That's Japanese style.

I ate many kinds of Japanese foods and sweets after returning to Japan.

I already finished to organize my room, so start cooking all meals.

When I make meals except for pasta dishes or noodles,
I almost eat rice and miso soup.

I prepared the dried fish (a little bit salty) and cold tofu (like a appetizer)
with rice and miso soup for today's dinner.
I think that combination is one of typical Japanese meals.

If you all have a chance to visit Japan, I want to prepare Japanese
home-cooked dishes for you all!

my way to learn English.

Naturally, I always use Japanese.

It's hard to find the chance to use English in my town, but
I have to keep and improve my English more.

Recently, I found some ways to learn English.

810 AM of radio
This channel is English program for foreigners, especially American,
so it's not hard to understand because the hosts of this channel speak
American pronunciation.

listen the news program in English version
We can hear news in English by Japan national broadcasting.

attend "City Chat Cafe in Tsukuba City"
When I was in SB, I found one community communicate with
international students or foreigners who live in Tsukuba City.
Actually, I joined this community yesterday.
It's one of good opportunity to talk in English and hear their troubles
or feeling since they lived in Japan.
I really enjoyed it.

I continue to find the ways to study English!

easy sweets

In Japan, it's easy to get tasty sweets in supermarkets or
convenience-stores like "Seven-Eleven".
Almost sweets are less than $2, and taste is so awesome.

My most favorite one is "Eclair".
Usually it includes just custard, but I found the eclair to include
custard and whip cream.

Eclair and coffee, hmmm, it's so nice combination for me!

I did nothing

(the garden of my parents home)

(EDAMAME plants)

(SUSHI party)

I went back to my parent's home today.

My father likes to work in the garden, and he grows "EDAMAME"
toward summer right now.

He grows roses, tomato, and other many kinds of flowers and plants
except for EDAMAME in the garden.
I look forward to seeing beautiful flowers or enjoy EDAMAME in summer.

I enjoyed SUSHI in the dinner with my parents.
Japanese SUSHI is so wonderful.

Today, I didn't do anything (prepare the dinner, washing dishes etc).
My parents did everything for me!!

I will go back to my apartment tomorrow afternoon.
I can take relaxed time until afternoon with my parents.

from Japan

I arrived Japan safely in last Thursday.

I really really wanted to update my blog to
introduce my country, but it was busy week for me
to carry our stuff in my new room, organize those, and
purchase car or TV etc...

I can have my time little by little, so restart writing my blog!

I'm saving some pictures of Japanese food which I ate after
going back to Japan.

I will introduce those pictures soon!!

LOVE SANTA BARBARA

I will leave US tomorrow afternoon.
It is eighth moving in my life, but this moving isn't same with other ones
because it was first time for me to live abroad.

When I just arrived SB about 1 and half years ago, I really wanted to
go back to Japan because I had some troubles for my English,
different culture and so on.

But many local people helped me and talked me "How are you doing?" or
"Where are you from?" or "I like your shoes!" .
And I could get friends, and meet the great teacher
(sometimes American momfor me) in SB.
SB is one of hometown for me.
I will come back there someday!!

I really really appreciate SB friends and SB!

I love you all.

Of course, I will continue to write my blog in Japan to introduce
Japanese foods, culture, and scenery etc...

Please check it out!!

Thanks a lot.

my place

(2 songs that my teacher and classmates gave me and
cookies that my teacher brought us)

When I started to live SB, I wanted to improve English conversation.
I know about English grammar, writing, and reading very much because
English was one of my favorite subjects when I was student.
But conversation is totally different.
First, it was hard for me to order something in the restaurants or cafes.

I needed to talk a lot.
So I made a decision to take "Pronunciation and Conversation".

First a few months, I became discouraged many times because I couldn't
tell my teacher and classmates what I wanted to say.
But I don't like to give up, so I continued to attend this class.
Eventually, I could insist my thinking and introduce the culture or
custom of my country and so on.
This class became part of my life in SB.

Today, it was last day of this class for me.
I remembered all memories at this class while listening the teaching of teacher.
I like to smile, but I couldn't keep my smile today.
I couldn't stop crying, also, after leaving the classroom and while driving to my home.
This class was definitely my most favorite and important place.

I hugged my classmates, conversation volunteers, and
my wonderful teacher wishing to meet again!

go forward

Yesterday, my friends held a farewell party for my husband and me
at the Chinese restaurant.
There were 10 people, so we could enjoy many kinds of tasty dishes.

After we enjoyed talking, my husband and I received
unexpected surprise gifts from everyone.
One was neat messages from our friends and pictures that my 2 friends
decorated.
When I received the wonderful gift, I got their warm feelings and
almost cried.

Another one was the American cook book from my family friend.
I really like to cook and it's easy to make Japanese dishes, but
it's sometimes difficult for me to make American dishes and desserts.
So I thought whether buy the recipes book of American cooking or not.
I'm so thrilled because I can cook American cook using this book!

I really really appreciated my friends.

Right now, I can't figure it out how sad I am when I leave SB, but
I will realize when the airplane depart from LAX to Japan.

However, I like to go forward to try new things in new place.

I believe I can meet my friends in US or Japan again!!

oink oink

I found the cute blackboard of a pig about a month ago at "Sur la table",
but I didn't buy it compulsively.
I judged myself whether I really wanted it or not.
A month later, I still wanted the pig blackboard, so I went to Sur la table
to get it.

I started to find the blackboard when I arrived immediately, but I couldn't
meet the cute pig at once.
I walked around the store, finally, I could find the pig in the bottom of
one cabinet.

This blackboard is good to write in "Today's menu" or my favorite words.

Right now, I'm thinking where I will put the pig in my next room.

Jensen

On my way to Yosemite NP, I stopped by Calera winery.
I have wanted to visited there, but I didn't have any chances and Calera is
far from SB.
That winery wasn't pathway through Yosemite, but it was possible
to go there if it changed the route a little bit.

I thought first it wasn't difficult to find Calera, but actually Calera was
located at really countryside.
When I finally found that winery, I was so relived.

I could try 9 wines just at $5 .

All wines were so awesome, and the lady who served me all wines
recommend me "2006 Calera Jensen".
So I bought Jensen and 2008 Chardonnay.
I might put Jensen at my home for a long time.

my favorite drama

I like funny TV shows, dramas, and movies.
Since I came US, I watched many comedy shows and dramas to
understand American jokes, but I couldn't figure it out what was funny.

One day my friend told me about "Everybody loves Raymond".
First I watched that drama to learn English, not to know American jokes.
But I felt it was so funny.
I wanted to see that drama after returning to Japan, so I bought
complete series!

The chance to hear and speak English will decrease, but I have to keep or
improve my English because of talking with my friends.
Those complete DVDs are one of good ways to study English.

Incredible!

(Lower Yosemite fall)

(4 people were climbing the cliff)

I visited Yosemite National Park today.
That was second time for me.

Some of roads up hill were closed because of snow, so I enjoyed hiking
lower area to Yosemite fall and Mirror Lake.

When I strolled Mirror Lake trail route, I looked incredible 4 people.
They were climbing the cliff!
I've heard there are people who try climbing the cliff and stay on the rock
if they can't finish their challenge, but I saw them first!
They are really brave people!!

my way to spend at cafes

When I was in Japan, I often went to cafes alone
to think something or think nothing.
Sometimes I visited cafes to learn interior accessories.

I occasionally go to cafes in SB since I came US.
Californian is really friendly, so some people say something to me
when I spend time in a cafe wearing my favorite cloths or shoes.

As some readers of my blog already know, I love "Peets Coffee".
And the store of Peets Coffee is one of my favorite places in SB.
I can always spend relaxed time there.

Today I enjoyed coffee and biscotti at Peets Coffee
while thinking something.
And I found good mugs and beans of this shop.

To Japanese Friends ;
If you guys want or are interested in mugs or beans of Peets Coffee,
let me know!

neat cup

I like to make and drink coffee, cafe au lait, cappuccino, black tea,
chai etc…, and also like to find neat cups.

When I visited San Diego, I found colorful and lovely tea cup
at "Anthropologie" selling outfits, shoes, bags, kitchen items.

This cup is a little big, so I think to use for cafe au lait.

my trip to San Diego 2

(sleeping seals)

(mother and baby seals)

(practice swimming)

I arrived at La Jolla about 3pm, and then went to visitor center to get
the map of La Jolla village.

It introduced some view points, so I went to "Children's Pool & Seals"
there were many relaxed seals.

A few baby seals practiced swimming, one mother and baby seals spent
the nice time, but almost seals was sleeping.

my trip to San Diego 1

I went to San Diego from Friday to Sunday.
I've been San Diego about 2 years ago, at that time I had stayed
at downtown in San Diego, so I made a reservation the hotel in La Jolla
on this trip.

On my way to San Diego, I stopped by "Umami burger" in LA for lunch.
Umami is Japanese word and one of the basic tastes.
That taste is popularly referred to as savoriness.

Those burgers didn't include soy sauce or other Japanese seasonings, but
I felt Umami from some kind of mushrooms.

coffee and chocolate

I sometimes enjoy coffee and sweets after dinner.
It was chilly today, so I definitely needed hot drink.

There were a few Japanese chocolates in fridge, and
I chose one of my favorite chocolates the name was "REGA".

A friend of mine love Japanese sweets, and we used to
hang out while eating various kind of sweets.
I believe she also would like that.

Japanese sweets

I organized some stuff in my room last weekend, and found the kit
to make "WARABI-MOCHI".
MOCHI is sticky rice-cake and WARABI-MOCHI is one of Japanese
sweets that texture is like MOCHI.

My friend gave me that kit when she moved to Japan, but I totally
forgot about the kit...

I tried to make it.
If I stirred the dough quickly and constantly more, the texture might
have become smother, but it was so tasty!

seasoning almonds

Those are almonds with some kind of herbs and salt.
I got those at olive oils shop where I had introduced on my blog before.

I don't eat almonds often because taste is a little greasy for me.
But those seasoning almonds have various taste and are excellent with wine.

Wine, cheese and seasoning almonds, hmmm, it sounds so good combination!

flask?

That flask-shaped item is coffee maker of "CHEMEX".
I have wanted it, but it's a little expensive in Japan.

I knew CHEMEX was American company by chance,
and checked the price on Amazon.com immediately.

It was half the price of Japan, so I ordered.

I finally got it today!!
I'm really looking forward to brewing Peets Coffee.