Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy



I like the word "happy".

Simply because the letters look happy with double "P"!
Also, the way it's pronounced is happy.
I feel joy from the word.
I feel uplifted.
It gives me courage.
Makes me feel positive!!!

I don't think we have an exact word for this in Japanese.

My darling bought this book in NY.
Be Happy: A Little Book to Help You Live a Happy Life
It's a great book to open when you want to forget about all the hustle and bustle of everyday living :)

Life is not easy, but be happy, yeah!!!

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

DIEGO DE ALMAGRO Reserva

I again found a nice 10-bucks red wine :)

It's a powerful full-bodied red wine made of 100% Tempranillo grapes (in Spain), displaying vanilla aromas combined with spicy and fruity hints.

It pairs perfectly with beef stew or BBQ!!!
If you remember, my Beef Beer Curry and Rice would go perfect with it!!!

Enjoy ;D

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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Hello Kitty Postage Stamps

I've been searching the Net for new postage stamps and found new Hello Kitty postage stamps again!!! The theme is "Expo 2010 Shanghai China". I love heart-shaped stamps ;) Glad to find two hearts per sheet this time!!!

BTW, postage stamps featuring "Hello Kitty & Dear Daniel" was issued last year. That was cute too, but there was only one heart per sheet.

Oh, did I tell you that I love Hello Kitty the best?! I used to collect Kero Kero Keroppi when I was in junior high school, though. He-he ;)

Anyway, I have to get a heap of work done... but with deliberate speed, you know?!

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Italian Lunch Buffet @ INOW

Before I forget, we had delicious Italian lunch buffet in Jiyugaoka last week.

INOW is the finest organic Italian restaurant since 1983. My darling picked up a flyer with 200-yen-off coupon at the train sation, so we decided to go there to have lunch.

Their buffet menu includes:

1, all-you-can-eat antipasto and seasonal breads
2, all-you-can-drink wines, tea, coffee, and juice
3, pizza or pasta of the day
4, seasonal dessert

What attracted us was "all-you-can-drink wine". Their pink sparkling wine was really refreshing when the weather is hot. We felt like putting on the ritz. He-he ;)

The total was 1600yen per person with the coupon. We don't drink that much wine, but pretty good deal for those who drink!

Anyway, we have steaming muggy days for 2 weeks or more. Drink water!!!

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Monday, July 26, 2010

Champagne @ BVLGARI

On the weekend, there was an event at BVLGARI that you can enjoy free champagne while shopping. To benefit this event, we aimed to the shop our wedding rings on Saturday.

We temporarily felt rich.

Why temporarily?! Because my credit card didn't go through for it exceeded the cap!!! It seems like I untimely used my card before the last month's withdrawal X(

I immediately, called the support center to approve the payment, but that behaviour was far from rich...

Anyway, we finally bought our wedding rings!!!
I will show you later when they are done with carvings ;)

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Friday, July 23, 2010

Bye Bye Pack Rat

Can you throw things away?

Me? I tend to be a pack rat myself. I have hard time throwing things away...

I have changed my living place for many times but I always carry everything with me. My clothes, keepsakes, artwork, textbooks, stuffed toys, knick knacks...
Thing is, I always think I will need them later!!!
Thus, I guess half of my living space is used as a storage. In other words, I am paying the rent for the storage!!!

To overcome this situation, I've got a really good idea!

"Take a picture before you throw out!!!"

Now you can simply ask "Am I really going to use it?" and if your brutally honest answer is "No!" or even "Well...probably not", or if the thing is not used for 3 years, then take a picture and throw it away.

You can keep all those pictures in your tiny memory card as keepsakes and view them anytime. You might see them more often than in your storage ;) Also, you can remember that you already threw them away, JIC!

Yes. I'm gonna execute this rule before I move to my new home in March!!!

Dreaming of a cozy home with my darling :D

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

My Accomplishments

On 6/13, my Creamy Soy Egg with Savory Tomato Bowl was printed on the recipe cards. I love to add milk or soymilk and mayonnaise in the egg mixture because it makes the egg soft and smooth when you heat and scramble. Those tomato chops are marinated with salt and sesame oil. Very simple but savory. Mmm!!!

On 6/20, my Teriyaki Pork Egg Rolls won the appetizer award at the Yodoran (iodine-enriched egg) contest! I rolled up thick omelet with pork and sauteed with teriyaki sauce. Mmm yummy ;) It is a great egg recipe to go with the beer!

Regardless my enthusiasm, I received only 2 awards in June X( Also, my blog submission was rejected since I lack recipe contents... Maybe I could concentrate more time and energy on the contests and my recipe stuff after March 2011 when I moved to a new home. Of course I will still do my best meanwhile.

Time to go!
Have a good day ;)

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Mister Potato Crisps

Mister Potato Crisps is made from 100% high-grade imported potatoes. It comes in a 160g or 45g package.

The product is manufactured in Malaysia. The finely sliced potatoes are washed in cold water to remove starch from its surface to prevent the potato chips from sticking to each other when fried. These chips are then cooked in trans-fat free oil and lightly flavored. Thus you can enjoy unique crispy texture with non-salty healthy tastes!

I found this potato chips at the drug store. 160g can was sold at 100yen (3.5RM), so I bought only one to try out. Unexpectedly it was pretty good, so I decided to get another one the next day but most were already sold out when I returned.

To tell the truth, it tastes better than PrinXXXX :D

Try out when you find one!!!

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Shape of the Clouds

My darling found a duck shaped clouds in the blue sky. Can you see it?!

Yesterday was a national holiday, Marine Day (third Monday of July). This weekend was sunny with blue skies but pretty hot and humid (high 95)! Almost daily, it is too hot to walk without a parasol. Plus sweltering nights continue... I can't sleep well without AC.

Anyway, I am pretty exhausted having too many things to do. I wish I could be a billionaire, using my time for my stuff. You know what I mean... Regardless my busyness, I will update my diary because I know it is easy to quit. Keep in touch :)

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Friday, July 16, 2010

Kaimana Hila @ YouTube


While in NY, my darling took a video of my hula as usual. This time, I danced at Brooklyn Heights Promenade where offers you a vista of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge :D BTW, I always somewhat have a problem... The concrete was really hot like an iron plate because the temp was near 100F on this day X( Thus, my steps are unsteady...

Kaimana Hila (which means Diamond Head - the famous volcano on the Eastern edge of Waikiki) is a famous Hawaiian song. The song is about a group of friends (girls and boys) seeing the sights in old Waikiki. The funniest part is Kapiolani Park (the racetrack). You can see me jumping like a horse. Ha-ha!!!

Like before, I posted it on my YouTube account.
Please enjoy!!!

I will only show this video to my blog buddies who keep in touch with me on a regular basis or Tipness club members who took this "hula hula" class. Please send me a request from my YouTube account. I will add you as my friend to share the video.

※Tipness(ティップネス)のHULA HULAで習ったKaimana Hila(カイマナヒラ)の振り付けをビデオに記録♪Kaimana Hilaはシンガーでクムフラ(古典フラの継承者)Sandii(サンディー)さんのアロハセラピーな楽曲です。見たい方はリクエストメッセージを下さい☆

Thanks for those who have already taken a look!

The new term has started from this month! The next one is a popular Hawaiian love song! I will post a video again after 3 months when I completed the term ;)

See ya!!!

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Dish Soap

When I visit NY, what I always feel myself compelled to purchase is dish soap!!! I guess that's the curse of my hobby (cooking) :P

This year I found DAWN on sale at c99! Believe it or not, it costs about 4 bucks in Japan!!! Palmolive is also sold at a high price. However, liquids are heavy to take back, so it is not worth the price, though...

Anyway, shopping is stress-relieving, you know ;)

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

CLINIQUE: NEW All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage

Rollerball-type eye serum is now hot in Japan!!! CLINIQUE's NEW All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage is something I really wanted to get in NY :D

This instantly cooling rollerball helps massage away bags, refreshes and hydrates puffy eyes on contact. Brightens eye area immediately and over time. Combats dark circles, too. With caffeine, potent antioxidants and soothing botanicals. Oil-free, non-irritating. Ophthalmologist Tested.

Believe it or not, it costs $42 in Japan while it is available at $25.50 in the U.S.!!!

Keep it in the fridge! It cools down and refreshes your eye area more!!!

Try it out ;)

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

COACH :: Poppy

Every year, I get something from COACH when I visit NY because they are three times expensive in Japan!!! This year, I bought "new COACH POPPY APPLIQUE TEE" and "new POPPY POP C COLLECTIBLE LARGE SPOTLIGHT" which came with free "LOVE POPPY Bangle/Bracelet". To tell the truth, I seldom buy bags at COACH, but the multicolored poppy bags were my kind ;) Luckily the free bracelet was the perfect match for my tee :D

Do you have any favorite brands?

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Monday, July 12, 2010

Summer 2010 in New York

Fun time passes really fast. Now we are back in Japan already. It was like a dream to walk in New York city with my darling again. Blessed with the weather, we had no rain and the day we took our wedding photos was super nice with cool low temp.

Day 1 (6/30-Wed):

We used Delta airline to fly but there was an hour delay :( We arrived at the hotel at 5PM. We stayed at Grand Hyatt New York as usual. They opened a new food market on the lobby floor that opens from 6AM to 11PM, which was very convenient. After we checked in, we walked to Rockefeller Center to have a dinner at Rink Bar. This is the place where I first dated with my darling. Their BBQ Combo Plate is large enough for two :D

Day 2 (7/1-Thu):

Since there is a time difference, it was easy for us to wake up at 6 in the morning!!! This year, I made a super detailed meal plan (brunch and dinner) because looking for a place to eat when we are hungry causes a fight between us, you know... We headed to Clinton St. Baking Company for our brunch. Their recommended blueberry pancake was huge and delicious with lots of blueberries. Mmm :) Then we moved to East Village, Union Square, SOHO, and West Village, for shopping. Before the photo at times square, we had a snack at Grand Central. Smoothie at Dishes is our favorite!!! We have it every year!!!

The photo plan at Times Square was for free since we purchased the photo wedding plan. What a nice weather at night. The night view in times square was very crisp and beautiful. Our photos came out nicer than we expected.

Day 3 (7/2-Fri):

My makeup artist Kelly came to our room at 8AM. Meanwhile, my bouquet was delivered. It was huge but beautiful white roses. To tell the truth, it was still beautiful on the day we left New York. I wish I could take it back with me. At 10AM we took a limo to the Central Park. It was a perfect weather with blue skies which we have hoped. Of course we took the photo at the place where my darling proposed to me last year (left bottom image).

The second place we took our wedding photo was Grand Central Station. We requested there because we used to date at this station almost every night till my last train back to Harrison.

After the photo, we had time, so we shopped 5th avenue. It was too late to eat breakfast or lunch, so we had a snack at The Burger Joint. It is the best burger in New York City, hidden behind the curtain in the atrium lobby of Le Parker Meridien Hotel. Yummy!!! In the afternoon, the weather was still nice. We headed to have dinner at Bryant Park Cafe. It was a romantic night that I hoped time could stop for us.

Day 4 (7/3-Sat):

The temp jumped up to high 90s from this day. We first went to Brooklyn Heights Promenade to take my hula video with a view of Manhattan and Brooklyn bridge. I will post the video later. Then we had brunch at Heights Cafe. I found an interesting menu called Brunch Strudel (filled with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheddar and bacon with roasted pepper coulis). It was crazy hot in the afternoon... we again walked SOHO but we couldn't kept on going into the stores to cool down. In the evening, it was still hot. We planned to walk in the Central Park but I got tired and sat on the stone and fell a sleep. At night we had dinner at Rosa Mexicano, where you can enjoy super delicious Guacamole en Molcajete with handmade warm corn tortillas.

Day 5 (7/4-Sun):

The temp was expected to go up to high 99 but it was cool in the morning. We had brunch at The Boathouse Restaurant in the Central Park. Luckily, we could sit by the lake. Their assorted pastries and breads were awesome. After stuffed, we had a walk in the park. By noon, the temp went up. We shopped at ZABER'S and I found cute cookie cutters for sale!!! Walking at the upper west side was really hot. In the afternoon, we tried to cool down at the Bryant Park but there was no wind and was like a sauna. I think since then our luck just went down. We thought our dinner is going to be really romantic but FUCK Asiate restaurant, they said they don't have any window side seat available for us. They said they never reserve seats. Why didn't they tell us at the time I reserved? They arranged a table for us but who the heck is going to pay more than $100 bucks for such a service? We left the restaurant and headed to Josie's. We always eat at Josie's East but this time we tried the West side. The menu was the same as East. We had a good time but we didn't feel that good. Too bad...

Day 6 (7/5-Mon):

The last day was hot, too. Believe it or not, it was high 101F. Forgot about the last night dinner, we went to Chelsea to have brunch at Pastis. Their Grilled Chicken Paillard (salad) was great!!! Try it out if you get a chance to go there. After shopping at Chelsea Market, we shopped at Macy's and 5th avenue again. Then we went up to East 86th to have a coffee at Cafe Sabarsky. Their Sabarskytorte (Chocolate and Rum Cake) was delicious. We could have brunch there the next year since they also serve nice brunch menus!!! Anyway, it was too hot to walk in the park, so we took a subway to go back to midtown. For dinner, we had Turkish food at Ali Baba. Unexpectedly, their recommended dishes (Findik Lahmacun: 3 Pieces - appetizer version of famous lahmacun and Mixed Grill - an assortment of adana kebab, shish kebab, doner kebab and lamb chop) were super delicious. We should try out more of foreign foods the next year!!! Walking 10 blocks back to the hotel was not a pain at all... we missed walking in the city since it was the last night.

Day 7 (7/6-Tue):

We woke up early to have a breakfast at Central Park. We bought our breakfast at Europa (my favorite cafe). In the same morning, at the same time, at the same place, we had a breakfast there and my darling proposed to me :) We are glad to come back here again this year.

I wish I could stay in NY longer but one day in NY costs about $200 per person if we divide our travel expenses, so maybe it was time. Also, We cannot take so many paid holidays...

One year was fast. We should be walking in the city next year when we realized :D

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