What is new?

It has been about two weeks since I have returned from Tokyo to Seoul.

Some people who have been consistently following my blog (thank you) have already been

noticing that I haven't blogged since my return.

So today as I'm tuning into a live jazz podcast from the radio, I'm just going to babble for a while. Please bear with me here.

What is new?

I think I'm definitely taking less pictures now since Tokyo (actually none if I'm not counting one picture that was tagged by others on fbook which I'll share). There were couple of Yalies in Korea gatherings, and I'm spending quite of bit of time with friends and family.

But of course, if you know me enough, you probably would know that I may be up to something else. I am.

For one, I've decided to be more active physically. I started bellydancing.

Please don't ask me to bellydance for you. As I said, I just started. I have done cheerleading and some dancing in high school, but bellydancing gives me a completely different vibe and energy.

Hard, fast beats echoing across the room. It seems as if there's nothing but the air and the music. The Music. The drumbeats are really what I love. You experience this high when the consistent drum beats suddenly take a turn and become inconsistent. Yet you're body's still transitioning, trying to figure out the new beat. The smooth bellyroll follows and your breath become one with your motions. Let's not forget the seductive hand motions. To be honest, there are times when I just stare at the bellydance instructor rather than actually following what she's doing. I think I will soon develop a secret crush on her.

I have also taken interest in poker.

One of my friends, Dan, who's been playing poker for about seven years now, offered

to actually teach me poker. Given that I'm a complete novice at this game, Dan was really patient with me teaching me all the rules and skills. I was hooked.

He asked me why I wanted to learn poker.

I thought for a moment. I couldn't say why for sure. Maybe I find the principle "All or Nothing" inevitable in life. In fact, I was never a great multi-tasker. So throughout teen years (wow I guess I'm not a teen anymore?) I always had to give my everything to achieve one goal. Funny how I actually had "All or Nothing" posted on my desk back in California. Regardless what the reason may be, I find poker fun and exciting.

Apparently, woman player who can pull off innocent looks can be dangerous at a poker table. Because chances are everyone else is going to think that you suck when you might be pretty good. When I get hang of this game, perhaps I should head to Las Vegas (well once I turn 21 that is).

Finally, I have started reading blogs of all kinds. Friends, well-known journalists, random bloggers, teens, etc. Few of my personal favorites are Tavi of Style Rookie, Nicholas Kristof of NY times, Al Roth/Peter Coles's Marketdesigner.

Yesterday, I visited one of my really good friend's blog and got into thinking of what turns me on. She wrote "It seems that the reason it's hard to understand other people is that we are turned on by different things."

I can only add that it seems that the reason it's hard to understand other people is that we are still searching for what we're really turned on by.

I know I am.

I'm going to close today with a quote from Ingmar Bergman.

“My basic view of things is – not to have any basic view of things. From having been exceedingly dogmatic, my views on life have gradually dissolved. They don’t exist any longer.”

I think this is going to help me in dropping my guards in search for what I'm really turned on by.

So I ask, what turns you on?

Wrapping up my stay in Japan

Two months have gone by so quickly. I cannot believe that I actually thought that I had

a lot of time in the beginning. Other than my drastically improved Japanese skills and

my new take on Japanese culture & urban lifestyle, I think I have one other very important lesson

to take back home.

I have realized during my stay in Tokyo that some of the most precious moments come from

the most ordinary events with my host family. Japanese people value family time greatly, and even breakfast time is when the entire family gather around the table to eat and talk together about their upcoming day. This contrasts greatly from the American lifestyle, where everyone's too busy to even grab a decent breakfast if at all.

In the states, I think I often find myself making excuses that I'm too busy to do something whether it's spending enough time with my family, friends, neighbors, etc. But after my two months stay in Japan, I think my fundamental paradigm has shifted to appreciate family time, and also finding joy even in the most small, trivial things. This is something that I will keep within myself even after my Tokyo journey.

Potluck party & Watching Fireworks in Yokohama

In my letter to my host family, I have written that I would like to try on Yukata, or Japanese traditional summer dress during my stay in Japan. My host mom gladly agreed and decided to ask one of her friends to lend me her Yukata at my farewell potluck party. I have never tried on a Yukata before, so I was pretty excited. Trying on a Yukata made me feel like a traditional Japanese woman although I would have never expected that Yukata was so tight around the weight to the point when I couldn't breathe. Maybe this is why Japanese woman speak so softly. They don't have the energy to speak loudly when there is no air to take in.

But I had yet another chance to wear Yukata when Eru, my first Japanese friend, invited me to go watch fireworks with her in Yokohama. Eru and I first met in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower this past spring break. Back then, my Japanese was not even close to where I am today so every sentence was slurred and it was a challenge just communicating with her. However, somehow our fate met again when I came to Tokyo this summer and we have grown especially close since then. Eru surprised me with a reservation at a hair salon, where not only did we get dressed into Yukata, but we also got our full hair done.

Watching the beautiful fireworks in Yukata was definitely an unforgettable experience.

I don't think you can ever go wrong with Doraemon (a famous Japanese anime character that looks like a cat robot), candy, and heart shaped fireworks.

On top of 12,388 ft

I wondered what it would be like to be on top of 12,388 ft.

Would I feel strong? surprised? proud? nothing at all?

Right before I left my host family's house to climb Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan,

I tried to visualize what it would feel like to watch the sunrise on top of Fuji.

Preparing for this journey was fun. I had a list of all of things that I would possibly need.

Raincoat

Towel

Extra Shirt

Flashlight

Thermal

Lots and lots of water

Food

Chocolate (this was definitely a separate category of its own)

Oxygen mask

Walking stick (a must unless you have spider fingers)

Money

Victory signs

There were seven of us, including myself, and we planned to climb Mt. Fuji all throughout the night and watch the sunrise from the mountaintop. Little did I realize that trying to forgo sleep while engaging in a strenuous exercise is not such a good idea after all.

But even so, there were so many people trying to climb Mt. Fuji that we literally had to walk in a line on our way to the top. The bright flashlights on everyone's forehead stretching miles below and above made it seem as if I were in the movie Spirited Away.

Two third of way to the top, my feet, lungs, and head started screaming for rest and oxygen. There was probably nothing more I would have liked to do than to give up and come back down, but given the fact that I was already more than half way there, I knew I had to continue.

Besides, it would be kind of cool to say that I have climbed the tallest mountain in Japan.

When I reached the top, I honestly don't know what I felt. I think my muscles knew it before

I was even able to make words. And a warm cup of milk tea never tasted better.

I think I have just conquered 12,388 ft.

A weekend getaway to Atami Beach

I have always wanted to go to one of the traditional Japanese Onsens (equivalent of America's hot springs), but the idea of being naked in front of people I don't know seemed strange to me to say the least. But an Onsen opportunity arose when one of the Yalies' family invited us to their Ryokan (a Japanese-style hotel) for a weekend, and naturally I couldn't resist.

It took us about an hour and half to get from Shibuya to Atami by Japan Railways and then we headed to New Atami Ryokan, unpacked and soon headed to the beach. There were already tons of people there, but yet the water was still beautiful and clear. I think the best part of the beach was making a human sand mummy though.

Later towards the night, after we had buffet dinner at the Ryokan, we all changed into clothes that were prepared for us and headed to the Onsen. The Onsens were seperated into women's and men's (if you were expecting something otherwise, sorry) and were located on the very top floor of the Ryokan overlooking the night view of Atami.

There are few rules that you need to follow in Japanese Onsens. You need to wash yourself thoroughly before entering hot water, you cannot enter the water with towels or swimsuits on, and many Onsens ban users with tattoos since tattoos are often associated with crimes or Yakuza (Organized Japanese gangs). Strangely, I didn't feel too awkward about being naked in front of everyone than I had expected to be. It probably helped that everyone else was naked too.

The warm Onsen water was quite rejuvenating especially under the night breeze, and while I

was enclosed in this bath, I felt as if I were fetus enveloped in my mother's womb again.