Taste the World

"Taste the World" was held again.
(Please refer to here for the last time)
The last time, the venue was mainly dedicated to photos taken all over the world, but talk session was the major part this time around.

My friend R.K had fieldwork in Uganda while in graduate school and he talked about it with a slide show.

Well, first of all, he seemed to get very used to speak in public, although I could pretty much guess he'd say "Not at all".
Even if he actually doesn't, he was still good at it. I'm sure of it.

He told in his sppech what brough him here and it made a total sense to me. Here's what he talked.

At first, he was not necessarily interested in what he's involved right now, which is international cooperative activities.
One day when he was serving himself as a voluntary music teacher in Zimbabwe, he started feeling a bit empty.
It doesn't mean he enjoyed his task there, actually he had a lot of enjoyable quality time with kids, singing playing together.

However, he realized this could be temporary. It's just for now that they are being happy. Nothing has created for their better future. There must be something he can do for them.
That's how he decided to step into this field.

It was quite reasonable and understandable.
To tell the truth, when it comes to global cooperation or something, I don't deny that hypocrisy comes to my mind, like this is something elevated and also pure-hearted people do.
But nothing like that was found in his talk. I assume that he just naturally into this world.

I have little to contribute, but promise me that you keep me posted your work, R.K? OK?!

My first K night

I had girls' night out to K town the other day.
I'm the one who planned this. First, only two girls, and then three, finally four girls got together.

Well, I don't even know where to start or when it's exactly started and I'm not going to tell you what specifically fascinates me, but the truth is, I'm intrigued by K culture for the first time in my entire life.

I've never ever pictured myself being stepping into this town. I still can't believe.

It was kinda weird, but I genuinely realized that people change !!

I have absolutely no idea what this suprising penchant goes at the end, but just like I used to when I was hooked on something, I'll be deeply into this for a while. You'll see.

One Love Festival

It was miserable rainy the day before the event.
But it totally cleared up on "the" day. Maybe JAH did for us...
Under the beautiful sun, almost no clouds in the sky as far as I remembered, I was headed to One Love Festival.

After a hanging around the venue a little, we settled down in front of the stage in the shade of some trees.
The Sun started scorching here Yoyogi park, which was partly not good for your skin, but partly good. You can fantasize yourself just as being in Jamaica.
Actually, the sun in Jamaica was so strong. I almost heard my arms being blazed just like grilled chicken or something, even though I put lots of protection on them.

Listening to off-beat reggae sounds by indies or unsigned bands with Red Stripe and Jamaican soul food, jerk chicken, I noticed my eye were watering, missing Jamaica so much.

I didn't know how much I miss that island. Or Was I just being too emotional?? My little sis says it's definetely the latter. As you might know, I've been to many countries, relatively "many" , but no country never made me so sentimental. You'll see how it goes from now on...

Not that big, but there was a sound system there. It seemed people were coming together in the front of this, like being lured by the sound. They desperately needed nice riddim and nice vibes.

Having say that, they were clearly the most popular. No doubt about it. Gals and rudy raggamuffins came to shake hands with them or take some pics with them...

This elderly couple made all of surroudings happy. Just watching them dance without any camera-shiness was so peaceful. Respect !!

I'm not sure about what it was like on the second day. At least on the first day, Bob's songs were not played so often. I wanted to listen to his songs by a gigantic sound system. This is the only thing I was disappointed with.

Overall, I was soooo irie.

Caramel Ribbon

This is my mom's horse, Caramel Ribbon ♪

She can respond when called, like "buhihi".

She's still a young gal. She's been schooled.

Cherry Blossom

I appreciated cherry blossom in my hometown, Shizuoka.
Of course, I could do that here in Tokyo, but I just wanted to be elbowed in half-drunk people's jam walking under trees and I wanted to avoid struggleing here and there to find some room to chillax.
It sucks !!


My little sis is working at Soba noodle vendor.
They had a great sales, according to her...
Yep, she has a side job, which I'm green with envy.

Chikuwa got crazy once he found her...

Taste the World

I made a little visit to photo exhibition "Taste the World".
My friend is one of the organizers.
He specialized in internataional relationships and cooperations at the graduate after having conducted his 2-year mission at the governmental organization as a musical instructor in Zimbabwe.
He and his graduate buddies actually held this event.

Besides, a dot-com business that I've been a bit involved as a weblog writer, luckily had a tiny space for displaying goods.

It was a great opportunity that we could merchandise firsthand, instead of through the Internet.

It's sometimes exactly what we should do, I think.

Unexpectedly in a good way, people stopped by and they were intersted in our authentic African goods.

They were sold more then expected, not like hotcakes though...

I, for myself, bought one.

It's from Uganda. Surprisingly, it's made from papers.

They are rolled up in a way and painted with ...what? Not sure.

Actually I'm wearing this today, but still don't believe what was made from because it doesn't look so. Absolutely NOT!!

Leaving the venue, I had my vital food Ramen.

Most of the time, I need to make it larger helping to fullfill my craving for this amazingly delish thing.

Beyonce !!

Speaking of Beyonce, I went to see her live concert.
It was difficult to pick either one of Beyonce and Ne-Yo,
who also had a Japan tour.
But what made me slanted toward Beyonce was an assumption that her performance would be more dancy, and it turned out to be true...

You believe or not, we couldn't see anything on the stage when we were seated. Something gigantic equipment from the ceiling was blocking my sight. I've been here at this venue more than 10 times, most of the times for MMA, but this never ever happend before even when much more people were accommodated.

I would have put a curse on the promotoer if my seat hadn't changed to an appropriate place, at least I could see her even if it was like bird's -eve view.

I had a ball. Dancing and singing with her !!
Needless to say, she's a genuine DIVA.
I wish I could sing and dance like her even if it was one and only.
Her backup dancers and singers were all amazingly cool.
I love "big mama" chorus girls the most. They're absolutely requisite for the stage.

I had muscular pain in my hamstrings the next day. (> <)

This is a hair style that I really wanted to try in Jamaica... Kawaii !!

Cuban Film Festival

Speaking of Cuba,
I went to the Cuban Film Festival with Linda last autumn.
Mojito was undeniably tempting, but I thought it would be a good chance to give a shot to something new, then Canchanchara was my poison there.

It was good, but it might be a bit strong on my empty stomach.
I munched away a variety of Cuban cuisine, which was specially cooked for the party when they were not on the regular menu.

This is a woman (in the middle of the pic) who launched and organized everything for the festival all by herself.
Luckily enough, I've got an opportunity to chat with her, technically, I spoke to her.
Actually, this was not the first time to meet her, but I didn't have a chance to talk to her in person.

I genuinely admire what she has accomplished so far in her life, and of course herself.
It's not something anybody could achieve even if you make tons of effort like hell.
She's totally my role model when I'm million million miles away from her considered where as I am ;-)


Cuban music and dance were performed at the party.
I don't see clearly if I like them since I've never been exposed to Cuban culture firsthand in Cuba.
Untill then, I'd prefer Jamaican Reggae, Yah man !! Hahaha.

By the way, congri (black rice with beans) was not that bad...

GG Award memorial party !!

I attended a party last week.
It was a banquet that required me to dress formally with any of golden accessories because it was the "Golden" Globe Award memorial party.
I had to purchase almost everything to dress me up, such as heels, clutch bag and even dress.
No way I have something chic and elegant attires. I'm a kind of a tomboy wearing hoodie and baggy jeans every day ;-)

Luckily enough, I was able to get all within my budget, which was extremely limited, as you know. Think I'm a smart shopper !

Well-chilled Moet had been served on the table all though the party.
Sooooo good !! Never had Moet. It was awesome.
I relished it so much. Thx, AXN. Still can't believe all for free.


Of course food and desert were there.
But no carbo, even slices of bread or anything. Why? Is it normal? Not sure...


Anyway, I grabbed some bite of it after the party nad headed for the club. Wonder when my next night-out would be... Maybe 2011??

Launch Spanish learning!!

One thing that rejoiced me the most in 2009 occurred in the Big Apple when I had to stay overnight for my connection flight to Tokyo from JM.

I immediately noticed my taxi driver and his assistant guy were Hispanic by a language they were speaking each other.
I really wanted to talk to them in Spanish while my vocabulary was extremely limited.
My brain was desperately struggling to find Spanish words that seemed cool and would make them laugh.

In time the car stopped in the front of the airport hotel we were going to stay.
I was, like being stading on the edge of a cliff, no time left at all, and finally this poped up out of my mouth in a loud voice when I was just about to put my one foot on the ground from the car.

" Muchas gracias! "

They looked a bit surpriced but gave me biiiiig smiles !!
What an experience !
I was so exhausted and a bit under the weather, actually.
But it's gone, it has, totally!!

Come to think of it,
I might had fogotten pleasure of making myself understood in a foreign language even if it was just a greeting word...

Like this way, I've just taken up learning Spanish.
Luckily, I have a tutor, Linda. Totally indivisual contract.
My English, it was crazily a long way to come up to here,
so I'll take it slow.
Hope to understand survival travel Spanish by this fall.

BTW, the first thing I did once stepping into the room was, Chinese delivery order !!! Almost every American TV drama has a scenes of munching away paper-made boxed Chinese on the bed or couch... so I wanted to try.Hahaha.
It was yummy and I was happy.

Shinji Ono is back !!

I'm not a football fan that much, although it had passed through me as a fad in 2002 just like many other Japs.
I was a baseball person myself at that time.
Having said that, it was a great news for me that Shinji Ono was going back to Japan from Germany to join his original home town team in Shizuoka, where I come from as well as him.
Don't worry, experts out there.
Even I know that he's no more on the top of his game in his pitch career and won't expect too much.
Actually he has a lot of injuries here and there on his body. (> <)

But I deeply admire him because of this. Watch !!



Only word that I can catch is "lekker", except for " Dank u".
Lekker means delicious, great or something like that
if I recall correctly.
I know how difficuly Dutch is by where I come from...
He's unbelievably amazing!! Isn't he?

It seems assured that he hadn't had any linguistic problem in Germany.
Coz German & Dutch is like identical twins from English,
having enormous similarity each other.

B-day present

My BFF, Linda gave me MAC lipstick for my b-day present.
Now I'm pumped up for a girl's night out with her, yeah !!
Thanks so much, baby. Where shall we go first??


And one more.
My exxxx sent this CD for me through Amazon.
The choice is soooooooo his.

I've never listened to Carole King.
Just wondering if I like her songs... Let's give it a try.

Multilingual

I like this CM so much !!
I wanna be just like her when I'm more aged.
Like handling more than 2 languages and corresponding to directly overseas.



Hopefully with Russian or Spanish, of course along with English.

Donation

I’ve made a donation of approx.400 ball-point pens.
They are 3 ways of black, red and mechanical pencil that my company prepared a long time ago as sales promotion materials, and look at now, they’re all useless.
I hate when this "Mottainai" situation occurres.

Half of them is to be sent to a junior high in Kenya and another half to a sort of organization for women in Zambia.
Being known where they are supposed to be delivered to makes me feel “I did a rewarding thing in an appropriate way.”
I wouldn’t like to do any without transparency.

Anyway, hope they are put to good use. (^ー^)