Entertaining Way to Explain Airline Safety Instructions

Check out Cebu Pacific Airlines unique way of explaining airline safety instructions.

Japanese American Museum of San Jose is OPENING!

The Japanese American Museum of San Jose is opening October 16, 2010.  There will be a ceremony at 1pm and then the museum will open at 2pm.  Just for Saturday they request people to sign up if they want to see the museum.   There is no fee for admission the opening weekend.

Memorial wall honors displaced Japanese-Americans

In Seattle, Washington, a Memorial wall is being created to honor displaced Japanese-Americans due to the internment.  In Los Angeles, California at the Japanese-American National Museum on the steps as you enter the museum, there are engraved names.  Many of my relatives children's names are now engraved on those steps.  I think it is a cool legacy.  At the time the steps were being built the children were babies, but now the older ones are in high school.  I think one day when they get older, they will realize the signaficance.

Nisei Week Japanese Festival - August 14-22, 2010

In Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, the annual Nisei Week Festival is going on.   It's the 70th year of the festival. My mom grew up in LA and Nisei week was always a really fun festival to go to when I was growing up. We went sometimes if we were in LA for vacation. Tons of Japanese food, music, games, dancing. One of the highlights, is the selection of the Nisei week Queen. My mom told me my Aunt, her younger sister, was asked to run for Nisei week Queen years ago, but my Grandfather wouldn't allow it. My sisters and I would tease my mom, that she wasn't asked, and she would just laugh and laugh. I have such fond memories of going to that festival.

Green Tea Lattes

My sister told me one of her favorite drinks now is a Green Tea Latte.  Check out how to make one.

Green Tea Kit Kat Bars!

Whenever my cousin comes to visit me once a year, I always try to have a new fun food to share with her.  She always knows the latest on candy.  I consider her a candy connoisseur. So this year, I found this bag of mini Kit Kat Candy bars that came in regular Milk Chocolate, but also Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate.  I really liked the White Chocolate ones so when my cousin came to my house, I was excited to show her my new finding.  Alas, she had already seen the candy and then she told me about Green Tea Kit Kat Bars that I didn't even know existed.  So now I have got to try those!

US joins Hiroshima A-bomb memorial for 1st time

On Saturday, the San Jose Mercury News, reported that a US representative attended the Hiroshima A-bomb Memorial for the 1st time.  When I lived in Japan, many of the Japanese people I met felt the bombing made them pacifists.  Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be a lot of anger, just deep sadness for the horror that the war and bombing brought to Japan. When I went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, it was very sad to see what had happened.  There were parts of the museum, that I honestly couldn't bear to look at.

San Jose's Japantown Bucks the Recession

Today in the San Jose Mercury News cool article on San Jose Japantown bucking the recession with nice slide show.  Grew up going there all the time and especially love the tofu featured in the slide show.

Possible Movie about the 442nd Regiment directed by Ken Watanabe!

I remember my parents telling me about the 442nd when I was in elementary school and I was fascinated to learn about the 442nd as this was never covered in my regular schooling.  The 442nd Regiment was comprised of Japanese Americans who fought in Europe during World War II.  The families of many of its soldiers were in internment camps in America. The motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was “go for broke.” The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service, in the entire history of the U.S. Military!  In total, about 14,000 men served, earning 9,486 Purple Hearts , 21 Medals of Honor and eight Presidential Unit Citations.

I have such admiration for the 442nd. They suffered huge casualties fighting in a war for a country that had interned their families.  They brought honor to their families.

There is buzz that Ken Watanabe, the actor, may be directing his first movie about the 442nd.  I think this story would be a great movie.

Picture: Go For Broke National Education Center

Asian American - Too Broad A Term?

There was an interesting story in the Sacramento Bee Newspaper about the term "Asian American" now fading since more and more people want to be more closely identified with their ethnicity.  For example, instead of Asian American, specifically Japanese American.  On forms now, there are more choices to declare your ethnicity.  For me personally, I have always felt it weird to have to list my ethnicity.  I did find it somewhat humorous when I traveled in Asia, wherever I went, people seemed to think I was a native of that country, in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia etc.  I also get asked for directions when I go to Hawaii and I am not from Hawaii!

Sushi Poppers

Well,  I have to say, I have not seen anything like this before.  Sushi Poppers.  Looks like you can order them frozen as well.  Not sure how good it would taste after being defrosted.  I am used to eating Sushi freshly made, but gotta love the fact that anyone can market their own idea.
 

Who Inspires You?

I have recently been thru a series of tragic experiences in a very short amount of time.  As I sometimes get into the "woe is me" state of mind, I think about a person who truly inspires me.  My cousin was recently diagnosed with a very serious illness. I have always thought of my cousin as a religious person, but only now do I really see what true faith is.  She has faced her situation with total faith in God and His plan for her and her family and with a sense of humor!  Not only is she an inspiration to me, but to her friends and family as well.  In an interesting way, she has inspired thousands with her faith and trust in God.  It's as if God is working thru her, to show what true faith is.  I often wondered what type of person, thru all adversity, would continue to honor God like Job did and now I know.

Cute Panda Sneezing

I have always found Pandas to be so cute!

Pepsi Commercial - Check It Out

Maneki Neko

Whenever my friends start a new business, I give them as a present a Maneki Neko.  This is a ceramic or wooden or  papier-mâché cat with its paw raised. There doesn't seem to be a clear explanation on what it means when the left paw is raised versus the right paw.  Mostly it seems though, the left paw raised will bring in customers to a business, that is the Maneki Neko that I give to my friends.  The right paw is just in general for good luck.  However, I have heard some people think it is the other way around.  Not sure when I learned about these cats.  They were always in Japanese stores I went to but I never really thought about it until I got older and then learned why they were in the stores.

Daruma

I don't remember when I learned about "Daruma" but I think it is an interesting concept.  When you first buy the Daruma, both eyes are blank.  The Daruma is very light weight and is made of papier-mâché and is hollow.  You make a wish and color in the "left eye" as you face the doll.  When the wish comes true, then you color in the other eye.  I have one little Daruma that I have colored in both eyes and a bigger one, still waiting for that wish to come true!  There are also Daruma festivals that are meant to celebrate good luck and they sell Daruma all over the place.  I think having the one eye colored in  is to remind you of the wish or goal.

OIOI

One of my favorite department stores in Japan has a big sign that looks like "OIOI".  I thought the name of the store was pronounced "Oh E, Oh E".  I mentioned that one day to a Japanese friend and she thought it was the funniest thing she had ever heard!  The store's name is Marui which means circle, so the "O" s are to represent the circles.  Well live and learn...

It Just Fits

One thing about Japan, I really do love is that many things just fit me.  When I rode on the trains the rings that hang down so you can hold on when the train moves around, are just the right height for me.  When I tried on jewelry, the rings and bracelets just fit.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't need to re-size things.  The one thing that I really remember is that the shoes fit.  I have a really hard time finding shoes in the United States, especially sandals.  They just don't fit right.  Every shoe I tried on in Japan in my size fit.  It was just amazing.  Even now, I have dreams sometimes that I went to Japan and came back with tons of shoes.  Clothes, though, I seemed to be so big.  In the U.S. I can wear the smaller or medium sizes, there I needed to wear large.  Oh Well... guess you can't have everything!

OODS

I went to Japanese School every Saturday when I was in elementary school.  I can honestly say I felt it was a total injustice that I had to go to school on a SATURDAY.  However, I did have some memorable experiences.  I was sitting in class one Saturday and the teacher was teaching us some Kanji and new Japanese words.  He started talking about "oods" and then he wrote in Japanese what that was.  I turned to the girl sitting next to me, who was from Japan, and I said, "oods? what is that?".  She said, "you know oods".  I looked at the blackboard and saw in English, the teacher had written the letters "oods" on the board.  I was quite perplexed because everyone else seemed to understand what he meant.  Finally, the girl sitting in front of me moved her head slightly and I saw he had written, the word "woods" on the board. 

How to Use a Dressing Room in Japan

I went to a Japanese department store and saw some clothes I wanted to try on.  In the center of the clothing department was a little dressing room with a curtain that you pulled once you stepped on the platform.  There was a mirror in the room and looked just like a dressing room you would see in the United States.  Once I was in the room, I heard this commotion.  There was a woman yelling at me.  I wasn't sure what she was saying so I just poked my head out from behind the curtain to see what she wanted.  She seemed distressed.  I then saw her pointing to my feet and saying "kutsu, kutsu".  I then realized she wanted me to take off my shoes before entering the dressing room.  She had a very infuriated look on her face, so I was sure to say in English, "I am sorry, what is the problem?"  She was taken aback as she was so sure I was Japanese and just being rude.  I told her I was American.  She instantly became kinder and then pointed for me to take off my shoes.  I apologized, took off my shoes and thought, I better remember that!