Cherry Blossom Adventures

In an effort to improve on my writing I have decided to sign up for Encyclopedia of me which started over at Bella Dia (and which I found out about by reading Laura`s blog here...) Most people completed it last year but I have decided to start it now…..I won`t post everyday A-Z but I will do it over the next couple of months (possibly with some other posts thrown in for good measure!). The aim is to do write a post A is for…. B is for…. about yourself.

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A is for Ashley…

I was born on the morning of the 18th of February 1985…The first child for my parents who were both 32 at the time. I don`t know a lot about my birth story at all except that my mother didn`t have an epidural and that the labor had started early morning….I don`t know any more because I have never really asked.

My parents had not decided on a name before birth (to my knowledge at least) and while mum liked the name Ashley my father was worried that because it was a boys name also that I would get teased as I got older…So they decided on Laura Ashley (Yes my parents were high when they named me I am sure…..because while sure, I didn`t get teased for the name Ashley…instead I got teased because I had the same name as designer wallpaper)

They chose Laura because it couldn`t be shortened or turned into a nickname My mum is Katherine and despised Kathy, Kath, Katie etc…Several months after my birth my uncle nicknamed me Lulu (after a character in an advertisement or TV show that popped up everwhere) . I have been Lulu every since despite my parents despise of nicknames…. I guess I should consider myself lucky because my brother got stuck with the nickname boof head due to his giant size as a baby and toddler!

Laura Ashley…

A little older…

Popularity: 16% [?]

Amanda tagged me for this meme…I have seen it doing the rounds on the Internet a lot lately and am happy to join in!

Eight Things I am passionate about

• My Family: Things in my little family unit have changed a lot in the last few years but I am still passionate about my family. If anything happened to any of them I would be devastated. Even though I am not much for homesickness, every time I go back to Australia it is always so good to see all three of them. I am proud of them all for the little things they do (and the big things). We are a close family I think and I hope that one day if I get married and have children that they will be able to grow up in a loving family just as I did.
• Shumpei: We met three years ago now and I can not imagine my life without him. I think I would be lost…While meeting Shun has taken my life on a bit of an unexpected turn I suppose you could say, I woudn`t have it any other way.
• Friends: I have friends all over the place. Literally! And each of them as impacted on my life in someway. I got to spend a lot of time with a close friend while I was in Australia recently and I had forgotten how much fun we have together. Plus I have my friends here in Japan, who without I would also be lost. I also have friends via the Internet and friends in other countries that I don`t get to see very often but who still play large roles in my life. Earlier this week I met up with two friends I had not seen for three years…they were visiting Japan. They all really do make my world go around!
• Travel: Oh travel, how I love thee! If I could travel every second week I would. I love the packing, the plane rides (or long car rides!), the accents, the food, the culture, the new experiences. What isn`t there to love about it?! There is just so much more travel I wish to do in my lifetime that sometimes I wonder where I will fit it all in (and where I will get the money). Of course in my journeys I have been to places I probably wouldn`t necessarily want to go again but that doesn`t mean that I regret going because each and every place I visit has left a mark in my mind and heart.
• Creativity: I love creativity, I love writing and making stuff even if I am not very good and I love creative people and creative things whether it is art, photography, music, clothes, jewelery, a great blog or website or something completely different. I think though without the other passions I think a life without creativity would not be worth living!
• Music: I have always had a passion for music. I have always loved to sing and play instruments. In Australia recently I sat down at the piano and played for a couple of hours and couldn`t believe how much I had forgotten but that doesn`t mean I didn`t still love it. I am planning on taking piano back up when I am in Australia later in the year. I couldn`t imagine a world without music. My father taught my brother and I old songs before we would go to sleep when we were younger and as a result I new several John Lennon songs and Hermans Hermits songs before I knew the most popular kids songs and nursery rhymes. Now hearing and old song and thinking about the memories or discovering a new band or song that I fall in love with at first sight (heard?!?) impacts on my life in someway every time.
• Japan: I came to Japan the first time on a whim…well sort of. I applied to go on exchange thinking nothing would come of it and I got in and off I went for a year. It was the best year or my life. The things I learnt, the things I saw, the people I met and the memories I made are what make me me. Going to Japan made me grow up and i will forever be drawn to it I think. Now it is my home, so how could I not be passionate about it?!
• Books and reading: I could not live without books I don`t think. I mean I couldn`t live without most of the things on my list so far but books and reading have been a life long passion. I started reading young and never looked back. There are photos of me at a year old pouring through my parents old set of Funken Wagnall Encyclopedias…I still have piles of books I read as a child packed up in boxes in Australia. I have an overflowing bookshelves here in Tokyo. I am happier surrounded by books. Doesn`t matter if they are self-help books, trashy novels, classics, recipe books, Japanese books or what not. As long as they are there, and I can read them, I am satisfied.

(Other that almost made the top 8: Blogging, Writing, Food, Internet, Shopping….)

Eight Things I want to do before I die

• Get married
• Have a child or two
• Travel to all the places on my list including all of the Australian states, Egypt, Korea, South America, NY, Vietnam, Prague and many more
• Learn as much as I can about everything
• Make a difference in somebody`s life
• Find a job that I love
• Conquer the Japanese language completely
• Complete all the things on my life list

Eight things I say often

In English

• Ok
• Sure
• Crap
• Thanks
• I love you
• Please
• What?
• Nooooooooooo!

In Japanese

• Dame (means no or no don`t do that)
• Shumpei! (In an exasperated voice)
• Samui zo (means It`s bloody cold)
• Daijyoubu da yo! (means It`s ok or I`m ok)
• Wakanai (means I don`t know or I don`t understand)
• Itai or Itte (Means ouch!)
• ottototo (Means…um, like if something is falling or your struggling to get up…It is just a noise that people make in Japanese…I tend to do it If I am picking up one of the kids at school)
• Iii yo (Means sure or ok…Usually in response to a question asking if they can have permission to do something)

Eight books I have read recently

• Skinny Bitch- by Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman
• The Snow Country- Yasunari Kawabata
• Kitchen- Banana Yoshimoto
• The Mother Tongue- Bill Byson
• The bells of Nagasaki- Takashi Nagai
• Lean Mean Thirteen- Janet Evanovich
• Kira-Kira- Cynthia Kadohata
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder- Joanne Fluke (Reading now)

All of the above books are pretty good. If you like easy to read books and have never read Janet Evanovich before pick up her first book in that series One for the Money and get cracking. The Snow Country, Kitchen and The Bells of Nagasaki are the three books by Japanese authors I read for the Japanese literature challenge! I need to do a post to say I have finished that actually!!! I liked Kitchen the best I think…I think I need to read Snow Country again because I got a little lost…Beautiful books though. Skinny Bitch has had some rave reviews but I know I could never do it….although it has made me try to eat more raw food and cut back on my coffee! I liked the book though!

Eight Songs I could listen to over and over

• Imagine -John Lennon
• These Days- Powderfinger
• Jack and Dianne- John cougar Melloncamp
• Hotel California- The Eagles
• Days like these- The Cat Empire
• Let it be- The Beatles
• For Once in my life- Stevie Wonder
• Don`t Speak- No Doubt

But if I was making a triple CD (3×8) then I would include

• Tangled up in Blue- The Whitlams
• Brick- Ben Folds Five
• Rita- Powderfinger
• My Kind of Scene- Powderfinger
• Weather with you- Crowded House
• Little Sister- Jewel
• Over my head- The Fray
• London Still- The Waifs
• Losing help- Jack Johnson
• Fast Car- Tracy Chapman
• Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison
• Holy Grail- Hunters and Collectors
• In the Summertime- Thirsty Merc
• Otherside- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Standing Still- Jewel
• Grave Digger - Dave Matthews

It is seriously hard to only pick 24 songs…I could never put these cd`s on the one cd either because they don`t mesh. My taste in music is too eclectic….

Eight Movies I have seen eight times

• The Sound of Music
• Empire Records
• My Best Friend`s Wedding
• Grease
• The Lion King
• Mighty Ducks 1 and 2 (My brother watched it over and over again)
• Free Willy (Same as above)
• Sandalot Kids (Same as above)

Eight people I am tagging to do this meme (Even though I am pretty sure they won`t do it)

• Jen
• Nay
• Sara
• Sushizume (Masao should do it too Deanne!)
• Laura
• Suzy
• stasielynn320
• Kokochi

Oh and anyone else that wants to do it should! Just leave me a comment so I know to check out your answers too!

Popularity: 5% [?]

I enjoyed been interviewed so much the first time I signed up again to be interviewed. This time by Amanda! So here goes…I think I am going to be pretty busy tomorrow so am doing this Saturday night before I go to sleep…and making sure it will get posted tomorrow…don`t you love technology!

1. In your response to Enny’s first question, you mentioned that there’s so many place you’d love to live, you can’t narrow it down to just one. Are there any places you’ve visited that you definitely wouldn’t want to live in?

There is no place that I definitely wouldn`t want to live in….I have quite liked all the places I have visited for different reasons. However I don`t think I would enjoy living in China very much because of the pollution…I know Tokyo is not much better but the pollution in Shanghai was dreadful…even though I liked the place alot.

But I think I could make a home for myself anywhere if I had too. As for living in other places in Japan, I could do it but I quite like living in a big city. I have foreign supermarkets, other foreigners, a lot of signs in English and Japanese and places to buy foreign sized clothes. I think the biggest thing is that while I am foreign,….In Tokyo nobody notices you as much as they would if you were in the country where foreigners are few and far between. Shumpei`s family lives in Chiba and even there I get stared at more than I would in Tokyo….and that isn`t even the country.

In fact I think I would always like to live in close proximity to a big city no matter where in the world I lived.

2. Do you think, should Shun and yourself have children, you’ll raise them in Australia, or in Japan? Or somewhere completely different?

It would be either in Japan or Australia I think. I think that when there were younger we would raise them here…I think once they reach school age, especially for junior high and high school that I would like to think that we could reassess the situation and decide what would be best for the kids. There are a lot of half Japanese half foreign children in Japan and they fit in a lot better than they did 20 years ago. It is a lot more acceptable now to have children that are biracial…However children that are half are definitely treated different. I have heard stories, both good and bad. People coming up to young children on the street and demanding they say something in English, or being teased at school due to their lighter coloured hair and eyes. If we had children and they were facing these problems then I might rethink living and raising them in Japan….I have thought about it a lot but until we have children it is really hard to answer this as we really do not know what will happen.

3. You get to teach your students one life lesson- something you don’t think they should live without knowing. What would that lesson be?

That they should treat people the way they wanted to be treated. This is something my mum instilled in me growing up and it is a great piece of advice….Even if people don`t treat you back the way you wish to be treated at least you know that you did the right thing. I think that I try to do this with the kids at school….even at three a child knows that they don`t like to be pushed or have their toy taken away…so if you explain to the child when they do that whether or not they would like it to be done to them they learn quickly that if they don`t push their friends their friends won`t push them back. Of course they are children, and the pushing is still going to happen sometimes!

I think the best thing about international schools is that a lot of times the Japanese kids in the classes get to associate with foreign children (and teachers) I love the fact that the lesson of acceptance is been taught to them at a young age. In Australia it is different because it is such a multicultural place and while I know that racism exists there is still acceptance in most places. The Japanese children will remind each other to speak in English if one of the foreign children is playing too because they know that they might not understand otherwise. They are very accepting of the foreign children that come to school (the foreign children are also accepting of the Japanese children ) and I think that this will help them later in life. I am not saying all Japanese people are afraid of foreigners but the kids in my class are more likely to help a foreigner as they get older just because they have been exposed at a younger age….I think that once they go off to Japanese schools if there are foreign or half children in their class I think that they would more than likely be one of the first children to befriend the child that is not full Japanese.

4. What would you show a visitor to Brisbane, assuming you were home to host them?

I don`t know. The beach…although I guess we`d go to the Goldcoast for that? This is hard…I think when you are from somewhere it is hard to decide what visitors would like.

If they were visiting Australia from another country then I would take them to Lone Pine Sanctuary and Mt Kootha to see the view. Then maybe into the city around Queens street. Also to have fish and chips down at Manly. I have done all of these things with Shun!

If they were Australian maybe to the valley, just because there are a lot of good place to shop and eat and drink around there.

5. Is there anything you wish you’d done differently in your past?

I wish I had studied Japanese in high school when given the opportunity…Then when I entered university I could of started at a higher level. My level now would probably be the same but it would have meant my first six months in Japan I would have been able to communicate better.

I also wish that I had practiced Piano more and kept it up….I played from age 3 or 4 til I was 18 but I was never as good as most people who had played for that long.

There are a lot of things I could have done differently and didn`t. I wouldn`t say I regret anything because where I am now is the place I want to be at….but like I said I could have done a lot of things differently. There are some friends from childhood and after that I wish I had kept in contact with better but I guess losing touch is part of life.

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Now it’s your turn. If you want to be interviewed, leave me a comment including the words “Interview me.” I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. If you don’t have a valid
email address on your blog, please provide one. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Last time only one person signed up to be interviewed, so come on people I want to be the one asking questions for a change!

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I saw a post on Amanda`s blog the other day and couldn’t`t wait to try it myself! You set your ipod to shuffle and write about the memories you have from each song….

I skipped two songs in the shuffle while doing this…Just thought I should let you all know I cheated a little! One was dialog though from a movie and the other song I don` think I had ever heard before and I still have no idea how it ended up on my ipod. You might notice that there is nothing really new on my ipod…This is because since my computer broke earlier this year (Late last year even?!) I haven`t been able to upload any new music to my ipod…I have to be content with listening it at home on Shumpei`s computer or on the cd player!

OK, here goes…

Sgt.Major- Jet

Don`t have any particular connection or memory with this song in particular but this album has been played over and over again. I know I got completely sick of the song Are you gonna be my girl….but even now when I listen to this album I still can`t help but think you can`t bet much better than Aussie rock (Most of my favourite bands are Australian!)

The way you make me feel- Michael Jackson

This comes from a number one hits album that my friend bought in Hong Kong! The first tape I ever got was Michael Jackson (after tapes with kids songs and nursery rhymes I mean) and it brings me back to a time when I had a little white tape deck….that I swear still worked until a couple of years ago….You could also record voices with it and my brother and I would sing and talk into it and send it to my grandparents in New Zealand. Michael Jackson always makes me think of primary school when we learnt `Heal the world` and sang it all the time in school….we even had actions. I know this song, `The way you make me feel` quite well but there are other Michael Jackson songs that I know better….I also have some Jackson five on my ipod somewhere.

Four Seasons in one day- Crowded House

Wow, I have had this CD for such a long time. My second ever CD after Tina Arena (Which strangely enough I do not have on my ipod :p) Any time I hear songs by crowded house now I can`t help but think of Paul Hester`s suicide….I had a cousin commit suicide when I was very young…I did not know him well but anything about suicide makes me think of him. I adore crowded house, it has been a love that started young and has lasted the long haul………When I think of the amount of music I have, some of which I might never listen to again, this is a song and band that I will always come back to, no matter what the trends in music bring.

Fly- Lenny Kravitz

On a mix Cd my brother sent me the first time i was in Japan. Lenny Kravitz was all the rage in high school and this is one of my favouirte songs by him I`d have to say. This song made me realize that I used to know all the words to this song and many others but now I have to be content with just humming along because I seem to have forgotten most of the words to the verses.

Paint the Silence-

I have no recollection of this song…but I really like it. At first when it came on I wondered if I had even heard it before but I realize now that I have….I have added it to my on-the-go list so that I can listen to it and develop memories of it for the future! (The memory will be discovering it while doing a meme for my blog!)…In fact I have no idea who the artist even is since it didn`t come up on my ipod. It is a mystery song!

Did you ever love somebody- Jessica Simpson

I would first like to point out that this is the only Jessica Simpson song on my ipod…I think! It brings me back to high school when Dawson’s`s Creek was my world and how I wanted to be just like Joey. This song comes off a Dawson`s Creek soundtrack and is one of two that I own. I can`t say that it was my favourite song on the album but I have listen to this album about 500 times or more so that means I have probably listened to this song that amount of times also….

Strawberry Sex- Ken Hirai

Japanese pop….This is the funniest song although I do not know the whole meaning of the Japanese lyrics…It starts of with the words love love love over again. This song reminds me of conbini music….some conbini`s have music playing in the background of their stores and it is always this kind of genki Japanese pop music. I fell in love with a singer called Ai Otsuka from listening to her music at the local conbini near my university when I studied here in Tokyo originally….I was given a mixed CD of Japanese pop from a friend before I returned to Australia in 2006 and this was on it.

From what I can tell strawberry sex refers to holding hands and hugs!

Weir- Killing Heidi

This brought back memories of BDO 2001 and receiving this CD for my birthday. I saw Killing Heidi live in 2001 amongst a bunch of other bands…It was my first BDO (and so far my first!). I had a crush on a younger boy at the time and he was at BDO with me that day…and my friend Clarie! We came home covered in mud…..

Til I hear it from you- Gin Blossoms

Empire Records how I love you so! This has got to be one of my favourite films ever…and this song is from the soundtrack…You might start to notice that I have a lot of soundtracks on my ipod…after Aussie Rock it is is probably my favourite genre of music….I love that on one CD from any film you can find music from all over! I can`t remember the exact first time I watched this film but I can remember the many numerous times I have seen it since. I love this soundtrack almost as much as the movie…

I used to have quotes from this movie scattered through my school diary at LHC….

Warren:: Who glued these quarters down?
A.J: I did.
Warren: What the hell for, man? A.J: I don’t feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren.

Full Forever- Goo Goo Dolls

Every song on this CD reminds me on the kaikan at Cat K and the third floor kitchen. The kaikan is where I lived the first time I was in Japan…….Cat K had a copy of this CD and we played it over and over while sitting around in the third floor kitchen, cooking dinner, drinking wine, vodka, beer and anything else we could find and smoking cigarettes. There might have even been some dancing……One of my strongest memories of Cat K and this CD was Christmas Day 2004 in which we polished of several bottles of wine and champagne after breakfast and wrote to her friends in Britain to tell them her boyfriend of several years had dumped her on Christmas eve…….we were drunk by 9:30 in the morning and spent most of the day watching 24 and listening to music. Cat K and I are not in touch so much anymore….and I really regret this….but every time I hear any goo goo dolls song (Or Matchbox 20) I think of her….and every time Christmas rolls around I remember this day!

No Eleanor Rigby- B.B Seaton (Trojan Beatles Tribute)

A reggae cover of the this famous beatle song. I have a vague memory of buying this Cd and I remember that it was cheap and that I bought it hear in Japan. I love the Beatles and at the time I was going through a huge reggae period…The first time I was in Japan I made friends with some people that DJ`d reggae music and I went to a fair few gigs…This is going on my must listen to again sometime pile!

Waterloo- ABBA

What ipod is complete without something by Abba or The Beatles…Abba and this song remind me of three things….my fathers hate of ABBA, My high school friends Jen and Nicky dressing up as ABBA for a dress-up party because they love ABBA with a passion and a pub that used to called the Waterloo although hasn`t been called that in years….Although I doubt they every played ABBA there. At the old Waterloo was where poor Shumpei was refused entrance because he had no ID and he was so embarrassed because he was 24 at the time!

One Love- Bob Marley and the Wailers

Vivid memories of this song. Camping in Chichibu in Saitama three and a half years ago. First time camping in Japan and Ryomei played this CD non-stop for the whole time we were there….I woke up with one of the worst hangers of my life and it was also the weekend that I found out that in Japan camping food is curry…….and that in Japan GIANT bugs do exist. This is also a favourite Karaoke song……

Commerce.TX- Ben Kweller

I totally forgot I had this guy on my ipod. I guess that is what happens when you have 20GB…I got this CD from a good friend Anna. Her and I share a love for similar music (Including our biggest joint passions The Whitlams and Powderfinger. I have no recollection of this song whatsoever but I feel myself and Mr Kweller are going to be getting a lot more acquainted again over the next couple of weeks. He reminds me of another artist…I can`t quite put my finger on it. Ben Lee perhaps?

I`ll be Okay- Amanda Marshall- My Best Friends Wedding Soundtrack

Not my favourite song off this soundtrack but I like it all the same and the lyrics of the whole song fit the movie so well (`I want you to be happy…you`re my best friend). I got this CD when I was 12, the Christmas before I started high school and it has got to be one of my favourite CD`s of all time. The title always striked me as so simple but yet so perfect….

Big Brother- Stevie Wonder

Well I remember when I knew I loved Stevie Wonder and I have my friend Hiro to that for that……This song reminds me of a DJ event I went to by the afore mentioned Hiro. I owe Hiro a lot because the reason my Japanese got better over the summer that I was off from uni in Japan is because he spoke no English really and spoke only to me in Japanese. The DJ event was a mix of soul and RnB music. I love to raid Hiro`s record and CD collections too and this song is off a CD I got from there.

Stevie Wonder is someone I would really love to see live!

I Wish- Alex Llyod

I am noticing that I tend to have memories of artists or albums more that I do from particular songs. This if from my favourite Alex Lloyd album and I do love this song….I am a big believer in wishing and hoping and songs with words and lyrics like this.

I remember when I first discovered Alex Lloyd…summer of 2001/2002 December….Stradbroke Island with my high school girlfriends….camping for a week. I was 16 and it was the song `Amazing`…not sure if Straddie was the first time I heard it or if it is just the first time I remember hearing it….I could make a life soundtrack from that summer with a bunch of music from all over and this song would definitely feature on it. That was an amazing week. I met my first bf and first love that week and we were together for two years. This was one of the funnest weeks I ever had as a highschooler……I guess it had a lot to do with freedom. I was 16, going into my senior year and away for a week of fun, playing in the sun and drinking and I guess Alex Llyod and his song Amazing and his songs that followed remind me of that week!

Little Sister- Jewel

I heart Jewel…I am so glad she came up on this. This is off the first Jewel CD and my favourite song off the CD. I can`t explain it, but its the pace of this song that I like…….

It reminds me of a time when I was in Choir…I had never really met anybody else that liked Jewel much until I started singing for one of the really small choirs at school when I was 14. I made friends with two girls Lucy and Alana……both of which had these amazing voices. They both adored Jewel also and we used to sing some of the songs together…I only did choir for a year and a half but it was a fun time.

And it Stoned me- Van Morrison

I have some strong connections to Van Morrision and my love for him started in the summer of 2001/2002 that I mentioned earlier. If I listened to too much Van Morrison I would start to cry…..He was introduced to me by my ex-boyfriend and his father…….Him and The Eagles. I knew of him and the Eagles before this of course but when I told the ex`s father that I didn`t really know that many songs by them he made me listen to the cd`s over and over again. The ex once wrote a message about missing me with some lyrics taken from a Van Morrison song…

Thrillology- Powderfinger

I have seen Powderfinger live a couple of times and they are the most amazing band. I adore them! This song reminds me of my senior year when this CD was played so many times I could probably have sung the whole CD from beginning to end in my sleep….I am pretty sure that the song `My Kind Of Scene` featured on my senior video.

Any time I hear a Powderfinger song I think of a concert I went to near South Bank, I don`t remember the name of the place they had it but they have a lot of concerts there and it is an open stage. Lying on the grass waiting for them to come out (John Butler Trio was the start act) and when they came out and started…….and their encore. Amazing…

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This has taken me a long time to write out (I had most of it written in my diary….I wrote some of it on the train on the way home from work the other day)….but 20 songs is now finished. I loved doing this……..It is amazing to think how much music really does play a soundtrack to our lives….

Popularity: 3% [?]

I noticed this post over on Enny`s blog the other day and It was interesting to see what questions Enny answered for her interview! So I signed up and received my questions from Enny…then if someone reads my blog and wants to be interviewed by me I can ask them five questions!!!!

1. If you weren’t living in Japan, where do you think you would be living?

If I wasn`t living in Japan then I think I would be living in Brisbane still, or maybe Melbourne. If it wasn`t in Australia though I would like to think I would be living in Edinburgh, Scotland or maybe in France. Or maybe Ireland. The possibilities are endless! I love this type of question because I would love to live somewhere else other than Tokyo or Brisbane before I die! My favourite question for people is where they want to go next…

I hate that I never have enough money to travel. Unless my parents are helping me out…becoming financially independent is on my lifelist…It is something that I have wanted to acheive since returning to Japan but haven`t had much luck with it yet. Working on it though!

Oh and I also loved Munich in Germany…I could live there!

2. If you and Shun were to get married, would you take his surname?
What type of names would you likely give your children?

I am not sure if I would take Shun`s surname…but probably I would, or would definitely use it most of the time if we had children, even If I didn`t legally change it. I would become Laura Marushima. If we had children then they would most likely have short japanese (maybe English) names that are easy to pronounce. Although it would mean giving up on a couple of the names I loved growing up!!! For girls something like maya, mia or yuri for boys maybe Kai, Kei, Jack or Hiro.

3. You took me and The Hun around Harajuku and we had a fantastic day.
Which 3 - 5 bloggers would you love to show around Japan and why?

Bit of a tough questions.

Deb: I would love to take Deb around Japan because as a photographer I think she would love it. She had also been planning on coming here but her plans fell through which was disappointing but I know I will get to show her around one day. I would hope that some of her photography talent would rub off on me at the same time.

D`Jen: I would love to take Jen around Japan because I think the cuteness of it all would overwhelm her and it would be fun to watch! I think she has always liked Japanesey things and she seems to like my blog which means she is tops in my book! Also we got on well in real life and I would love to see her again….we had a road trip to the goldcoast and I think that if I got around to getting my license changed to a Japanese one then we could have a road trip out to izu for a couple of days, a beachy area of Japan! I would want her to bring Jac along for the ride of course! I think Jen would get a kick out of the way things work here too, I think it would give her enough blogging fodder for months!!!

Suzy: I want Suzy to come back to Japan and instead of showing her around I would like to show off her new baby boy to the Japanese world! Suzy and I used to work together…and now that I am getting crafty I wish she was around so that I could show her what I was doing and she could fix my mistakes and inspire me. She already knows her way around Japan but I would love to take her to all her favourite places from the times that she was living here. Even though we didn`t see each other that often after we both left our old jobs it was always good to catch up with her….she did attempt to teach me to knit just before she returned to Australia and it was hopeless but now that I am knitting again I really wish she was here again! I hope this one counts, even though I wouldn`t technically be showing her around Japan!

Rachel: I want Rachel to come because she is just across the sea in Korea and I met her when I was in Scotland a couple of years ago (She is Catherines best friend!) and it would be great to see her again. I kind of like playing tour guide and I think we would run a riot in Tokyo if she came over. I really think Catherine would love to see her too!!! I do hope she makes it over here before she moves on either back to Scotland or wherever her life will take her.

Gala Darling: I discovered her blog a couple of days ago and so far have been so inspired! I want to meet her! She loves Japan apparently too and I would love to spend a couple of days exploring Tokyo with her. I can tell she`d be a lot of fun! ANyone that has never checked out her blog simply must…NOW! I think she could show me a few things about Tokyo that I wouldn`t know either!

4. What jobs do you think you will have and/or wish you could have in your life?

I love books, I really adore them and I have always wished I could work in a bookstore. or even own a bookstore that had a coffee shop attached. Books and coffee…I would fuel both my passions in one go.

I have a degree in PR which I have never really used. I suppose I could do PR?! I am good at organizing stuff, so event PR would be a lot of fun I think! I think this is more likely a job that I will get into if I went back to live in Australia. I don`t handle stress too well though so maybe it won`t hapen!

I wish I could be a translator too but I know my Japanese will never reach the level I need to become a proper translator!

I also think it would be fun to be a tour guide. I did this a little in Australia with Japanese high school students who came to Australia…I was more there translator than tour guide as there tour was already planned and I just got to go on for the ride. I love traveling, although I think the problem with tour guiding is that you have to visit the same places over and over again which might make you crazy after awhile.

I thought I would list the jobs I have had up until this point also…

- Newsagent clerk, Kmart check out chick and lay-by girl, secretary at a Property rental place, temping various places mostly government work…admin and some basic PR, International School Teacher, Assistant manager of a company in Japan that helps foreign woman organizing events and writing for some of their magazines and also sales for the same company…thats about it.

One thing I know for sure is that I never want to do a job in sales again

5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

This is tough because I really have no idea. I really have no idea even where I will be in the world. But I will probably be married with a child or two living in either Tokyo or somewhere in Australia. I hope I own a bookstore! I can never answer this sort of question well…but I love reading other peoples answers to it! I hope to have acheived a lot mroe in my life before the 10 years are up though that is for sure!

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Now it’s your turn. If you want to be interviewed, leave me a comment including the words “Interview me.” I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. If you don’t have a valid
email address on your blog, please provide one. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the
same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

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I have been tagged by Jess from Jelly-doughnut

The rules are as followed

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Facts:

1. I didn`t decide to study Japanese until I was in university. While I had studied a little in 1st year high school and a little in primary school it had all been compulsory stuff. I did not get into the university course I originally wanted to do (Creative arts/business at QUT) and thought `what the hell, I will do 6 months of an Arts degree and change into the course I want to do later` I never went back, I studied for six months, loved it, applied to go on exchange and went to Japan for a year….then I went back to Australia for 10 months then moved back here….It has been 18 months this time around.( I also never thought I would be in a relationship with a Japanese guy, living in Japan and using Japanese to communicate with each other….Ps Shumpei and Shun are they same person Jess!)

2. I hate the heat. I can not stand being hot and I hate the sun. When people hear this they are shocked and say `But you`re an Australian!` …They say the same thing when I tell people I do not drink beer.

3. I do not like coca-cola…or any black drinks including Pepsi, sarsaparilla etc etc. Despite the fact that EVERYBODY else seems to love coke.

4. I didn`t have my first boyfriend until I was 16. We were together for almost 2 years….high school love yada yada yada…

5. I read too much. But when I say that, I tend to read only crappy novels (Some not so crappy ones too!)…Yet I can not concentrate on a non-fiction book…even if it is about Japan, or something I am really interested in. I think my brain has turned to mush since I left university….Another sign my brain has turned to mush is that while i live in Japan I am actually downloading BIGBROTHER to watch….

6. My dad has recently gotten a computer and email. He is still testing the waters with it but I receive an email from him on average once a week. They are always hilarious…and the funniest part is that he has a Japanese dictionary and has started putting Japanese word into the sentences…words like father, truck and dog (He is thinking of getting a dog at the moment). I do hope it doesn`t mean an end to the postcards and cards he send occasionally too….I love them as well and have them up around my room!!! I am so happy my father has finally reached the tech age!

7. I am a list-maker. I have lists of all sorts of things on my desk….For awhile I tried to keep them all in a notebook so that I would remember where they were ( I need a list to tell me where all my lists are) they can be for anything…Music I want to get or books, a schedule of what I need to do on the weekend, shopping lists, reminders to myself…..

8. I have today off work because i worked on Saturday and went to Showa Kinen Park with my class for fathers day (There parents came too) we had a great day and what was really awesome was from where we sat to eat lunch we could see mount Fuji. Here is a photo!!!

mmm…I could not really think of any interesting facts….

I don`t even think 8 people read my blog anymore but I will tag 4 people and hope they are still reading…however if they have done if before they do not have to do it again if they don`t want to!!!

Rachael from Rachael`s adventures

Jen from Delightful Jen

Deb from painting with light

Enny from Enny-pen

Plus anyone that wants to do it, just leave a comment so I know and can check it out!

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Want to blog, but nothing really is coming to mind. So thought I would fall back on a meme…yes…again!

Ten movies you’d watch over and over: Decided to choose five from now and five from when I was a kid. Empire records, Stepmom, Finding Nemo, The holiday, Love Actually….for now ……and Mighty Ducks 1 and 2, Free Willy 1 and 2 and Sandalot kids. The last five, I swear my brother and I watched more than 50 times each.

Nine people you enjoy the company of: Shumpei, Cat, James, Mai, Gary, Leader, Hiro, Sumi and Riko. How do you do that without leaving out somebody important? I decided to leave family out cos it would get to hard!

Eight things you’re wearing: Black and white checkered socks, black singlet, black bra, black knickers, brown headband, jeans, black sweater and chipped nailpolish. I think I wear too much black…but it is the best colour for kids with paint coloured hands!

Seven things on your mind: work, shumpei, blogging, china, weekend, asthma, whether or not I should stop blogging and staring at the computer screen to get up and have a shower.

Six objects you touch every day: computer, shun, desk, toaster oven, mailbox, bed

Five things you do everyday: breathe, walk, eat, pee, sleep

Four bands or musical artists that you couldn’t live without: (At this very moment)- Alex Llyod, John Lennon, Augie March and The feeling

Three of your favorite songs of the moment: I can never do this sort of question. Because I write something or say something, then delete it or say `scratch that` so I am going to give my three favourite colours instead…Since it requires a lot less brain power. Green, Pink and Black.

Two people who have influenced your life the most: Mum and Dad

One person who has been nice to you today: Sumi

I take this to mean that I nominate ZERO people to do it. However feel free to steal it for when you are having a non-blog-worthy day! I am too tired and sick to do spell check…that is my excuse. I apolgise!

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Stolen from Steph!

When I was a kid, I had three dogs before I turned 8. One died, one bit the neighbor because he threw stuff at me and my brother so we had to give her away, and the last one, Sophie, we gave away when we moved. I haven`t had a dog since but Shun and I are contemplating getting one. I would just feel really bad about keeping it in our TINY TINY apartment.

When I was a kid, I ate no vegetables. But would have a fruit platter every night with dinner. Usually made into funny shapes like faces, trains etc. Usually the work of my father. I now eat some vegetables but still stay away from a lot of them. But I can safely say i eat more than my brother…who has only recently introduced one or two vegetables into his diet.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up and either go to the Olympics as a runner or be a doctor. I now realize they were fairly unrealistic dreams. Firstly, while I was fast, I was never THAT fast and secondly I never had the brains to be a doctor.

When I was a kid, my brother and I shared an imaginary friend. He was bald and looked a little bit like a tiny crash dummy. When my brother was born I had two different imaginary friends called James and Mary. James wore blue overalls and Mary wore pink ones.

When I was a kid, my best friend stabbed me with a pacer or a pen in the knee. We were about 10 I guess….She got angry at me and stabbed me. I still have the little dot where the lead or pen ink is still there.

When I was a kid, I used to think teenagers were so old. Then I became one and realized they knew nothing. A friends sister was only 3 or 4 years older than me and I thought she knew everything and was such an adult yet when I got to her age I realized that it was nothing and that been 14 seemed no different really to been ten. Except I had better boobs.

When I was a kid, I imagined I would be a virgin til I got married. I think my friends thought the same thing. My, how times change.

When I was a kid, I was an avid reader (still am) and started reading at an unusually young age. I used to pile up the funken wagnell encyclopedias and spread them out around me to look at. This was even before I turned two. I still read a lot, yet it is pretty trashy compared to the good old funken wagnell encyclopedias!

When I was a kid, I am pretty sure I thought Japan and China were the same thing (place). Now when I send my godson money for his birthday he gets all excited and tells his friends he received `Chinese money` despite his mother telling him over and over again it is from Japan.

When I was a kid, I had the worst haircuts. It is not my mums fault. I am sure she was going with the fashion of the time. But I guess because of my GIANT front teeth it was hard to find a haircut to compliment that.

Anyway who wants to do this, please take it. Link back to Steph! Let me know so that I can read yours too!!! I love hearing `when I was a kid…` stories!

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I am so tired this weekend. I have slept most of today. I think it is the medicine I bought for my cough (asthma) because I started taking it at lunch time today and then slept from 3 until 6:30. It isn`t like I didn`t sleep much last night because I had at least 9 or 10 hours. I hope the medicine doesn` t make me drowsy at work.

I had a fairly quiet weekend. (Read: No hangovers!) I had dinner with friends on Friday night and then hung out all day on Saturday with them since Shun was snowboarding. And then last night I had dinner with the same friends plus 5 others. I really love my friends. I love the fact that we all get along fine despite some of my friends not speaking Japanese and some not speaking English.

Last night S introduced himself to J (Although they have met before S forgot). He stuck out his hands to shake it. J doesn`t speak much English and S`s really strong Scottish accent makes it hard on anyone. J thought S was offering to take his bag so he handed over his bag. S looked at it blankly.

This is when I leaned over and said to J `S is introducing himself, he wants to shake your hand` J looked at me and said `But we have met before`

Anyway maybe it is the kind of story where you had to be there!!! I thought it was so funny. I find S hard to understand at the best of times…I am constantly saying `What?` but he seems to have no problems understanding me. He is from Glasgow and has the strongest accent ever. But I guess it really doesn`t matter. Last night was lots of fun, although I came home early cos I was feeling sick. I guess I just love the fact that we can all hang out, an eclectic bunch of people, to have dinner last minute just cos we can. And the fact that despite language barriers at times we all of have a great time anyway!

Question time: Are you a bad person if you laugh at non politically-correct jokes? I felt bad laughing but they were so funny.

Just to end off the post on a weird note…check out this pig and strawberry. There has been some strange news recently wouldn`t you say…I wanted to post the pictures here but the damn things wouldn`t work so you`ll have to actually click on the links!

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I got tagged by Enny to do this…last week, or perhaps the week before, or maybe even the week before that. I think I have done it before but I checked through my archives and all I could find was this and this and 100 things. So maybe I haven`t done it before…Or maybe I just didn`t look hard enough. I might of mentioned some of these in the 100 things…I don`t remember!

So most like the five things I am going to reveal about myself

1. I had my first kiss at 10. It was a childhood friend and now I found out recently he is dating a high school friend of mine…I introduced them a long time ago but they have been reacquainted recently since I have been back in Japan this time. (Yes mum it is who you think it is!!! ). There was also Bryce in preschool…and we gave each other a peck and walked out of school holding hands and told our mums. That was also the year I had the coolest birthday cake ever shaped like a ghost!

2. I used to get car sick/bus sick. Yet I would still read in the car. Now I hardly ever ride in cars or buses but when I do I must have water, a snack and a book (if I am not driving)

3.I had a teacher in kindergarten called miss Rainbow. Well at least I thought that was her name. Now I am a kindergarten teacher I realize how cool a name like that would be!! I mean I am`Dora` which is also pretty cool but not as cool as `Miss Rainbow`

4. I am a very emotional person. I can get emotional over the silliest little things. I also panic over small things…Like when I don`t hear from a friend who said she`d call. I worry that they might have had an accident or worse and people tell me I am ridiculous.

5. I always get excited about things and spend lots of money on`so-called hobbies` and then never do much after about a month. I should pull out my beads and make some jewelery! Or the stamp sets and make some cards!!! You get the picture….( Don`t get the wrong Idea I still do stuff like that occasionly but I am always so excited in the beggining!)

You can do the meme if you wish! I am not going to tag anyone. Since I don`t think anyone really reads my blog anymore cos I keep forgetting to update!!

Have a good week everyone!!!

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I wasn`t tagged…but not sure if I will be blogging from Shun`s parents place so thought I should do a meme filler…

Four jobs I’ve had

• International kindergarten
• Newsagency (first job…boss was a bastard)
• Kmart check-out chick and lay-by chick
• Department of Child`s safety as a temp turned semi-permanant in an adminstration role

Four movies I can watch over and over

• Empire Records
• My Best Friend`s Wedding
• Sandalot Kids
• Sound of Music

Four places I’ve lived

• Redlands, Queensland
• Manly, Queensland
• Tokyo, Japan
• Chiba, Japan

Four TV shows I love

• Grey`s Anatomy
• My name is Earl
• ER
• Gilmore Girls

Four places I’ve vacationed

• Melbourne, Australia
• London, England
• Bangkok/Phuket, Thailand
• Bali, Indonesia

Four of my favorite dishes

• Pizza (Earth & Sea is a favourite…but I also like homemade…oh and the little Italian place up the road)
• Yaki Niku
• My mums potato salad and or potato bake
• Anything from Wilsons Seafood House
• I can not only have 4…I must lots. Chicken Keiv, Indian Curry, Yakiniku, Chicken and cashews…

Four sites I visit daily (well I visited today)

• www.hotmail.com
• http://cherryblossomadventures.typepad.com
• www.google.com
• I want the 4th one to be a news site…but to be honest I barely check the news ( I listen to Japanese news on the TV though…) There are about 10 blogs on my list that I check daily…the rest I check every other day. …so those 10 I suppose.

Four places I would rather be right now ( I would love to go right now…I quite like where I am really)

• Brisbane
• Vietnam
• At the snow
• In bed

Four bloggers I am tagging

• Delightful Jen
• Sigsy in Tokyo
• Adam
• Clarue

If any of you have already done it feel free not to do it again. Perhaps provide a link. Also, don`t even feel you have to do it if you don`t want to. Oh and if anyone out there wants to do it feel free. I don`t usually nominate anyone but we`ll see who of the four above actually does it…I think one out of four people will do it.

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