29 January 2010
Saturday
I haven't posted in a while, because of the usual growth of classwork and overall college-anxiety! I'm missing the winter break, where I could get in about 8-9 hours of sleep. I like sleep.
Schoolwork is constant, and so is the freezing weather! It's also hard to believe that I'll be graduating with my Bachelor's degree in about 3-4 months. I've been a student for so long (12 years of grade school + 4 of college) - I'm not sure if I'll transition well enough to becoming "not a student". To finally be out in the world with my degree and my skills. ;) Scary stuff.
After I graduate I still need to complete my 200 hours of an internship somewhere in the city. I'd love to broaden my scope and be able to take an internship in York or Philadelphia, but we have no car. I need a place where I can walk to (and hopefully not to the other END of the city).
One thing I'm happy about is that my idea and print-work for this year's Senior Show has been selected! It was down to 3 of us and we were asked to do multiple revisions within a short time period, but it all payed off in the end. My design for the event's postcard, 18" x 24" sandwich boards for the exterior front of the college, and a huge banner to be hung on the facade - will all be up for this year's show! It's an awesome thing to see your design up and out in "the world", not just as a class project. I have to make more revisions to my design, and also create some more print-work for the show, which in turn earns me a stipend of $200 from the college. Not a bad deal! So that's the highlight of my whole college career, for sure. :)
We just ran out of soy sauce a week ago, but we want to make a run to get it from the Vietnamese grocer in town instead of the usual Latino grocer we go to. Only crappy thing is that the Vietnamese place is farther away, and no one wants to walk or bike for long when it's 21 degrees F outside with blustery winds...I also just finished up my last packet of natto from that same grocer. I want to buy more, and yet it's still not exactly the same as when I'd have it back home in Suzuka - because we don't have any Kewpie to go with it!! That totally completes my memory of what natto is. American mayo tastes weird with it! Actually they do have Kewpie at that Vietnamese grocer, but it's overpriced (of course). :( Aww.
19 January 2010
Senior Thesis Fever
Today's a little warmer than it's been lately! Almost tricks me into thinking that Spring is right around the corner. Hah. I had a good three-day weekend. Takeshi and I got to spend a lot of time just being there, which is so nice since he only has Sundays off now. That is mixed with my class schedule again, which keeps me out all day (when he's still home) and drops me back off in the evening (when Takeshi has left for work already). Lately, I've been feeling extra anxious and hungry for alone-time with him - just to cuddle or whatnot. Laura has not taken well to the usual school-week schedule!
Okaasan sent us a package recently! She said she sent late birthday presents for Takeshi and early birthday presents for me. And oh my god, did she nail it on the head with what she gave Takeshi! He's been desperately needing new socks, and she gets him about 10 pairs of socks! Mother-telepathy I think. Strong gift she's got. ;)
She gave me 3 turtleneck tops from UNIQLO, all very cute. I miss that store soooo much! :( I hate it doesn't have any stores in the U.S. except for New York city. She also got me the 'highlight' present - a new purse! I swear that woman and her purse and bag fixation...The company is "PinkyGirls" - it's small, fuzzy, leopard patterned, and light pink on the inside. Sooooo GIRLY! Even though I would never buy this type of purse for myself, it is a present, and is cute in it's own way. ;)
I've continued working on the oil painting for the '213 Gallery Show' at our college, and the deadline is this Friday, but I don't think I'll be able to finish in time. With the sudden new batch of schoolwork to be done, I can't spend too much time on the painting every night, AND have it dry in time for Friday. Ah well. I kind of figured I wouldn't get it done in time. At least I can do it for myself!
Before winter break, the last project my Senior Design Studio class did was to take on the task of creating themes for the Senior Show which is held this spring, when we all graduate. The 'client' (a.k.a. the college higher-ups) deliberated on everyone's idea for the postcard/outside banner/sandwich board and narrowed it down to 3 people in our class. I am one of the 3. :) Yay me. To have my idea, my graphics to be used to be the face of this year's Senior Show would be so great! They panel of administrators still have yet to make a decision, because they've been asking for revision after revision for all 3 of our ideas. I have to go in tomorrow super early (GROAN) and print out yet another revision to my theme, so here's hoping it will pay off!
And with that I leave you with a random photo of a stuffed, hand-puppet dragon my friend Natalie gave at Christmas. :)
Have a good week everyone.
13 January 2010
くもりのきんようび
おはよう！
きょうはめっちゃくもりです。
私はウェブデザインをべんきょうします。かんたんです！
Today I left for class - gloomy day yet again. Such crappy weather for a Friday! It is still cold outside, but today it wasn't nearly as freezing as it has been lately, and there was no wind (thank YOU, ugh). Lancaster's been plagued with blustery, icy wind lately. Brrr.
As I walked down the usual streets, I always pass the same office building where there is always the early morning group of smokers hanging around. I try to hold my breath as I pass the cigarette-clouds in the air. I also pass by dozens of business people with their suits, dress slacks, and get a heavy dose of perfume and cologne. I always pass the same small men's business-clothing store - I always peek inside as I go because a big Bernese mountain dog is always sitting inside among the clothes racks. He kind of serves as the store's mascot I believe.
06 January 2010
あけましておめでとう!!
Even though it's belated, I'll say あけましておめでとう to everyone! I haven't posted in a while, so oops. I'll make it goal to not slack so much! But I was taken away with everything during winter break, being lazy, etc. etc.
I go to classes next Wednesday, the 13th, and gosh this break just flew by. :( Boo. My parents were able to come up for Christmas day, and the next couple of days, so that was great for us. Also nice to be able to move outside of the city limits, because of the rental car they had! My parents brought many yummy, sweet, fattening treats with them which I will thank them, and thank them for! Haha. They're all so yummy, and this is dangerous. I've been trying my best to have only so much of it a day!
They brought us some awesome presents, one of which I loved was a present for Takeshi mostly - a big KitchenAid mixer! He's been having a lot of fun with it ever since, with all of his culinary experiments. We were glad to hear that Takeshi's family and friends received our holiday cards at a reasonable time. I was worried it would take forever to mail letters over to Japan! Takeshi and I bought ourselves a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas! We love it and have been using it almost everyday (since consistent exercise is important!). I hope to loose the 2-ish lbs. I have gained over break. :(
I've been struggling all during break over that gallery piece I'm hoping to put it, that's due at the end of break. I finally got some sense of what I wanted to do, bought an 11"x14" canvas, and painted on the background color. BUT I did end up buying oil paints which take forever to dry, so now I'm wondering if I'll have this sucker done and dry by next Wednesday. I'll try my best to make it, but I can only go as fast as this stuff will dry for me. :( Bleh. Fingers crossed.
New Year's was fun this time around! My two best friends from high school were able to come up. I hadn't seen them both in ages. It really brought back memories of the 3 of us goofing off at school back then. Takeshi unfortunately got back late - at about 1:15-ish so I was sure to give him his first 2010 kiss as he came in the door. :) AND he had also done some "celebrating" at work before we left that night so, he was 3-sheets to the wind before any of us indulged in some drinkies as well.
We have just recently bought 2 pieces of furniture - this was this past Monday. We had decided to rent a car for the day and get as much done as we could, since Takeshi, starting this coming week, will only have Sundays off instead of Mondays and Sundays. We bought a small, low shelf, and a dresser! Oh my god, horray for organization! Now our (one and only) closet looks a lot less jammed-packed. It literally was our only place for storage. And we still have our huge pieces of luggage in it, when we arrived back in the States in July.
Takeshi received a 'catching up/happy new year' email from his dad and a family friend as well. It's nice to know they're doing well. We want them to come visit us again in the States, but it will have to wait until we're moved again to another city after this semester, and all settled. Besides, Lancaster PA is not the greatest, most exciting place to visit - and they've been here before too.
While we had the rental car, we also did a bunch of grocery shopping, at the local Giant and also the Vietnamese grocery store in town. I'm always jazzed about buying things there! This time we bought some red miso, fish cake, mirin, natto, rice, and tofu. We haven't had rice in the house in a long time! We missed it. I'm hoping to make some special dishes with the mirin and miso! Something that reminds us of home. It's so secret that I miss Japanese food!
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