2010-08-04 Our Baby "Tifa"

Today I went to another prenatal check-up. I'm in 20 weeks of pregnancy and Tifa is 20 weeks and 5 days old! In the screen, I could see her sucking her fingers and waving her hands.. She looked so content.. She is still bony and all, but I was surprised that she looks so much like her father Zach...!!! I felt myself welling up.. being so happy with her being healthy and being our daughter!!!

2010-08-02 I spotted a Gaijin...

Spot a Gaijin! (photo taken by Yusuke)

Last Thursday, Zach went to Izu with his co-workers and stayed at a Japanese-style inn for the night. Last night he showed me pictures taken by one of his co-workers, Yusuke. And I spotted a Gaijin right away... as he is the only one who was wearing Yukata (a casual summer kimono) with the left front robe under the right front robe, which is done only for corpses...

2010-08-01 Exploring the campus at Tokyo University

After lunch, we went exploring the campus at Tokyo University.

Zach and I have been watching the drama "ドラゴン桜 (Dragon Zakura)" in which an ex-motorcycle gangster and now a lawyer, Mr. Sakuragi, tries to boost his career by making students at a notorious high school enter Tokyo University. As Zach had never been to or seen Tokyo University and it wasn't far from the French restaurant, we decided to go exploring the campus together.

It was a huge campus with lots of greens... and lots of mosquitoes!!! We all got eaten alive...

Passing by the agriculture department buildings

Random objects

A tunnel through the buildings

A student? A professor? Or a... Gaijin?

Ricky (name: Rikimaru) and his father, Nobu-san, with great smiles

Group Photo

Black against the Red Gate

In the mosquito paradise

2010-08-01 The surprise party for my birthday

My friends threw me a surprise birthday party at a French restaurant "Tanger".

A few days ago, we had a conversation like:

- "Let's go have lunch this Sunday."

- "Sure! Should we make a reservation?"

- "No, it's good."

- "Could you send me URL of the restaurant?"

- "Well, it's a surprise!"

- "... OK."

Somehow, I did not expect it to be a surprise party & lunch with our friends. So when we walked in the restaurant, went upstairs, and saw my friends there, I was.... "What?! What?! Why?!" It took me a while to figure out that they were there to celebrate my birthday for me! It was.. such a sweet surprise and they made me soooo happy.

Kanpai with beer, ginger ale, sangria, apple juice and orange juice!

Thanks, everyone, for being there for me! Thanks, Eiko, for the photos!

You guys really made my day!!!