Water

Or something to do with it--



This song is about admitting to myself for the first time that I truly love someone (Ryan of course). I figure I'm pretty lucky I was so guarded with my heart my whole life that I've only loved one person--I guess it means that I'm all the more terribly sensitive when it comes to those close to me? Hmm...

Lyrics:
Water stirs the sound
I feel it all around me
I feel it in the ground
This slightly frightening chill
And this has been my first thrill
This is the ending of my own will

Isn't this always the way
That we get to play
Isn't this always the way
That we get to play our love
'til you say "beautiful"

My soul is letting go
My soul is secret embedded
You don't know what you own
Beneath the moonlit sea
Behind the old rock garden
You will find where
I've been hidden again

Repeat chorus:

beautiful, beautiful
beautiful, beautiful

Queen Anne's Lace and What'll I Do

Happy October! I've officially been a routinely blogging person for 1 year and 1 month. Happy 1 and 1/2 birthday to 人魚になりたい. Here are two of my most recent projects.

Queen Anne's Lace: Working title...I think. An old old old (for me) song, very old as in... 6 years old, but I don't think I ever really played it for anyone.
Lyrics: I have never been a rose, but a figure subtle
A face left blank on passing minds
I have never been a star, rather glue covered glitter
A twinkle well-covered over
Chorus:
Everything fades each new dawning day
And someday I will break away from this
This consuming me
VERSE 2:
I have been the lace upon a lovely queen's dress
Sprouting many smaller glories
I've been told my love's no good 'cause it can't be understood
I just say I've got some plot to my story
Chorus--
End:

What'll I Do: A peacefully restless version of the Irving Berlin classic.


In other news -- I still wish I could have been a roomie with Bob the Golfer, although the other guys might have scared me, but the chick seemed cool...

Saturday Hiking

Lots of people believe that Japan is full of cities, that most of it is concrete wherever you go. Actually, from almost place in Japan, except maybe Tokyo, a bit of walking will put you in some type of countryside similar to this video; if you're in Tokyo or in a (large) city center, a 10 minute train ride will probably get you somewhere within a walkable distance for a nice hike.

The reason there is so much open space is because 90% of Japan's population only lives on 10% of the land. I've heard billions of reasons for this, such as the extra land is uninhabitable, none of it, from what I've seen, has been true. There is an amazing amount of flat and mildly hilly, lovely land in Chiba in which there aren't houses for miles around. So really I have no idea why people live so close together except for the fact that the culture is so intent on being very single-minded and together.

Junkie

Do yourself a musical favor and follow this link and just let the music play:

The Jane Does

Sate a musical thirst you didn't even know you had, if you like mod-funky that is.

la la la

So I haven't CREATED anything myself lately, but I have watched other people's creations:




Yes, TV here is like this, but it's not always about toilets.

Chores

Nothing new, unless you didn't know that this is the way I do chores when I really don't feel like doing them.

花火 Hanabi

A day in Chiba watching the fireworks! Watch to the end for the beautiful fireworks--it's the best part ^_^

上を向いて歩こう I'll Look Up and Keep Walking

This is also known as "The Sukuyaki Song" in Western countries. I don't know why.

Anyway, here you are, I will post the lyrics later, I cut my hand very badly and can't type so well.

A Toast and Request

Not the perfect take, but I think you'll get the gist of the song. I wrote it February, 2004 and played it once publicly: as an opener for Jon Sunde (now the Daredevil Christopher Wright) at the Acoustic Cafe.

Lyrics:
long life, to you a toast for great love. I raise my glass
New stars will rise in the presence of your eyes.
New days will shine. You'll finish your goodbyes.
After this sudden snow there always is the sudden sun.
Green will be brightening, the skies quickly lightening;
I promise you'll befriend the freshest flowers.

You're bearing unwell and you're faring to sell.
Please don't pretend with me, please don't pretend to be
Faring well, faring well.

This time has it's place in line, a segment of me with pieces of you.
This time has it's place in line and I have saved a seat for you, I have saved a seat.

You're bearing unwell and you're faring to sell.
Please don't pretend with me, please don't pretend to be
'Cause I love your honesty, son't don't you dare pretend to be
Faring well, faring well. I fare thee well.


That's the general idea of it. The "faring to sell" odd line is kind of a pun on something else. So yeah, that's about it ^_^

やっぱり忍者になりたい Yappari Ninja ni naritai

Click *here* for a lesson in making a ninja hood from your standard black t-shirt.





I did this for a video for a video a YouTube member is creating. I'm guessing his video will be about Ninjas on YouTube.

The fru fru dance!

Two weeks ago I got TWO packages, both containing grand amounts of fruit roll ups. After eating quite of few of them. Ryan helped me make "the fru fru dance."



Now, I know I only thank Moms in this video, since I know that they were so kind to note my love of F.R.U. However, Dads! I love you too and without all your daily hard work this wouldn't have been possible either.

I love you all. I can't wait to hug everyone in November!

Congrulatoriness

Congratulations due to Megan and Brian and Jason and Shannon on their two and three years, respectively, together as of this fourth of July!

Yesterday in japan, today U.S., Ryan and I celebrated two goofy years which involved: oceans of prayer, a mountain-hiking honeymoon (3 days of which I was passed out, sick), moving to Japan, the usual petty newly-wed arguments, hospitilization and surgery, the creation of three family characters: Muzzle Bear, Pterodactyl (a baby one), and Rhododendron the wheezing dinosaur (whether he's a stego or a T-Rex we're not sure). Mostly there's been endless laughter, thanks to Ryan and his never-ending charm.

This pic is thanks to Jenna who took the time to photoshop the tent-pole perfectly out of the picture!

Jenna, Andy and Abigail bought and creatively created all the decorations as well as helping to set everything up--it was SO lovely! I will never forget that you guys.

How we Celebrate
Cheaply ^_^ Last year we went to Onjuku Beach for our anniversary, this year we did the same. The beach was fairly empty and the weather was breezy and cool in the shade.

Ryan shows me a message that a Mermaid Wrote! Or so he said.

Ryan is happy. Look at that crazy swirling fog in the background! It's like that most Onjuku mornings in summer I think.

Then we went home and showered and made the hour trip to Makuhari to check out the available movies. Sadly, X-Men and Pirates of the C. have yet to come out here, but Mission Impossible III wasn't bad at all and was basically our only option other than an anime, Disney's Cars, and Ivan the Iced Cod (the uncoded name--and you thought it was called the DaVinci Crap or something like that? Really, the movie is the code, it's not about what you think it is--the grail was a drunken Cod named Ivan who got Iced in the process of creating a portrait in the sand of his mother who had her head chomped off by a shark for sleeping with a racist cowboy who liked to whip Polar Bears. Think it unlikely? I got it from the same feminist-wicca library that Dan Brown used. And, as you all know, literature written with major (albeit run-of-the-mill) propaganda is always very truthful!

Poor Ivan, we will protect his memory from the whipped polar-bears and keep the truth in secret forever!

Dum. DaDaDUM!

I come to bring you good tidings--I hope you'll consider them good tidings anyway, heh--come December, when the winds bustle coldly in, busily tweaking cheery red cheeks and noses; upon an unromantically crowded metal chariot, two long lost travelers will come blowing in from the West, migrating home for a temporary stay.

I'll arrive on U.S. soil November 30th where I'll happily visit family and anxiously await Ryan's return to my side when he flies in on December 12th.

In the meantime, these have been posted on my YouTube site for a while, but for those who have yet to click on the little "Ningyo VLog" link to the right, here's my recent work:

A (slightly horse) Cover of Fever Jenna--you should watch it!


A Morbid Happy Birthday Greeting to Stacey


The lyrics are:
I hear you've had a birthday once again
And even though I've said it many times
Happy Birthday
Congratulations
I hear you're one more year
Closer to death

Independence Day

I LOVE AMERICA YAY! I hope you had a happy and gratefilled (past tense of greatful?) holiday all you luckies living under those magical stars and stripes!

Before I post videos: I know some of you can't look at the videos, which is sad because they're so much fun and not being able to SEE them means you probably aren't able to make them which isn't so fun either ._. So I'll post this part first:

I looked at this on the Fourth of July. It's from GoldTeeth.com . Go to the site and tell me, which grillz are yo style gangsta!
These are my favorites:




If I really did have to choose, I think I'd go for some random single tooth-caps (like the top one) and go for that whole super-stylin'. Jack'oLantern look. heh.

This is also what I did on Independence day (and the day after). Ryan made a REALLY funny video, but he doesn't want to share it, so I'll just share mine. It's really long...sorry.


Oh, and there's also an add-on which didn't fit into the 10 minute restrictions set by YouTube, so I added it as it's own thingy. It's specials from Parents the Grube! Watch 'til the end to discover the BEST way to eat fruit roll ups ^_~

Grapefruits!

This was a TON of hard work. The actual video looks really really cool, unfortunately, YouTube currently changes all files into Flash and it looks kinda crappy.

Still-please check out this weekend's work ^_^

I Made This!

All by myself!

Vlog

I've created a slightly lame Vlog (Video Log). Hit the play button to play.



Most of my future blogs will be in this format. We've actually begun recording (finally!) again and will have at least one song up in simple--as in, no editing, just girl and guitar, not even Ryan!--format by the end of next week. お楽しみにしてください！

Thief! Thief!

A few times I have "stolen" Ryan's posts, or so he kinda says. I guess I should agree with him since I was tempted to post his experience at the Tobu World Square.

Since that would be actual thieving, I'll just tell you all to visit this post of his and tell him how cool all the little 1/25 scale of famous world things is!

I think all my friends will probably consider the park that's displayed to be one of the coolest places on earth! I'd also like to say that before Ryan ever heard of this park, he had in mind the creation of a huge park with life-size recreations of many of the buildings you see. We both agreed that a park like that would belong somewhere in the desert areas of New Mexico or in the further reaches of Montana or North Dakota. Like Wall Drug, only with stuff to see...

Tanaka Ballet Studio Performance

Most of you don't know that I had been taking ballet lessons with a sweet friend of mine named Hitomi. I went to lessons from lastDecember through half of April in Mobara, which is a 20 minute train ride from Toke. When Hitomi moved in April, I stopped going to lessons, mostly because I was too shy to go alone. I've wanted to begin again, but a recent leg injury has kept me from even keeping up with my daily runs.

Yesterday, Tanaka Ballet Studio had a wonderful recital at the Mobara Theatre House. Ryan and I went to the 2 1/2 hour show, which was very varied and entertaining. The lights were pretty dark and we had to use digital zoom, so they're a bit blurry, but suitable I think.

The children's recital was first. It was a 45 minute set of small and large group shows displaying all the students from the adorable little girls to high schoolers who spun on point (using toe shoes to stand on the tips of their toes) very naturally. We didn't manage to get any good images of the junior high and high school students group performance. Sorry.



Next there was a 45 minute set of performances by those who are still amateurs, but have been studying for a very long time. It was also another chance for the school girls who were very advanced to show their stuff. The (only) man and the woman in white are are around 40-50, the rest are in high school or junior high.

Ryan really wanted to wear the guy in the middle's Bluebird Costume.



Then there was a final 30 minute group show in which all the little girls were flower fairies--soo cute! This was also the show in which most of the junior high school girls had the opportunity to do a solo dance on the center stage as well.

So Cute!

Yakitate! 焼きたて！

When Melissa visited last summer, she loved the characters from the show Yakitate! Japan. Yakitate means something like "hot and fresh." Since "pan" is the Japanese word for "bread," Hot/fresh Ja-pan is a cute pun. The Japanese initially learned about bread from Portugeuse missionaries (and later Dutch as well) in the 16th century, which is why "pan" is called "pan."

Recently, Ryan and I have been watching many slow-moving, dialouge-overloaded episodes (i.e. anime) of this show in which Azuma Kazuma and Friends work to be the best breadmakers ever. Azuma's goal is (very cute) to create a bread called "Japan" that will be more delicious than rice. It will also represent Japan to the world, as French bread represents France. Ryan loves it for the drama and wierdness and I love it for the drama of Ryan being super happy about a bread cartoon of all things. There's a lot of yelling from the computer (where we watch it) and from Ryan on the couch.

Anyway, the point is, we were getting a bit down about not having an oven lately, since we both love to bake and create. Ovens have yet to become a staple of the Japanese household. In our apartment, we live using a 2 range gas stove, a rice cooker and microwave. So, especially after watching the bread show we truly desired to make some homestyle bread! Japanese bread is very different from Western bread, it's very spongy/doughy feeling, most breads here are wonder-bread-white and it's difficult to find nutrient&fiber-filled wheaty bread. While the breads here are yummy, I really miss the not so sweet, yet flavorful, wheat bread loaf that you can find for just 60 cents in any U.S. market (or, better yet, fresh and for free at Ryan's Mom's house!). Also since eating brown grains is known to prevent weight gain around the belly and the fiber in brown breads is VERY important in digestion and can also assist in dieting or just daily calorie balance ^_^

So we were delighted when the 27th episode of Yakitate! Japan demonstrated how to cook bread in a rice maker! I made my first (and second) ever loaf(ves) of bread yesterday!

The first loaf was milk-tea (chai)! (Sorry, for some reason this upright picture only tranlates sideways.)
It's a white bread loaf (only white flour in Toke! Wheat'll require a trip to the big city) using a bit of brown sugar and milk tea mix. The texture is a little heavy, yet soft/fluffy and the taste is sweet with a hint of tea spice flavors--good for eating while having black tea!


The second was made with cranberries and oats. It was a bit like a soft scone really. It was thicker and a bit more crumbly than the first since the oats soaked up the extra water I added while baking. Next time, the plan add a bit more water and some marmalade jam to make an oaty orange-cranberry flavored bread! YAY!


In other news, Ryan wore the 1/2 piano-key necktie I found for $4 for him in Harajuku! When he stepped into the living room that morning I thought he was on his way to go play in a ska band, but instead he just went to school and recieved many many compliments and even played a duet rendition of "Heart and Soul" on his necktie with a student.

So Completely Charming He Is.

Book List

I thought I'd make this a post since Jenny posted some of her favorites in comments in the previous post, (which I have simplified) and it was so interesting to hear about what type of books she enjoys.

So here're my favorites. Many of these aren't just current favorites, but are here because I've read them more than three times and they've become a part of me. Please post yours in comments too if you like!

#1 (the only one I'll number)

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

My favorite book of all time, combining fantasy and theology to give some slightly tangible feeling examples to the intangible. Also, Ryan and I became nearly inseperable when we discovered one evening that both of us shared this book as our favorite. It was a really strange feeling since few people I knew had ever heard of or read it.

The rest are in no particular order.

Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

It's the second in the Out of the Silent Planet series and, talking theology, my favorite. Again, it helped put many questions I had into a different light and another angle which made it more visible.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones

A lot of her other stuff is a bit strange and inconclusive (as in, really, the conclusion doesn't make any sense), but Howl's Moving Castle is a wonderful new fairy tale. It doesn't try to twist any old ones and it doesn't get too cocky, it's just a cute story.

The Book of Revelations by God

This is on the list since it's strange, I spent a year of Sunday's after church in 4th grade, reading the entire book of Revelations. By that I mean, almost every Sunday that year was spent reading it from start to finish. No one knows why, maybe I'm just a skip to the end kinda person. When I read it now, I feel that I grasped it better as a child.

The Gospel of Matthew by God

I like Matthew's writing style. I understand it better.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Stacey and I relate a bit too well to her character I think.

The Secret Garden by L.M. Montgomery

Who wouldn't want one?

Ender's Gameby Orson Scott Card

I think Card has a way of depicting how both strong and innocent children can be, I was blown away by that concept in his book. Also, it's just a really well written and thrilling story.

Veinte Poemas de Amor y Una Cancion Desesperada by Pablo Neruda

So I don't understand it as well as I used to, I don't even know who to type an accent over the 'o' in 'Cancion' but I still get the gist and I love the way the words sound. Pablo Neruda is the best writer of love poems ever.

Much Ado About Nothing by Mr. Shakespeare

Love is a silly happy and frustrating thing and I think 'ol Will had the idea down correctly when it came to that play. I used to read a bit of it every week if I felt down. During freshman year in college I once made Mark Durand and Justin Baker read through the 1st 1/2 play with me. Mark and I were very enthusiastic about acting it out in the little dorm room I shared with Megan; I think we frightened Justin with our yelling and theatrics.


Series and other stories that I love include:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis, and the Xanth series by Piers Anthony, The Silmarillion by Tolkien, and Full Metal Alchemist (manga series) by Hiromu Arakawa.

Although I really love and enjoy LoTR and Earthsea I've never felt the urge to read them more than once (or twice).

The War Obsession

I decided to edit this since it was a bit overboard. So the simple version is:

I like Miyazaki films: Kiki, Totoro, Spirited Away

I understand and am perfectly ok that books are edited when they become movies, but I am bothered when characters are stripped, renamed, replaced and the movie doesn't make any sense.

There's no need to ADD a war to a story that has none.

I was sad that they did the two items above to Howl's Moving Castle.

I'm a bit disturbed that they actually inserted the words War Saga into the title of the Tales of Ged.

la~~ that's all I really needed to say.

Kyoto last day!

Our last day was Saturday, April 1st. It was expected to be the biggest tourist day for cherry blossoms. Ryan and I had planned on going hiking to avoid the crowds. We split off from Jeremy and Stacey, who decided to linger a bit and see some last sites, at around 10am. We were too meet up with them again around 3.

But when we got to Kyoto station to drop off our bags, there were Maiko,or Geiko (Geisha) in training, all over the station. They were advertising for a dance they would be doing later that week. It was one of the rare opportunities in which normal, not filthy rich, people could simply ask for a picture with the girls without interrupting their busy schedule.





We realized we couldn't see the dance they were advertising since it would occcur later that week, but we did realize that if we canceled our hike we could go to see the Miyako Odori, a yearly celebration of spring that is put on by a classical dance school for Maiko that is famous in Kyoto. So we set off for the Gion district as quick as we could to Gion Corner a famous theatre in the heart of Gion.

We opted for the expensive tickets which included viewing the most highly formalized version of the Japanese Tea Ceremony that we have ever seen. The girl in blue is a Maiko, the girl in black is no longer in training and is officially Geiko.




Only one person was actually served tea by the Geiko and Maiko. There were many girls there with carts of bowls and plants, serving tea and sweets to the rest of us.


The tea is powdered green tea and is mixed (not brewed) with a bamboo whisk in a small bowl. The method of serving is extremely formalized, the method of drinking is as well: The bowl is served with the "best side" of it facing you, you should not drink out of the best side, but hold it with your left hand and with your right, turn it clockwise twice so the best side is facing away, then, it's most polite to drink all the matcha in three gulps, or in a few sips, either way you pick it up once and drink it all before setting it down. Matcha is served with a sweet to balance the bitter taste.



After that we were allowed to tour the garden behind the hall and then were ushered into the theatre to watch the Miyako Odori.

First, there was an introductory dance.


Next came a dance depicting a story from The Tale of Genji. Note the Heian Period (around 1,000 years ago) dress and hair style. It's very different from the more recent, although not as recent as Western dress, Kimono and dramatic updos that currently represent Japan to many of us.


Then there was a scene from Urashima Taro, a legend about a boy who caught a sea turtle while fishing and let it go. The turtle then gave Urashima Taro a ride to the underground palace of the sea people. When he returned after what seemed just a few days, everyone he knew was dead and gone.


Then there was a dance celebrating the Fall.


One celebrating Winter.


And, of course there was adance for the Spring


All the characters and dancers came out for The Finale.


After that, we were able to catch up with Stacey and Jeremy and they went to see the later showing of the dance since plans had changed so quickly that we weren't able to contact them until after the first show. So we didn't get to see the show together, which was sad. But at least we were both able to see it and talk of it afterward. While Stacey and Jeremy were watching the show, Ryan and I went to Keninji a temple extremely close to Gion Corner. It had the most interesting classical rock gardens I have ever seen.



It has also recently had it's ceiling repainted with a now-famous image of a dragon. We thought that was pretty cool.


When Stacey and Jeremy got out of the show, it was by then around 6pm. We went down the street to Maruyama Koen again where everyone was out picnicking around the famous old cherry tree.


When the sun set, torches around the tree were lit up.


From there, we left to go to Kyoto station. Stacey and Jeremy took off for Osaka and from there had many adventures of which I have no images to show you, but I hope to see the things they saw someday soon. Ryan and I lingered about Kyoto station to wait for the night bus back to Tokyo. We arrived in Tokyo at around 6am and went straight home on the early commute train.

The End!

Kyoto: Day 4

So I was wrong~the last post was our 3rd day in Kyoto. The following morning I took off on my own, since I felt like walking everywhere, and went all the way from our hostel to Ginkakuji (the Silver Temple) which is my favorite temple. To get there (or anywhere in Kyoto, really) you just follow the very straight (or would that be straightened?) Kamo River.

The cherry blossoms were looking gorgeous by then.



A man was feeding the hawks while his teeny little dog was looking a little scared. There was actually quite the motley collection of birds: cranes, pigeons ravens, gulls, and hawks were all present. The seven or eight hawks that were continually swooping down from the air pretty much dominated the scene, however.



After about 2 1/2 hours I made it to Gikakuji. It's not actually painted silver because it happened to burn down at least twice. After the second burning, the proprieter dindn't have the cash to actually cover it in gold foil like the Golden Temple (Kinkakuji).


I love it because it has a very unique rock garden (more like a sculpture almost) and also because the garden is very peaceful.



The ground is entirely moss, no sirree no grass there.


There's even a display, explaining a bit about the moss.
"Moss the Interruptor", or, "bad (ugly) moss."


"Very Important Moss, like VIP"...or like VIM...



The view of Ginkakuji and looking West out to the NE section of Kyoto.


After Ginkakuji there was quite a hike back to the hostel, on the way I...

walked the Philosopher's walk. It's actually an old Meiji era (or earlier probably) road that was so renamed for a well-loved professor at Kansai University (close by the area) who used to walk up and down it during his lunch breaks.


saw Pooh's?...cafe which was closed,


and enjoyed the view of the river and hills that border the Eastern side of Kyoto.



Then Ryan and I finally met up after sating all our independent touristy wants and explored a bit of the Kiyomizudera area (some fun shopping, etc. see November postings). In the early evening we met up with Stacey and Jeremy who were also pretty tired and, YAY!, went to Bikkuri Donkey for a well deserved huge plate 'o meat. This one was Ryan's meal, rice with curry and a huge Hamburg Steak (or you can just say Hamburger in the old sense) with cheese. Considering it was only our second meal, I'd say it was well earned.