I cooked!

you know it is a Japanese bbq when they serve this much seafood (along with other meats :P)

@Canal Cafe

Deception...

Jellyfish in an aquarium

a few scenarios

1. You have created an art work and someone infringes on your work, but you are not mad, but happy because it means your work is good enough to be infringed...
2. Instead of being paid to do work, companies demand to ask you to do free work... As if it is the norm... Instead of getting mad, you are happy that you have a chance to be affiliated with this big corporation...
3. Someone sexually harasses you, but you aren't mad because it means that you are pretty enough to be sexually harassed...
4. You find a job but they are paying you way less than what you deserve, yet you do not complain but happy because "at least" you have a job...

What is wrong with all these scenarios? The idea behind it is all wrong, people are using your ego to their benefit.

There is a difference between being used and being valued. If you were valued, you would not be deceived and taken advantage of... There is no free lunch in this world... you should not be the one giving these "free lunches"... if you don't believe me... try getting something for free... I dare you.

As mentioned above... the 4 scenarios are all wrong... completely wrong, yet, we deal with these with a simple "c'est la vie", しょがない, that's life, that's how it is...

We live in a twisted world, where people take advantage of each other. People tell you that that is how the way things work, but it isn't... they are trying to deceive you... so they can take advantage of you.

PLEASE... Know your rights and stand up for them! Know your value, let your actions show others what is your worth.

IF you deceive someone, you lose one of life's greatest treasures, you lose the capacity to trust. Because without trust, love is not possible - Unknown

MCDonald's Spicy Mcnuggets are back!!! :D

Atago Jinja Shrine

pictures (not a lot of words for this post)

close up of the sign

where is my horse? can horses even climb stairs as steep?

close up of sign

it looks more intimidating in real life

I'm climbing!

success!

look at who sponsored...

too much info

I recommend giving this shrine a visit... :) it is one of the nicer shrines in Tokyo :)

Thanksgiving dinner :)

It is always a blessing to gather in the Name of the Lord... with food :)

I love fellowship time with my fellow brothers and sisters! We just somehow connect the moment we are in each other's presence :)

There is so much truth to this verse:
Matthew 18:20 New International Version (NIV)
 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

My Favourite Shortbread

Walkers Will always be my favourite shortbread
(sorry for the lack in quality of posts... this has been a very busy month)

I love the sun!

I love the sun... I love sunny days... I prefer a sunny day over any other day... I wish it could always be so sunny :)

My Japanese is that bad.... :(

So this happened:

Me: すみません、このは有りますか
waitress: umm... do you want an English menu?
me: *blush (thinks: is my Japanese THAT bad????)

boo!

I turned my kleenex box into a scary monster! are you scared? XD

onsen with a view

onsen

finger fashion

I wonder if I could pull this off with some kind of modern outfit...

(picture taken from Story of Yanxi Palace - 延禧攻略)

expensive juice

expensive juice... but it is certainly creative... who knew ginger could go so well with carrot?

weird shaped wok

ok, I don't know whether this is a wok or not... but I do know it is some kind of cooking utensil...

Today's lunch: Chowder's at Tokyo Midtown

Grilled chicken set with French Mushroom Bisque

I loved the soup :P the chicken was also really good :D

Today I learned... fingernails

Today I leanred that in Japanese culture, you are not allowed to cut your finger nails at night... or you will have bad luck... (I always do this -_______-||)

Interview questions - Personal Life

I found a copy of an interview I did way back in 2013... it's interesting how I thought of relationships and what I prioritized... I can't say I am entirely different, though. But dating more made me realize how "chemistry" is one of the key elements to make it work... regardless... enjoy how I thought of a relationship 5 years ago.

Are you dating?

No, not right now

What do you look for in a man?

Someone who knows what he wants, and tries his best to achieve his goals regardless of barriers and difficulties. I should reiterate that he needs to win fair and square, not using cunning methods. 

For example, if he really likes me, he has to try his best to be with me, he cannot give up because someone who "might be better" comes around... He needs to know that he can give me the best and confident that we will be happy together.

Have you had such experiences which lead you to this conclusion? Can you share these experiences with us?

Yes, unfortunately, one too many... Going back to a painful memory, I met a guy, let's call him "Brad" we were interested in each other, there are actually a lot of problems, we were immature at that time. He was insecure so he kept trying to flirt with another girl to get my attention, but even despite that, I tried hard to push our relationship further, one day, a male friend, let's call him "Chris" came to visit me and "how unfortunate" that while we were walking we bumped into Brad. The moment Brad saw Chris and me, he jumped to conclusions and pushed me out of his life entirely.

It was difficult after that, no matter how hard is tried to talk to Brad he would push me away, he felt Chris would treat me better, I felt like a parcel being pushed around, Brad tried to make it seem as if Chris and I were in a relationship and stopped talking to me, at that time, I was very desperate so I wrote him emails explaining there was nothing going on between Chris and me, but he refused to listen and in the end, ignored me... after that experience, I will only look for a guy with a strong (mentality).

That sounds like a terrible experience! What physical or other attributes do you look for in a partner? 

Hmm... To be honest, I can't really answer, as I know that when the "right" person comes, all these lists that we created does not affect our decisions in deciding whether or not to pursue a relationship with that person

But if you really want a list, it will go something like this:

The number one thing on my list would have to be: cherish me, never taking me for granted

The second most important thing is to: understand me, I am not a talkative person and can be quite an introvert, in order to be with me, and possibly be one of the most important person in my life, he needs to understand me through paying attention to me. Compatibility is key... being able to communicate is also key.

On with the other "less important but good to note" things:

Looks

• Knows how to dress (to match his personality and enhance his looks, he doesn't need designer clothes, the most important is making himself look good)
• Be a guy! Be initiative!
• Have a brain (constantly being intellectual)
• Must be taller than me (I'm only 5'2", I'm sure that's not hard to find)
• Preferably Oriental race
• Preferably Christian
• Have a passion for something
• Being really good at something
• Open minded about issues
• Traditional and conservative (keeping and appreciating traditions)
• A kind and good heart
• Hardworking
• Knows how to love himself
• Loves animals

hmm... and to end it off... I would say I would want to be in a relationship with a well-balanced guy.

Do you think you have found such a person yet? Who could potentially be your significant other?

No, not yet, I confess I am not actively seeking, but I do not see the need to be too desperate at the moment. I want things to happen naturally... friends around me always say I need to learn "mind games" or "methods" but those seem to only get temporary attraction... what I want is a long-lasting relationship.

But in today's society, we all view relationships as a game, don't you feel that by letting things happen naturally, you will "lose" many chances to be in a relationship?

 ... I don't want to use those methods to distract me away from the relationships that can happen naturally... because I know that relationships that happen naturally are a blessing from God and those are the best relationships one (or two) can ever ask for.

Thank you for your time, Stephanie, it was really fun working with you and learning about your thoughts and experiences in relationships. If there are any guys out there who are interested and meet her criteria, remember to reach out. You can visit learn more about Stephanie at A Simple Moment Reviews Blog or get more personal with her here.

old and new

One of the things I like about modern/art is the juxtaposition of old and new. 

scary mickey :(

Anything can look scary... check out this Mickey Mouse :(

Today I learned... British Museums

New York's The Met's lobby

Having been in Canada all my life, I always assumed you had to pay a high price (literally) to go inside a museum, except for Tuesdays, when it is free (also super packed) and not all exhibits are open. Museums in Canada usually cost from $15-$40 /person.

Today, a student taught me that British Museums are almost all free...  I. WAS. SHOCKED! I can't help but feel a bit ripped off... She told me that not only the big museums but also the smaller art museums are all free... (almost all of them, anyways) and even those that you have to pay, they range from $2 USD - $5 USD...

That makes sense... the ones in Canada do not... museums are an expression of culture, to teach and educate and allow for people to enjoy

Something out of the ordinary

Langham Place Mong Kok Hong Kong

Doesn't it intrigue you when you see everyday ordinary objects where they are not supposed to be?

That was the feeling I got when I saw these Hong Kong Bus Stop schedule posts inside Langham Place! I found it quite amusing seeing them

So you might be wondering, what are they doing there? it seems that everything happens for a reason in Hong Kong... people here never "waste" time or space... These bus stop posts were put there to promote a bus model store beside this walkway.

April 30, 2015

10:10

For some strange reason (and keep in mind, all these clocks were running... so I wasn't taking pictures of clocks which are only there for display)... It has been over a month, and it seems everytime I look at a clock, it is 10:10 (or close to it).... isn't that strange??

here's some of the evidence:

(I also just realized today is October 10... 10月10日 :P)

My favourite Halloween Item

Mickey Mouse dressed up as a ghost!

Has anyone seen this Mickey Mouse before??? I love how he has a Minnie Mouse Jack-o-lantern! Am I the only one who is that obsessed with him?

I wanted to buy him... seriously wanted to... but it cost over ¥800... and I cringed... he's not very big either...  (you can tell by how similar in size he is with the tag).


Hashtags:
#mickeydressesasaghost #regretbutnotreally

keywords: (because... why not?)
Mickey Mouse, Ghost, Halloween, cute,

chocolate :D

one of my birthday gifts from last month :)

Dinner :)

(pictures no words)

this piece of beef looks like fish XD

location: Toraji, Ebisu

bunnies and moon

Marunouchi, Chiyoda

I'm so in love with this noren :)

my lunch

I ate them before I took a picture... 🙊(they were two buns)

limited edition Mount Fuji Coke

Would you like some?

here's a closer look