putting it out there...

think of it what you will, but i've decided to create a vision board with my dreams/goals/hopes for the future. here's what it's got on it:

* write 

* publish

* succeed

* confidence

* yen

* winning combination

* make a delicious change

* winner's circle

* art & culture

* dance

* dream big

* keep going

* make a day's work look like a breeze

* top job

* smarter

* creative

* memoirs

* books

* travel

* london

* paris

* san francisco

* new york

* hawaii

* CALIENTE!!

* VIP

* Kyoto!

* Tokyo

* made for TV

* style

* adding sparkle

* sexy sparkle

* gorgeous

* glitter

* make friends

* celebration

* thankful

* sweetheart

* love

* a whole lot of smiles

* never stop laughing

* improve your overall japanese ability

i love how the last one is so practical and prosaic (but still a valid goal!!) let's see how well i do at achieving them!

delicious discovery

i've had the amazing 2007-2008 vegan restaurant pocketguide since, well, 2007, but i have yet to visit all of the lovely places contained within. for some reason i had always skipped past saishoku kenbi's entry, though i'm not sure why. was it because it was in shin-okubo, an area of tokyo i don't normally frequent? whatever the reason, rest assured that as of today, this adorable little spot is certainly on my radar, and should be on yours, too.

tucked away inside some temple grounds off the main drag of okubo-dori, in the heart of tokyo's korea town, saishoku kenbi offers a stellar lunch deal. for only 1,350 yen, you get 90 minutes of pure deliciousness. since today was my first visit (but certainly won't be the last), i can't say for sure what the normal line-up is, but today's selection was most impressive. fresh salad fixins, veggie meat versions of everything from tuna to bacon-accented pasta to korean "kalbi" spicy beef, plus multi-grain rice and miso soup. my personal favorites were the soy "chicken" salad, gyoza, and soy milk "cream" croquettes. 

my only one small complaint about the whole experience is that i happened to go to the bathroom near the 90-minute mark, and the staff reportedly came by the table and scolded my dining companion for overstaying our welcome. sheesh -- at that stage neither of us was taking anything more from the buffet. i think special allowances should be made for bathroom breaks! however, all in all it was a great meal and i'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for some fun veggie foods that are hard to come by in japan.

saishoku kenbi, 2-21-6 hyakunin-cho, shinjuku-ku, tokyo, tel: 03.5332.3627, www.daisho-kikaku.com, nearest station: shin-okubo or okubo, open 11:30-2:30 every day except tue.

garden parties

recently, i've found myself spending the majority of my free time in gardens. it's probably a combination of factors -- having a couple of hours to spare here and there, some stellar weather, and the need to inject some tranquility (if such a thing can be done) into my life. having visitors from out of town also inspires me to show off the things i love best about japan, and the jaw-dropping beauty of the gardens here ranks pretty high on my list. so, without further ado, here are some scenes from the past few garden-filled weeks.

part 1: the cool guy/girl series from koishikawa korakuen gardens (note tokyo dome in the background)

part 2: the extreme green scene from shinjuku gyoen (as a side note, so sad to say that the wonderful fruit/vegetable juice bar nearby -- piman -- seems to have closed. this is unfortunate for tokyo.)

love, love, LOVE the weeping willows over water. one of the most beautiful sights ever, as far as i'm concerned.

part 3: oh heian shrine garden, you are my favorite place on earth, even when you are overrun by hundreds of tourists. i love your brilliant pink water lilies that i was lucky enough to catch in bloom:

and the unexpected pattern the bamboo leaves on your clean-brushed gravel paths (yes, that is my head in the lower right corner).

finally: delightful arisugawa koen on a sunny september sunday. pure bliss.

kagurazaka adventures

today i had a few hours between classes, and since i started the day out in ichigaya, i decided to head to nearby kagurazaka to check it out. i'd never been there, though hearing that it was kind of a french quartier intrigued me. i don't know if i just chose the wrong place to be, but i didn't really have any run-ins with frenchies, not even at le bretagne, the creperie where i had lunch. however, despite the lack of gallic influence, i still thought the neighborhood was charming and i'm happy i decided to check it out. i love the fact that i can still be a tourist in a city i've lived in for nearly 4 years. 

here are some of the highlights of my day.

1. my beautiful multi-colored salad at lunch

2. do you know what is grilled pork leg?

3. the terrace at saryo, my new favorite tea and sweet shop

4. cream anmitsu -- weird + wonderful

5. temple with chinese style gate

and in case the photos don't do the day justice, here is my gratitude-style take on my time in kagurazaka.

* yummy galette and iced apple tea at le bretagne (not pictured)

* finding some cool and funky shops

* talking with a guy in a shop about france v. usa, american cultural imperialism, being vegetarian, etc. afterwards i felt proud that the whole exchange took place in japanese since years ago i wouldn't have been able to do that. progress!!

* saryo teahouse. i love the clean lines and bamboo. the anmitsu was also really weird, but good.

overflowing with things to be thankful for

it's funny how once you start taking stock of all the things you are grateful for, they just seem to keep increasing day by day. when i first started keeping a gratitude journal. when was that? oh, that's right, less than a week ago. way back then, i was feeling grumpy, cranky, lethargic, and frustrated. now it's only been a few days, but i already feel like there are so many things to be thankful for and i'm motivated to do a lot of different things. i can't wait to see how i feel at the end of the month, and not just because i'm going to be ripped from working out so much!! ;)

today i am grateful for:

* watermelon smoothie (mixing it up!)

* relatively easy commute

* nice students

* yummy lunch

* nice guy at ward office who waived my late fee

* volunteer interpreter who helped explain ward tax

* hayato for bringing home cookies and having time to hang out

* voice recording gig and potential for more work

* amazing hoop session

* my brain for switching gears and going to the other side

* my body for supporting me and moving in a way that feels incredibly amazing

* d for making her inspirational video and her dedication to making hbc an amazing and transformative experience

thank you!!!

what are you grateful for today?

embarrassing secret

okay, so i have an embarrassing secret. the first part is that i am hopelessly, shamefully addicted to reality tv shows. and not just the "good ones" like project runway or top chef (although i adore both of those!). i like the really, really trashy ones, like paris hilton's my new bff, the bachelor, and the hills. (idgie, i know you're with me here!!!)  

i mean, seriously. in my brain, i know that these are hardly a reflection of reality, and that the contestants are often chosen specifically for their bodacious bodies and controversial characters, and that even if the events portrayed "really" happened, they have been manipulated and edited for maximum effect. but i can't stop watching them!!! 

the second part of this embarrassing fact is that i can't help but imagine myself in these various situations (obviously this is a bit easier for the shows where being a contestant doesn't actually require any talent), and wonder if i would do better than any of these people. on the one hand, i like to think of myself as a pretty reasonable, normal individual, and i try not to pick fights with people for no reason, but on the other hand, those are the kinds of traits that will get you nowhere in reality television. really, it's not necessarily about liking someone and thinking that they're a good person, it's about observing how personalities clash and how people deal with confrontation. 

since most of my defining characteristics (at least as well as i understand them) are based on avoiding confrontation and fights, i suppose that i would make for a really boring contestant. but who knows? maybe with the cameras there, my personality would totally transform and i would become one of those people you love to hate. 

in a moment of weakness i did actually look at mtv's casting page, but (un?) fortunately, i've already surpassed the maximum age for participants, so i suppose this is a dream i'll have to continue to keep in the unattainable category... at least for now.

another day of gratitude

today i am grateful for:

* hayato and the delicious lunch he made

* living a life in which i was able to have a real childhood, surrounded by love and support

* seeing the world press photo exhibit to make me aware of the intense suffering, beauty, and humor in this world

* frozen peach banana pineapple smoothie

* having a few hours of work to give my day purpose and structure

* cool breeze on a hot summer evening

and i'm adding one new one just as i'm typing these up: 

* tiger balm for itchy mosquito bites

thank you!!! 

what is everyone else grateful for?