A Day in the Life of:

Can I drive yet? – Cool iPhone app: useless in Japan.

2011-03-03T11:04:00.013+09:00

With so much information at our fingertips this day and age, I fear my time spent on the internet and dependence for technology is taking over my more human-like activity such as eating, exercising, talking, love, facial expression, patting a strangers dog, or even stopping to smell a flower (which honestly, I have never done before in my life).At least I don’t have a pseudo relationship fantasy

Monk spotted clubbing at local nightclub!

2011-02-24T12:07:00.004+09:00

When you first land on Planet Japan, the fluffy haired, pigeon-toed, Barbie-doll girls in fashionable leopard print coats and go-go boots or the ear-crackling pachinko parlors with bright colourful lights that make you forget whether you are high or dreaming is mind blowing… but this couldn’t top…. :Monks smoking and dancing at nightclubs. Is that even Allowed???It was shocking enough to see

石の上にも三年

2011-02-18T16:19:00.002+09:00

昨日は同じ日本在住のカナダ人の友達とPUBで一杯引っかけ☆彼は最近子どもが出来、将来の事を考えるようになったと。子どものことも自分の幸せのことを思うと、やっぱりバンクーバーに帰ることは選択肢からはずせない。年金制度、社会保障制度、学費や環境そのものを思うと子どもを育てるにはバンクーバーは最適だ。という話。お互いホームシックになってきているねーって。私も日本に来てもう5年もたつ。いつの間にか。。日本のワーキング社会で日々過ごしていて、いっろ色勉強になりましたね。。。日本語や言葉遣いはもちろん（まだ変なことは言いますが）、物事の考え方や自分自身のアイデンティティが出来上がる大事にな5年間でした。「石の上にも三年」という言葉は最近覚えました。日本での生活を耐えているわけでは無いし、くたびれたわけでもないが、色んなことを共有出来ない状態が多くて時々ブルー。海外に転勤されて単身赴任中の

Safeway Nostalgia – Contingency

2011-02-10T13:56:00.001+09:00

NOTHING could get my mind off of Old Dutch Ketchup chips, so I had to improvise. Not half bad. A nice treat to go with my Asahi Clear. Its comparable to… Watching Hollywood movies with Japanese voice-overs.It’s good enough… but just not as satisfying as the real thing.

Language Barrier? No Problem. - Just Dance!

2011-02-07T16:07:00.000+09:00

I get so much joy out of making my friends do dumb things on camera.My Japanese friend T-boz on the left (we gave her that name because her actual name is “You” and that’s just too confusing in English) And Carly on the right.They used to communicate with gestures and onomatopoeias but their friendship is still stronger than ever! We did a remake of Wacoal’s Japanese bra commercial.

Safeway Nostalgia.

2011-02-04T19:15:00.002+09:00

As my greatest childhood hero once said “Mama always said miracles happen everyday. Some people don't think so, but they DO!”If a genie were to grant me one wish or some kind of economic reform causes Safeway to expand their operations to Japan, I’d believe it!Having a Safeway here in Japan would completely revive me of the chronic deprivation I bear that is homesick. Don’t get me wrong, I

Setsubun - The equivalent to Groundhog day?

2011-02-03T17:30:00.000+09:00

How do you drive away evil Vampires? Garlic.How do you drive away evil Devils in Japan?Fling soybeans. And don’t forget to say Oniwasoto! Fukuwauchi! When you’re doing it too. Setsubun, directly translated to season separation, refers to the last day before Spring. Technically, the beginning of spring is called Risshun (立春) but we all know the day that we can demolish our living room by throwing

Scrawlin' me blog in Pirate

2011-02-01T11:53:00.000+09:00

This day I wanted to change thin's up a wee. Me a wee keal hauled wit' everythin' right now 'n want wee excitement so I have decided to deliver me blog in scurvy pirate! It all started when me jolly bucko picked up on me expeditious sailor inspired fashion after spendin' a couple years in Japan. She bought me some underwear as a gag gift wit' wee white anchors on it after seein' a book on me

Training and Education Benefits System of Japan.

2011-01-27T11:29:00.000+09:00

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry’s “Training and Education Benefits System of Japan” was implemented as part of a social security reform to control national unemployment numbers.Better known as 教育訓練給付金制度（kyoiku kunren kyufukin seido）in Japanese. If you are a full time, permanent employee, or “seishain”, a part of your salary disappears into social benefits as unemployment insurance.

Obsessed with Facebook?

2011-01-25T11:47:00.003+09:00

January is the month of enthusiasm and ambition. It’s the only time of year when you religiously follow that inconceivable new year’s resolution of jogging every morning, routine studying, giving up that 3 o’clock twinkie and coffee or minimizing your severe addiction to facebook. Simple tasks, that are just out of reach but always out of reach. How is that conforming to such fortitude be

Voices for Umekoji

2011-01-14T20:48:00.001+09:00

Buzz of the aquarium to be constructed in Kyoto is getting around quick! And a good chunk of our community aint happy about it! The “Committee to protect Kyoto” will be hosting an event on Friday, January 21st to speak out against the Kyoto Aquarium. The event, “Voices for Umekoji”, will be a fun-filled musical show presented by Deep Kyoto and JunKroom. Enjoy live music by Yoshida Koichi (

Just one of those days...

2011-01-14T00:50:00.005+09:00

KONAMIスポーツのプールは15メートルしか無い；；カナダの実家にあったプールと大きさ変わらないじゃん！じゃぼじゃぼしかできない。。。スポーツジムはやーめたっ！寒いし、運動は春になってからにしようかな^^; 今年に入ってからまわりの人間が相次いで風邪で寝込んでいる。クリスマス中は私がノロでダウンしてたから。。移したのかな。手洗い、うがいはReligiouslyに。パソコンとお腹の調子はいつも悪い。今朝もディスクのファイルシステムエラー修復作業で終わった。ネットは繋がらない、CDは飛ぶ、iPodの充電器がない；；今日は機械系に嫌われた。

Ebisu Shrine

2011-01-13T14:01:00.001+09:00

Tens of thousands of people gather at Kyoto Ebisu Shrine this time of year to pray for good luck in business. This event itself is a business I say. Those good luck ornaments with the pieces of paper on the branch thing start at 5000 Yen! ($50) that’s ridiculous! It was bloody cold and crowded. But shameful to admit, I too jumped on the bandwagon and sacrificed some hundred yen for a talisman and

向井久実「新年の意気込み」

2011-01-06T12:47:00.000+09:00

あけましておめでとうございます！って、一月の何日ぐらいまで言っていいのでしょう。。休み明け、皆さんは社会復帰できていますでしょうか？？向井久実のお正月は今年in堺。初詣は百舌鳥八幡宮に行ってまいりました。なんと！二年連続で今年も大吉！！売は利多し！去年は商売繁盛の神様が眠る京都えべす神社で大吉を引き、その結果、新ビジネスの立ち上げ／スタートはとりあえず。。。今のところ順調かな？またえびす様にお礼しに行こ。今年が肝心。しっかり見守ってもらわなくちゃ。よく分からないうちに社会起業家の世界に入ってしまったな。NPOのボスになるとは。。。団体名も決まった事だし、今年も良いことがあるはず！向井代表できるかな。心配、不安。ウサギの年はスピードで勝負！アクセルを踏むぞ。連休明けてからにしょ（－O－）（笑）いや～でもゆっくり出来たHolidayでしたー。わいわい女

Kanpai~

2010-12-27T11:03:00.000+09:00

Christmas was a drag this year.Spent most of it hovered over a toilet. It must have been the stomach flu or something. All the Christmas festivities I had planned were cancelled.But I hope to make up for it with an extraordinary year end party! Which are called “Bonenkai” in Japan; that literally translates to forget year party.An annual custom where a bunch of people get together for another

京料理展示大会＠みやこめっせ

2010-12-16T12:11:00.000+09:00

京都料理組合主催の第105回目の京都料理展示大会が今月12日・13日で開催されました。年に一回、京都中の老舗料理店が集う大規模の京料理展示会。残念ながら食べることは出来ないが。。。こんなにキレイに食べ物を見せるのは凄いことだ！会場では有名料亭が仕入れる食材や道具類の販売も行っていました。13日に行ったときは京料理教室で有名料理人、菊ノ井の村田吉弘さんがごまめとイクラの醤油漬けの作り方を披露してました。まぁ、Meが作ることないだろうけど、一応レシピはGET！大原の「魚山園」さんも出展していました。いつか立派な社会起業家になって、週一ぐらいのルーティーンで京料理を食べれるようになりたいですね！収入の半分ぐらいは美味しい食べ物とお酒に☆

Blog writer test

2010-12-13T22:19:00.001+09:00

I think they cut my cards!

Testing iPhone

2010-12-13T22:09:00.000+09:00

Updating from iPhone. I was searching for a blogger app but can't seem to find one. Home a little early today, beer in hand, watching a documentary drama on north Korean terrorist conspiracies. Let's see if this post will update. Ahh this sucks! I just realized I can't upload pictures on this thing. There must be a better way.

Bargaining or harassing?

2010-12-10T13:04:00.002+09:00

My roommate was adamant to buy a new vacuum cleaner for our year end cleaning last weekend, so I tagged along to the local electronic store to scan the sales.As I was caught up looking at air purifiers and sushi shaped flash memory sticks, I glance over to the vacuum cleaner section and see my roommate pleading and batting her eyelashes at the clerk. 30 minutes later, I go over to see what she

今日も寒いなぁ

2010-12-09T13:58:00.002+09:00

今日も大原へ行ってきます☆大原に行くときはいつもちょっとワクワク。必ず何か良いことがあるから。昨日はDaddyと飲みに行きました。明後日からハワイに行くらしい。リタイアード生活はよろしおすなぁ。父は最近ハゲを気にしているみたいで髪の毛を伸ばしている。気の利く義理姉はおしゃれなハットをプレゼントしてた。“どういう服と合わせたらいいんだ？”と義理姉におしゃれアドバイスを聞いてた。かわいい。今年はカナダに帰れないため、クリスマスは日本で過ごすことに。来週から母が日本に来ます。2人でMother/Daughter温泉旅行！函館で津軽海峡の冬景色を堪能してきます。楽しみ☆ さぁーて、現実逃避はこの辺で。仕事、仕事。

NINJA KYOTO！

2010-11-30T19:08:00.001+09:00

月曜日はいつもお世話になっている方々とNINJA KYOTOというレストランに行きました。先月も高校時代の友達が日本に遊びに来たときNINJA KYOTOに連れて行ったけどやっぱり英語と日本語の案内では忍者さんの迫力は違いましたね！日本語の方がなんか楽しめたような。。。最後に出てきた盆栽のデザートは面白かった！抹茶パウダーの下にはチョコレートスポンジケーキとその下にバニラ、黒ゴマと抹茶アイスが隠れています。あんまりSweetToothはもっていないが、美味しかった！今晩はルームメイトらとディナーに。明日は24歳の誕生日だ。。今朝カナダの友達からおめでとうIMが届いて、思い出した。こどもの頃は誕生日とクリスマスの前日は寝れないほど興奮してわくわくしてたものです。日本に来てからそんな気持ちになってないかも。まずクリスマスは祝わないしね。23歳の自分、残り5時間！お疲れ様です！

トラベルマート2010

2010-11-30T18:50:00.000+09:00

出張帰り,年末の詰め,クリスマスショッピング,my誕生日などで予定が次から次へと入ってきてブログの更新もなかなか。。今週は観光庁、日本政府観光局主催のVISIT JAPAN トラベルマート 2010の商談会に行ってました。トラベルマートというのは訪日ツアーの造成と訪日外国人旅行の拡大を図るために、ビジット・ジャパン事業の重点市場を中心に海外の訪日旅行取扱旅行会社等の責任者等を招請し、国内観光関係企業との間で、商談や情報収集を効率的かつ効果的に実施する、大規模商談会です。初日は開会式の後はほぼNo休憩で商談続き。。海外メディアの方もたくさん来られていて、出来るだけ多くの人にPR！ホテルもキレイでとても素敵な景色でしたが1人だけで楽しむのもなんかもったいない感じでした。夜は露天風呂に入りリラックス。。。中国系カナダ人のおばちゃんとDimsumの話で盛り上がり、1時過ぎに就寝。二日目も商談

JNTO Travel Mart 2010

2010-11-26T16:32:00.002+09:00

In Tokyo now attending the JNTO Travel Mart 2010, an annual global event held for B to B professionals in the travel industry. Two full days of back to back to back to back meetings with land operators from all over the world. As I do not work for a travel agency, and deal more with foreign marketing and IT, I felt a little out of place but it was a great opportunity to network with groups from

Photographer’s Paradise – Momiji Feature

2010-11-08T16:48:00.000+09:00

It’s finally that time of year again.November brings eager amateur photographers from around the world to Kyoto armed with their some-thousand dollar SLRs and Lonely Planet guidebooks.Everyone’s fired up to get that perfect snapshot, but how in the world are you supposed to capture the autumn foliage in Kyoto’s tranquil wonders… if you’re surrounded by a thousand other people trying to do the

Traditional Craftwork Event

2010-11-04T21:22:00.000+09:00

The day is Thursday. 8:45PM.I’m outa here after this end-of-the-day blogging & Cup noodles. I was at the International conference hall today in Kyoto, and the men in uniform were doing some serious prepping for the APEC meeting that will take place this week November 5th & 6th. I really hope those finance ministers are bringing their own security… Cuz them Japanese cops I saw "serving and

Halloween ブルース

2010-11-01T14:49:00.000+09:00

昨日はハロウィーンでした。家でのんびりハイスクールミュージカルを見ながらビールをプシュッ！日本に住み始めてから4年。こっちに来てから、ハロウィーンとThanksgivingだけは祝うことなかった。クリスマスは一応兄家族とプレゼント交換ぐらいはしてたかな。やっぱりクリスマスは実家がいいね。去年は3年ぶりにバンクーバーに帰り暖かいクリスマスを家族と過ごしました。今年は日本で過ごすことに。母親が来日するので、日本観光しようかなと。せっかくクリスマスに母が側に居るというのに、ターキーの丸焼きも作ってもらうことも出来ない。。。日本のオーブンが小さすぎて鳥が入らん！今年もケンタッキーか？あぁ、こういう時はカナダが恋しくなりますね。かぼちゃを彫ることもない、仮想しているこども達がTrick-or-treatしに来ない、ターキーを食べない、クリスマスソングも歌わない。　カップルが高いイタリアンを食

What Are You Going To Be For Halloween????

2010-11-01T12:11:00.000+09:00

Halloween in Japan is not half as animated as it is in North America. No tots trick-or-treating in the shopping mall, no teenagers lighting firecrackers on the streets, no Halloween dress-up potluck parties or costume day at the office! I spent my Halloween watching High school Musical and teaching my room mate English swear words. I forgot to post this up before the actual event, so its

Dim Sum Asians Hit Japan!

2010-10-15T14:46:00.001+09:00

My buddies from home are visiting me here in Kyoto for a couple weeks and they seem to be having a pretty good time so far!I gave em my recommendations for a few places to hit up in Kyoto. Day 5 of their trip, off they went to Uzumasa Eigamura. Apparently this was one of the best days of the trip! dressing up and what not. Pretty cool indeed. Uzumasa Eigamura is easily accessible by train or

Japanese Dolls

2010-10-13T17:39:00.000+09:00

Beautiful? Fascinating? or Creepy? What makes the people of Japan spend so much money on this peculiar custom? On average costing between 200,000 ~ 1000,000 Yen (2 to 10 Thousand USD), these dolls are displayed in one’s home on a red carpet and a 7 tiered platform. I had a few dolls decorated in my house back in the day. My folks didn’t go all out on the 7 tiered platform, red carpet and

大原からお届け～地位公共人材図鑑☆

2010-10-06T22:18:00.000+09:00

今年8月に地域公共人材図鑑の西尾さんからインタビューを受けました。真夏の暑さで倒れそうでしたがなんとか！結局セミや川の音で声が聞こえにくいですが、一応先週アップされました～http://blog.canpan.info/colpu_zukan/archive/82 10月からは正式に社会起業家の向井久実としてフル稼働だぁ！んで、社会起業家ってなに？　うんん。。それは。。。社会や地域の課題に取り組み、ビジネス的手法で解決する人のことらしい。私はただ外国人にもっと日本の深いところ、暖かいところを知ってもらえる機会を増やしたい。そして日本人の英語または外国人に対しての苦手意識を無くしたい。そんな想いからスタートしたソーシャルビジネスの挑戦。。。かな？Wow..気がつけばもうこんな時間。現実逃避のブログ投稿は危険だ。そろそろ帰りましょう～ね。事務所1人ぼっち。。。 Funny quote I

Adventure World!

2010-09-29T15:12:00.002+09:00

That's a real penguin! Summer lingers in Kyoto… It was a scorching 35 degrees in Wakayama for the long weekend.Some friends and I headed down to Shirahama to enjoy the last of summer. After a few hours of snorkeling in the bay, we headed down to the fish market and then to Adventure World! To see those happy dolphins in perfect synchronization with their trainers and the “not-so-stressed”

Stop the Kyoto Aquarium!

2010-09-27T22:40:00.004+09:00

Prologue: What is Kyoto Cuisine? Aka. Kyo-Kaiseki Kyo-kaiseki is known throughout Japan as a course meal usually served in traditional fancy restaurants or high-end Ryokan that has highly refined preparation and artistic presentation. Usually using seasonal vegetables and a healthy choice of ingredients such as tofu and other soy products like yuba (tofu skin). Others include bamboo shoots, fu (

Thoughts on the beach...

2010-09-27T17:51:00.001+09:00

Another week of reoccurring technical difficulties has hit me yet again! -SD card with all video footage and pictures of my trip to Okinawa: Gone!-Internet at home is possessed.-Cell phone screens going blank And more… All in all, the trip was great. Yonehara Beach Now back to the real life, it has nudged my desire a bit to go home and settle down!After a tropical get away like that, it’s

Ishigaki-jima, Okinawa - Day 1

2010-09-10T21:53:00.003+09:00

10:25am. Scheduled flight departure from Kansai International Airport. Actual departure time, 10:38. Reason?...... ME. I entered the gates last minute, but in time to catch the plane at its scheduled departure time. It was the security check that had me standing around for a good 15 minutes. I left an aerosol can bug spray at the bottom of my pack that they had to dig out to make sure I wasn’t

What keeps foreigners coming back to Kyoto?

2010-09-08T22:40:00.000+09:00

Temples in Kyoto.How many of them must you see before wanting something more? Something different? It’s like what Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) says in the movie The Beach.“For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. “ Personally,

Beer Garden @ Kyoto Tower

2010-09-06T14:43:00.000+09:00

TOWER BEER VIKING 2010 Heading down to the Beer Garden this evening at Kyoto Tower Hotel. Billy’s blog had me after “Beef Garden Anyone?”And guess what? Today is Monday…. And you know what that means girls?It’s Lady’s Day~ Gotta love it! Who started this “Gender Equality” bogus anyway?? We get cheap beer on Mondays! Let’s keep it that way! (Joke. Not intended to offend serious feminists.)

Dolphin hunt

2010-09-02T15:40:00.000+09:00

Today is day two of the dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama.The Japanese media haven’t featured a lot on this issue that has sparked so many emotions abroad, but there seems to be domestic voices expressing against the flipper massacre this year. I’m not sure whether it’s because of hollywood’s award winning documentary “The Cove” that suddenly brought so much attention to this issue but many

Everything is miniaturized in Japan.

2010-08-04T10:36:00.000+09:00

Everything is miniaturized in Japan.As I am kind of miniature myself, the Japanese standard is not severely uncomfortable, but there are a number of differences I have picked up from a western point of view. McDonalds Meals: Supersized fries don’t exist here. L size is a regular size back home. Bathrooms: Tiny! A nightmare for Claustrophobics. And why are the bathtubs so deep? Kitchen and

日本の文房具は優れている

2010-07-27T16:17:00.000+09:00

本日は夏休み気分で短パンとビーサンで出勤。事務所でずうっとPaperwork。ガチャガチャパソコンと睨めっこ。収支予算の計算が難しい(T_T)/明日からはちょっと楽になるかも。。。ベジタリアン生活を終え、ロッテリアのタワーチーズ10段重ねバーガーを食べにでも行こうかなと考えていましたが、体は全く肉を欲してない！まだ野菜を沢山食べ続けている。朝は必ずシリアル＋キャベツ＆トマトか納豆ご飯＋キャベツ＆トマト。水500ミリ。最近はシリアルにレーズンを入れることにはまっている。昔こどもの頃食べていた「Raisin Bran」を思いだす。どうでもいい話。さて、今週は大原で事業の取材を受けました。めちゃくちゃ暑かったけど、小川の横で少し日陰のある現場をチョイス。助かった。本番中は虫におそわれたり、クロネコの姉さんが撮影現場を横切ったりしましたが、まぁ、カジュアルな雰囲気でよかったのかなと☆ 今週

The Vegan Challenge Finale - Day 14

2010-07-22T14:11:00.001+09:00

I spent all morning going around town visiting clients on my bike. Must have done about 15km in the blistering sun. By the time I got into the restaurant for lunch I was dripping with sweat. Literally! Can’t go without those wet wipes. Breakfast: All Bran Cereal w/ Soy Milk Lunch: Vegenote Daily Obanzai Set. (1,050 Yen) Dinner: Final Dinner at the Konbini maybe?Some delicious natto maki and

親孝行

2010-07-21T14:24:00.000+09:00

今日は仕事の前に早朝英会話レッスンから一日が始まりました。5時45分起き。朝食は食物繊維たっぷりのAll-BranシリアルWith豆乳。朝からバタバタしながらでもお水は1リットル以上ゴクゴク。今度ネットメディアの取材を受けることになりましたので、その打ち合わせを午前中にし、昼はベジタリアンスープカレーを食べにいきました。気が付けばもう昼過ぎ。仕事がたまっていく；；今日、社長からこんな本をいただきました。「プロが教える現場の英語通訳ガイドスキル」翻訳のお仕事も多いため、これは非常に役立つでしょう。ありがとうございます。最近日本語の本を読むことが多いです。4年前までは3年生以上の漢字すら読めなかったのに。読み始めると目が慣れるものですね。2年ぐらい前から電子辞書を持ち歩かなくなった。速読トレーニングでもしようかな。。漢字を覚えてから、中国語の勉強も分かりやすくなったような。。ま、

The Vegan Challenge – Day 13

2010-07-21T12:08:00.000+09:00

Back to work from a long weekend at the beach.It’s time to switch on the business button.I think my body has adjusted to the vegan lifestyle as I don’t feel as light headed as I did the first few days. I know that this is something you always hear, but it really sank in this time.As my mother always said: *STAY HYDRATED. I can’t urge this enough. Especially during this sweltering heat we have in

The Vegan Challenge – Day 10/11/12

2010-07-20T10:50:00.000+09:00

Ocean Day (Marine Day) This weekend, some friends and I took out the big red van and headed to Fukui Prefecture for some good fun in the sun.Getting ready for the beach is so different back home.We used to put on bronzer and tanning oil so we can get as dark as we can,but in Japan… it’s a different story.They drown themselves in SPF 50 sunscreen and on top of that, wear UV cut long sleeve shirts

The Vegan Challenge – Day 9

2010-07-20T09:40:00.000+09:00

Breakfast: @ Konbini-Kagome Vegetable Juice-Natto Maki Lunch: MAMARO Soup Curry-Veggie Veggie take-out. Dinner: @ Gion Matsuri -Cucumber sticks-Pinapple-Beer The new Coupon Maps for Kyoto City.Get them at all main hotels and ryokan in Kyoto.

「風」を描く着物工房

2010-07-16T09:50:00.000+09:00

昨日は一真工房さんに行ってきました。日本で唯一「風」を描く着物工房。外国人向けに風彩染めの体験施設を始めるということでお手伝いをさせてもらってます。「和」だけではなく、ものすごいクリエイティブな作品が揃っていてビックリしました。この素晴らしい作品を描くアーティストはYOUHEIさん。今度私も風彩染め体験をさしてもらいます♡ Cinderellaをテーマにしたデザイン↓↓↓これも彼が描いた絵。

The Vegan Challenge – Day 8

2010-07-15T14:45:00.001+09:00

Today we’re heading out to town for Gion Matsrui!Kyoto city will be flooded with people and food stands!Too bad I’m vegan right now… Breakfast: All-Bran Cereal with Soymilk Lunch: Organic and Vegan bento. Thanks Carly for getting that “specially made” TBG. Dinner: TBAI guess I could nibble on a natto maki while friends chow down on sausages, yakisoba, takoyaki and yakitori!

The Vegan Challenge - Day 7

2010-07-15T11:51:00.000+09:00

Today I went over to the local broadcasting station to record my voice for the Kawaramachi shopping strip announcements. Kawaramachi shopping arcade is one of the main shopping strips in downtown Kyoto. From Karaoke shops, bookstores, conveyor belt sushi, trendy clothing boutiques and novelty shops; entertain yourself for the whole day.AND It’s roofed so the rain won’t hold you back either!http:

京都でベジタリアン

2010-07-14T13:46:00.003+09:00

ベーガン生活を始めてから明日で一週間。ベーガンというのは完全菜食主義者。ベジタリアン(vegetarian)とほぼ同じ意味だが、ベーガンは全く動物系の食品を食べない。つまり乳製品もカツオだしもアウト。日本で生活する中でカツオだしを口にしないことは非常に大変だ。想像以上に厳しい。痛感しています。言葉も分からないベジタリアンの外国人はそれ以上に厳しいでしょう。おにぎりは梅か昆布しかダメ。高菜もカツオだしが含まれているものが多い。あとは納豆巻き、ドレッシングなしのサラダ、豆腐、海草などなど。引き続きベーガン生活を頑張りまっちょ。今日は河原町商店街でながれる外国語アナウンスの録音のお仕事でした。今月から英語、中国語、韓国語で案内がながれます。河原町には良く行くのでそこで自分の声が聞こえてくるとちょっぴり恥ずかしいですね。さて、これを機会に私が関わる株式会社アクシュの外国語対応サービスを

The Vegan Challenge - Day 6

2010-07-14T09:17:00.000+09:00

We have two refrigerators in my house.One for food, one for drinks.Even before this vegan challenge, I never really had business in the food fridge because there was usually nothing in there anyway.But my compartment in the drink fridge was always full of beer, and my roommate’s sugar loaded canned coffees. Now my part of the fridge is half beer, half soymilk. How ironic. Breakfast:

[glee] in Japan.

2010-07-13T10:18:00.000+09:00

This is how FOX promoted the hit TV series "glee" in Japan I'm Glad I'm watching the American version...

The Vegan Challenge – Day 5

2010-07-12T20:28:00.000+09:00

More political instability on our nation’s plate this morning. Announcing the former ruling bloc, DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) lost its majority of seats in the upper house to the Liberals. I would have preferred to see more news about the soccer game, but I guess that’s important too.. Another rainy morning it was in Kyoto.Oh when will sun come out… TODAY'S MENU Breakfast: Nothing Lunch:

Time Sale (Scream your head off!)

2010-07-12T20:10:00.002+09:00

Summer bargain season is here!Sales are happening everywhere, and we’re not the only ones hyped for this shopping madness. I think the shop staff have gone crazy too!Is it normal to be yelling this loud at your customers in a clothing store???3 shop staff are yelling three different things at the same time so you can't make out what they are saying anyway! 今週の「ここが変だよ日本人」TOP 5の1● タイムセールの時の店員の

The Vegan Challenge – Day 4

2010-07-12T13:00:00.000+09:00

6AM. My Sunday morning starts bright and early.After my breakfast and morning English lessons, I went home called out Carly and we rode our bicycles in the rain looking for a good vegan lunch. Heading north toward Demachiyanagi Stn., we got as far as Gion before the rain started pouring down till my glasses fogged up and I couldn’t see anymore. After lunch and a few episodes of ‘glee’ we called

Vegan challenge - day 3

2010-07-11T00:09:00.001+09:00

Saturday morning. Last night was a good drunken time with some friends and some random Spaniards we met on the street. Picked up a few new Spanish words and moved on to our usual karaoke spot, beer and white grape cocktails in hand. The night went on and the fun didn’t stop until the ring of the dreaded 10 minute warning call from the front desk came in. 4am, our Friday night was done. On

The Vegan Challenge – Day 2

2010-07-09T17:08:00.001+09:00

Dinner Last Night: Yakitori with friends.I unfortunately just had to watch them as they gobbled up fatty animal goodness. -Tomato slices (Of course didn’t touch the mayonnaise on the side) -Tofu and green onions flavored with soy sauce-Skewered Onions-Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice ball) -4 Glasses of Beer TODAY'S MENU Breakfast:-Toast w/ Maple Syrup (No Butter)-Fruit Cup-Water 4PM Late

The Vegan Challenge - Day 1

2010-07-08T15:24:00.001+09:00

Thus begins my 2 week vegetarian challenge… I say 2 weeks because honestly, I have never in my life have been vegetarian and have always loved meat… So I’m going to shoot for a term that’s realistically achievable. I’ve decided that I want to put together a vegetarian feature on kyotokyoto.jp/. After reading some articles and blogs, surfing youtube and talking to foreigners in Japan, it seems

今週の「ここが変だよ日本人」TOP5

2010-07-07T12:09:00.004+09:00

先週から高校の同級生がカナダから遊びに来てます。新企画のフィールドリサーチを手伝ってもらってます。私もだいぶ日本に慣れてきたし、来日したての外国人視点で色々見てもらうとNewアイディアを期待できるかなと。この一週間だけでも色んなことに気が付かされた。今週の「ここが変だよ日本人」TOP5↓↓↓● タイムセールの時の店員のハイテンション● あんなキレイな洋服を着せられているワンちゃんの数。● 「Starbucksで一人読書する自分が好き」と言う日本人● ハンカチとティッシュはいつも持ち歩いている日本人女性● 普段はシャイで臆病そうにしているが他人とお風呂は平気。温泉の恐怖はなんとか解消されましたが、私は緊急事態になったときはティッシュは絶対持っていません。日本では道端でもらえるしね☆ 今日も充実した一日を目指そう！

Japanese Superstitions

2010-07-06T09:12:00.000+09:00

I thought I was pretty familiar with the major superstitions in both North America and Japan. A few months ago I was shopping for a birthday present for my nephew’s first birthday. It was the rainy season in Japan so I wanted to buy him a cute pair of rain boots. My friend that was visiting from home at the time told me that you aren’t supposed to get somebody shoes as a gift because they

花金。フラワーフライデイ★

2010-07-02T15:00:00.002+09:00

花金！英語ではTGIFといいます。Thank God It’s Friday!の略。「金曜日が来た！神に感謝！」。。。ちょっとおおげさですね。やっと週末がキタァー！！！今週末は滋賀県でテニス合宿。を楽しむはずだったが。。。兄夫婦が風邪でダウン↘↘　残念！(T_T)/~~~気持ちを切り替えて！一週間たまっている洗濯物でもしよかな。何回干しても雨でビショビショに。。。同じ服を何回洗濯したか。学習能力ゼロの久実ちゃん。地元の友達が先週から我が家で居候。全然相手してない。明日どこ行こうかな。せっかく京都に住んでいるのにもっと町を探検するべきだといつも思うが。。カナダ人にはこの暑さは耐えられません！「え！こんなとこまで汗かくんだ！？」と何回思ったことか^_^;ひじ、あご、耳の裏、鼻の下とかね！外人対象に有利なことはいっぱいある。新幹線の乗り放題チケット、ナイトクラブの割引、イベントの

Lunch Time Nostalgia

2010-06-30T09:38:00.000+09:00

First day the white friend is back in town.She’s excited to treat me with a little taste of home.“What’s for dinner?” I ask.Good ol’ Spaghetti & meatballs with a side of garlic toast. hmm mmm goodness. Yesterday she made me a delicious BLT sandwich for lunch. Perfectly prepared with fresh lettuce, some juicy tomato slices, and crisp bacon. The finishing touch: a little taste of home we can’t

Roach Phobia

2010-06-17T11:10:00.000+09:00

The busy work life came to a halt last week. I think the abuse that I’ve been putting my body through finally caught up.Stomach ulcer, high fever, migraine, cold sore, barf attacks and more migraines hit me all at once last week. The cure: SLEEP. I never new sleep would do me so good. Now I am back into the groove of things. Ready to take on the world! Sort of. Yesterday night, I was writing up

Teru Teru Bozu, Chop off your head!

2010-06-04T15:27:00.000+09:00

June is known as TSUYU 梅雨in Japan. (The rainy season) When this time of season rolls around, you can often find little white floating dolls in the windows of nurseries or elementary schools. These are called Teru teru Bozu. It’s a piece of tissue stuffed with more tissue at the top to make a head, and held in place with a string or rubber band. These little magical dolls are believed to help stop

On The Train… Part 2

2010-06-03T11:03:00.003+09:00

Since the last happening of “On The Train” with the lady and the drool, I’ve conditioned myself not to sit down or fall asleep on my way to work anymore.These 15 minutes on the train, I have spent most of my time reading Keitai Manga (Cell phone comics) on Japanese history. A great way to get the entertaining version in a nutshell…. With illustrations! Anyway, so there I was, deep into the story

The Tower of the Sun

2010-06-01T14:03:00.001+09:00

It was bigger than I expected. It must have stood at least 300 ft tall. The sun was beaming down on us but the cool breeze kept it just right for a comfortable Sunday afternoon picnic at the Expo Park. Flea markets, school festivities, indies rock band shows and park staff dressed in vegetables (I don’t know what that was for..) kept everyone entertained. Further in, there were big open fields

Japanese people just love to line up for things.

2010-05-28T13:30:00.004+09:00

Is it just me, or do Japanese people seem to line up for everything when something new hits the market? This morning, macintosh launched its apple iPad in Japan, where about 300 people were in line outside the Softbank Tokyo, Ometsando location. Over 1,200 were queued at Apple's Ginza store for its 8AM opening. Thinking back… I remember seeing A LOT of stories on the news about Japanese people

My Japanese Experiences

2010-05-26T14:38:00.001+09:00

A friend from back home came to visit me for 2 weeks earlier this month and while he was here, it made me realize how different Japan is compared to North America. I’ve had a few culture shock experiences of my own, but for the most part, I think I’ve adjusted pretty well. I understand now that Mcdonalds in Japan will not give you a free refill. Today I thought I would list up a few interesting

bruised & bloody half naked men

2010-05-25T09:28:00.007+09:00

So I devoted a good week to diligent tweeting every few hours.I don’t know about the rest of the 100 million users who use twitter worldwide, but I don’t really understand the fulfillment of it yet… I mean sure, you tweet some stuff and once in a while you’ll get a tweet back. But that’s it! Nobody really cares that I’m “On the train right now. headin’ to a meeting with businessman in Osaka” or

Procrastinating on the Job.

2010-05-19T10:32:00.003+09:00

It all comes to an end when you stop reading and start listening to audio books.I started running in the mornings and biking to work with my new ride, and the time I usually spent reading in the train is now no more. It’s not like I can read while riding a bicycle. And by the time I get home, it’s so late I just watch the evening news and crash. So I’ve settled for the alternative. Audio books.

Cake Set 280 Yen

2010-05-12T13:08:00.002+09:00

SAKAKURA Cake Set. Only 280 Yen! Wow what a deal. At Starbucks they charge you about 500 Yen for a Frap, and half the time you can’t even find a seat inside because it’s so dang busy!Sakakura is located just south of Shijo on Teramachi Street in Kyoto City.Apparently the Curry is pretty good here too. I better give that a try next time. Open 10am to 10pm 7/week075-708-8319京都府京都市下京区寺町通り仏光寺下る恵美須之町

The Sex Industry in Japan

2010-05-07T11:17:00.000+09:00

Remember the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”? Set in the early 1930’s – 40’s Japan.The movie starts off with the little girl by her dying mother.Soon after, getting taken away by the courteous, soft-spoken gentlemen with the top hat then passed on to the ugly Japanese lady in Kyoto (who was OBVIOUSLY Chinese..) According to my comic book knowledge, that happened quite often back in the day, where

醜小鴨變天鵝

2010-05-07T09:40:00.000+09:00

最近看到一些網路上很紅的文章。深深覺得化妝技術的偉大。俗話說「沒有醜女人，只有懶女人」醜小鴨也可以變天鵝。一個區別日本人和中國人的最簡單的方法就是看化妝。把自己的皮膚畫的很白的一定是日本人。中國人畫素妝的比較多。不過這幾年中國化妝技術真的進步很多，看一下底下這幾張照片就知道。化妝前化妝後

What to do... What to do....

2010-05-06T15:22:00.000+09:00

The [KYOTOKYOTO.JP] website is going to update soon. I just haven’t gotten around to gathering all the content yet.My biggest problem: lack of man power. What a predicament. How many writers does the NYCGO website have for them? A couple thousand??? And here I am with a C+ average for English Lit. and a gang of staff that barely understand the language. And what will make my website different

Kumi's Last day off of Golden week

2010-05-05T11:39:00.000+09:00

Golden week has been a blast so far! Took a hike with some friends to the top of Fushimi Inari. A tough run.... but being the athletic power pumping monster that i am.... what can i say. No Sweat! There are a few events happening in Kyoto this week. Missed the bow and arrow ritual yesterday, but i believe there will be another one happening at Shimogamo shrine this afternoon. Dont forget to

mixi vs.facebook

2010-04-30T13:53:00.004+09:00

This morning as I was doing my routine internet surf, I came across my old Friendster page that I made back in high school. I remember the internet boom in from 97 - 99, I got started playing final fantasy 7 and joined a net forum to get tips and cheats to finish the game. My first laptop was an IBM thinkpad 400Mhz Celeron processor… A birthday/Christmas present from Dad. I started doing mixi

Fat Chinese Kid Out Sings Whitney Houston.

2010-04-27T14:24:00.004+09:00

台灣版蘇珊大嬸 (Susan Boyle) 台灣的超級星光大道的節目從開播以來已經發掘了很多有歌唱天份的素人。從早期的楊宗緯到最近的林育群。這兩個人的長相和歌唱功力的落差，讓觀眾產生共鳴，造成話題，一炮而紅。請聽聽看。Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-tOsM6F4Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tZQzGoBA0

カナダ人はイグルーで暮らしていません。

2010-04-26T18:10:00.000+09:00

たまにアメリカ人からこういう質問があります。“Do you live in igloos?”　（イグルーに住んでいるのかい？）イグルーというのはカナダのイヌイット族が住居としていた、氷のブロックを重ねて作ったドーム状の家。゛今時そんな訳ないじゃん！”　バンクーバーの冬は雪も降らないし、ニューヨークより暖かいわ！と答えてました。今度、日本に住み始めてから、日本のことを何もしらない地元の友達が“ねぇねぇ、日本の刑務所の扉って紙でできてるの？（ふすま）。。。。゛平和か。。そんなわけないいじゃん。。。”でも実はそんなこと思っている人が海外にいるんだよね！！ビックリ！でも確かに、田舎の日本人は玄関のカギ閉めないよね。。うちのおばあちゃんの古い家なんて。。扉にぶつかっていったら、小さな私でも倒せるぐらいちゃっちいドアですもん。。平和かっ！ No... we don't live

Gaspard Zin Zin のグレープフルーツプリン

2010-04-23T15:34:00.004+09:00

今日は大好きな社長から京都のガスパールザンザンのグレープフルーツプリンを頂きました！愛を感じますね！ありがとうございました！社長は忙しく、プリンだけ置いていってすぐ次の仕事へ向いました。お疲れ様です！ Meanwhile...スタッフの和ピーと一緒に早速頂きましたぁ～昨日は営業部のスタッフからミスドのドーナツも頂きました。期間限定の東京なんちゃらドーナッツと沖縄のなんちゃら黒糖ドーナッツ。会社で食べてばっかり！うそ。ちゃんと仕事もしてますよ！多分。。。。アクシュの向井久実は食べる、寝る、仕事する、ゴルフする、仕事する、食べる。明日は晴れるかなぁ？？

GOT BEEF???

2010-04-23T11:19:00.014+09:00

One of my favorite eats in Japan must be Yakiniku. Juicy, mouth-watering, meaty goodness with a beer and some kimchi on the side.What better way to satisfy that greedy monster inside my belly after an intense match of tennis on a Sunday afternoon?“Yakiniku” in Japanese just means “cooked meat”. Originally this style of cuisine came from our friendly neighbors in Korea. There is an assortment

How Japanese do business vs. the west

2010-04-22T14:46:00.001+09:00

The Americans and the Japanese decided to engage in a competitive boat race. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance. On the big day they felt ready. The Japanese won by a mile. Afterward, the American team was discouraged by the loss. Morale sagged. Corporate management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found, so a consulting firm was hired to

Girl gets gyped 32 bucks by shady bloke with a fake accent.

2010-04-21T18:00:00.001+09:00

Funny Story,So my friend back home sends me an email about an experience she had earlier this week where she helps out a troubled tourist out of good faith when she’s at the bus stop. I thought it was pretty funny. Here it is. Hey Girl,here is the latest and greatest I was ATBS (this is our weird acronym language that my strange friends have come up with after I left for Japan a few years ago.

Four Twenty (The Introduction of Modern Post in Japan) OR…… International “Burn Time”

2010-04-20T11:06:00.003+09:00

In high school, I had a good friend whose birthday was April 20th. We would always crack jokes about what he was going to do that day, because in North America, April 20th, also known as 420 (four twenty) is considered the National Pot Smokers Day. (In other words, another excuse for pot heads to openly smoke marijuana in public places) In Japan, April 20th is the anniversary for the

ホイホイ事件

2010-04-19T10:54:00.000+09:00

今日はちょっと気持ちを切り替えて、日本語の書き込みをチャレンジしまーす。日本語のブログって久しぶりかも。。大原でウロウロしてた時以来？あの時はいろんな人がコメントしてくれたなぁ。。。オモロー話①ルームメイトのH君が郵便配達の仕事をしていて、この間ちょっとｵﾓﾛｰハプニングが起こりました。文椿ビルヂングの（←今時ビルヂングって言う人いる！？）一階の焼肉屋に郵便物を届けに行ってました。時間は3時頃でお店の人は夜の仕込みのため扉には「準備中」のサインがかけてありました。入り口付近にはゴキブリホイホイみたいなハエ取り粘着シートが何十枚も置いてあって、踏んだら足の裏にへばりつき絶対取れない強烈なベトベト具合。キャー!郵便配達って結構ハードらしく、急ぎペースで動いてないと定時には絶対作業は終わらないという常に時間に追われる毎日。H君はいつも通り何も考えずさっさーとお店に入って、ハンコをもらいに行

Hangin' with the aristocrats: Lunch at Jisso-in Temple

2010-04-16T11:16:00.000+09:00

Wednesday, I was invited to have lunch and look at cherry blossoms at this beautiful old temple in the northern part of Kyoto City called Jisso-in.Along with myself, there were about 7 or 8 other ladies all working for the concierge of major hotels in the city. I guess this type of thing is common for them, as they need to recommend places of interest to guests that stay at their hotel. To be

On the Train..

2010-04-09T11:00:00.000+09:00

The other day, I was waiting to ride to work on the same 8 o’clock Keihan train to my office. Like every other morning, the same 60-something year old dude with the outrageous comb-over in his wool pleated trousers was puffing his cancer stick on the other side of the platform. The young lady with the 1-point English textbook was in her own world, diligently repeating conversational phrases that

Jesse spends 7 hours a day harvesting virtual vegetables online..

2010-03-30T13:31:00.000+09:00

How productive!! i can say the same for myself... Figuring out all of these SNS stuff is such a hassle. Now that we've got facebook and twitter up and running, we got into flickr and myspace too... as i was playing around with the facebook account, i accidentally saved my profile with the birth year 2010. those evil monsters at facebook deactivated my account as they thought i was a minor under

Working hard? or Hardly working...

2010-01-29T10:06:00.000+09:00

I’ve been wanting to update for while now, but the long days of working and drinking that comes after working has kept me away from doing more work which will eventually save me from working to the end of my days... huh?? What about work?? Weird how in Japan people “live to work…” but in north America, I think we have the mentality of “work to live.” Or work to party. Working hard? Or hardly

Your career in the hands of a god with no arms, legs and has a hearing deficiency

2010-01-12T16:26:00.000+09:00

The other day I had an opportunity to go to Nishinomiya Shrine where lies the God of Business. Well good thing for me! Because that’s just what I need. Some help from the guy up there that deals with all the accounts to help me become rich and successful in my career, and all it takes is a train ride to Hyogo and some spare change to throw in the offerings box. How convenient! I spent no time

Happy 2010

2010-01-07T14:43:00.000+09:00

Indeed it has been a treacherous 2009. Trying to keep a business above water in this ugly recession and balancing that with super sexy party bonanza!Pardon the unintelligent choice of words, but the last few nights of 2009 were honestly just a big blur… =PThe time spent here in Japan these last few years just seemed time-consuming and exhausting and it has gone by way too quick but we can only