Cherry Blossom Adventures

Dear Cherry Blossom Advenures readers…

It is hard to believe that a week has passed between posts…..so much has happened, stuff I will eventually blog about I am sure! Apparently this is the month of letters (If you are participating in NABLOPOMO) so I thought it was time I wrote a quick letter to you all!

Lets see. This Friday I finish up work at my current job….after 18 months.

I have already knocked a couple of things off my 101 things in 1001 days list but info on that will also come in another post. I am supposed to do a update at the end of the month and I hope to have at least another couple of things crossed off! Including actually adding a page to my blog with the list!

I am up to N in my encylopedia of me and I am still not sure what I will write about. N is for Names perhaps? Or maybe N for Nancy Drew……

I am spending way to much time on the internet reading blogs, playing around on entrecard and writing emails but not nearly enough time writing on my blog…..It is hard to beleive that after posting for 3 days in a row last week I thought I might be able to do NABLOPOMO this month…..and then a week went by between posts so I guess I am not ready for that yet!

We need to be out of our apartment by April 27th….I have not yet done any packing but I will eventually get to it…I have done some cleaning though and have a man coming to pick up all our books and manga on Monday to take to book off. I have also begun to clean out my closet but it is a bigger job that I first thought! I will also be leaving Japan in just over a month….This is even harder to believe and I know it really hasn`t sunk in.

You know what also hasn`t really sunk in yet? The fact that I am getting married next May (The 9th actually!)….so far I have booked a venue and that is it. I have just kind of given up on doing anything until I get back to Australia! Although Shun and I did go look at engagement rings on the weekend……

I sprained my ankle last week although it is healing ok but still a bit bruised and swollen. Get this I did it by WALKING in my apartment…..yep to the bathroom. I am such a klutz.

I am the heaviest I have ever been and that is depressing…..I know I could start doing something about it now but have decided to start afresh the day I arrive back in Australia! Will be dieting with my mum and exercising with my dad I think! He walks everyday and wants to get a puppy so that will be our motivation. Also want to get a hoop!

I am going to Kobe in a couple of weeks to meet up with Sara which is super exciting and I can not wait! I will also get to go to Nara while I am down that way and that is also awesome since I have always wanted to go!

Oh last week on my week off I went to Disney Sea…another post perhaps?! Photos also? I also did Hanami on Saturday with Shun, Sumi, Junni and James and it was a random day but so much fun! We had no plans when we woke up that morning but the day turned out brilliantly!

I revised my resume for the first time in almost 2 years……I wasn`t even sure if resumes were still done the same way.

I signed up for entrecard….am already slightly addicted although don`t think it does anything for the traffic of my site but have already discovered some other great blogs! Although this isn`t helping my internet addiction at all because it just means I spend more time on the net reading blogs and stuff than I do doing stuff on my own blog or stuff like packing! Or even reading……I feel like I haven`t done nearly enough reading of actual books lately!

Now over to you readers, do you have any questions for me? You can ask me anything and I will try my best to answer! I have seen a couple of bloggers open up comments to their readers asking the same question `Do you have any questions` and it seems like fun. So fire away….

Hope you are all having a good week,

Love Lulu xoxoxoxo

ps: I just read the above…..talk about random. I do believe a letter is incomplete with a post script.

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• I always resort to dots when I have a lot of stuff to say but not much time to say it! Or a lot of random stuff that doesn`t really warrant its own posts!
• I am starting the 101 things in 1001 days challenge on April 1st…with Mandy and Paul I think it will help get wedding plan stuff done as well as a fair bit of stuff I have on my life list! I first read about this on the blogs here and here and have loved reading about their progress! Does anybody else want to join in????
• I am almost halfway through my encyclopedia of me meme and was wondering if anybody had any ideas of things they would want to see me write about for m onwards (I have L done!)
• I have booked a flight back to Australia and my tickets have arrived…It is a one way flight leaving Japan May 13th and arriving in Brisbane early morning on May 14th…..The ticket was pretty cheap….only 60,000yen including tax (That is about 650 dollars I think?) and thank god it was cheap because I have no money! I took a lot of sick days in the last couple of months meaning my last pay check was significantly less than usual!
• I finish work on April 11th so will have two weeks to pack up the apartment (We need to be out by end of April) and then another two weeks to relax in Chiba at Shumpei`s parents place until I leave to go home. And best of all I also have a weeks holiday next week…My second last week of work will be spent having a paid holiday. I like that! I am not sure how much relaxing I will be able to do at the in-laws place….I am not usually even allowed to put my own bread in the toaster…Shumpei`s mum insists on doing it for me. Let alone allowed to wash my own plates. This is something that really bothers me because I feel like I am taking advantage even though i offer EVERY TIME. I lived at Shumpei`s parents place for two months when I was first back in Japan…
• Shumpei taught me to play Mahjong and I really liked it. It is a Chinese game that Shumpei sometimes plays with his friends at a place especially for Mahjong…Not many people know how to play it I think so chances are I will forget how to play it before I get another chance!
• I read The Kite Runner the other day and it was awesome. Everyone should read it!
• Oh by the way the two quotes that nobody got on my movie quote meme…..One was from The Blues Brothers and the other was from Moulin Rouge!!!
• Oh I almost forgot!!! I got some more blog bling from the delightful Guera!!
• I really liked this award because I love reading blogs from around the world and have been doing more of it recently. I was so happy when she passed this on to me. So I have decided to pass it onto some other ex-pats bloggers I read similar to like what Guera did!
  (I am not sure if they all read my blog or not though!) There are heaps of others I would love to pass it onto also but I am not sure how may I can pass it onto! Also I am not sure where this award originated but it is great!
  • Mandy
  • Eurotrippen
  • Illahee
  • Amy
• My next post will be L is for…..

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I originally say this at Enny`s blog but have seen it doing the rounds on a lot of blogs I read in the last couple of weeks and it sounds and looks like fun so here goes!

Here are the rules:
~Pick fifteen of your favourite movies.
~Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
~Post them here for everyone to guess.
~Strike it out when someone guesses correctly in the comments, and put who guessed it and the movie.
~NO Googling or using IMDb search functions.

1. “I better have my lawyer take a look at these. I’m just a simple country boy. There’s all kinds of big words in here I can’t even pronounce. Hell, you might be takin’ me to the cleaners for all I know.” Nat got it with Sweet Home Alabama, Jake is such a cutie in this film!
2. “No I mean, do you really know where Harvard is? It’s another planet man- another universe. Totally unlike the one we know. Filled with big blond guys who eat ivy and row boats. What I’m trying to say is, you and Corey just aren’t made for each other. She’s different from you.” Amanda is correct with Empire Records, my favourite movie of all time with out a doubt!
3. “marriage is like a tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond, only it doesn’t last 22 minutes. It lasts forever.” Jen got it with Knocked Up, a movie I saw when I was in Australia over Christmas!
4. ” Crème brûlée can never be Jell-O. YOU could never be Jell-O.” Jo was correct, it was My Best Friends Wedding starring Julia Robert!
5. “: You know, if we fix up this car, it could be make-out city, you know that.” Amanda again with Grease!
6. “This is smores stuff. First you take the graham. You stick the chocolate on the graham. Then, you roast the mallow. When the mallows flaming, you stick it on the chocolate and cover it with the other end. Then, you scarf.”Natalie got it with The Sandalot Kids, my favourite childhood movie and one of my fathers favourites still!!!
7. “Dolphins, yeah! They think they’re so cute. Oh, look at me, I’m a flippy little dolphin, let me flip for you. Ain’t I something?” I had thought it would be someone with kids that got this! Finding Nemo, thanks Illahee
8. “You were outside, I was inside. You were supposed to keep in touch with the band. I kept asking you if we were gonna play again.”
9. “This is a sin, it’s a wicked indulgence. Didn’t they have any butter pecan?” Illahee again!
10. “That’s a tough one. I would have to say April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.” Natalie got this one too!!! It is Miss Congeniality!
11. “Besides, that whole see-through blouse, colored-bra thing… reads a little, you know, desperate, older gal, trying to hard. Don’t you think? Yeah, you want to make him work for it.”Jo agin with Maid in Manhattan!
12. “You know Graham, I just broke up with someone and considering you just showed up and you’re insanely good-looking and probably won’t remember me anyway… I’m thinking we should have sex… If you want.” Tokenwoman got this with The Holiday, I am surprised it didn`t go sooner. When I saw this film last year I loved it, I thought it was one of the best romantic comedies to come out in awhile!
13. “Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn’t actually kill you. Like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you’ve promised to cherish till death do you part says “I never loved you,” it should kill you instantly. You shouldn’t have to wake up day after day after that, trying to understand how in the world you didn’t know. The light just never went on, you know. I must have known, of course, but I was too scared to see the truth. Then fear just makes you so stupid.” Madison got it with Under The Tuscan Sun, I am a huge fan of this movie because I would love to just pack up and move to Tuscany! Off to check out Madisons blog since she is new here! Thanks for participating Madison!
14. “Christ! what are you? 15? My God man! You gotta be gettin’ that young stuff! The young stuff is the best stuff in the world. Your jail bait, their jail bait. You turn sixteen and your looking at three to five. Jac got this, It is Little Miss Sunshine, one of the best movies I watched last year!
15. The difference between you and I is that you can leave anytime you choose. But this is my home.

If you know, have a guess! Try not to guess more than two at a time right away so that others can have a chance to play!!!

I promise to do a real post tomorrow! I have one in my drafts for J is for… but haven`t finished it yet!

ps: Well so far eight have gone, any suggestions on the others? Anyone can have a go!! If you have already had a guess, then have another! Thanks to those who have played so far!

Update: Only three left! Lets see who can get the last three. Some hints. No 8 was from a pretty old movie, I think it come out early 80`s and it features some awesome music and musician appearances! No. 12 is from a really new movie that I only saw last year and it stars some pretty famous actors! And no.15, well, a hint, Nicole Kidman is in it!

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Shokai suru means introduce yourself! So here I am, most people that would usually read this blog are regular readers and therefore know a fair bit about me because I write random stuff about my self all the time….

But a little introduction for those joining from the Ultimate Blog Party which is hosted at 5 minutes for mum! Firstly welcome to my blog…I am recently 23, recently engaged and I live in Tokyo with my fiancee Shumpei and we are moving to Australia mid year for one year before we come back to live here in this urban jungle! I am originally from Brisbane Australia and all the background info about me can be found on my about page and if you are into random facts then check out my post with 100 things about me or write meme into my search box and I am sure you will be overwhelmed with more info about me than you ever wanted to know!

I have no kids but am a preschool teacher here (I seem to be surrounded by mummies at this blog party! Or should I say mommies as I realize a lot of you are American)

I like to take photos which you can see here and I like to write a lot (as you can see from my blog!). I also love books, cherry blossoms (hence the blog name) and food….plus I dabble in a bit of knitting sometimes!

I love a good party, and you would usually see me bringing wine and cheese or mini pizzas!!! So pull up a chair and have a look around…..or better yet dance around, I have just put on an album by `The Fray`!

Oh and if you are into cocktails, here is my favourite. I don`t think it is an original recipe but a bartender in Thailand taught me how to make it!

You need a blender, white rum, dark rum, cointreau, pineapple juice and some grenadine (Orange curacao also adds a nice flavour!)! Mix it all together, and wah lah, you have a beautiful fresh tasting cocktail….Yummy!  Do be careful though, they may taste like juice but they are super strong!

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At home sick with a cold, so thought, why not, I should join in on the 2008 Ultimate Blog Party just in time for International Women`s Day!

Have no idea what I will do for the week of the party, but will have to get my thinking cap on because the party has already started….I suppose I am fashionably late! Look at for my next post which will be an introduction to me and my blog!

Anyone else want to join in? It is not too late!!!! Head over to Five Minutes for Mum for details! Am off to blog hop and think about my next post!!!

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• Firstly big congratulations to Sarah and Ryohei who should of gotton married today. They were filing the papers anyway, hope it all went by with out a hitch….Congratulations! All the best for your future together
• Well I have started to tell more people Shun and I are engaged….it still seems weird to say though…perhaps it comes with practice….like I still refer to him as my boyfriend in Japanese instead of fiance (Mainly because konyakusha, the word for fiance, is kind of weird)…I think we have a place for the wedding….It is thankfully the only thing that needs to be done before I return to Australia (book a place I mean)….I had no idea that there was so much stuff involved in a wedding though…really….It all seems a little crazy. Did you know you need a theme? Or at least a colour scheme? My mother has informed me of the above….
• I think I am going to sign up for 101 things in 1001 days…..Maybe start in April. Since writing my life list (Which I am still extremely proud of by the way) I have lacked some motivation and I thought that if I had an end date it might help…..plus with all the wedding stuff I have to do I thought it might be nice to include some of the wedding stuff in the list too….A couple of bloggers that I read are also doing it and they blog each time they cross something off….perhaps something like this would keep me more motivated.
• I have a lot of random photos from this month and now seems as good a time as any to post them! Firstly, I met my friend Jen`s baby boy last week and he was adorable….also got to see Jen and Emma who I had not seen in months and months…..It is hard to believe I will be gone in May, Jen in July and Emma most likely before I return to Japan in 2009….



• Second, The ume are out…And when the Ume come out it means Hinamatsuri is close!

• Thirdly, I don`t usually post many photos of my kindy kids here, although there is a school blog if you ever want to check it out which has lots of photos uploaded by Ai the owner if you are interested but this video was too good o pass by. Deanne, it is for you firstly and foremost since I know what a diehard hooper you are! Ahh..the video is screwing up my formatting….so if you want to see kids hooping go here…

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• After reading Gala`s site yesterday and seeing that she had made a list of resolutions for her week I thought it would be a good idea for me to start doing the same, especially with only another 2 1/2 to 3 months left in Tokyo…My resolutions for this week are. Study for a minimum of ten hours, no eating after 9:30pm, Go for 2 big walks for exercise, Take more photos outside, Make a walking play list on my ipod , Start working on at least one more thing from my life list, Blog at least three times this week (This is my 2nd post already), Do two loads of washing before Friday, No coffee after 8pm and eat at least two pieces of fresh fruit each day (including weekends!). So I started yesterday and so far so good….Haven`t decided what I will work on from my life list though yet…any suggestions?
• My friend Jen from Somewhere, Something (formally Delightful Jen) has started her own business…It launched today! If you like buttons or things made from vintage fabric then go check out her store maxifunbutton now!
• I joined another book challenge, although this one is pretty simple in its rules….Read 100 books in the year. I can do that… Especially if I count some of the special kids books I read at work (I read about 20 kids books a week to the kids for story times plus when they ask me to read to them during free-time, not to mention the books I read with my private students so I might start recording some of those special ones I read with them, my favourites at least that I will one day want to read with my kids)….I keep a list of books I read in my journal already (Although I should one day add it to my blog) and am up to about 25 for the year so far I think!!
• 
• Yes you heard me right in the first point. Study…Am on a bit of a Japanese study kick at the moment…I want to do 1kyuu at the end of this year or the following year and kanji and reading are my biggest problem areas and it will take me at least six months to learn all the kanji I need! Probably longer! I am usually pretty good at studying when I am on a bit of a study kick…mind you I didn`t do any yesterday!!!
• It was my birthday yesterday, a post will follow about the adventures! Maybe in G is for…
• Where do you start when planning a wedding? How long does it take? I should get started on that!
• Last week I left my pencil case at a post office and an elderly lady ran after me yelling `moshi moshi, moshi moshi` and the reason I didn`t turn around straight away is because I thought she was on the phone…It has been on my mind since. I want to know if she yelled moshi moshi because I was foreign or if she was just a strange lady who would of yelled moshi moshi at anyone!
• I am already filling in dates with stuff to do, and people to catch up with before I leave…It will be sad to leave Japan again, but exciting all the same. I will miss my friends here though, so much…..There is always something exciting happening! And they are such great people to be around..
• Could of sworn I had more to blab on about, but I guess my giant sneezing fit 10 minutes ago knocked the thoughts right out of my head! Have a good week everyone!

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I went to the doctor yesterday thinking I had the norovirus or another stomach virus because I had really bad stomach pains and nausea…and norovirus is going around…turns out that I have a stomach ulcer. Well that is what they think anyway due to where the pain is etc…I am not even 23 yet and I have a stomach ulcer…

So I am off work today and it is a long weekend now so hopefully if I take the medicine they gave me I should be good by Tuesday! I am taking the weekend fairly easy (although I have a wedding tomorrow that I don`t think I can get out of…) but it such a shame because my friend Mandy`s (who visited me in Tokyo last summer) little (although he is 6 ft 8)brother Paul is going to be in Tokyo this weekend staying at my place and I really wanted to take him out on Sunday to show him around a bit!

It sucks to be sick!

Just a note that C is for… has been written but can not be posted for a couple of weeks so in the meantime I am going to continue with D is for and E is for…So stay tuned for D is for….in the encyclopedia of me!

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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.

**********************************************************************

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…

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One of my goldfish died. Tilly died a couple of days ago and Shumpei made me take it out and dispose of her/him (When we bought them they couldn`t tell me what sex they were so I named them Tilly and Jo…Tilly was black and Jo is orange)

I didn`t know what to do. So I flushed her…We don`t have a garden so I couldn`t bury her, they are really strict about garbage in this country and I didn`t want to put her in the wrong section then have her returned to my door the next day saying that I should of put it in with another type of garbage. So putting her in the bin was out.

This left the toilet. So I flushed her….now I am afraid to go the toilet in case she comes back up when I flush….

Is this a strange fear to have? I think it is guilt…I am sure she died because of something I did or something I didn`t do.

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