Kelly Azuma

I’ve been quite sick the last week and on the weekend but I’m not going into it too much other to say than I have really been going through some tough times with my health and on saturday night I thought it might have been the end of me.

I’m now much better than I was though, thanks to Yasu’s care and support. He has been up at night with me when waste was coming from both orifices, helped me clean myself up at times when I looked and felt like hell and we have both emerged at the end of it. I don’t even have my indigestion any more, (touch wood), my body seems to have balanced itself out, I don’t have issues with eating meat or anything, and feeling totally fine once again. Thanks Yasu for being such a nice husband.

In spite of all that was going on over the weekend we had pre-planned a lunch at our house with another couple the week before, and I didn’t feel like cancelling it, and surprise surprise my body actually behaved itself while we had company. (After is another story though!)

We had a Japanese-Czech couple over for lunch, the wife is Japanese and the husband is Czech. They decided to live here as it’s a neutral place for both of them. They are both studying and working, quite hard to do, but their positivity about it all shines through. Neither of them speak each other’s language so they only converse in English – a second language for both of them.

It was a pleasure to have them over and we talked and ate a lot of yummy food. Time flew, and they ended up staying to watch the Sumo review on TV, which was the husband’s first time ever to see Sumo and we were all remarking how the European Sumo wrestlers have such hairy chests… haha :)

Tonight is my last Tarot class..I’m looking forward to it but sad it’s going to end. Though I do intend to do the 2nd and 3rd levels when I get the money. I’m doing her herbal workshop this weekend, so looking forward to that. :)

I’ll leave you with last night’s dessert. Was yum :) (food again…can’t help myself!)

Yesterday, when I gave Tarot readings to our friends, Yasu did the simultaneous translating and he was really really good! It made me realise that he could do it for a job if he wanted to. And I was really wishing I was at his level… :)

I’m really proud of him, and I told him that. At the moment he said he’s happy with his current career but I guess if work ever dried up there is another avenue he could be successful at. :)

Recently another supervisor at his work asked him to translate some Japanese papers for him – he was trying to buy a car from Japan by himself. Anyway, Yasu brought the papers home and I had a go at translating them to English. I was proud to say I didn’t do too badly. There was a few kanji’s I didn’t know, but in the end, together, we got it completed. It really sparked an interest in me. It was something I had always wanted to do, I went to university so I could become an interpreter, but actually the translating is more my thing.

I’ve kept up my reading/writing/listening in Japanese pretty much since I went to university. It’s not something that is hard for me as I’ve always had a very big interest in the language and culture. My only sore point is that I don’t get nearly enough speaking practice as Yasu feels weird speaking Japanese to people who are not Japanese, so we always speak in English.

I’ve decided to start studying Japanese again, and maybe get accredited for translating. I also want to study Japanese again because I want to incorporate Kanji into various art and craft projects that I am working on. I see Japanese as a gateway to creativity, kanji really inspires me, the way it is written the amount of kanji that makes up one whole kanji, and the meanings when different kanji come together is similar to that of a card reading.

Anyway… yesterday ignited my previous thoughts of getting back to Japanese. Funny how things seem to happen to kind of remind you or push you into action. So I’ve just dug out my university textbooks for some review.

Today was stinking hot again. Read more

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day for catching up with friends.

Firstly Yasu and I went into Perth city to meet a friend that I studied Japanese with in 1999. We mainly use Facebook to keep in contact but because my friend is also friends with Yasu he wanted to meet up in person.

We had a nice time and chatted about quite a few interesting subjects like theology and Japanese taxes.

Afterwards we went to Jo’s boy’s birthday party at The Beach House Fun Centre in Osbourne Park. It was his 4th birthday. I had also organise to catch up with a Japanese friend and her daughter at the fun centre, who we hadn’t seen for a year due to some miscommunication on my part.

It was really good to see her and we spent the next 3 hours gabbing while Yasu took off to play with her 9 year old daughter. haha. He’s such a big kid!! I guess because she’s Japanese he enjoys talking to her in Japanese rather than English.

We had a great time chatting and in that time Jo came over and we started talking about dancing which Yuka also seems interested in, so we made a time in the school holidays to go out salsa dancing at one of the clubs that have free lessons in the city. As school holidays are in easter it won’t be too far away.

At about 4:30 pm the party ended and Jo asked me if I wanted to meet them in Hillary’s boat harbour for fish n’ chips with them and her parents and I agreed. Yasu had somehow run off again to play and so Yuka and I went to find them and we stood around gabbing for another half an hour haha…reminiscing about ramen.

We finally left the fun centre at 5pm and went up to Hillary’s and had some fish n’ chips which was yummy, then we sat around talking, and Yasu ran off with the two boys to play on the grass for a while and then finally came home.

When we got back at 8pm I was so tired I changed into my pj’s (hello kitty of course) and fell into bed and slept until this morning. Phew!

Tonight Jo has assured me belly dancing is on, so in a few minutes I’ll be making dinner and getting ready.

I also start teaching english to migrants this wednesday at a local women’s medical centre, so that should be interesting and fun!

I was looking on the net at a website called J Shoppers that sells and sends Japanese products worldwide. While browsing this website i came upon quite a few products that i considered to be really wacky or way out. I’d like to share them with you.

1.   Juvenile Pink Cream – “6-day intensive care for problem areas like lips, armpits, busts and bikini lines. With arbutin, it is gentle on your skin.” However please note the two pictures on the bottom left-hand corner. Looks like nipples doesn’t it? Also the image on the packet is mainly of a breast. My idea of this product is that it’s pinking-up certain areas of your body. I may be wrong, but that’s what it looks like. This must give people the idea there is nothing that can’t be fixed with a bit of cream.

2.  Small Face Mate – “Sagging at the cheeks and jaw are a sign of the expression muscles weakening. These are muscles that are not usually moved, but by concentrating and exercising them they can be tightened for a sharp faceline. Strengthen your expression muscles using the force of the springs in this simple exercise device.” Need i say more? Look at the picture below. Would you use this thing?

3.  Organic Socks For Dogs – These come in a 4-pack, and are made from organic cotton. For when your dog gets a little old and finds it hard to walk around, they have non-slip bumps on the bottom for convenience. Most dogs i know would probably bite them off. Japanese dogs though….?

4.  Fancy Cut Rain Hood For Dogs – Yes, the absurdity. A rain hood for dogs. Surely they realise that the back of the dog is going to get wet? Nevermind the poor dogs ego when other dogs see him in this! Poor thing!

5.  3D Face Shape Supporter – Go to bed looking like yourself and wake up looking like someone else with this face shape supporter! The blurb says “While wearing, all of your facial skin is being lifted up, for the look of a different person with great skin and contours!” Oh yeah…it’s a pity you can’t choose who you want to look like though!

6.  Medicinal Virgin & Pink – Maybe this should go on a list entitled Weird Japanese Product Names. What is Japan’s obsession with the word pink? It seems to be everywhere. Everyone wants to be pink. I have no idea why the word virgin is used, maybe they think virgins have pure skin?

7.  Eye Enhancer – When cucumbers and tea bags fail to remove those bags under your eyes, why not try electricity? Just stick these eye enhancers on your bags and give them a few volts and ta-da! bags are gone! Or so they say. Maybe they will be burnt off.

8.  Calorie Off Breathing Device – When all else has failed to shift those extra fruit mince pies on your hips, don’t give up, try blowing into a long pink thing! Yes, just by doing what you do every day – breathing – you can lose calories! But beware, it might become a trade-off between your weight and your dignity! This should come with the tag “this is not a toy“.