cooold but trying to let some happiness bloom. Feb 2010

@Seattles Best that i found here in japan - a barista man made me this cuz it was valentines day, it made me smile.

@Cafe Canaan.

Wow, so this month has passed seriously in a blink of an eye. things been busy and my days are pretty much taken over by work. But i guess it is better to keep busy rather than being bored. Its just super cold commuting in the morning to work but im doing little discoveries as much as i can when i have the chances/availabe time.

So Valentine's has passed and the next event on the calendar is White Day (for Japan only) LOL. this is when the guys give back to the girls who confessed their feelings to them on V-day. its all like gift exchange hallmark event, no?

Anywho this month ive been very proactive more than before which is a good sign.
Ive just been so busy and coming home late every night, even though I have not been working out as much or going jogging, ive lost some weight. But i feel like i just look a like a zombie from exhaustion - so i need to put some fuel in me. lol but i guess im not really hungry most times cuz i am jut overwhelmed with the Japanese culture/office ife/ language itself ...but most of all, everyone else's expectation of my knowing all the Japanese like a native(which is so the opposite cuz i MAY sound normal, its all still like noise and shapes and symbols to me that i try and analyze while i say things.)

This month, i had a really exciting incident by being proactive and just reaching out.
*Awesome talks and new meeting -- I made my very first new friend here in Japan(this actually makes me sounds like such a loner), who I can speak in English with cuz he is from the States as well.....!! it all just happened so randomly and spontaneous but we both found out we had a common friend (who i know is a real legit awesome friend) so then i really liked his sense of style and thought it would be rad to be friends with him. little did we know, ...facebook united us. LOL aaaah the digital age, but things just fell into place and we got in touch and decidede to go get some coffee. then he suggested this awesome place and had some amazing quality coffee and chatted and I was very grateful i had one of the most comforting times since ive been in japan. i felt like for the first time, i was able to be RIEKO in japan. weird how things work out. so thanks to facebook technology i was able to find a real down-to-earth friend who i would like to hang out more (as long as we are both the GAIJINs here in Japan). thanks to Lance, and i was shocked at how comfortable i was able to talk with him - felt like we've been friends for years already. yay for awesome cafe in Shimokitazawa too. Good thing i told myself i was gonna get out to the cold and visit Shimo and have some AM coffee. =) i am thankful. So hopefully we will be able to do some cooking and create vegetarian/organic healthy menus and do some fun stuff like that. we shall see.
Cafe Canaan - awesome "Fusion" cake and Apple tart. mmmmmm!!


*Reuniting after 13 years, イソベ！！！　ー on valentine's day, i went out to Shinjyuku before my yoga seminar that was planned for that night in Ebisu, I wanted to check out my long lost friend's band perform at Tower Records for their CD release event. Its been such a freakin long long time since ive seen this friend of mine. We went to the same Japanese saturday school back in like 4th grade. hes been back in japan since like 5th grade. now his band released their very first CD....! how exciting. and lemme say that they are good. i was very impressed and loved their stuff. GO Champagne! heres to us, reuniting...!


- talk about snow day, my walk to the station.


-"Fusion Cake" and Spife. lol






*ROMAN HOLIDAY Theater style! (2/21) - Gotta love it when they are showing old classic movies as a matinee show every week - only 10bucks. and this week i was able to find out that schedule and it just so happened to be 'ROMAN HOLIDAY", my favorite...!!! so i got to see this movie for the first time in full theater screen-size, and my gosh. classics are just already great. but what makes it even greater is when you can see it again in theater...wow. amazing. it was a good AM show for my alone solitude day. =)

Congrats to Becky and Marc on their new HOUSE....! they have moved in and man, home sweet home for the newlyweds. cant wait to visit you guys in Pedro. are we gonna be hanging out more in Sacred Grounds now? haa

already February....man.

guess what, its february, and we should be seeing some sights of spring since it was ground hogs day back in the US but here.....in japan....it snowed...!!!!! its been freezing cold with the wind just blasting in my face and literally freezing my face.
yesterday morning on my commute to work, i was able to see my own breath INSIDE the train.

but things been busy and still tough....i have lost some weight already due to not being able to sleep or rest at all cuz my mind is going NUTS, my body is just burnt out from the emotional stress, which then leads me to not being hungry or having any apetite. but i guess i am back to my "goal weight" from some weight i have gained being back in the states with engulfing all my US treats, so on that aspect i just wanna try and keep it but go jogging and get my muscle back.

the only thing that is making my day is maybe when i get to walk about an hour or so in the city finding a nice little cafe with good quality coffee.

im trying my best to make each day count a bit more. mind as well try to explore more of japan while i am here. just getting some stuff off my list crossed out. instead of just staying in on the weekend, (at least one of the days) i go and find a new place to explore. i need a day to stay home and do stuff around the house tho. and i just found out that one of my old co-workers is going thru chemo - shes at stage 4 lung cancer, never been a smoker - and was told by the doctor how much more time shes got left to live. this news just shoked me and realized that you NEVER know what can happen. just even the next day. something can happen to me, even. so i took into consideration that now that i am in japan, this might be the time i am able to spend time with my parents (whenever our schedules are free). because all those years i was in CA they were here, even if we wanted to hang out and spend some bonding time so-to-speak we couldnt. so now maybe they can show me what Japan is all about since they are more comfortable here - its their home country. and its prolly the only time NOW because my dad is all retired and have all the free time he wants. i dont wanna regret not having the chance to get to know my parents when i was given the chance to. ill try and see more of my brothers also if they let me go visit them (haa). i should truly be more grateful about my health , how i was born healthy, i was raised well by my great parents (we do have our rough times), and they let me live the life that made me who i am today. ive always been grateful and blessed but i want to express it more in action. i know i should treat myself a little better first, too. being healthy emotionally can help me physically. mind and body.

okay that was just my ponder - a new insight on life - which i had when the new years came around.


but its kinda bad that its only been a month since i started at my new job and i am ALREADY crying out for help and figuring out my way to relieve some stress and chaos.


Yay for Becky and Marc on their first new home! aww, their love nest <3