Did I Cut My Hair Too Short?!

Yesterday I got a haircut (after 6 months) because I thought my hair was too long. But do you think my hair is too short now?! Or my hair trimmed too straight across the bottom?! Damn... I decided to cut little bit shorter than usual but I guess that was a mistake X( Anyway, my hair looks heavy, so maybe I should ask my hairdresser to thin out the bottom...

It's pretty depressing when I cut my hair too short than "no change" after the haircut!

I hope I can make an appointment for this afternoon...
Tonight, I looked forward to going to the GYM but no time for that now!!!

Oh, I have many deadlines today!!!
I gotta concentrate on my deadlines first!!!

What a busy Monday :(

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Micro SD Adapter

This morning my Micro SD Adapter broke. Actually it kept on saying that the card is LOCKED, so I tried to unlock it. But first of all, as you can see in this image, you can't tell which way to unlock the card! Damn product!!! So, I tried the either way, but somehow both sides were recognized as LOCKED. Therefore, finally, I opened it to see how it works...

What a simple product! I knew that the cost price of "10 bucks micro SD adapter with 2GB micro SD card" is only a dollar (adapter is less than 10c), but what a product...

BTW, have you ever thought about the cost price of the products around you?

- $200 contact lens: 10c
- $300 suit: $30
- $14,000 car: $2,200
- $2 fried potatoes: 15c
- $5 umbrella: 10c
- $10 condom: 20c
- $2 milk: 13c
- $3 cake: 30c

But actually PlayStation game has a deficit. $250 game costs $240!
Also, beef bowl pays little. $5 beef bowl costs $2!

(Data from NAVER)

I think I digressed a lot...
Anyway, I gotta get a new Micro SD Adapter!!!

Take care!

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PEPSI NEX Promotion: LE CREUSET Miniature Accessory

Followed by the free Dean and Deluca Magnet promotion, now 500ml PEPSI NEX comes with a free LE CREUSET miniature accessory (cell-phone strap)! There are 3 different types (Ramekin D'amour, Ramekin Fleur, and Ramekin Etoile) in 6 different colors (red, pink, orange, green, white, and blue). Aren't they neat!?

Le Creuset, as you might know, is a French cookware manufacturer best known for its colorful enameled cast iron casseroles. Their products are pretty popular among Japanese homemakers. There are many cute shapes (star, heart, flower shapes) and colors (such as pastel colors) available in Japan.

PEPSI NEX is a leader product of PEPSI Cola Japan (which Suntory plays a full part). The product was originally made in Japan in 2006. Adapted to the Japanese palate, it's 100% calorie-free with a refreshing lemon flavor.

Last promotion was for 1.5 litter PEPSI NEX, so it wasn't easy to get one, but this time is for 500 milliliter PEPSI NEX, so people can get it without hesitation! After I bought one bottle as a trial, they were all sold out in the afternoon when I returned to get another! Damn X(

Anyway, I look forward to the next promotion :D

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Hope and Wish!!!

Last night, I had dinner with my ex-colleague in NY. We talked and agreed with each other that every goal can be reached if you hope and wish strongly.

Sometimes, I feel discouraged thinking that my efforts are not rewarded, but thanks to that fruit of efforts, I think I am getting a better result in a different form, which is close to my goals.

Goals, usually are the things that make you happy and may change as time goes by. You don't have to achieve your goals perfectly if you result in happiness at some point. But to get such a result, your effort is necessary. So what I realized is we should always hope and wish toward our future (goals) and do our best at anytime!!!

I hope you understand what I mean...

On my previous post, I mentioned that my dream is "To live every moment with all my energy". Yes! I always want to hope and wish to reach my goals and do my best with all my energy because I know I can be happy in that way!!!

Don't give up!!!
(Saying to myself. Ha-ha!!!)

Illustration by hiroto.

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Mixed Sandwich

You now know I love UCC Ueshima Coffee Shop, and yes, I've been there with my darling again last weekend!

Their "Mixed Sandwich" is my favorite! Egg chunks with mayo, rich sliced cheese, Italian ham, juicy tomato, fresh cucumber and lettuce are in between two pieces of bread. Mmm yummy :P

I think I want to make this at home someday!!!

Tonight, I'm seeing my ex-colleague in NY! I think it has been already 2 years since we last met!!!

Have a good day :D

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GIGGLE

On Saturday, my darling and I had hamburgers at Hamburger Diner GIGGLE! They don't have a Web page but they are pretty famous around here. The diner is decorated with imported products! I liked it there! Their Avocado Hamburger is popular among women ;) My darling ordered Chile Beans Hamburger! They also serve fish and chips and a wide variety of imported beers!

To tell the truth, we rarely eat hamburgers for dinner but a week before, when we had coffee at a different diner, we saw people eating gorgeous hamburgers and that reminded us of GIGGLE! We are thinking of trying out that diner's hamburgers as well this weekend! Can't wait!!!

Anyway, this morning, since I had time, I squeezed a zit which I shouldn't... I know it is better to leave it as is but I just bet it... you know what I mean!!! (Hope you do.) Well... I will try to leave it for a month! I declare it here!!! Oh, by the way, it was on my arm and I had to cure it before the next laser hair removal in June X(

Have a good Monday!

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My Dream...

"Write down your dream...a dream so BIG you haven't told anyone, not even yourself."
This was a question from Kym.

Good question! I was just thinking of my dream recently...

To be happy can be one but that answer is unclear since it makes me wonder what my happiness is...

Is my dream to become a culinarian? Is my dream to make a cookbook? Is my dream to make a profit? Is my dream to have a baby and lead an ordinary life?

Those can be some of my goals, but not my dreams...
What if I could or couldn't reach those goals?

So... what I thought is my dreams are something indescribable and unreachable. I always want to feel motivated. I don't want to be a clock-watcher.

"To live every moment with all my energy", could be my dream!

Even when things are bad, I always want to do my best in that given situation. This sounds simple, but not. As you get old, you learn things by what you have seen and you can somewhat get dogmatic and stubborn to start new things or improve things.

I think people who always try things at their best are stellar. They have an aura to motivate others, too. Maybe my dream is to become someone like that! I don't want to talk about my past but future, you know...

Is this clear?!

But please don't take it too seriously. This is something what I thought at this moment! He-he!!!

Have a good one :D

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Women's Wine Logo

Recently, I found that the wines with this logo meet my taste!

This "Women's Wine" logo (printed only in Japan) shows that the wine is made by women who produce wine with women's sensitivities. From north in Piemonte to south in Sicilian, there are 10 women winemakers who enjoy and live with wines. Do you know any of them?!

- Alessandra Boscaini: Masi
- Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti: Badia a Coltibuono
- Francesca Planeta: Planeta
- CAMILLA LUNELLI: Lunelli
- Francesca Colombini: Barbi
- Beatrice Contini Bonacossi: Capezzana
- Elda Felluga: Felluga
- Chiara Lungarotti: Lungarotti
- Maria Chiara Clerici: Valfieri
- Chiara Soldati: La Scolca

BTW, this cute logo is designed by Italian designer. It's design is based on the word "女" (woman) in Japanese Kanji.

It is raining today. My sore throat is not getting better... It heals after the GYM, though. Maybe I feel better when my adrenaline level rises! Ha-ha!

Hope hula heals me tonight :D

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Rione dei Dogi Rosso Molise Riserva

Rione dei Dogi Rosso Molise Riserva is medium bodied red wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in Molise (a region of Southern Italy). You can enjoy rich and fruity flavor of grapes.

This is the wine that my dad ordered at the restaurant the other day. I loved it :D

To tell the truth, I am not good at wines, but I list my favorite wines so that I can get them once again! And my list did help last weekend when I shopped at the wine shop! I usually try out new wines, but sometimes I feel comfortable drinking what I know!

Anyway, changing my story, I sometime wonder what my happiness is... I might write about it later if I feel like it!

Have a good day!!!

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UCC Ueshima Coffee Shop

I never mentioned about this, but almost every weekend, my darling and I go to 上島珈琲店 (Ueshima Coffee Shop) to have some coffee :D

UCC Ueshima Coffee (UCC上島珈琲株) is a manufacturer of coffee and tea products in Kobe, Hyogo. "UCC" stands for "Ueshima Coffee Company". They have expanded their coffee shops in recent years and one in Seijyo (near our home) has opened in 2008. Their theme is urban oasis. Isolated from crowds and noises of the city, they provide a space for relaxation with coffee.

They serve "nel drip coffee" which uses cloth filter (flannel) instead of paper filter. It takes time to drip coffee, thus makes rich and tasty coffee with supple texture. I really love their coffee. Unlike other coffee shops, their coffee is served always the same (not bitter) which is pretty comfortable! They also serve foods, too! I love their lunch menu, which comes with salad, sandwich, and a cup of coffee of course!

Do you have a favorite coffee shop?

I just can't wait the weekend to start!

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Ramen @ Koumibou

On Saturday, my darling and I've been to the newly opened 広味坊 (Koumibou) near our home (in Seijyo). This branch only serves ramen or a prix-fixe menu. (The other branch in Soshigaya serves a la carte menu.)

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish that originated in China. I don't eat ramen that often because I can't eat that fast before the noodles get soft, but I tried the cold one without broth. My darling had a ramen with shrimp dumplings. They cook ramen as seen in the movie below! My darling shoot this video and edited it with a mood of nostalgia. Cool, right?! ;)



Busy Monday! I can't wait for the weekend to begin!!!

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Customer Service in Japan

This morning, I saw an interesting story on TV that most overseas tourists said they were amazed by customer service in Japan.

Yes, I agree! Salespeople in Japan are dedicated to making people feel welcome. They always smile and listen to the customers, so you rarely feel unhappy talking to them.

This is something we take for granted in our everyday life but I think we Japanese should be proud of it!!!

I sometimes don't like to live in Japan but what a nice country! Ha-ha :D

Happy Friday!!!

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CANON IXY 30S (will be released on May 27th)

Timely news!!! Yesterday, I found that Canon is going to release CANON IXY 30S on May 27th, which is the latest model of my broken IXY!

This camera of course is fully automated and what is amazing is that you can shoot crisp pictures without a flash in the dark! It's HS SYSTEM enhances image quality in low-light situations and helps reduce noise at high ISO speeds! Sounds perfect for picture taking at restaurants!!!

Offered in 5 different colors (Black, White, Silver, Yellow, Red), the camera will be available in Japan for 40,000 yen (approximately $430), which I think is priced out at this moment X(

Anyway, I'm gonna try it out at an electronic store after the release ;)

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Nikon COOLPIX S6

I once gave this camera to my darling but took it back from him last week when my IXY broke. He-he!

Nikon COOLPIX S6 is a slim digital camera with Wi-Fi! Now I carefully read the manual and realized it is pretty easy to use! The camera is fully automatic. The max ISO is 400, which is enough for snapshots! I wish it has a camera shake correction function, though... Anyway, the camera is old (released in 2005) but I think it meets my demand ;)

BTW, to fix my IXY (CCD), it costs at least 7,000yen ($70) which sounds like better to get a new camera..., so I ended up using my darling's camera! I bought a cute camera case for it!

Will see how it works ;D

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My Accomplishments

Belated post, but I will list my accomplishments in April.

4/10 was Yodoran (iodine-enriched egg) Day! My Spring Sushi Rolls were introduced at their event site. To give pink color to sushi rice, I sprinkled "Sakura Denbu", which is pink colored & seasoned shredded codfish :)


On 4/12, my "Black Sushi Rolls with Fruity Millet Tuna Curry", which won the prize for participation at the Millet Recipe Contest 2010, was posted on Japan Millet Association's website. Also, the report of the day was posted here. Can you find me?!

On 4/26, my Takoyaki Croquette was introduced on CookTV (TBS). The video is HERE. Sorry in Japanese X(




On 4/25, I won the special award at soy milk recipe contest. Sorry, no image available for this one.

That's it! I'll try to do better this month!!!

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