2 years have passed after I went back to Japan...

Annual series, "● years have passed after I went back to Japan."

I came back to my apartment to write this article although I have not finished my VTR editing...(awesome!)

Actually, every yearend reminds me that I came back to Japan at the end of the year 2007. What comes up to my mind is... how my current situation looks from former self, I wrote the blog article at the U.S. Airport before departure, everyone in both Michigan and California gave me hearty send-offs, etc...

Time goes by, but precious time and experiences given from many people would remain in me, and I also hope to offer people around me wonderful memories that everyone wishes to retain.

These days, compared to last year, it seems I have some room to breathe.
Today, I cooked chicken ham, since a senior staff in my company had taught me the recipe. The chicken had been soaked for 2days, and today, I could finally cook and eat. Very easy to cook, but the taste was real ham!!

I hope I would finish up my VTR editing by tomorrow sunset and spend New Year's Eve at my family home this year!

Have a great 2010!

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Umich alumni association

This weekend, I attended the Umich alumni association in Japan.

( ↓ A lot of bussiness cards!)

The members, about 20 ppl, were different in ages and courses (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral), so I could not find any person of my generation.

Most ppl I talked with had been graduate or doctoral students in 80s-90s.
Only one person and I were from undergraduate.

(Certainly, I had not seen Japanese students in undergraduate classes...)

Some members launched brilliant businesses, other members work at big companies making good use of their experiences in umich, and there were also non-Japanese members who live and work in Japan. I was really encouraged by meeting and chatting with them!

In the room, a professor of umich, who came all the way from Michigan, explained recent Ann Arbor and Umich showing pictures. I was surprised that new buildings had already been built in this one and half years after I graduated.

At the mention of the recent U.S. recession, the prof said although the State of Michigan is in trouble, such as bankruptcy of GM, economic situation of Umich is good!

(Even if they are in a harsh economic condition, I cannot help now...)

According to the prof, famous private universities are having difficulties in managing, and cannot help relying on endowment and reducing their education quality. On the other hand, since Umich is state-funded, we are subsidized by the State and will NOT have to lower the level of education and research.

Awesome♪

Umich helps the State by releasing great study results and developing human resources.

In talking with the prof and the fellows, who graduated from the same campus in Ann Arbor,

I felt, again, that

I was REALLY happy I had been a student of the University of Michigan!

(Of course, I have thought so all along though : )

I hope I would repay their favor by making ppl happy in society using the experience in Umich.

Yeah, I will try!

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I know it's getting long, but let me continue.

This time, I met my friends who live in the Kanto area!

At first, I hung out with my previous roomie, Minasong, in Yokohama☆

Her hair got so long, like a fashion model!

It was the first time for me to get off at Yokohama station, so she showed me around. I will visit again!

After that, I met white Soji in Shibuya. He was still like a boy.

He took me to a cafe where his friend, Mr. Kato works.

 (←Mr. Kato made. Wonderful! Cute♪)

Mr. Kato is a good magician. He showed us memorable magic!
Thank you!!

Did u guys notice Soji is becoming 31 years old this month!?

Including my high school friend, Junjun, everyone who spent time for me in this weekend, thank you very much!

Another fair-skinned girl, who was somehow in Los Angels, and ppl who couldn't meet up with this time, see you again!

Please also come to my place : )


Bye now~

I gotta work tomorrow...

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1 year has past since I went back to Japan

It was just 1 year ago I finished up my study in the U.S. and went back to Japan.

I had thought that working would be easier than studying. But as you know, now, I am so busy at work that I cannot even update this blog...

My plans during the year change period?
Shooting on Christmas, and coverage on New Year's Day (in the very early morning) ... something like that.
I may be working in my office at the moment of the New Year's arrival...

For me, 2008 was a tough year. I started my life in Japan for the first time in three years, and stepped out as a member of society. The style of life, what to care for... everything has changed!
Of course, I am lucky to have a job in the field I want. However, I haven't developed enough skill to deal with everything. So I just worked as hard as I could.

I still desire, as I did when I was an international student, to have some space to breathe.
I am as busy as ever...

Everyone I could not reply and ppl taking care of me - I'm so sorry and thank you very much.
I'm alive for now...

Have a great new year!

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Graduation & Going back to Japan

More than 1 week ago, I graduated from my beloved university, the University of Michigan.

The university, Ann Arbor town and nature, my fellows and professors, ppl in Ann Arbor... Everything in my college life was more than I deserved. I cannot thank people who have supported me and spent time with me enough... (with such a comical look on my face)

It has been three years since I came to the U.S.A.

The happiest change for me is about my parents - At first, they disagreed with my studying in the U.S. and worried too much even after I came to this country, but finally, they believe me and totally support me.

Thinking of my EXTRA-Worrier parents, who cannot even ride an airplane, it might be absurd that I thought of studying abroad even though I was on the way which my parents were satisfied with when I graduated from my high school. But, since I was a child, I had suffered from a deep sense of dissatisfaction and distrust toward my parents because I had felt I was always tied down by their excessive worry; I seriously did not want to keep having such negative feelings toward them, because my parents were only them in the world, and I was eager to understand each other - that's why I chose to study communication.

Although they had been absolutely opposed to and worried over my staying in the U.S., when I started my job search after two years, the best supporters for me were my parents. The job I was looking for, mass communication, did not appear in career forums for international students, so I had to go back to Japan again and again for job interviews while taking classes in the U.S.. I, myself, wondered "Is job hunting worth sacrificing my school life?" "Mass communication is enticing, but am I qualify for it?" and became discouraged...

I think it's impossible to be both a student and a job hunter at the same time... I was always writing my paper in airport lobbies. Once, I was so tired and fell asleep, and missed my connecting flight. I was no longer a student nor a job hunter... Another time, I came back from Japan to Detroit Airport, and received a phone call saying "Come back for the next interview two days later. " Of course, I myself chose to study abroad, so I could do nothing about it.

BOT, when I inclined to job offers other than mass communication, my parents let me recognize my dream again. I just strove to graduate and work as soon as possible in order to save my tuition, but they said "It's ok to stay in the U.S. one more year. You don't have to concern about money. Do what you wanna do until you are satisfied."

Probably, both my dream and my path were totally different from my parents had originally expected. They were already Extra-Worrier, but I made them even more anxious. In spite of that, they have come to believe me and back up my dream - by itself, it's enough to say that I have achieved my main goal of studying abroad.

I also got to think of my parents' feelings from the different view, through the study of communication and psychology, and life in another culture. I notice and regret that I have just "known" what they have thought and not tried to  "understand" them enough.

I enrolled in the University of Michigan in order to major in communication (and psychology, if possible). However, one required class for communication major was held only in spring semester when many of my job interviews were scheduled in Japan... I considered for several weeks, and finally decided not to take the required class. Some of my professors and graduate students were negative about my changing major. Some of the others cared about me saying "You must be sad...you really wanted to study communication..."
Either way, I'm glad I was surrounded by people who strongly wanted their students to pursue their aim.

Now, I think psychology and music, my minor, are the best match. In the first place, I was interested in emotional relationships. Its base is psychology, and communication is the tools for it.  Music relates to both psychology and communication, and plays an important role in society. Honestly, because I quickly finished my study in 3years, I'm not confident that I could get the practical knowledge, which could be used in social life, perfectly (just an apology?). But I, at least, learned the perspectives of these areas, and became able to consider things based on them.

Since I was a child, I had not wanted to go back home. So before I started job hunting, I thought I definitely had to avoid a job near my home. However, since I noticed my parents wanted me to pursue dream of myself, I no more keep away from my home. I was made an offer from a company in my home prefecture. Although I had gotten off from my home, I really love my hometown! It is nice to do the job I want for the area I grew up surrounded by people use the same dialect and have similar characteristics. I will live alone and maybe not go back to my parents’ home so often, but I will support my parents by the best way, including my grand mother’s nursing care. (I may be still supported more than I support...) Until now, all I could do was just graduating fast and saving money and the time to worry... I have to return my school expenses from now. (I don’t know how long it will take...)

During this 3 years in the U.S., I just drove me forward desperately even without the feeling of alive, to borrow my friend’s words, “making a broken wheel rotate.” Everything I saw, listened, touched was like wrapped by an oblate. It might be the reason why I could go through the hard schedule, or if I was not so, I could allow myself to breathe and might be able to enjoy much more things even in the same period. Anyway, I will keep trying in Japan with the love many many people have given me for this three years, or the 22 years I have lived.

By the way, I will keep writing about Ann Arbor on this blog for a while. I haven’t yet described the appeal of the town enough. After that, I may blog about the wonderful thing in my hometown : )

Oh, boarding for the flight to Japan seems to be begun now...

See ya!

P.S. To my friends who got together before my graduation and return, and who came on the day of graduation ceremony when final exam was coming up, thank you very very much!

 I graduated, but I cannot stop getting in touch with outer space! →

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Snow

I think we've got our first snow of this year in Nov.

When I noticed the light fall of snow, I felt somewhat happy and couldn't help playing outside (alone...).

Today, I didn't notice that we got much snow until Kaori Momoi, a Japanese famous actress, said "White Christmas!!!" because I had kept in Angel Hall from noon to the evening to do my research, and then to attend to a screening of Faces of a Fig Tree (Ichijiku no kao), which was the first movie directed by Kaori Momoi. She actually came to Angel Hall yesterday and today, and answered some questions of the audience.

(A small tree in front of Angel Hall ↑)

She had a lot of positive energy! She is in her 50s, but for her, now is the midpoint of her life because she will live to be around 120 years old :)

Anyway, she seemed to enjoy the snow in A2 as well as me (and other ppl in A2, right?); that's great!

↑Diag was also covered with snow! ↑(Can you see the M!?)

Oh, by the way, although snow is beautiful, it is sometimes dangerous. A little while ago (2am), I was going home by the free-ride and our cab was almost hit by another car!
Fortunately, both cars was running very slowly because the road was icy; but if they had run faster, we would have got injured... I came near to missing tomorrow's lunch with my friends!! (← very important).

(↑Weather gadget in this morning - provided by Google )

Anyway, be careful when you drive, run, play outside, or whatever.

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