culture

it's been over 6 years since i own a cell phone in japan. things have changed so much since then. japanese mobiles do so much. maybe that's the reason internet hasn't become as popular as some other countries.

they work as phone, internet browser, tv, tv-phone, mp3 player, camera(more like a camera which has a phone function), train pass, credit card, GPS, etc. some are designed for specific targets.

for kids. it has a function to automatically send you a sms when your kid reaches to a registered destination. crazy.
http://mb.softbank.jp/en/products/toshiba/820t.html

i got an old one as a temporaly solution from my brother who works for a company that has a contract with SoftBank. i still have a long way to fully utlize this gadget...

comparing and not liking

i am a bit disappointed with myself. i thought i could handle "accepting differences" more smoothly. i'm comparing many things here with what i'm used to in new york and the U.S.., and feeling not comfortable. clearly i'm out of my comfort zone in my home and the culture i used to belong.

to mention a few events i've encountered and could not understand in last few days...

japanese cell phone service/system made my eyes pop, but computer and internet culture is at their jurassic period. i had to explain what wifi is to my friends. they were so impressed and shocked at my ipod which cought their neighbor's unsecured wifi.

this news made me worry about applying to japanese media companies. an actor/boy band member got cought by drinking and streaking in a park. this news became breaking news and aired like it mattered to us. there are so many other things which people should know.

could i grow again to be able to accept differences and live where i don't belong? it might take a while...

an old friend's visit

a friend from high school came to visit me. i just realized that i've known her for 10 years now, and that's when i started my freshman year. i am getting old...

we had one afternoon to catch up our last two years.

Q: what do i do when i see people?
A: photoshoot :)

i made a header image for this blog today. yes, that feet with red shoes are my friend's.

mom's lunch box

my body is still refusing to adjust to japanese time. i went to bed at 6pm last night and work up at 4am this morning. this allows me to do at least two beautiful things. 1. seeing how my mom spend her morning and 2. having breakfast together with her.

the photo is showing what my mom made for my dad for his lunch today. it's amazing and i respect her very much for what she does and how she does it.

in japan, it is very common for wives to make lunch box like this for her husbands and kids. my mom has been doing this for at least 30 years almost every morning... i think i've been away from japan too long and will not be capable of doing so...

at grandma's house

my treasure hunting is happening at my grandma's house.

it's been about 3 years since she has been in her demented state. she is now 91 years old. it's been over two years since i saw her last, and i was preparing to accept drastic change on her.

it wasn't too bad. i tapped her shoulder at a grocery store where my mom took her. she bowed like she does to strangers and didn't recognize me first, but after a brief introduction of who i am (so and so's youngest daughter) she grabbed my arm and said, "oh, oh, you become so pretty."

we went to her house and had lunch together. the fact of me being in the U.S. had burnt into her memory, and she kept saying, "don't be in hurry. you don't need to go back there so quickly. japan is better, isn't it?"

i was falling asleep on her couch watching TV. my mom reminded me about the storage part of the house where most things are kept. the area has been a bit cleaned up, but apparently it was filled with things and the floor wasn't visible... by the way, the area has two rooms with many chests, closets, and a hall way.

i opened many doors and drawers, but many still remain closed. most exciting finding of the day was my grandpa's wartime photo album. (see more photos at my flickr) i will write about the photos in a separate entry after asking my grandma some questions. no one in my family seems to care about the photos. i'm very excited about finding about my own family which i don't know much about.

my japanese sucks

apparently i speak like a foreigner who learned to speak japanese.

i went to a hairdresser and made a brief stop at a cell phone store.

the hairstylist said, "don't worry, you will catch up soon, but right now, you speak an awkward japanese."

the cell phone sales woman said, "these are all written in japanese. would it be ok with you?"

a good friend of mine corrected me over the phone.

i hope things would get better for me soon.

lookin' fat

"i'm saying this because everyone's been nice to you, and no one said anything to hurt your feeling." this was what my mom said last night. i'm on my chubby side today.

well, it is true. so far no one told me that i'm fat, at least not in the U.S.. an idea of being slim (too slim in my opinion) is inbeded so deeply into japanese people's mind that there is no way of convincing them or my mom that i am NOT fat.

i'm about 6 pounds over my usual weight. it happened after 3 months of vacationing in europe and nyc and not working.

it is a shame, and i am a bit surprised that i decided to write about "weight issue" here.
i love eating to death, and the weight issue was always someone's issue. well not anymore... not here, where i am at today.

home - where i am at today

yes, i am finally home. i call this place home, but right now, i'm not feeling as comfort as i thought i would be. Shimada, Shizuoka, Japan. this is where i was born and raised. as you see from wiki. this town is the place where everything happens...

i was thinking of starting a new blog in an aircraft i took from Detroit which was filled with mostly filipinos. after nearly 8 years living in the U.S. i came where i used to belong. hopefully i will be able to keep track on transitions i will go through.

off to breakfast now. perhaps a bowl of rice with kimchi...