Beer and hot springs

Add to this panoramic view and kind people, what makes me happy among rural charms is....... hot springs! There's one nice hot spring near my new country-side house. It's quite local one, and after 5pm, we can use this sulfur-rich public bath at lower costs!! It takes only 5 mins by car, so I can enjoy beer just after hot-hot spring! How rich my life is!

So...... as usual.... I unwind and enjoy the good things in life in this warm and cozy room with a glass of wine. How happy !

Oyo's back!

After loooong absence here in this English blog, I managed to put myself back on.

During this lost one month, I got my working holiday visa to Canada and moved out to rural area, Nagano-prefecture. To my surprise, weak public air wave disables our TV, radio and even mobile phone in this renewed old house, so I can access new information only through Internet now. (Such a great relief to force telecoms company to get through!) ..... In fact, this type of life reminds me the one in NZ. Just after coming here, I was a little bit sad because I felt so isolated from bright side of Japan.

Well.... as the proverb says, "Time heals all wounds". How true! I've worried about a plenty of vague things, but they seemed to work themselves out in time. By changing my negative view to positive one, I am relishing this slow life in Nagano ---- beautiful scenery, fresh vegetable and warm people..... I realised it's a much better idea to enjoy what I have, rather than to sigh over what I lost.

Now that I've almost got our moving done, let's move on.... preparation to Canada!!

Just depressed.....

Yes, it's already latter half of February, but my visa hasn't come yet. I've got to know that people who's going to Canada on May, later than me, began to get their visa...

Why why ??? Did I miss something? I checked and checked my documents when I sent them. Regarding the way of issuing visa, I chose "by email". Was that something wrong ? I enclosed an envelop with a stamp, just in case.... According to Canadian Embassy's homepage, they say they won't answer questions of applications..... Huuum, is there anything I can do now ???? This situation is enough to make me depressed....

Be myself and relax!

I met and had dinner with one of my friends today. I got to know her through our blogs, so when we saw first time, we felt as if we have known each other all our lives. Without period that we checked and shared our thoughts through our blogs, we couldn't felt at home being with each other. I was really startled anew by the power of blogs.

I am prone to underestimate myself, or look negative part of me. Sometimes that hungry feeling might be good to motivate myself, but could be result in losing self-confidence.


Ok, let's enjoy slow time now I have.
I don't have to work hard all the time..... just relax and ok to do what I can do now..


Maybe now is the time to do so.

Peaceful, but........

Bonjour, a tours, a tous.

..... ben...... seems to be wrong.... anyway, I am lucky to have chances to see emails in French, but still they looks.... all Greeks to me.

Ok, it's happy Friday again! Yeah!

I've got used to working at new office now and.... got a little bit bored these days. My assistant work itself is ok, and all the people, of course my boss and expats are so nice people that I feel no uncomfortable feeling here. Maybe that's what we call..... peace! I really know it's good thing to work like this, but.... for me, I prefer more changeable and stimulating environment, I realize now.

Anyway, it's ok for me to work there because it will only a month to go.

-----------------

Since I have plenty of time to spare, and I should make use of this time.... Knowing that thing, though, I've been doing nothing since I'd got this job. OK, I've decided to have this February to be ...... FRENCH month !

I joined "discus", discount rental DVD membership, so I'll watch much movies as possible, during this month.

To my disappointment, I haven't got working visa yet, but I believe it'll come soon... Until then, I'll wait and watch movies.

Wow! It's Friday !

Such a loooong week's over now! Yeah, actually, this new job rarely annoyed me, except being just slow, which was worse than being hectic for me..... well, it might be only a problem of time or the way of thinking, but anyway, I still am blaming myself of being lazy..... not just because I haven't "studied" enough, but been satisfied by my work. I know I am just a temporary staff and that's the main reason I decided to take this job, but no expectation is too much for me to lose my motivation some extent..... ok, now it's time I changed my way of putting and controlling value on my work.

Well... when it comes to people in my office, everybody is so professional....... they are working on the first wave of product development. I cannot help but admire the tireless work of them. In addition to that, they commands some languages, mainly French very well. I realised that it must be one of the big secrets to have our own way and pursue personal interests, if men want to master other language..... Anyway I am looking forward to encounter or find mine.

I'll be in Nagano again this weekend, and...... will get ready to learn more next week!

My jobs in Japan

Well.... while I neglected to update this blog, I had some small changes in my life.


Last Friday was my final day in Saudi Arabian company. I believe that this painful(!) clerical/secretarial job would be my significant work experience later on. I am quite not sure that this kind of career would be the most appropriate for me, but at least I learned much and I could contribute to that project to some extent. Anyway...... no more Arabic for a while, please!!

And it was too hasty, but I started to work again from this Monday. Luckily enough, I got a new short-term job in French company. My boss is very smart Japanese woman who speaks French very fluently. There are some French expats and a very elegant madam is working behind me. Her French sounds so nice for me because this is the first time for me to spend in French environment except short trips to France. Moreover, my boss uses French in her work, so I am exposed to French surroundings I know it's only just a little little thing, but thinking about going to Canada, I must admit I am super lucky to have this job as a preparatory exercise.


Ok, all I have to do is just taking it easy and studying French and English!

a half glass of water

When I see a half glass of water, I might find it "wow! Only half left!!", not "still half of water is remaining." I am the sort of person who tends to look underside most of time. That is one of my weak points that I've wanted to overcome.

My new agent did quick work to arrange a job interview, I had one in Tokyo this early afternoon. Actually I had no chice but accept decent offer at the moment, but the company that I visited today looks good for me.

I've got to work for bossy boss tomorrow..... well, let's keep my fingers crossed for good news!

NZ Reunion

Gee, it's almost Sunday.

After getting back to work, could be because of my boss' something like an arrogant, imprudent attitude, I completely lost motivation for work there. I know I should have more professionalism, but if so, I wouldn't be myself anymore. It might be nicey-nice way of me to conceal my real feeling and play our expected role, but... whatever, I decided to take some days off and start to prepare for next job.

Today, on Saturday, I visited my friend's new flat. She just moved from Osaka and settled down to Tokyo. I already mada an appointment to meet another boy who came back from NZ today, so inviting other friend, we held a kind of reunion at her place.

Before we met in Sugamo, so called "granma and grampa's HARAJUKU", we'd been to Okubo, Korean town in Tokyo. To my amaze, it's very like Seoul ! ---- in terms of people, atomosphere, smell, sound.....and so on! We got some Korean food and mada Korean Kimuchi-hot pod and pancake(Chijimi), and most of food was so nice that we completely forgot about time.... I mada 100% charred pancake!!! Haha!


Whatever, I've got refreshed and motivated !! Thanks, mate!

Came back to a real life!

I came back from a dream lazy world to a real one. I totally forgot how to get on train and work in the office, because of these 11days off! Actually I was stupid enough to open emails of work, and made myself ... depressed by snapping myself back to reality.

Whatever, 2 more weeks to go!

Snowed a loooot!

I woke up to find out that this cottage was coverd in clean, soft white blanket of snow. It was so chilly outside, but my doggys were overjoyed by digging into unknown white thing.




Mom came back all the way from Tokyo in this snowy day, but she and her friends were too powerful for me to follow with. (Especially, they drank like fish!)

Whatever, it would be nice to think...... that it was enjoyable day!

My goals for 2007

A happy new year !

I am still in the small cottage in Tateshina, Nagano with my doggy.
Here is so quiet, but today's sky is nothing but blue. Clear and fresh.

I've just started to put myself togather again and made my goals for 2007 .

BE ACTIVE, PROACTIVE, and BECOME PROFESSIONAL！

• KEEP real life alive, being even more adventurous!
• SMILE as much as possible and have strength that is strong enough to be tender and kinder.
• BE intelligent in my behavior and exert every effort I can.
• FIND MY WAY I can feel a real sense of fulfillment.

What are your goals for 2007?

All's well that ends well. Let's start again!

31st December, 2006

Time past so quickly, like an arrow, it's already the very last day of December, last month in 2006!!

Thinking back of this wonderful year, it's definitely gonna be one of my best years in my life.
Not only days in NZ, but also life in Japan was amazing for me,compared with past. I've got to know many nice people from various nationalities. (actually, some were just weired, but still they had something to learn about.)

I submitted the working holiday visa to Canada last month, and haven't got any response yet. Flicking into mixi, blogs, and homepages, I guess it's gonna take a bit long, so all I can do now is just crossing my fingers !　If I am lucky enough to go to Canada next year, I wanna make my days more joyful and fruitful one than ever!

Have a happy happy new year to everybody.

Just the same old the same old.

It's about 2months since I've got this job.Things seems to be ok and I got used to how things are done here, I had some changes about my job discription, though.
After getting back home, I realised how comfy to live in Japan - most of places are clean and service standers provided are very high. So far, I like to stay in Japan and save money for next flee.
As per usual, I go about my regular business ....

14/Aug/2006

Ok, let`s get started to keep blog again!

Because of many reasons, most are from my laziness and poor ability of English, I won't be able to write this daily. But as long as I have time to open my PC, maybe after studying English or before going to bed, I promise I'll do my best....

This could be only resolution in my dawn of thirties?

First Diary in Aotearoa

I don't know why, but I haven't write this blog for long time.
Probably that's because I'm not good at writing English, or just because I am so lazy.....

After coming to NZ, I feel writing and speaking in English are becoming comparetively easiler. I'm quite sure that this blog is full of mistakes, but I try to do my best for writhig this blog as much as I can.

I guess something like a wall in language has removed in NZ. .... but, still there remains a lot to learn.

Friendly English

I skipped several days again.....

As to the book I'm reading now, it's important to write in easy and friendly English when we want to express what we think. I tend to write and think things in dificult ways, so I'll try to improve my writing skill.

From this week, I started to study English in "Nova" to learn how to speak in English. I became painfully aware of my lack of vocabulary when I went there. I could understand mostly what the native speaker said , but couldn't speak out well what I wanted to say.

I have 7 lessons to go, so I'll do my best in these limited days.

Once upon a time......

Once upon a time, Oyo kept her diary as a blog...... Woooow, hello stranger! I AM OYO! Hahaha!

Almost 1 week has passed since I stopped writing English diary.... Japanese version"Oyo's plot" is going very well. ( 'cause I quit worlking !)

The reason why I put off studying is nothing but I was negleting. To make matters worse, I tend not to do anything until it's absolutely necessary.....

Sometimes, the other Oyo(Who's that !?) whispers to me, "it's too late to study English! You are not enough smart to communicate by using other languages. Stay and work in Japane thoughout your life!"

....Hum, it's possible, if not probable, that there will be a case I come back to Japan with no progress. On the other hand, I know it's all up to me whether I can make the best of this fantastic and excellent chance or not. OK.... I've decided to be more positive and give it all I've got.

...... as is often the case with me, the last sentense is too much positive..... :)

rather watch movies than eat......?

I enjoyed a paid vacation day so much today.
I watched one Denish movie, and eight episodes of the Korian serial drama "All In", to the final!

It's quite common to those who are working hard for English, and I also want to become able to understand English movie dialogue well enough that I don't need subtitles. If there were one thing I could change, I think I want be able to use English as fluently as the native......

I know that job isn't easy, but stick to it!

TOEIC's over!

I don't wanna mention to the result, though, I took "TOEIC" today.
When I got holidays, I though I'll be able to study as much as I can. It was not so long before I realised that was a wrong expectation...... I was always made be compelled or obliged to study, so to speak, emotionally being to corner.

Anyway I work out so so...
From now on, I plan to move on to the upper(?) stage.
I'll start to concentrate on "how to communicate well".

Let's keep writing this diary everyday.