Happy Hanukkah!! -1st night

Happy Hanukkah

Tonight is the 1st night of Hanukkah. My book says "During the winter, Hanukkah is a light that warms and cheers us." Chris said the blessings on the first night over the Hanukkah candles. On the first night, a candle is placed at the far right end of the menorah (the candle holder). BUT BUT BUT...I see the candle at the far left....OH NO!! The one on the right is called the shammash. The very first light to be used to ignite the far left one (which supposed to be at the right). We do this eight days. On the eighth night, there will be eight candles plus the shammash on the menorah.

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Chris says the blessings tonight (saying from the book..oops.).

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Chris sets up the menorah.

My Jewish books

Package from Japan!!!

福砂屋の手づくり最中

(Monaka from Fukusaya)

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I have been receiving some packages from families and friends. Yes, Japanese stuff. This is MONAKA from FUKUSAYA. Wooooooooo, I love love this Japanese snack. I decided to take a photo of this thing becaues my friend Jessica does take photos of Japanese stuff on her blog. I think it is a little wierd (sorry, Jes. This doesn't mean anything. I guess I feel like I am exposing myself too much..!?).

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I am reading 劇団ひとりの陰日向に咲くnow. This is me reading it.

This book came in the package from my mom.
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I think I am a little homesick. I am experiencing this year's holidays/the same holidays at the different places, with different people, and in the different ways. This experience makes me think about my families and friends in Japan. Japanes food I got in the packages is definitely helping me feel this way. Thank you all who care about me and actually took your time to pack items and sent them for me.

Holiday season!!

Happy Holiday!!

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I do celebrate many holidays now. I just celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. I had discovered how grateful to enjoy Thanksging day meal with my wonderful family. Hanukkah is coming in a week. I will celebrate it because I got married to a jewish guy. I had been receiving a Christmas present from Santa when I was a child. We just bought our very 1st Christmas tree. And of course, I as a Japanese person New Year's day is the biggest holiday of the year. I have to say that New Year's Day is the holiday I truly enjoy and celebrate especially if I am in Japan with my family and our gorgeous traditional Japanese New Year's Day recipe!

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This is how our living room looks like now. We bought this Christmas tree at IKEA today. Chris and I are both very excited about this Christmas tree, our very 1st Christmas tree in our house which we definitely will enjoy many more years to come. Let me say this...within a year or two..you might see this Christmas tree with our lovely baby who not yet seen.

Thanksgiving Day

This is me eating Thanksgiving day meal. I was dying to eat my mother-in-law, Carol's food and did not take any photo of her food, sorry. It was nice. I should've taken a photo of Turkey at least. I remember the first time I saw a whole turkey on the table. People in Japan don't see that that often. Am I right?

This is my family I enjoyed the Thanksgiving day meal with. Jonathan, Chris, mam, and dad.

This is dad calling the family who are far and could not spend time together today. I could talk to some of my new family members too. I am very grateful on this Thanksgiving day.

I am 32 today!

It was my birthday. I enjoyed very much being a cow on my birthday. It was Jonathan's party. It's me and Jonathan. He got me a big birthday cake and huge teddy bear for me. He even called me in the morning to say Happy Birthday like my mom does. He is my great brother!!

On October 27, suddenly someone called 20 mins before the midnight saying I have only 20 mins until my 32nd birthday and also saying she is coming to my house right now!! So, it's me in the middle with a hat and gloves which Mariko gave me for my birthday. Chris, Hide, Ikuya, Mayu, Mariko and me. Thank you all for coming. It was fun!!

Omede-Tai card

Present from Japan

Nintendo DS from Chris

My new monkey shower sponge

This is my new shower sponge. I bought it at the Shaw's supermarket yesterday. It was $2.99. I was looking for a bottle of body wash because I was running out of it. I could not find the body wash I usually use but I found her on the top of the shelf instead. I am very happy with my new shower sponge and enjoying looking at it. I even go to the bathroom/showerroom just to look at her. Don't you sometimes find stuff in the store..something you think nobody really even dare to touch or buy and then makes you wonder where exactly those items go if absolutely nobody buys them. Will you buy it with the price of $2.99 if you need a shower sponge today? Sometimes we do have bad moments in our lives. This little new monkey sponge makes me forget about bad things for seconds and makes me happy and smile.

Foliage

I went back to New Hampshire to see foliage. This time with my friend, Jessica. Not with Chris. It is always nice to have a short trip with a girlfriend but not with a guys...sometimes. Girls do see and feel about things in a different way sometimes.

This is Jessica and me at the Flume Gorge.

Later that evening on the first day...we joined a "MOOSE Watching Tour"!!! This is a real moose's foot. We successfully could see 6(?) moose that night. The guys from the tour find the place moose comes in and out, stop the bus and put the light out. At the last try of finding moose, we could see them there for the longest time. We even went out of the small tour bus and saw moose very closely. We were supposed to be very quiet but I screamed every time I saw the different moose. It was too dark to be able to take pictures of moose but I videotaped them. The funny thing was that one car was following the tour bus because people in the car I guess knew they can cheat and see moose without paying. Well, they saw moose too. Unnn, I will do that next time I guess.

We were at the top of Mount Washington. We drove up there. Well I paid to do this but actually this was the very original reason I wanted to go to New Hampshire. They give me a bumper sticker says "This car climied Mount Washington." This sticker is kinda famous? popular? Many people know this bumper stickers here in New England. Right? I was not expected to drive up all the way like this in the picture. I thought just a top of a mountain where I can see foliage much better. Actually there were no trees. It is too high. It was great on the way though. I had to stop my car so many time. We were in a world of YELLOW and ORANGE.

Letters from my family!!!

Finally, I am very very happy today!!! I received letters from Momoka-chan, Natsumi-chan, and Hiroko-san who are my cousin, Kazunori's family. The letters were so cute and very very very sweet! Thank you, guys.

This is Momoka-chan at the party. I met her for the first time at my wedding party at the Tokyo Dome hotel in April 2006. She came by herself with her dad Kazunori-kun without her mom and big sister who caught a cold that day. She was a super sweet cute little girl. She told me she was 5 years old. Were you? She held my hands in her chest and squeeeeeeeeeezed them saying a Japanese word "Gyuuuuuuuuu." I cannot forget that ever! She was absolutely ADORABLE!!!

My cousin Kazunori-kun

Natsumi-chan and Hiroko-san

This is my family. I had the greatest time with them especially who I don't see often, and I was very greatful that my family got together just for me and Chris to celebrate our marriage together. After I came back to the States, I just sent some postcards and cute girl stuff to girls even I didn't know much about them but Momoka-chan made me feel like I know them forever. My family. I wanted to feel close to them, let them know I am here as family, and get to know each other. So, I am truely happy that now I know they received cards from me and they replied. I love my family and they are there for me always. I love them more than ever.

el-los-un-unos & la-las-una-umas

It was my second Spanish/Español lesson. From right.. me, Eka, Ken the teacher, and Mariko holding her book (el libro, los libros, un libro, and unos libros!!) and Español-English dictionary (el diccionario!!!). el-los-un-unos/la-las-una-umas!!! This is what we learned today. Mariko invited me in to this class. I thank her for that. Many ask me why ME? Spanish? Why? (By the way, "why" is "por qué" everyone! I think my teacher is proud of me right now.) Eka thinks someone speaking Spanish is sexy. Mariko just came back from the trip to south America including Brazil, Argentina?, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. Wow. She showed me many many great pictures and told me about the trip. She went many many interesting places I've never traveled. It was nice and I wish I can travel like her. I am still traveling to Walt Disney World. So anyway, I started my Spanish lesson because I want to visit Barcelona, Spain. That's all. This place will be my next travel destination. I know I will enjoy there as same as Mariko did in south America because of this class!!

New Hampshire-White Mountain National Forest

A couple of hours from Boston to White Mountain National Forest. I headed straight to Mt. Washington to drive up to the top of Mt. Washington. Honestly.. I wanted to get and put the famous bumber sticker says "This car climbed Mt. Washington!" on my car bumber. ha ha... It was the great feeling being up there. Clear air and deep green forest. THAT was what I really wanted. This time was a short one day trip but I want to go back there for a few days or more again. I will go back there for foliage very very soon!!

We started from Lincoln to Twin mountain, route 16, Mt. Washington area, Jackson, Kancamangus Highway back to Lincoln. Lincoln is where the Loon Mountain ski resort is. We went there before with people from work. I believe most of these people are now in Japan.

This is Chris sitting on the rock at the Ellis river. You can often stop the car and enjoy many rivers like this, waterfalls, covered bridges and trails. Chris liks this photo too.

This is a covered bridge in Jackson of route 16. This was the first covered bridge I stopped and actually walked across. It smelled kinda strainge but nice and quiet. Behind this bridge, there was a town of Jackson looked quiet, but pretty place was there. We stopped by a store right behind this bridge and people were very nice there. I will definitely visit there again. I am very excited to explore many of thoses places in New Hampshire! (Well, do you see me in the car and sticking my head and arms!?)

Horan family

Horan family came to see us from Uxbridge to Downtown Toronto. Adrian and Nao used to work at Higashi school. Now they live in Canada and have two great kids. We had a dinner and had the great time with them. It was very nice to see them again. Thank you very much.

This is Adrian the head of Horan family.

This is Nao. She is a mother of two now. Really!!!

The little one is Takumi. He is the happiest kid!!

Kaito is the big brother of Taku.

Toronto

We went to Toronto for our friends, Meena and Steve's wedding!!

This is Meena and Steve. Don't they look great together. I am really happy for them.