Big Bang is back and lookin' good... *Rar

Before I blurb about my love Taeyangie and his crew, I would like to share an experience that I went through toniiiight toniiiight toniiight toniiight.

WARNING: This blurb may be a little TMI, but it needs to be shared.

Everyone has taken sex education some time in their life right? I recall taking a class sometime during middle school? Was it 7th grade? Does anyone remember that puberty awareness presentation during elementary school? Did they have that during 4th or 5th grade? I remember when you walked through that door, sat down in that chair...

Anyways. The reason I brought up this topic is because every big girl and big boy is aware of what females go through once a month. Right? So, it's that time where I have to replenish the goods. I have never felt SO embarrassed in my entire life. Who thought that buying these goods in Japan would be so awkward? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. So, while I took my time figuring out what the hell each package was offering me, I didn't realize that time was up for me. The store wanted me to get to it. 20 cm? 30 cm? Which one had wings?! And are tampons frowned upon? There was such a big selection of sanitary pads and not even a shelf of tampons. I thought to myself, if I bought tampons would the Japanese clerk look at me strangely?

Well, finally, I just grabbed whatever looked similar to what I get back at home. And I was crossing my fingers and hoping a female clerk would ring me up. With my luck, homeboy opened up a register for me. Usually, I am happy when that happens but not tonight. I couldn't even look the guy in the eyes. I just bobbed my head to Big Bang's "Tonight" and just paid and left. I tried to play it cool. Then, I noticed that I got black bagged. I mean. Why? Normally Fit Care Depot gives me their clear, transparent bag with Fit Care Depot in green on it. This time, I got an opaque, black bag with ZERO writing on it (SHADY!), which is starting to look gray to me right now. Ain't no shame in female goods! Right? I'm fine. Thank you and you.

Why was I so embarrassed? It was the same embarrassing feeling that I felt when I bought pads for the first time in my life. Or it's like that feeling you get when you finally notice that stain on your ass after walking around in public the whole day obliviously strutting your stuff and thinking you look cute in that outfit. Is it because I'm in a foreign country? Is it because it's not Wal-mart or Target where I usually buy other daily necessities at the same time? But then sometimes I just run in and get just the goods. What is it? Is it because there is some sort of discrimination against female goods that it gets black bagged in Japan? I mean, WHAT IS IT? All I got to say is, I don't like it. Tell me what is right and what is wrong?

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And on a more positive note. Big Bang's 4th mini-album was released TODAY!!~ And who fell asleep listening to all five of their sexy voices? Me! And who was jamming to their songs while walking to and from work today? Me! And who loves Taeyang the most?? MEEEE!!~ Sarang! Hey B.I.G.B.A.N.G. Hey T.H.E.B.E.S.T!!

SEXY

And this past Sunday, I spent the best 2500 JPY of my life! I saw the Big Bang's Big Show 2010 3D concert movie!! I could not sleep the night before, and I woke up super early the next morning. It's that same feeling you get the day before the first day of school. I had my outfit picked out and everything. BIGBANGBIGBANGBIGBANG! During the movie concert, I reached out my hands up high, high and low toward the screen every time there was a close up of Taeyang. He always takes off his clothes oh so nicely and slowly during his performances... Dericious! I would so drop another 2500 JPY to watch it again but I might as well save that and cop me some tickets that are 8500 JPY! But the big deterrence to buying concert tickets for the Love & Pain concert in Chiba is that the songs would probably be in Japanese. And I love their Korean albums 83290472317439874 times better because well, my Taeyangie is Korean. Sigh. Decisions in life. This is when a sugar daddy would do some good. Somebody to love... Can you hear me? I want somebody to love.

My second experience of a movie concert in Japan was a lot better than the first movie concert. The first time I saw the K-Pop Dream Concert movie concert. Everyone was sitting there quietly. No dancing. No singing. No nothing! So, I came prepared this time. I brought my fellow fangirls to watch the Big Bang 3D concert. There was dancing. There was singing. There was a lot of giggling and screaming. I'm sure the Japanese people were thinking: "Gosh dern Amurricans!" Long hair don't care...

And if you didn't notice in my pictures that I am wearing a Big Bang t-shirt, notice it. I discovered these awesome Big Bang Big Show t-shirts at the UNIQLO in my hood. I had to refrain from going crazy and buying every design in every color. I really wanted to go to the UT UNIQLO shop in Harajuku because their display is probably amazing, but I didn't have the time or energy before the 3D movie concert to venture out to Harajuku after work. So, I settled with Center-Kita's Nothport department store. And I was super lucky! Not only did they had my size in the style and color I wanted but it was on SALE!

When I say somebody then you say to to love.

Somebody. to love. Somebody. to love.

I want somebody to love. Somebody to love.

Happy Valentine's Day! (>///<)~♡

Surprisingly, Valentine's Day wasn't so depressing. I think Christmas Eve was WAY worse. The Japanese are really out of whack when it comes to celebrating holidays. Christmas Eve is a couples holiday. It's like Valentine's Day in America, but WORSE~! And New Years is a time spent with the family, which makes sense to me since the Lunar New Year is a time with my family and friends (minus this year).

And now, Valentine's Day is the day where GIRLS give chocolates to BOYS. Once again, Japan has got it backwards. On this day, girls make chocolate candies and cakes for the boy they like. Like I would really make chocolates or cakes for a boy that I want to CONFESS to... Pish posh. I did want to get into the Japanese Valentine's Day spirit though, especially with the Meiji chokoreeto jingle that plays in the commercial. It seriously sent subliminal messages to me saying that I HAD TO make chocolates using Meiji chocolates. So, the first try was a little bit of a failure, but the second time was significantly better!

First Trial:

Second Trial:

My Valentines

I received my first box of chocolates from a little girl I teach. ♡

I had a scrumptious meal in Mitsukoshi department store located in Ginza. I went to the Korean restaurant that had great food and great music playing. And then I headed to Takashimaya for dessert! I ordered the black sesame parfait. It had black sesame ice cream, vanilla ice cream, mochi, chestnut, red bean, black sesame jelly, and a little cookie roll.

And to top the night off, I took my first purikura this lunar new year and karaoked. What more can a girl ask for? Well, SNOW!~ It's my first time experiencing snow like tonights. It snowed so much that it started sticking and collecting. Outside my window right now is a magical, snow-covered world.

Yokohama Chinatown: Chinese New Year Parade 2011

Last weekend on Sunday, February 6th, I ventured out to Yokohama Chinatown. I just had to get that Lunar New Year's feel. It's my first year not spending it at home, and I am still bummed about missing out on following the lions around Houston even though it's been over a week since New Year's day.

I was completely mopey at work on February 3rd and had my ehoumaki. I was completely stoked and set on heading out to Chinatown no matter what. I didn't care about going alone, even though New Years is meant to be spent with your family and friends. I didn't care about the weather, even though it was FREEZING cold. I didn't care about the crowd, even though there were rude foreigners saying SUMIMASEN rudely to the happy drunken old men celebrating the new year. You're on their turf, and yet you have the nerve to say in JAPANESE "excuse me" oh so rudely. I wanted to bitch the mother heifer out, but it is the new year and I did not want to ruin my mood more than he already did. GO BACK HOME!

The New Year's parade was so much fun to watch, once I found a good place to watch it from. I wanted to get a good view and good thing I stopped by the temple to pray. When the parade started, each group of performers stopped in front of the temple and bowed and continued on with the parade.

I knew I would miss family and the mua lan guys during this season, but I never knew it would be this much. The smell of incense and firecrackers have never felt so comforting in my life until the day of the parade in Chinatown. I didn't want to wash the smell out of my hair, but that's just nasty if I didn't. HAHA! This is what I miss most during this time of year.

The following day, I had a lunch date in Ginza. I felt so fancy. We ate an Italian restaurant because in Ginza, we don't eat Japanese food. Hahaha! I even had afternoon tea. Fancy. What I liked most about Ginza is the architecture. They're so amazing. There was a time in Japan called the Bubble Economy. When I first heard the term, I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I love bubbles. I think they're magical... until they POP. Several building were built so artistically. The best one was the Hermes building. It's made of glass tiles. Another thing I found in Ginza was QUESTINA!!~ It's one of the Hello Kitty shops I found on the internet that I have been looking for. They have a floral area. YES! HELLO KITTY FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS!~ I want one for my birthday.

Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit/Cat

Chuc mung nam moi!! Happy Lunar New Year!!

I'm going to blurb about the usual celebration and customs I do during the Lunar New Year that I am depressed about missing out on this year. I'm sad that I could not go to Chua Linh Son for tet this year for new year's eve. I'm sad I didn't get to eat banh trung. I'm sad that I did not get to eat yummy food that mother and father makes to pray to Buddha and our deceased family. LOVE! And I'm sad about missing out on the gambling playing Bo Cua and black jack! And I'm deeply sad about missing out on lion dancing with the Son Long guys this year. I love you guys!~ Especially my baby!

Not very many people in the world are aware of the different cultures and customs that exist in this world. I'm not going to lie. I'm one of those people who are not aware of certain countries' culture and customs. But still. I always felt as if no one cared that Vietnamese and Koreans celebrate "Chinese" New Years. (I just wikipedia-ed and Mongolians and Tibetans celebrate the same new years.) Although the customs and traditions are similar, we're not all Chinese celebrating this holiday. It's a holiday that follows the lunar calender, thus, the Lunar New Year. I mean the way we celebrate is no different. There's lion dancing and red envelopes are given. I'm not sure about in Korea, Mongolia and Tibet, but in Vietnam we do similar things. But in Vietnam it's the year of the cat this 2011. And in China it's the rabbit. As well as Japan actually. I'm confused. All I know is that it's MY year. The big 24 this year. Whether I am a cat or a rabbit, I do not care which is accurate because I absolutely love BOTH!

So, it was a major slap in the face how Japan isn't aware of the Lunar New Year, but they do have ceremony they do today, which is Setsubun (節分). I mean, Japan isn't that far from China, Korea, or Vietnam! How can they not celebrate or know the Lunar New Year? Okay... maybe Vietnam... Anyways! No one really knew what Lunar New Year was, and no one really knew what Chinese New year was. Thank goodness I live in the city with the largest Chinatown in Japan. I wanted to skip work today to attend the festivities, but I will save my energy for Sunday for the parade.

So, let's go back to Setsubun. It's a holiday that is actually linked to the lunar calendar. So, maybe the Japanese celebrates the Lunar New Year in a certain way, but not actually calling it the new year since they celebrate new years January 1-3. It's a three-day celebration just like the Lunar New Year, but it's celebrated on January 1st according to the Gregorian calendar. Setsubun is on February 3rd and coincidentally landed on the Lunar New Year's day. There are a few customs that were traditionally followed through, but nowadays, it's not really the thing to do. Fuku Mame (fortune beans) are thrown out the door or at someone wearing a demon mask. I did not do this. People also eat roasted soybeans. You're supposed to eat the same number of soybeans as your age plus one to bring luck for the upcoming year. I did not do this. You can also go to shinto shrines for the celebrations, but if I had time to do that today, I would have gone to Chinatown and watched the lion dancing.

However, I did do one thing. I ate uncut ehoumaki (恵方巻), which is the "lucky direction roll." It's customary to eat uncut ehoumaki in silence while facing the lucky direction. This year's lucky direction is toward the south-south-east. This is determined by the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the year of the rabbit, which is MY YEAR! When looking at the compass of Chinese Zodiacs, the rabbit is at the south-south-east section of the circle. I was told by my students to eat it in silence and make a wish for the year. And did I do it? YES I DID!

This is what I was staring at in silence while stuffing my face.