The Van aka Vancouver

It was my first time visiting Vancouver and I had such a great time.

After what I consider a fairly normal flight of about 6 hours, we touched down in Vancouver. It was a bit cloudy so I couldn't see all of the mountain tops but you arrive in the middle of green. It felt quite relaxing. The only difficult part of my arrival was immigration. Bleh, I won't write more because it's so meaningless. Let's just put it at the fact that some of those people have power trips.

Since Vancouver hosted the winter Olympics last year, public transportation in general and especially from the airport had been greatly improved. The ride into the city was easy and smooth. We had a few hours to kill till my friend got off work so we headed downtown. Unlike like most places in Japan, there were absolutely no coin lockers where we could leave our luggage. It was a big hassle considering a two week vacation only requires so much and I like to pack light, but its so much more fun to wander around hands free.

So with our luggage in tow we wandered the streets of Granville and Robson. After a bit we decided to eat lunch and chose a relatively crowded Japanese restaurant. Ironic I know but Japanese was everywhere. I ordered kitsune udon, a thicker noodle made of wheat with a piece of fried tofu. And my companion ordered a teishoku or set meal, that included rice, miso soup, tempura, and pickled veggies. Our dishes arrived. My udon had a pretty decent tasting broth and the veggies inside were different from what you would have in Japan but were good. The teisoku was really good I thought. The tempura was fried right so the fried part was perfectly crunchy and the inside was hot.

After our meal we still had time and couldn't think of what to do. As we were walking we found a place to rent bicycles. They would hold our luggage as well so we rented bright orange bikes and had a scenic and fun ride around Stanley Park. One thing about Vancouver is that there are trees and plants everywhere. It's as if a metropolitan city was just placed in the middle of mountains and hills. Stanley Park was exciting. We rode around the harbor, past the totem poles and along the sea wall. Although it had been a bit cloudy when we arrived, the afternoon cleared up and it was warm and sunny. There are various environments within the park so if you go inside a bit you'll be amongst tall trees but along the seawall you pass rock cliffs and sandy beaches. Along the way I saw that many bushes full of berries and noticed some had been picked so I figured they weren't poisonous. Turns out they were salmonberries. There were golden and red ones. The red ones were slightly sweeter but both were a tad more bitter than I like berries to be. I ate way too many and couldn't eat anymore.

We got back to the bike shop, grabbed our things and hailed a taxi to our friend's place. He lives near Commercial Drive which is at the eastern part of Van and thus called East Van. We dropped off our luggage and went to take a walk on Commercial Drive aka the Drive. I found this part of Vancouver to loosely resemble the East Village of NYC because its bustling with artistic, intellectual and hip people. Plus there are just so many cafes, restaurants and supermarkets. Okay, that could describe anyplace but I have a tendency to compare places with NYC even though I've only visited many times. Something about going to NYC always excites me so I went I find something that resembles it I tend to want to spend as much time there. After our stroll on the Drive, we returned to our friend's place where he had made a nice dinner of baked salmon and scalloped potatoes with a bechamel sauce. With some vin blanc it was hit the spot. Pretty talented cook for sure.

The next morning we rode with our friend to the ferry port. It was nice to see other areas of Van on the way and kind of fun to ride the ferry with a car. The ferry was huge! It was about an hour and half to get to Vancouver Island. We passed some of the Gulf Islands on the way. It's such a beautiful area. After arriving on Vancouver Island we drove to Victoria. We went to another friend's place, dropped of our stuff then caught a bus downtown. Victoria was more quant but the architecture was prettier. We had lunch at a deli that had a view of the harbor and busy streets. Then our friend met us after he finished work. We rode back to his place. We stayed the weekend there and he showed us around the Victoria area, visiting different parts. The weather was much colder than I hoped for but it was still fun.

On the following Monday we, with our rented car, drove up to Lake Cowachin to visit another friend of ours who is helping his brother fix up a recently purchased house. The drive up was easy and the Lake area was absolutely beautiful. It was so serene and a nice breather after a busier Victoria. There were mostly relaxed by talking over coffee or drinks, watched movies and took a view drives to see other areas of Vancouver Island. On our last full day there we went to Chemainus to visit a local market and then to Cowachin Bay to buy some fresh salmon. If you like fish then BC is one place to visit because the salmon is incredible. We tried candied salmon and ate salmon several times of the course of a week. The second week we didn't eat much because there were so many options to choose from. We left Lake Cowachin and headed back to Victoria. On our last night there we went to eat sushi. Unlike Japan, Hawaii and many other places abroad have popularized the roll. All sorts of maki or roll have been invented and all taste uniquely different. We had a few and got stuffed. Of course we had some salmon sushi. The salmon was pretty much the best salmon I've ever had. Fresh with an amount of oiliness that makes it melt in your mouth. I highly recommend BC Sockeye salmon.

The following morning was Canada day. Wanted to go to a cute Italian coffee shop we found nearby but it was unfortunately closed for the holiday. We had to settle for Starbucks. Went downtown to walk around a bit before returning the rental car. We hadn't had much time to walk around downtown Victoria so it was nice to see people out and about in their red and white attire. The downside was that many stores weren't open yet or wouldn't open. On what started as a gray, cloudy morning turned into a sunny one so it was refreshing to just meander.

We returned the car and hopped on a bus than would take us to and on the ferry. It was a fairly short ride and we boarded the ferry and were off to Tswwassen. Unlike our trip to Vancouver Island, the return trip was beautifully sunny and fairly warm. After the ferry, the bus dropped us of in downtown Vancouver. We went back to our friend's to leave our things so we could meet him in Stanley Park to sit and wait to watch the Canada Day fireworks. We took the bus and then after walking for what seemed like too long. We walked past the big Canada Day parade and finally got to where our friends were. We satt on the a blanket in the grass facing the harbor. We enjoyed a beer and talked till the fireworks began. The fireworks show lasted over half and hour and was surprising a good show. It was a nice contrast to firework displays in Japan during the summer when you're with hundreds of thousands of other people and it's hot and humid.

The remaining days were gloriously sunny and warm so after we settled into a vacation suite we rented 10 minutes away from Commercial Drive we spent them relaxing, eating, visiting the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Surrealist exhibition, shopping and more lounging. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine that I've known since middle school. She is attending grad school in Toronto but is spending the summer in the Van. I love meeting friends in a different location than you first met them. It creates new stories, inside jokes and fun experiences.

The vacation as a whole went by at the perfect pace- not too fast or too slow. Days were long and the sun wouldn't set till about 10pm. This was long for me given that I'd never really been in Upstate NY during the summer during college and summers spent in Colorado and Japan were only light till about 8pm. Its more northern location allows for more hours of sunlight which is amazing.


Coming home wasn't sad or happy just right. It was the right amount of time and the right place. I'm so glad I finally had a chance to visit Vancouver. In the last year I'm met several people from there so it's nice to explore their hometown. I'd love to visit again sometime later, maybe at later time in the summer when the blackberries are ripening but otherwise summer is the best time to go.

Since coming home I've been trying to get out of vacation mode. I had to write this post in two chunks since it is a) quite lengthy and b) I couldn't manage to sit still long enough. Next, I'll post picture from my trip. I'll be off to Colorado for a family thing at the end of the weekend so I'll make sure to do it before then.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

Hi again! I'm off to Vancouver tonight. I've never been to Vancouver but have always heard wonderful things about the city. It will take a bit of adjustment to get used to summer weather that's cooler than Maui but as long as the weather is nice and sunny I'll be happy.

I'm hoping to take more pictures than I have thus far. I'll be gone for two weeks so it's a little longer than my past trips but be patient and I'll try not to disappoint you all.

I'll be arriving in Vancouver, staying one night, then heading to Victoria and other parts of Vancouver island and then after five or six days I'll return to Vancouver and stay there the remainder of my vacation. I'm excited for nature that's unlike that of Hawaii as well as visiting a new city. I just love to wander and find different cafes, stores etc... Also, since it's summer the farmers' markets will be alive and busy.

Well, that's all for now. Will post when I get back. Hope you're all having a wonderful June and if you're in the U.S., have a great Fourth of July and if you're in Canada then have a lovely Canada Day!

Home Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is. Cliche I know but it has never meant as much to me as it does now. It's be about six weeks since I came home from Japan. This time it isn't just a visit of a couple weeks but this time I'll stay put for some time. Which for me is likely to be a few months.

Hawaii, and specifically Maui, is full of beauty. Whether it's in the sky, in the sea or in between. The rain forests, open green fields, deep valleys or steep cliffs, volcanic craters, white sandy beaches, plentiful rainbows and so on. It is endless. And every moment and day brings instances of priceless beauty. After a couple years in the bustling, lively and metropolitan cities of Osaka, Kobe and Tokyo, the calm and natural beauty of Maui eases the depths of my heart and soul.

Every morning that it's sunny (which is almost everyday) I wake up to a breathtaking view of the island from my home and bask in the Hawaiian sun. The birds are really the only noise that I hear and it is these moments of near silence that I savor. I feel so grateful to have been born and raised on this island. In my teenage years I felt that Maui was small and there wasn't much more, beyond the 15+ years that I had spent, to be excited about. These sorts of thoughts were likely influenced by my annual visits to Japan in the summer where there was so much more stimulation and energy. But now that I'm a little older, I see that nothing can compare to being raised here. Maui, in its own way has an energy that comes from its people and its vast nature.

Yes, I still see aspects of what I didn't care for when I was younger, but now I see those things as less important as those aspects which are positive and continuously draw people from all around the world to visit or live here. There is the same internationalism that exists in many metropolitan cities just at a scale comparable to an island population. It isn't always so visible but if you search for it, you will undoubtedly find it all around. Hawaii is certainly multicultural, just look at its geography but it isn't just those cultural groups that came in the 18th and 19th century that exist today. Today there are people from the North America, South America, Europe and Asia. More specifically I know and recognize many South African, Italian, French, Swiss, Germans, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indian, Thai, Caribbean, Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican, Irish people. Quite the contrast from the ethnic groups say a 100 years ago: Hawaiian, Portuguese, English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino.

All of these things and more allows me to love, admire and respect this 'aina' or land and its people. I'm so proud to call Maui home.

I'm still here

I cannot believe it's been practically three months since I've last written. I had previously mentioned that I was going to Europe on business. I was involved with a fashion show during Paris Fashion Week and then went to London for an exhibition. The weather in both cities was wonderful and it was all a great learning experience. I met some amazing people, got to see some friends, explore Paris a little and enjoy Europe overall.

However, on the my last full day in London I was awoken by a phone call from a friend telling me that there had a been an earthquake in Japan. I turned on the t.v. and called my loved ones. No one I knew was directly affected but the images on the t.v. didn't seem real. It was so shocking to see and it was a mix of feelings for wishing I was there to be with my loved ones and not wanting to return right away to see how things would be.

After returning to Paris my colleagues and I had to see if our flights would fly back to Tokyo. The first group of colleagues were delayed but the rest of us were fine. When I arrived in Tokyo on March 13th many of the trains weren't running so I was given a ride home. From then on it was almost non-stop with watching the news. My company and other companies had taken a couple days off to read the situation. At this point I had decided it would be safer to return for a short time to Kobe and see friends. I was definately still concerned but it was a relief to be farther south and not have to feel like I need to wear a mask- something that was a must in Tokyo for me.

I returned to Tokyo and continued working but the situation with the nuclear plant didn't seem to be improving at all I was busy trying to make my own opinion between the Japanese media downplaying the presence and the affect of radiation and foreign media which was more realistic and sometimes exaggerated at times. Anyway, after much thought and deliberation I decided that the best thing for me and my health was to move out of Tokyo.

So...I moved my things into a storage unit in Kobe and stayed there for a week or so before coming here to Hawaii. I had already planned to come for vacation in early May so I decided I'll just come, be at home and just see how things turn out.

There are some aspects of being away from a metropolitan city and many friends that I miss but it's been two years since I've been home and Hawaii is just so beautiful. I feel so fortunate to be here and to have had such a wonderful upbringing here.

I'll try my best to keep up with this blog. I'll have more time to dedicate to writing amongst other things so keep reading:)

Hope you're all happy and healthy.

Life in Tokyo After 3/11

After the devastating events of March 11, 2011 I was faced with decisions that were difficult and of course unexpected.

After returning from my business trip in europe I found my self very apprehensive and unsure about going outdoors and the general state of well-being in Tokyo and Japan. The Fukushima nuclear plant was melting down and tons of radiation and other toxic chemicals were affecting the air, water and land. Shortly after my return it was discovered that the water in Tokyo was contaminated with radiation. I had to order or have friends ship me bottled water because there was absolutely no bottled water to be found in the stores. The bottled water supply had been diverted to Northern Japan for the survivors. Except for bathing and washing dishes, everything I needed water for was from bottled water. Making coffee, tea, miso soup, rice etc... Everything required water. It really showed just how much we rely on water and/or take for granted.

Additionally grocery shopping became a more arduous task because it took far more time to sort through vegetables, fruits, dairy products etc... to determine what was safe. Many products were from the local region which was too close from the nuclear plant so I tried to purchase those from places farther West. But how far was enough? That was always the question. Because the food situation was so dramatically affected by the radiation I started to make my own lunches before work in the morning. I chose to do this because otherwise I would have no way of knowing or being sure what was in the food at restaurants and where it was coming from.

As a woman I felt more responsible to really be safe. Though I have no plans for the near future I would eventually like to have children so the radiation would affect my fertility. Such responsibility requires more research and knowledge about our bodies and how they excrete toxins. I chose to eat a more Japanese diet of brown rice, miso soup, kelp, seaweed, pickled vegetables and such. Fish and seafood was difficult because of the sea water contaminated by the radioactive waste, but when I could I would buy mackerel and other cold water fish from farther areas of Japan. In my research I had found that these enzyme and mineral rich foods were naturally detoxifying. While water was limited I tried to drink as much as I could. Furthermore I looked into other, heavier types of detoxing and came across zeolite. Zeolite is a unique, negatively-charged rock mineral that has a porous cage-like structure which easily absorbs positively-charged heavy metals and toxins.

After trying several zeolite products and doing intensive research, I found out that Japanese manufactured zeolite products are not sold as zeolite supplement. Instead they can only be sold as a drink containing small amounts of zeolite (as a food additive) in which the amount of zeolite is regulated. I later found high potency zeolite products manufactured abroad that can be ordered in Japan online at LiquidZeolite.jp

I liked the liquid zeolite product because it was easily portable and simple to add to water and drink. And I liked the zeolite tablets containing iodine which is said to be necessary for preventing radiation poisoning. I used the powered zeolite for soaking and washing vegetables and baking.


These seemingly small, everyday decisions had a big impact and eventually I decided to leave Tokyo for good. Yes, Western japan was safer but I needed mental and emotional clarity so I decided to come back home to Hawaii. I still try to adhere to the detoxifyng principles that I learned through my experience. Though I'm not as intense about them nowadays as I was. Hawaii is clean and beautiful but not even this island in the Pacific can escape the constant damages to our environment. The car exhaust, pesticides, chem trails and many other toxins exist and destroy our air, water and soil. we must be careful to take care of our bodies so we can reach our best potential physically, mentally and emotionally.

Neglection

I'm failing miserably at keeping up, let alone writing in this blog. Since my move to Tokyo more than two weeks ago I haven't had the time to take pictures of my explorations and adventures as I've been adjusting to such as the new work hours (not really long but probably like many others) rush hour and having only a precious amount of time between making dinner and going to bed.

I'm not finally able to write as I needed to wake up really early this morning. It's raining outside and probably back down to cooler weather after a weekend of relatively beautiful weather. Yesterday was simply perfect with a walk though the Meiji Shrine and lunch in Shibuya.

I'm afraid will neglect this blog further as I leave for a business trip on Wednesday for 12 days. Will be off to Europe (where specifically I'll have to share later). Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to take pictures and update this when I get back-possibly even while I'm abroad.

Another month is almost done. I've celebrated a birthday and time is going by rapidly. I guess it's the big city life.

Hope everyone is enjoying life. Make sure to enjoy the free time you have because I've come to realize how precious it is :)

Happy February!

Sorry I've been out of touch. I'm back in Kobe to get things organized and packed so that I can move to Tokyo. I've gotten a new job and will start on Valentine's Day. I'm very excited for a new start and all the new possibilities. Kobe seemed so small and delicate when I arrived two nights ago by plane. It's hard to compare the two but Tokyo has such a variety of places and people so you can never seem to become bored if you're people watching.

I know I said I'd take pictures but unfortunately none on my own camera and none of Tokyo itself so I'll try to do that as soon as I get settled and start to explore.

There's still a lot I have to sort here in Kobe so I don't the exact day that I'll be leaving Kobe for Tokyo but I'm enjoying Kobe for now.

The zodiac of Aquarius has already begun and Chinese New Year has also started. February carries both fun and not so fun memories for me. My birthday is this month. In Hawaii February was also a season of lots of rainfall. So when I was younger I never knew if the day of my birthday party would be sunny or rainy. Also, I was never too fond of Valentine's day after elementary school so the fact that it was near my birthday was sort of a bummer. As I became older it seemed so tacky and superficial with couples exchanging gifts of cheap chocolates and gifts or flower that would deteriorate. I would still make the effort give out those little Valentine's Day cards to close friends.

Valentine's Day is even more tacky here. On Valentine's Day girls give guys gifts, oftentimes handmade chocolates and then a month later on March 14th guys will return the gift on what is called 'White Day'. Much life Christmas it all seems too glorified, leaving out those who aren't part of a couple etc... I wish it would be like the days in elementary school when every classmate was given a card and also gave cards. Love isn't meant categorized and placed into chocolate molds and teddy bears. It's meant to be shared with everyone so that it can keep on giving.

Enough of my opinions. I can't believe January went by as quickly as it did. Things will gradually change in my life but I'm ready as I'll ever be.

Hope you all have a great week! Much love <3