Sweetie On-line

I don't mind these misunderstandings and disagreements. I don't mind our differences. I don't mind how we don't agree on everything. I don't mind you not being like me. Because we're different in many ways, there's a chance that we can be a good team. But if we were so alike, and didn't have qualities that complemented one another, soon enough we'd feel we could do without each other.
I love you hony because you complement me. Yes, you compliment me too, but here I mean that you complete me. You have qualities that I don't. And if we can learn to work together and channel our energies in the same direction, there's no telling what our future can hold.
I love you!

Eve's-sky Hue

In your eyes I see a love so true
As the scent and richness of the deep red rose
Of patterns in passion in the eve's-sky hue
More delicate and tender than words in prose

Idyllic, cool, and calm
Your love like quiet waves lapse on life's shore
Romantic as peddles in the hollow of your palm
Can a man like me ask for more?

"Happy Hearts Entertainment"

Out of the hungry and desolate lands of Tanba arise a new happening. In a place where so much color did not formerly exist, clowns (now known as the "Happy Hearts Entertainment") in their garbs of shocking array, enter a world where they are bound to shake and change.

I am being so entirely spoiled by this wonder-woman who can make something out of nothing and everything out of anything. Does it sound unreal? It really is unreal. As some would put it, she is a bible woman. Ha! I love you baby! Those costumes are amazing! It's surprising to note that you made all of them.

Are you looking for fever? That's right, you heard me, FEVER, not fervor (though that's certainly there too). If you're looking for fever AND fervor, which can be summed up in one simple word--color--in a country where much of this cannot be seen--"Happy Hearts Entertainment" my friends.

Family vs. Work--Lesson from a Child

For the first 8 months after returning home I spent like every day with my child (well, of course, because I was a full-time English teaching at our local school). But when I became manager and scheduler it became difficult to find this quality time with him.
For me, it's easy to work, to always be on the phone, communicating, working things out, making people happy, scheduling, printing. But then I remember my son, Deryk, and how much I had to fight to keep him, almost having a court battle, and going off the grid for a while, and the comfort he was in my saddest times. He reminds me to always put family before work.
So tonight, as he lay snuggled with his two favorite stuffed animals, happy and satisfied, I reflected on the week and saw that this was one of the few nights that I had actually payed quality attention to him since I got back from Noda. I fell sick and have been in bed for like two days and had a lot of time to think. I only now realize how little attention I've been giving my child. When I saw his happy and contented look, I knew that it would make me a very happy father to be able to see that look on his face and the face of Kenji as well, every night as they fall asleep.
I want to be a good father, because good father's are becoming more and more scarce these days. The definition of a "good father" also seem to be losing its meaning in this modern world. I would like to redefine the real meaning of a "good father" some time, and perhaps I will post it when I find it.

An Amazing Christmas Gift

Hearts and kiss marks were sprinkled all over my room, my bed had a complete metanoia (black sheet replaced my white one, black bed-cover over my flowery one, pillows were at the head of my bed where before there weren't any, with black cases to match).
I was shocked when I was called up by Seiko from the shower with the reason given, that Deryk was crying. With toothbrush in mouth, I threw on a shirt, and ran up with a towel. Clearly, I was taken by complete surprise. I thought I'd entered a freaky dream and a bomb had exploded in my room, leaving red and black everywhere. But to my amazement, it was Fay's Christmas present to me.
No one had ever done something like this for me before. It was amazing. Baby, I am amazed! Thank you! Clearly, a lot of love went into this, and it made me realize that maybe, just MAYBE, your love could be equal to mine.

Memories

Time passes us so quickly. Opportunities of compensation, forgiveness, love, and romance pass us up with such great speed, that often we miss it. But hony, our first Christmas in 2008, was special. And yet, even when we succeed to capture these matchless opportunities, if we do not remember them somehow, they do not become memories.
This is the two-pager that I wrote for you about the time we first met.

In this box that (btw, I spent like 2 hours making) was made out of cardboard and wrapping paper, was a Snoopy with a Christmas hat holding the two-pager.

When you came to visit me on the last day of 2008, I had this box tied with a ribbon, sealed with a rose, and surrounded by about 30 hand-made red and white roses. I know, I know, hony. Your present to me was nicer. By saying this I don't negate that fact. I just mean to say that I really love you, and that the love that led me to give this Christmas present to you in 2008 is a love that I hope will last forever in our memories.

At Juri's

Those are Kenj's and Deryk's new matching backpacks that Juri gave to them. They're sooo cute!! Now THAT is another awesome photo!

Hony, I think you look so HOT there!

Angiolino--Our Coffee House

Now THAT is a beautiful Coffee House, however one chooses to view it. Let's give credit to whom credit is due, and to the man on the very left of the photo who is letting us manage it for free. He's giving us 20% of all the income we make, is paying for the rent and utilities, and is keeping it stocked up with Italian foods, sweets, and icecream, of which his business consists of.

That is a very sweet couple who both Fay and I really like. River, on the left, is official manager of Angiolino, and the kindly looking man on the right is her Australian husband, Jonathan.

The coffee shop was built Italian style--brick walls, tiled floors, cherubims, stylish tables and chairs, you name it.

During Fay's 3 week visit, from the 31st of December, 2008, to the 20th of January, 2009, we went to Angiolino a few times to snitch some icecream and drink coffee. As you can see, I am very proud of my woman.

More Photo's

An interesting pose--initiated by Kenj.

This particular pose is my brother, Daiki's, initiative

This is a mexican dinner made by Fay. Mmm... I would die to eat it again. Though Indian food has always been my favorite, what was made that night could very well be a fair rival.

This is a book given by me to Fay for her 2008 Christmas present, written at its start that we would write the diary of our lives in it--symbolising that I intended to spend my life with her. If all goes well, even if life does present itself with some bad things, I feel I am well on the road to making that promise. Yes, hony, I love you that much.

We went to Lala Port on our day off and had Wordtime on one of its scenic porches on a gorgeous sunny day. We were still in a time that snow was said to be falling in places around, but that day was like mid-spring.
A big thank-you to my wonderful TSC home for letting me go visit Fay for 2 weeks.

Happy Birthday Deryk!!

Happy Birthday, Deryk, we love you! You're 3 years old now. So BIG! We can remember that we celebrated your birthday in Noda--with all those wonderful people. Don't we all look so funny?

What an awesome work of art! This is Deryk's birthday cake that Fay made for him. It's a Japanese version of the Magic School Bus.

Who's this hooded figure?

Here I am, busy eating my favorite--Indian food--Palak and Butter Chicken with plain and garlic Nan.

I thought this pose was really cute.

Sweetie On-line

March 17'2009
Hi hony
Reflecting back now on this day that I kissed you good-bye at the PMA exactly 5 months ago, I see how far we've come. 5 months ago, last night, was a night to remember. One more month and we'll be half a year, and we've been getting along great!
I know the Lord led us to each other, because everything has been working out so well for us. It seems almost too good to be good, that I wondered sometimes if somehow it would discontinue. But it hasn't, and time has past and our love has only grown. I know mind has. My love has matured to a love much stronger and wiser than when we first met.
Yes, you were a very special girl--one very talented and smart; so brave and fearless; one who would fall and shed a few tears, but who would get back up, wipe the tears away, and keep walking, smiling still. I admired you from the start.
Other than admiration, there was interest--interest into how you lived your life. There were people around you and hubbub everywhere, but when I looked upon you, it was as if it was just you, just you in this vast world. I contemplate now as to how far we've come. So far, my love, so far. And my hopes is that we can go much farther. Can we?
And last of all but not least, love--love grew in my heart. I knew it from the start. I guess we cannot control these things. At times we try, and yet still, true love is like coal. Though love that is not true is put out like water to fire, true love like coal still has heat deep within despite the water that splashes it.
Hony, I love you!

Could an Aquarium be a hot date spot?

I always wondered why the zoo is among some of the hottest date spots in Japan. Now I know why. Well, in this case, it's the aquarium. Btw, this is not what we Japanese call a purikura. Those are REAL gellyfish in a real tank. I know it seems a bit unreal, like we're IN the tank, but actually we're just standing behind it. Cool huh!

I thought this was really cool. It was taken in the Aquarium. Ever thought how it'd be like to have a dozen replica's of the same wonderful person you're with?

Just Chill Sometimes

Life can be so strange sometimes. Suddenly I'm a practical thinker and a realist, when just years prior my head was in the clouds and I was scolded to plant my feet back on earth lest I fly away and be seen no more. But why in the same life-time can one change so drastically, from one extreme to another?
Seeing this happen to someone else is interesting and actually quite fun, so long as it's not your best friend or lover. But to experience it happening to yourself is something else. I'm not just talking about a slight change. I'm talking about a change to a completely different way of thinking.
I guess I'm seeing more that life cannot be put in a box. A human cannot possibly understand everything that happens. And this means that deep thinkers, like me, are not always in good company, because life then is not always seen as a friend, or as someone you know and understand, but as someone your personality constantly has friction with, but that you have to live with.
It can be likened to a marriage, or a strong relationship, I guess. You're constantly trying to understand each other so that you can live peaceably and to save unnecessary conflict, but both sexes were made different, and what's more is that opposites usually attract, so chances are that you are together with someone you will never fully understand.
So that's what I finally concluded like 2 years ago, that up until then I thought it was necessary for me to understand life in order to live peaceably with it. But I learned that I never will, and so I need to accept the life that I've been given, stop thinking so deep, and chill sometimes.

Meeting the Family

No, no, these penguins aren't real. They aren't kissing real penguins. They're pretty awesome though, 'cause as you can see, they're sculptured from solid ice.

Can you believe it, this was the first time I went to a dolphin show, as it was for Deryk. I must have enjoyed it just as much as he did.

And then, if all that wasn't enough, Kenji and Deryk get to go to an aquarium. Wow, this trip sure is fun, and for Deryk, one concern of mine is that he'd be brought back down to earth from this wonderful dream once we're back in Tanba.

Welcome to toyland, and really, it was. What you see in the photo is only one-sixth of its size. You can imagine, this was tons of fun for our two little boys.

Juri took us to a Mexican restaurant, and at first, boy, I tell you, I was in a bad mood, for reasons that I think is better to keep to myself. Ha! I guess one small reason was that I felt out of place. Anyway, as you can see in the photo snipet, Kenj and Deryk had fun, and that's what matters.

We're on the train and are having so much fun! Well I wasn't really fond of the idea of spending two days at Juri's. I don't like places that remind me of my past. But in the end I think it was actually quite fun!! It made me want to go back some time. Andy and Juri were very sweet! I think I like them a lot. I miss them.

This has been a successful trip so far--no screaming, yelling or rebuking from any of Fay's family. The night I arrived in Noda I met Dust, Sunshine, Ryan, and her siblings. A night following we had wine and pasta with the home and Aaron. Later I was able to meet his wife and kids at an area gathering. And just last night we got back from a two-day visit to Juri and her boyfriend's place. That was the last of the family that I came to meet. Oh, and I mustn't forget to include that I also went to MP3 on an invitation to eat Aaron's Indian food. Ohhhh man! His food was excellent! We had Nan in sauces and Tandori Chicken which brought back vivid memories of how good Indian food is.

I think I've warmed up to Fay's family. They're all very smart, talented people--quite talented I'd say! I like them a lot. Rather than me making a long drawn-out explanation of what we did together, I thought that I'd just post some photo's. Like they say, pictures can say a thousand words.

I've been looking forward to this day for a month and 10 days, since Fay and Kenj visited for three weeks and left. I'm finally here. And I'm so happy that I made it. For those of you who are concerned, yep, we're getting along really good.
Thank you to my wonderful home, TSC, for letting me go for two weeks. I love you all so much! I miss home already! Miss all you guys and all the ins and outs of TSC life. I'm overjoyed at the fact that I'm with Fay, but I'm already a little home-sick. There's something to TSC that I really have a heart for, which is the initial reason I rejoined.
Other than feeling a little home-sick, I like the people here. They're sweet, of course, and being able to meet Merch, Bagot, and Lil's again is so nice. I'm gonna have fun, but there's gonna be nothing like being with Fay in TSC! Cheers to TSC!