Last week in Tochigi

Last week we had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off for national holidays. So, Shimon and I went to Tochigi Prefecture to help his father fire some pottery. Sadly, Shimon has all the pictures of the kiln (I'm so forgetful sometimes!). But I did take a few other fun pictures.


This was our little friendly frog... he stayed on that leaf for an entire day. He only moved around in a circle.


Chestnuts! It's fall!!


I thought this was a nice picture... a ginkgo leaf.


Fisherman on the river... they were there all day!


Empty rice fields. This really is the ultimate sign that fall is here.


Right before we headed back to Tokyo I got ahold of this little guy. How cute is he!?!

Graduation Party

These are some of the photos from after graduation, in particular the graduation party with my fellow zemi (seminar) members. :-) We had a lovely night. The reason Shimon isn't in any of the pictures is because he's taking them all. :-)


My personal photographer is fantastic isn't he??


The party from above. It really was a nice restaurant.


I love this picture of Sunaho and Lia. :-) Such lovely girls!


Flowers from the zemi group! What girl doesn't like to get flowers. ;-)


The three graduates... Will, Wakako and me.

After four long years, two different programs and a lot of work... I am a MASTER!! Thank you for everyone who's been cheering me on over the years. :-) I've appreciated all the of support.

Graduation

Graduation was yesterday. I had the best photographer for the occasion. I have many more pictures than the ones here... these are just a taste.


Me with the sign announcing the graduation ceremony.


Actually being given my degree. I didn't do all the bowing right, so Shimon didn't have a chance to get very many pictures of me on stage! :-)


Me on the steps outside of the hall where the ceremony was held.


The Fall 2009 graduating class from the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies!


Shimon and I with my degree. :-)


These are my friends (and two are fellow graduates) from my seminar group. Will and Wakako are the other graduates. Mike (in the khaki blazer) will be graduating in March.

Hope everyone can take a peek at the photos. I'll try to post some more very soon!

New Shoes

So, graduation is tomorrow. I have decided on a black and white dress (mostly black) to wear, which means I needed to find some nice shoes to go along with it.

There is the cutest shoe shop on the South Side of Shinjuku Station. So I headed there in search of some black shoes.


From above...


From the side...

They are sparkley, but not overly so. I really liked them. The other ones I tried on (that were far too big!) were patent leather and a bit sparkley too. But these fit and are cute and feminine.

Here's to starting a new chapter... the chapter when I can afford to splurge on some girlier items of clothing! :-)

(P.S. This post is for my friends Melissa and Lia as they like to give me fashion advice... I hope the shoes get your approval!)

Thursday.

Hooray for Thursday! I am so glad that the week's nearly at its end. :-)

This week is not a particularly busy week, but I feel drained just the same. I guess it's the new schedule of waking up at 6am three days a week that is probably doing it. I'm getting more used to the schedule, but I really want to start running again and that has to be after getting to the chiropractor.

I thought that finishing my thesis would leave me with more time of my own, but alas that has not been the case so far. Luckily, by the weekend I should be able to sort out the chiropractor and start running on Saturday. It'll be a relief to start running again. I'm very glad to finally have the time to begin doing that again. :-) Now, if I can only find the will power to go with the time. :-)

Again, I say thank goodness for Thursday... the weekend is right 'round the corner.

The delayed camping photos!!

So, a few weeks back (nearly a month really), I went camping. We used Shimon's new tent!! And had a great time. There were a few things missing... s'mores and marshmallows! :( It will be remedied in the future. I also learned that ramen is a GREAT camping food. Totally easy if you aren't able to grill hotdogs on a stick. :-)
Our camping adventure included some canoeing too, but as I didn't want to damage my camera there aren't any pictures of us canoeing. However, there are pictures of us (mostly Shimon) hiking around near a waterfall. And after that sub-par explanation... here are the pictures!


I'm just the amateur... he's the professional photographer!! :-)

This is only something you'd see in Japan... an entrance to a shrine right on the edge of the lake! How cool. ;-)

Climbing near the waterfall area... he nearly blends in... but for the yellow shirt!


And what a campfire... it took two to make it, but it was a goodun'!
One half of the fire-making duo!! :-)

Hope you like the pics now that they're finally up!!

Remembrance

9/11.

I think it is safe to say that 9/11 is our generation's Pearl Harbor or Kennedy Assassination. No one can forget where they were when they turned on the TV and witnessed the events of September 11, 2001.

I think the difference between Pearl Harbor or Kennedy's Assassination is that 9/11 was an event that touched people outside the borders of the United States in different ways. Because of the age of the internet and worldwide news broadcasts, people from all over the globe were able to see, and be touched by, the events of that fateful day.

Remembering 9/11 for the tragedy and also for the amazing outpouring of love amidst a great tragedy still remains as one of the many legacies of the event. Though 8 years have past, I think it would be good for people across the globe to remember. Remember the people whose lives were lost. Remember the people who were the heroes that prevented more lives from being lost. And remember that there is a common bond between all human beings despite all matter of differences.

With these thoughts, I remember.