Valentines!

While most of the men in most other countries are racking their brains for original ideas on how to surprise their women on Valentine’s Day, it’s the women who are busy here in Japan every 14th of February. They bake cakes, cookies, chocolates, and other pastries, to give to their men or crushes on top of thinking of ways on how to be original about it. For some who doesn’t have the time to bake though, chocolates and cakes in pretty boxes are available everywhere.

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Ten years back when we were first assigned here in Yokohama, we were so amazed on how all of the customers in chocolate stalls as the ones above were only women.

Supposedly, the women give the men gifts on Valentines Day and the men, in reply would give the women gifts on White Day – March 14. We were told that if you gave a guy you were crushing on a gift on V-day and you didn’t receive anything on March 14, well, one could pretty some up the story. 😛

As for me and Hubs, we definitely wouldn’t be going somewhere special tonight as I am now currently in bed, sneezing very loudly, eyes barely open, and tears continuously falling because of very very bad colds. Was absent yesterday, hubby had to be absent as well to accompany me to the hospital as I was already running a fever. Woke up today feeling better so I went to office, only to go back home after staying an hour in the office because I can barely keep my eyes wide open; my tear-filled eyes can’t take the office lights. Plus, I was sneezing and coughing loudly.

I did give Hubs a red, heart-shaped box of creamy Lindt chocolates, one of my favourite brands. But I can’t have even a piece because my throat is swollen.

Dear St. Valentines, please do hear my plea and take this colds away from our house.

And oh! Have you seen today’s Google doodle? A good reminder that it’s not what can be googled and bought but rather it’s the time spent together that matters most. 🙂 Happy Valentines everyone!

RIP, Whitney Houston

I remember receiving, probably around 2004, when forwarded emails in the office are still the fad, an email with a PowerPoint about Whitney and how ungrateful she had been with all the blessings she had received because of how she succumbed to drugs. I remembered being shocked and being angry to whoever was the originator of the email for spreading lies about Whitney. One search on the Internet though and the truth was confirmed.

It has been a tough battle for her and her family. Especially since on the latter years, the world hadn’t been nice to her, using her story as a cautionary tale, demanding more out of her and her voice when it was evident she lost it already.

Now Whitney can have a respite from her struggles. May you rest in peace Whitney.

As for me, my heart grieves on what you’ve been through and how now, we lost your golden voice for good. But that same golden voice would always be ringing in my ears the way I heard it when I was six and was practicing “The Greatest Love of All” for our Kindergarten graduation, the way I heard it when I practiced “Where do broken hearts go” and “I wanna dance with somebody” back in my Center for Pop days.

Rest in peace Whitney. And with this is the prayer that the world will remember you more during your glory days and not the days of your fall from the limelight. You put up a brave fight. And I hope the world will also remember that. And thank you Whitney, for the songs. You are missed.

on lost Eye-Fi and some good news

I realized this afternoon that I lost our Eye-Fi SD card. 🙁 Understandably enough, Hubs was upset for a couple of minutes. He was upset not mainly because the SD card contains photos/videos of our Vienna/Czech Republic trip, not mainly because it being an Eye-Fi it costs a bit more expensive than the usual SD card but mainly because we are not sure if our SD card are not with those having bad intentions. But as I said, Hubs was upset for only a couple of minutes. And for this I am truly thankful. Thankful for Hubs having such an understanding heart as to not let a material thing ruin our day.

I’ve been feeling exhausted recently. The whole day yesterday, I just slept. Was feeling sleepy most of today as well. But even so, I was thankful that I have enough energy to go to Yokohama to buy some much needed vitamins as well as go to Bandobashi to buy some prawns in which we had a great dinner with. Hubs had to carry most of the stuff we bought though as I only have enough energy for walking.

Received a sweet email today relating to THAT VERY EXCITING THING which we’ve been waiting for since end of November. Hopefully in a month, we’d share the excitement.

There goes my three happy things for today. That and one big happy thing which we shall share later on. Yawn. Got to catch some sleep now.

a goal for the next 21 days

I’m currently in the midst of drafting my post for the tea ceremony experience we had last Sunday. I actually started drafting it last Sunday, wanting to post it right after we got back home. Alas, it’s Saturday already and yet i’m still having trouble uploading the videos. I tried publishing through my iPhone but at some point the App crashed. Now tried it in iMac but the upload rate is somewhere along 1%/5 minutes. Hence I decided to revisit TED while waiting for the first video to load.

Gosh I miss TED! And i’m so glad the talk I ran into has just the humor i needed. Do watch it!

Back when I had my “count thy blessings” post in December, I said that once you did something for 30 days consecutive, you’ll end up having that deed as a habit. From Achor’s talk above, it seems 21 days is all you need. And it isn’t just about making something a habit. It’s about recording three things daily in 21 days to help your mind focus on the positive side of things. For a happier you. For a hopefully more efficient and successful you.

So here’s to a goal of posting 3 things to be grateful for for the day, for the next 21 days! 🙂

And oh, today’s three things?

– thankful for Hubs who was willing to cook lunch while I sleep my head off

– thankful for friends and family with whom I can share what I’m going through, with whom I can ask to help me pray

– thankful for the Mentors I have met so far. Some of them might be out of reach, some whose genius I can only have a glimpse on, some of them I soooo wish to talk to more often, most of them doesn’t have an inkling I consider them my mentor. But at least at some point in my life they’ve touched me and their influence would always help me along the way. Albeit I still really wish for official mentors. 😛

Fuji-san

Wasn’t able to photo capture Fuji-san the other morning when the snowcapped mountain looked so clear and powerful. Thankfully I had the time to capture Fuji-san during sunset. But was so surprised how the mountain looked so small on the photo when it certainly looked so looming for us in actuality.p Probably I need a professional to capture it as it is. 🙂

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songs from the heart

It was so hard for me to sing “Make Me Whole” before. I’d sing a few lines and my voice would crack, tears would then well up on my eyes as I think of Hubs. That was how dear the song was for me, for us. Thankfully, I was able to sing the song during our wedding, without messing things up.

I hope soon I can sing this too, just as beautifully, without cracks showing up in my voice as tears well up.