This necklace was designed and crafted in the Summer of 2005 and is an extension of the necklace shown below. It is also compromised of black dyed light grade wood and sterling silver beads with a mahjong tile with a character engraved in blue reading "east." Piece is kept together with high grade polyurethane cord and heavy duty clasp. This necklace is also popular among teenage styles especially gothic and punk, and reflects a more grittier side of fashion.

This necklace was designed and crafted in the Summer of 2005. It is compromised of black dyed light grade wood and sterling silver beads with a mahjong tile with a character engraved in blue reading "east." Piece is kept together with high grade polyurethane cord and heavy duty clasp. This necklace is popular among teenage styles and reflects a more grittier side of fashion.

This necklace was designed and crafted in the Spring of 2006. It is comprised of handcrafted light wooden beads from a local manufacturer. The clasp is a lobster claw style and fastens best of all varieties. The clasp is double secured to the necklace and is sure to never fall apart during the life that you own this necklace. This necklace has a very distiguished weight to it and you will feel its presence when worn with any contemporary fashion.

This necklace is a one of a kind designed and crafted in the Fall of 2005. It is comprised of California Turquois separated by red Japanese prayer beads. The clasp is hand forged in a style of Eastern European origin and is accented around the back of the neck by similar themed bronze metal beads. The clasp is double secured to the necklace and is sure to never fall apart during the life that you own this necklace. This piece has a dazzling strong display of colors and goes well with any contemporary fashion.

This necklace is a one of a kind designed and crafted in the Summer of 2003 in cooperation with Tomoko Tawara of Craft Studio Roots in Kyoto, Japan. This necklace is unique in all its parts and is made from parts of all over the world. The cord is hand woven of Polish descent. Brown disc colored beads and white cylindrical fish bone beads are from Indonesia. The hand woven cord is light and very flexible for a loose and casual fit. The mahjong tile has a character engraved in red meaning "center" and lies just above the heart when worn.

Pictured at right is a bracelet designed and went into production in the winter of 2005. The bracelet is made of kids plastic low grade beads and one wooden hand carved vintage gameboard die. Bracelet is help together by elastic rubber and cotton woven covered band. This bracelet is made in homage to the wearer's youth and days of imagination.

Pictured at right is an anklet designed and went into production in the Winter of 2005. The beads are black dyed light grade wood and sterling silver with
a vintage red acrylic gambler's die. Bracelet is kept together with high grade polyurethane cord and heavy duty clasp.

5/18/03 Notes

5/18/03


Hi folks!! It's me again after a couple months break. My new "girlfriend" was in danger of finding my blogg, so I
decided to cool off for a little while until things stabalized. I find that this blogg stuff is kinda funny cuz
you only want strangers to read it, not your true friends. If they ever did, people's feeling would get hurt and
you'd spend the next few months licking your tail.


Which brings me directly to what I would like to talk about. I am applying to study at the Kyoto Gaidai
University and today we had an all day orientation for studying abroad. Completely useless, except for one thing.
We saw this stupid video from the poofy 80's about culture shock and homesickness. The premise of the
documentary was they interviewed all these various foriegn students studying at Boston Univesity. One of the
students commented on how Americans say things like, "I'll call you this weekend," and never do. A professor
explained this as saying Americans are in actuality afraid of thier personal space being invaded, or better yet,
their freedom. He explained Americans don't make friends easily because too much emphasis is placed on
individuality. Therefore we say we will do something for or to someone without any intention of it going through
with it. I've always wondered why people say they will and never do. I always thought they didn't like me and
didn't want to say...








3/17/03


So the new news is I have a new female distraction to distract me from my other distraction that was distracting me
from my studies. She's really cute and really sweet and really perfect in every way, except one. She has a secret
which for the life of her she won't tell me. I don't really care about it to tell you the truth. I already like her
and feel I understand her to the point it couldn't really bother me...


But then something happened! In a separate and unrelated incident something started to make me think about this
secret of hers.


I was going to meet a new Japanese language partner who happens to be a girl at her neighborhood coffeeshop. Her
roommate shows up and tells me she is waiting outside in her car for me and that we should go somewhere else because
there is someone there that she doesn't want to see. So her roommate escorts me to her car where we introduce ourselves
and silently drive down the street to another coffeeshop. It was wierd, like I was in some mafia movie, or some
romantic horror/suspense movie. After we sat down in the second coffeeshop I gathered myself together and got on with
the introduction.


I can only wonder who it was she was trying to avoid as I didn't want to pry into her business, and truthfully I was
kind of enjoying the whole intrigue of the moment. Possibly an ex-boyfriend or some stalker or whatever, I don't know.
I didn't care. It's none of my business.


But afterward I began to think, do all Japanese girls have these secrets they internalize and deal with them in silence?
Is it such a man's world that they walk around with these ghosts tucked deep in their stomachs. And then it made me
wonder about the girl I sent the roses to. Am I another phantom of her conscious, slowly haunting her in the quiet
moments of her thoughts? I hope she knows I never intended that to be the case.


And now something fun!








2/28/03


And when you got sick I was sad for some days,

but I'm feeling much better

I just sleep it away

Now it's just like

We never was

Some things go bad just because.




I copied this from
my friend's blogg,
I think she wrote it. Is she my friend? This whole techno friendship
world is a little strange. I feel like she is a friend, but I've only communicated with her once by e-mail,
but I feel like I dunno I kinda know her and stuff...wierd how you can know so much about a person by
their bloggs. It turns out she lives just around the corner from where I used to live a few hundred miles away
and many years as well. Anyway I like her blogg, it reflects allot of who she is in so many good ways. What do you
think of me... (I think so too...).



Still waiting, though what for anymore I don't know. I lost big time, like a vegas millionaire lost it all lost...








2/19/03


Still waiting...





2/14/03


Gosh, we could go so far as call me a loser now!! Cuz' all I'm doing these days is losing. I sent a dozen
roses to a pretty girl I'm on the lookout for and she didn't call me. Am I doing things all wrong?
Here's the goof:



1. So I sent these flowers to this girl and to make it a little mysterious I didn't disclose my name on the
card, but I'm pretty sure I made it obvious who it was from. I wanted to be discreet. But now I'm thinking
it may have been a bit more honorable of me to just come out and be bold about it all instead of doing a jig.
I wanted to have a little fun with her and figured she was a kind of girl that might be able to handle it.


2. I spent a grip of money, 6 long stem and 6 short stem, you do the math. I thought I was being a bit
stingy myself on the short stems. I had the money, I figured it would be appropriate to go all out. I
was walking around today and saw all these people with vases of flowers and etc. and although thought them
a bit cheezy, of course the point was gotten. In these times and definitely in my circles people are
poor. So now I'm thinking I went overboard and scared her spending money on her like I was
The Sultan Of Brunei.
Truthfully, I've never bought flowers for a girl, so I may have unknowingly screwed up, however in matters such
as flowers, how can you go wrong. It's like buying too big of an engagement ring!!



As this journal is all about an asian american existence here's where it all ties together like a pretty red bow.
She's straight up proper Japanese. The last couple times we have talked I have felt I stomped her a couple times.
For example, she told me she likes this television show called "Friends." I tore into her and found myself berating
her for such a silly cultural misgiving. Americans know what a lie that tv program is, but I can't hold it against
someone that doesn't know any better. Another time I invited her to do something. I got the feeling she didn't
want me to come to her house, so I took command and told her to come to my neighborhood. She seemed uncomfortable.
My point is Japanese people, I think, have a hard time saying no to things. If I don't want to do something I come
out and tell a no. Therefore I'm beginning to feel really gruff and rude, when all I am trying to do is get to the
point. So now let's imagine her telling a guy no over a fat branch of roses!


This is how I feel right now.








2/12/03


Speaking of the last entry, I LOST. I invited everyone out and no one came, so much for theoretoric
huh? And then the person who I really really reeeely wanted to come out did!!! And boy was she suprised
at how popular I was!! Life is cruel and ironic... Well, I hope she had fun, she told me she did, but
you know how girls can lie. I'm gonna take another jump in the same direction and see what comes out. Wish
me luck!!


Why should they be so cool?






2/5/03


Ever been in the middle of stuff and you're in that limbo where you just don't know what to do
about it, move forward, stay in the safe zone, just do nothing cuz it's all a lost cause? You wanna
fight, but you're afraid of losing out on something, your cool, your integrity (what little of it), your
friends (ditto what little)? I'm joining into a crew of dj's who have a monthly at a "friend's" bar.
This "friend" is preventing us from throwing out a blowout of a party and now I feel like I'll be
disappointing the patron friends of mine for not showing us all the best time I'm capable of. So what can I
do to make it better? I could invite all the half friends and aquaintances just for the sake of filling the
place out I'm thinking. Besides, I'm hoping they'll have a good time and I'll be able to make more friends
because of it. But I'm not the most persuasive guy in the world, and so the real question is should I stick my
little neck out and sell the show, do the whole car salesman routine. Gosh, will they even come? And when they
do will they have a good time, or just psychoanalyze? I think I'm psychoanalyzing myself too much right now.


My final answer: I'm gonna go all out and try to bring as many people out as I can. Thanks for listening...


Speaking of music, here's one of my idols





2/4/03


Gosh, it's been a while since I've been here... Gomen ne. In other news, I just ate a whole jar
of raw oysters in about five minutes. What the heck was I thinking? But gosh they were good. And I
feel good cuz of it so it can't be all that bad huh? Lately I've been obsessing over kissing girls with
bad food breath. For instance, oysters give you that funny copper kinda aftertaste in your mouth you
know? What would it be like to kiss a girl who you just ate a whole jar of raw oysters with? And besides
you know what they say about raw oysters. I haven't had thoughts like these since I read
MR. ARASHI'S AMAZING FREAK SHOW
and wondered what it would be like if a girl licked my eyeballs (which I never did find out). I'm
gonna have to investigate... And just in time for Valentine's Day!!! Although I'll probably do the same
thing I did last year,... take myself out to dinner and a movie, and later drinks, and then take advantage
of myself. Tee hee!


In yet more unrelated thoughts, my job at the SFSU Library is so quiet and boring. I completely love it!!!!
It helps when a totally hot and helpless girl ocassionally needs my rescuing. Such the case happened today,
I was so helpful she had to tell me to go away. My coworkers are all very cool, although very young. They
don't take the job seriously at all, which in itself is also kinda nice. We just hang out and talk about
random things like cottage cheese and ketchup and Charles Dickens. I'm a bit embarrrassed to tell them this
is what I may want to do for the rest of my life...


Wanna know what ketchup looks like in Japan?











1/27/03


First day of school today!! It was great despite a bad slice of pizza pie at 11pm in a
record 5 minute consumption on the N train coming home. I have to admit I was a bit worried,
but my classmates pulled together nicely. I love this whole group effort thing we've all
developed. It's very supportive. I think maybe this time around my teachers are also going
to be a bit more assuring, Chinese Class included (most suprisingly). Things look so good even
the bad looks good. For example I have 3 hours in a row of Japanese, solid. Today my brain was
in language overload, I was headed the train home pretty boggled and exhausted. But I think maybe
this may turn itself around into a good thing. Such intensity may be what I need to take the
next step into better understanding. A long stretch of time like that may allow me to put
the pieces together and clear up the shady stuff. After all if I study abroad as I plan, it may be
a good precursor to having to deal with Japanese 24-7. I just feel like now is the time to step it
all up. I have the resoures, the support, and the newfound drive. Nothing could be better, unless
someone decided they might like to stand next to me...


Remember this?





1/24/03


My last Friday before school starts Monday. I wonder what to do on such a special day...
Think I'll go skating. In other news here's a movie review for Audition. It's very scary!!
Seriously, I've never had to look away from a movie since Vader got decapitated in Empire
Strikes Back (I must have been about 10 okay). This movie is sick on sick mushrooms. The
only reason I liked it is because it was so sick. I hate it because it's so sick! It's so
sick I have no opinion of it except to tell you it's sick!
Here's a good review.
It's best if you like this review, then go out and rent it, read nothing else about it, even
the cover of the video. If you like it, you have found a truly demented director in which to
identify with. I understand Takeshi Miike's films whether they yakuza, or horror, or suspense,
are quite explicit and without reservation. I am interested in seeing his
musical,
however after that I think I would be better off emotionally if I saw nothing else of his.


Speaking of the Empire...





1/22/03


Whew i'm going to work tomorrow!!! Know what I mean, hanging on the world is a drag, let
alone a job call. Thank you, thank you I found a job at the local sfsu library where I go to
school. the pay is a drag and the hours are wierd, but it's exactly what I want, and still
allows me to volunteer at the Japanese American National Library, which I really want to do! The
Japanese library is a trip!!!! I spend all day filling crazy interesting articles about how
middle aged Japanese men smell worse after time, or debates over the new national anthem, or
prop. 187, or old war propaganda, it's fascinating. And I spend the whole day chatting it up
with the old ladies, and I mean old, were talking decades here. But they're funny and full
of so many unique qualities. I encourage all of you to hang out with old people!! tee hee.
Everything is great as I had hoped it to be, but I still feel a little empty... I'm going to
have to keep my head up. School starts in 5 days.
I need a hero!





1/19/03


Making new friends is fun!! I went out to a small meal with a new friend of mine yesterday.
It was fun!!


I swear, this work thing better turn itself out pretty soon. I can't even get a job
volunteering. The Chinese Cultural Center wouldn't even take me! WTF, I'm here for free?!
I did get myself into the Japanese American National Library volunteering, however. And
so my first day was supposed to be last week, and they closed the damn place for the day?!
WTF, I'm not getting paid enough to deal with you!! So my first day is this tuesday...
Meanwhile, I interviewed for a job at the local college library. It pays dirt, the boss
is weak, but I really, really, really, want it fo sure!! We'll see, I was seven minutes
late and couldn't get all the transitions in conversation right. The guy wasn't helping
either. He was one of those that is way too polite, so much that it suffocates you
like the queen of England sitting on a roll of toilet paper.


Computers do the most amazing things!!





1/15/03


Last weekend we were at the bar getting a drink on and during one of those uncomfortable silent moments a friend of mine who I
was having a laborious conversation with came out put the conversation in an interesting direction and asked me what I
would be doing next year. Then he left turned it and out of nowhere accused me of being grumpy, WTF really. Fine,
whatever. He always accuses me of something negative every time I spend anything longer than four hours around him. He's
just that way, I don't wanna say any more. But it got me thinking, he doesn't know me. Grumpy may be an honest
attempt to describe me. If I were to describe myself it would be more like occasionally frustrated and temporally
withdrawn. Pretty big words, but to say he's grumpy is just plain incorrect. I remember one other time he told me I always
have a mean face, but why do I have a mean face? What's behind it, what does it mean? And then I had another
conversation with someone else about how she thought I didn't like my home. I rather said that it was allot of work to
live where I do (to clarify if my roomates ever read this it isn't at all whatsoever because of them. I think they know
that though). I'm just... starting to feel like there is nobody that really knows who I am.


Deep down inside all I wanna do is make people smile and be happy. This makes me happy to make someone smile. Totally
oposite from grumpy. What a weird world.


My friend's Japanese black metal band. Check it out!





1/10/03


Yeah new stuff!! I put a birthday counter down below (don't ask me why), but it's cool cuz it tells you cool stuff
that happened on my day and who else was born then. I feel in a very gifty mood... don't ask me what I'm trying to
say, cuz I don't even know. My sister bought me a harmonica for christmas and I haven't even picked it up yet! Gotta
find some time for it. I just don't feel motivated for it yet I guess... My younger sis got me this R2D2 Lego guy.
I swear it's crazy, I'm looking at the picture and I don't think I can figure it out. They say it's years 8+ so I'm
not trippin'.
Legos
these days are strange. I don't get the whole thing anymore. They have Lego tribal characters, Harry Potter sets,
kids shoes, and theme parks, and even cars. It's all a bit too corporate scary if you ask me. Anyway, I think
I'll save him for a special occsion, maybe some night when I'm all manic panicked or something. My grandmother gave
me a
Soroban
, which is actually something
I've been wanting, another instrument to learn. All this stuff and I'm still bored... I think I'll go watch some
Korean Music Videos.





1/8/03


HAAHAAA!!! It's 1:45 A.M. again!!! I got stop this mess... I was out on a date thing and got a little swervey
so I decided to look around my
buddy's blogg
and other random goof and looked down at my watch and what do I see but 1:44 on my watch!! Spooky huh?


Today, was a bit less optimistic than yesterday. Why is that? It's really just another day isn't it? Yesterday was
how so different than today, but for some reason I had to force the "do it" attitude I had yesterday down my throat
like a dry pill. Did I exhaust my optimism supply, is my opti-well dried up and I have to wait for another downpour
of optimistm. While we're at it let's talk about the weather shall we? What makes weather? Why does it happen and
for what reason? When did it begin, when will it end? The orbits of random chaotic weather patterns come and go
like my waves of optimistm blowing in the breeze, and I find it truly unexplained. Can't God (or better yet people)
find some better way to produce condensation than let it rain hurricanes of destruction. Destroy just so we can
build it back and wait for it to be destroyed another once more? Like my life, fall down in order to pick myself up
again and go on pushed forth by a gale of hope. Buildings are built stronger at every fall, like my constitution.
If every I fall I hope to pick myself up so I can keep moving forward strengthened by experience. I just wish I could
get to the root of it and stop the huricanes in my soul that put me down in the first place...

My life is one long

Chungking Express.

I think...i'm ready to love again. I won't fall down this time.





1/7/03

right now it's 1:45 A.M.

i'm smoking pipe slagg

i'm drinking oj and pepermint schnapps

i'm eating hardboiled eggs

i'm listening to eminem

sparky is eating pb and tortillas

doug is watching the john stewart show

a few hours ago i was talking about progress.

Forget what you heard.





1/6/03


Wanna know the forecast in Tokyo, look below, and while you're at it
sign my guestbook!
I think in the next few days I'll just expound a little here and there of my past visit home
with family and life in general. I feel the mood, and lately the mood feels good. I don't
wanna jinx myself in any way, but things are looking all right. The key I think is...
"Don't think about it and just do it." You can quote me on this cuz I just did myself teehee.
Today I went looked into work stuff here and there and also volunteering at the Japanese
American National Library in
Nihonmachi San
Francisco.
Tomorrow I look into more work stuff and volunteering at the
Chinese Cultural Center at the Holiday Inn San Francisco. You ask me
why so much volunteering? Cuz I got nothing better to do!! Actually I'm looking into a
Master's of Library Science at a reputable college and this stuff may look pretty on my
transcript. That's the main reason, others are I dunno, meet new people, do something
fun... i have no life.


I've been cultivating this thought ever since the last baseball strike that kinda dictates
my actions these days. Everything we do propells ourselves in certain directions. If we do
things for others, it propells those we affect in their own directions caused by our actions.
Take work for example: Most of us do it for our wallet, but on the other side of the burger
stand we are providing a service for the patrons that come to seek our services. I believe
that as long as we are doing something positve we are propelling society as a whole in a
positive direction. If we do something negative such as dealing drugs, then we are
propelling society in a negative direction. It's hard enough to find a happy job let alone
considering what effect it has on society, I just wanna do something good, and maybe it'll
do something good for me.


P.S. Yo watch out
motchi kills





1/5/03


Happy New Year!! Happy Holidays!!
I'm back from my trip back home!! Thank you, thank you, it's good to be back in north cali.
What a long trip. I didn't think I could do it, but I spent 2 weeks at my parents place.
How's that for stamina. I didn't think I could do it, and truthfully I couldn't without
the help of cable tv on a 43". I watched so many movies and even more parts of movies than
I can list here, so I won't. It used to bother me not being able to see a whole movie, you
know from beginning to end, trailers and all. But now, I could care less. I think maybe cuz
before I had more time to sit down and enjoy a whole movie. I don't feel that way any more,
and there are so many good movies to watch!! And watch again. I saw
"Pretty In Pink,"
not only cuz it was the only good thing on at the time, but of course because it's so classic.
And I think about it now I could tell you everthing,every line verbatim. So why watch it
again? I just don't know... I just hope I don't end up like my father. We were watching
"Changing Lanes"
together (which I highly recommend), and he couldn't sit still, he kept on talking
to the television, talking to me about stupid stuff, etc. Sitting down for two hours
drives the poor guy crazy!!


Speaking of movies,
seen the new Quentin Tarantino
Movie?





12/22/02


So I guess it's the calm before the chaos time. Final exams are over and I'm just chillin'
with not much going on right now. My head is swimming with thoughts though. When I go home
to southern Cali it's gonna get crazy. My family's in a whirl with selling off the farm and
I feel it too from a few hundred miles away. I haven't been smoking lately and it's kinda
got me on the edge right now, so everything's a little bit anxiety aggravated. The other
thing on me head is what to do on New Years. I want to stay in Socal for a bit cuz school
won't start up until jan 27 and I got time to do nothing in particular, but spending New
Years at home doesn't sound too inviting. I did it once a few years ago and my parents went
to bed at 11:00PM!!! I was left all alone with a glass of milk to celebrate (my parents
don't drink or do any of that mess for that matter. Where did I go wrong?). It's too bad I
don't keep up with my old high school crews. I couldn't imagine that would be any fun
anyhow. I don't have anything in common with those cats anyway...


All these goofy feelings are a front up to what's really on my mind. I think if I had a girl
to take with me on this trip, I would not only be able to share a significant moment in my
life with someone, but I think it would have also taken allot of heat off me as well. I
think I would have allot more options going for me as well. My family would see I'm making
progress looking for some one to share my goings on with (I'm starting to feel like my
maturity should be reflected through the opposite sex and not just by my emotional
independence, even though I don't feel like I've acheved either). I would also maybe be able
to cope with my old high school buddies better, some one to confer with. I guess it's all a
little too late for this though... I gotta do this on my own.


Wish I was this guy.





12/14/02


New improvement notified! First of all there's a guestbook down below. I figured it out
goofing around this
girl's site
at
ricebowl journals. (p.s. Thanks Lilian!)


Aparently this girl is hot for

travis bickle. (personally, i think it's a little sick, she should go see a doc
like-yesterday-or be my new girlfriend cuz i'm allot like Mr.B, a sadly misunderstood
hero in a dysfunctional world, teehee.) and her cat has a blogg-AND she has a couple of
really beautiful pictures of
Funabashi, Chiba.
For those of you Funabashi is town just outside of Tokyo on the Tokyo Bay. I hope she
e-mails me and tells me all about it. I'm curious...



My other notification is I think I got a little silly about how I've been feeling these
days. Sorry for the rant earlier last entry...





12/12/02


Whoopee!!! I think I'm the happiest Blogger on the planet right now.
Someone
e-mailed about my blogg last weekend!!! And it's not even hate mail!! Her name is Lilian D and she's my
new and only online friend. So anyone else out there that wants to say hello is also more than welcome to
do so! I read about everyone bitching about hate mail and stuff on their sites. I aspire to
be as popular as they are. Everyone come and hate on me-please!



And now my other life, the real one that is got me in a ditch right now. I think I'm having
a low self esteem week. Among MANY annoying things happening to me this week, I'll only
highlight one.



Topic: ex-girlfriend


I was standing on the platform minding my own business when I see my ex in the train slowly
pass by. I was acually suprised in a warm feeling sort of way cuz I hadn't seen or talked
to her in a long time. I waved hello... AND SHE F*CKING TURNED HER HEAD AWAY. Like she didn't
even know who I was. I thought to myself why did I even waste my all my time, energy, love,
resources, money, private thoughts, private parts, etc. on you for a short three months just so three months later you could
run in to me and act like you don't even know me. And now I'm thinking about what happens next time when I run
into her again and I have this ill memory in my rememberance of you. Suck it in like a man
and be a nice guy like you are to everyone in the world. I swear my generosity is all a
front, cuz I never get a damn thing in return, and it pisses me off. J*s*s Chr*st, where's
Christmas when you need it most.



I feel like... this entry is dedicated to all the new friends I hope to make now and in the
future years and the new things I hope to discover and the betterment of me myself and
mine world and hopefully a betterment of those who I may come in contact with. If I ever
falter, please understand I'm not the coolest, or the smartest, or the funniest, I'm just me.
And for those who I may drift away from, I'm sorry, I'm trying my hardest with what I got
here-but I'm always here and not that hard to reach...





12/07/02


Here on the computer looking for a ticket to ride back home to
RIVERSIDE, CA
for the holidays on. I
got a bad/good feeling about this one... It's kind of a special Christmas in more ways than one. My
father and his family and their family before them emigrated to Riverside in 1906 from Japan. From there
they entered in the then booming citrus agriculture industry. They became successful and were able to buy
a rather large plot of land in the neighboring town of Rubidoux. My grandfather was raised there, and he
raised my father there, along with my fathers five siblings Aki, Mits, Haru, Setsu, and Midori (big family
huh?). My father and his siblings moved off the farm and became independently successful in various
industries and places in southern California. My father stayed in Riverside along with my Uncle Mits. My
father followed his love for cars and opened a still successful retail auto parts chain. My Uncle Mits
went to go work for the city...



BUT EVERY YEAR we continue the tradition of
MOCHITSUKE
where our every growing family of what seems
like 50 or 60 now return to the farm to say hello and eat lots of Christmas leftovers. It is definitely my
favorite time of the year and my life, as I get to go back home and spend precious time with my dearly missed
family.



Everyone is getting old... My sister just married a great guy and gave birth to a wonderful son. All my older
cousins have also done likewise, and so our family has almost trippled. My aunts and uncles are now looking towards
retirement and i suppose would like to settle into old age...



So they are going to sell the farm. I am sad...





10/30/02


We're at it again! Ivan and I are headed to a Halloween Party at our buddy Muril's house. I don't
quite know what to think of this guy. For one he's Japanese and grew up there for quite some time,
then came to america with his family. I came upon him as he added into our Japanese writing class.
His lingo is perfect, but he claims he can't read at all, strange. That's not what I can't make out
though. The guy ain't much in the GQ section, but he's smoking the cools, if you know what I mean.
I get the feeling he hangs out in front of massage parlors and makes his money at the mahjong tables.
But that ain't strange to me. What is, is that apparently I'm on his team. Every time I see him
he's completely cool and cordial with me. No one else at school treats me this way, which is
pretty much the way I like to be treated. No bullshit, just the straight aheads. He has some
chinese casuals, some american cool, and I can't quite figure out how his Japanese may fit into it,
but it's most deffinitely written all over his face. To me he's as atypically Japanese as I am.
I'm quite looking forward to hanging out at his party tomorrow. Dakara ustukushii onna ni aitai!!!





11/01/02


hey everybody!!! my friend SPARKY here has a great idea!! so all of you will come to my new cool
ass (clueless) website, he says i should auction my car. well i can't really do that right now,
but it is
for sale!
It's a really mint 1991 Toyota 4WD Longbed Pickup Truck, and it's RED. And i'm selling it for $6000 or your best offer.
STAR here says i should ask you all to send me all your cool images and things so i can put them up on this site. What do
you think about that guys? send me something, even just to say hello
liftedface@hotmail.com





9/02


how about a movie review!!! Every one loves movies! Minnasan wa eiga ga suki desu ne!?
Of course we all love movies! They distract us from the real world and invite our eyes to
experience wonderful things, meet new people who talk to us, share their world
with us, give us new ideas and outlooks on life... make us believe...I shared my movie
experience with my new friend Ivan-san who is in my Japanese class with me. He's good people,
although I think he spends a bit too much time thinking about girls. We went to see two great
movies at my neighborhood arthouse cinema THE ROXIE.
Incidently, if you go there, say hi to my other new friend Day-san, who also resides in Japanese
class. So anyhow, we went to see two Japanese movies:
DARK WATER
and
INUGAMI. I recommend the later as it is
as visually beautiful as it's theme. If you are a fan of the Japanese version of
THE RING
then go see the first
as it is the same director.






ohayoo minnasan! That's japanese for good morning even though it's something like 7:15 pm on the
west coast american time clock. it sounded a little more fun than konnichiwa... so i guess i'm
writing this page, not only to get myself more immersed in the computer culture, but also to share
a little about my life here in the place we call the united states of america. you see, i'm kinda
a rare case, i'm a fourth, that's right count your digits, fourth generation japanese american.
i might as well be "white." problem is... i'm not, inside or out,...well maybe more of each, but
where do we draw our lines as being this or that in the melting pot of the free. appearance
dictates allot on the outside, and then once someone speaks language says a bit about who you are,
and maybe the gestures you make, the things you do, what you eat, how you drive, etc. should we
have a standardized rating scale of ethnicity in america? so then what determines this scale? i
guess i've started this project as my quest to find these answers i'm looking for...


feel free to say hello!!!
liftedface@hotmail.com

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12/22/03
Hi there Azumi! If you finished your homework like a good girl you would have found this website! hahaha. For all you others that stumbled here by accident boy do I have news for you! I am in Japan! I am studying hard here abroad to ignore the fact that my girlfriend who I wanted to marry is broken up with me and now dating a doctor, my friends back home have pretty much forgotten about me, my parents have only emailed me a total of about four times, I am completely tapped out on money, I am too tired/lazy to take a shower every day, and to top it all off my girlfriend who I wanted to marry broke up with me and is now dating a doctor! hahaha