It's only 4 days left unitl I leave the states! Aaaaaaah!! I went to AAA at Skokie to get an international driver's license. I don't think I am capable to drive a car in Japan because roads are really narrow and I have to drive oppsite side. But, my dad & my brother told me to get one, so I did.

I wasn't sure if I have a time to go to Public i in this weekend, so I stopped by there to see Heather & clothes! Since I won't be able to shop there for three months, I had to buy something. So, I bought a shirt which is cute. I just realized that I spend pretty good money there! I guess I shouldn't buy anymore stuff before I leave, but I must shop at Urban because I am getting 40% discount on everything starting today! I am giving my credit card to my dad once I get there, so I won't shop in Japan!! Well, I will shop, but I won't use his credit card! I will make money by myself and use my money to shop!!

I was trying to pack my stuff, but I have no idea where to begin. Three months are really long time, so I feel I want to take all my stuff with me, but of course, that's impossible thing to do. I cannot remember what I packed when I came here for the first time because I only had one suit case!! I started from one suit case of stuff and now I have full of craps sitting in my room. It's almost magical!!

Yesterday, I went to the downtown to shop at Urban on Rush st. I wanted to buy more, but I was kinda tired, so I really didn't shop alot (well, but I did spend $100 though). Since I am getting 40% off on everything, I got lots of clothes and I was happy. Priyada called in the afternoon and asked me if I wanted to do more shopping. So, I went to Evanston and shopped at Urban (again). I feel like I need to shop more at Urban because I haven't got anything for my friends nor family.... Ugh.

I started packing in this morning, but it seemed to be endless. I don't know what I am packing. I am just packing my clothes! I think I need to pack more clothes because I am staying in Japan for three months. I am kinda tired of packing, but I am kinda having fun with doing it. Because it's a good thing.

I was shopping (again) at Urban in Lincoln Park yesterday with Matt. I didn't buy anything for myself, just for my friends. Actually, I wanted to buy more clothes, but my suitcase is already full of clothes, so I didn't buy any! We were walking around and checked stores out around Lincoln Park/Lake View area, but I didn't buy anything! Yaaay!! In the evening, I went to Matt&Melissa's house to get drunk. Matt was passed out around mid-night because he was tired from all walking we did. So, Melissa and I went out for a drink. I wanted to get super drunk, but the bar was closing before I got drunk! Oh well, maybe next time!

I was packing all morning. I don't think I can do this. I think I am taking too many clothes, but I do need them because I am staying in Japan for three months!! I did give up taking some shoes though!!

Oi! I am finally back to Japan! Yes, I am in Japan! Yaaaaay!! Well, not really. I feel realy weird to be in Japan!!

My flights were pretty awful. My flight was delayed for two hours, and since I didn`t order special meals, I couldn`t eat anything for 13 hours! I just kept drinking water.... Poor me. Finally, after I got to Osaka, I needed to take trains to get to my city which was pretty annoying thing to do. It took three trains and three hours to get to my city from the Kansai Internation Airport! Damnit! I think this is the one of the reasons I don`t want to go back to Japan!!

Yesterday, I was hanging out with my friends. I hadn`t seen them for three years, so it was nice to see them. But, I found out that lots of my friends are married or getting married... No wonder I am getting old!!

My cat was still alive and sweet. But, she makes me sneeze!!

I went to my cosine’s wedding over the weekend. I hadn’t seen him for a long time, and I even didn’t remember his face! My mom was supposed to go there with my dad, but since my mom has been feeling kinda sick, I attended the wedding instead of her. It was kinda annoying to see all my relatives. Basically, I don’t like them. Everyone was asking me same kidna questions such as “when did you came back?” “How long are you gonna stay?” “What are you doing in the States?” etc etc… I was answering same questions again and again! But, the ceremony was pretty cool. We had to take a ship at 8:30 am in the morning to go to the shrine, but I think it was worth to do it because the shrine which they had a ceremony was one of the most famous shrine in Japan. It was really cool!

By the way, I got a job! Now I can make money! Yuuum!!

Mmmmm. I am tired. I am trying to get DSL, so I can do stuff in my room. But, it's taking longer than I thought. But but, getting 12Mb DSL would be super cool...

I started my job from this Tuesday. I got a job at Murasaki Sports. The store is basically selling surf board and skater stuff, but also it has lots of shoes and clothes too. Since I don't know anything about surfing, I work at clothing section and doing lots of stocking too!! I think this is not part time job anymore because I am working 53 hours a week!! I work from 9:30am to 8:30pm..... And, I even don't get employee discount! I am so proud of myself, and you should be proud of me too!!!

Yaaaaaay! I got DSL connection today! It's super cool! In Japan, Yahoo does broadband service too. I think U.S. Yahoo does that too, but Yahoo Japan's one is super fast and super cheap!! I got wireless 12MB DSL plan, and it's free for two months! Everything came with this two months free trial! I even don't have to sign a year contract or anything! I can terminate my service whenever I want. I think it's really cool. When I connected to the internet, Matt was also online and I could chat with him a little. I really miss Matt and Melissa and others in the States! Matt asked me if I can buy some Capcom games for him. Of course, he will get some capcom games from me when I get back there!!

My work is really taking all my time. I leave my house 9:00am in the morning and come back home around 9:00pm! I am super tired. I think I am working 52 hours a week... A good thing is my hourly rate isn't bad at all, so I can make lots of lots of looooots of extra money! Yaaaaay!!

Today, I was working at shoes section. Although it was Sunday today, not so many people come to the store. I only could sell three pair of shoes today.... Not good!! Since there weren't many customers to take care of, I was making an observation of Japanese people. I concluded that Japanese people are weird looking. Guys trim their eyebrown like girls, and lots of guys have semi-long hair like girls. They dye their hair and look like girl's hair. Although they look like a girl, some guys are trying to dress like black people. They wear over sized basketball shirts and pants. Of course, bling bling are hanging from their neck, but their bling-bling are just regular size skinny gold chain....UGH!! Also, I think oversized sunglasses are pretty popular in my city because lots of people wear them. However, because Japanese people have big head and face, oversized sunglasses are so awful on them. I just don't understand why people dress like that. I guess they just want to be somebody...

After I finished my work, I went to the used video game store because I wanted to buy some video games. Matt asked me to get some capcom games, so I looked for capcom games too. I ended up with buying Marvel vs Capcom 2 for Matt. I got Street Fighter Zero 3 and Stree Fighter 3 Third Strike and Xenosaga too. I bought four games, but I only paid $32!! Japan is so awesome to buy video games (old video games)!!

Ugh. I left my home at 9:00am and got home at 11:00pm.... It was really really long day. After we closed the store, we had to make a section to put sale stuff, and it took couple hours to finish up. I think I am tired.

I am tired like a mug! I think I have never worked this much before in my entire life. Yesterday, we had to work an hour extra after we closed the store because many boxes which contained full of t-shirts were arrived from other stores. The store I work is actually closing the store in the end of July because it isn't doing well. But, before the store is closed, we are doing huge closing out sale starting this Saturday. It is interesting that we don't mark down the stuff we are selling at the store right now. We are getting sale items from other stores which all over in Japan. Those items are a year or two years old clothes, surf boards, snowboards, watches, etc etc which have been over stocked. The things at the store right now will be shipped to other stores because they are this year's model, and I guess they are too new to be on sale. Because Murasaki Sports has more than 20 stores in Japan and every store is shipping their over stocked items to our store fucking everyday, we are getting huge amount of boxes every day. For every box, we have to check to see there is no missing item. Then, put tag, and if they are t-shirts, we have to fold. I think I was folding t-shirts all day today. I was talking to co-workers about we were folding t-shirts more than we fold t-shirts for our own t-shirts in our life time. I had to check a box which had 149 t-shirts and fold them by myself. It wasn't fun. I think I checked and fold more than 500 t-shirts yesterday. I also checked other things, but I don't remember cos they were too many and I was too tired!

We will have lots of people in the store tomorrow because closing out sale will be started from tomorrow! I feel like I was tagging all day with my handy labeling gun. All last year's accessories are 50% off, this years' are 30% off etc etc... I hope it won't be super crazy day tomorrow!

My god. Today was super crazy day! As soon as the store was opened, people came in like a mug and checked things out like a mug and bought lots of things like a mug!! We had a goal to reach 2,000,000 (about $18,000) yen for total sales today and we did it. I even went to the street and giving ads to people which wasn't fun at all!! I think I said "Welcome to the store" and "Thanks" for million times today.... We only could take 45 minutes lunch break because the store was too busy to take full hour lunch break. When I talked to the guy who was from Australia, he looked at me and seemed to be surprised because I think I talked to him in English. He told me that he was looking for swim suit for his girlfriend. But he spoke to me super slowly at first cos I think he thought I wouldn't be able to understand if he spoke English too fast. However, because he spoke English really slow, I thought he couldn't speak English! We got in a little bit talking and he said "Hey, your English is pretty good." I replied that "Hey, I live in Chicago." It was nice to speak English because I haven't spoken English for couple weeks. I do miss speaking English!! By the way, tomorrow will be busier than today....

Today was busier than yesterday at the store. I just kept folding the t-shirts all day today. It wasn't fun. It wasn't fun at all. People grabbed t-shirts and looked at one second, and then they just take t-shirts back to the shelves. So, I had to fold them over and over for every 5 minutes. I think now I am pretty good at folding t-shirts......nice and fast! I think I have to organized all stocking items in the storage area tomorrow. Oh well.

It wasn't as busy as last couple days, but we did have lots of customers coming. I really don't like writing about my work every freaking day, but because that's what I do all day since I got this job, so I guess I have no choice!! I was pissed off during I was taking care of customers who weren't Japanese. I think they were Pilipino or something like that, but they were pretty big party (about 10 ~ 15 people) and super loud. They kinda monopolized shoes section and they didn't leave even after they bought shoes. So, I told them to leave the store in English cos they did understand English. But, after they left, one guy came back to the store and asked me what I told them. Actually, this guy was Japanese and didn't understand what I said to them (I thought that was kinda pathetic..) because he doesn't speak English. I wondered how he communicates with them cos they don't speak Japanese! Anyway, he was basically telling me that I should tell them to leave because they were customers. Of course, they were customers and I had no problem with the fact they were not Japanese and kinda loud. But, I saw other customers couldn't get in the store because of them. So, that's why I asked them to leave. He was still mad after I really politely explained what I said and why. I had to talk to him about 10 minutes!! Ugh!! I was pissed off more about the fact that no other employees didn't help me out when I was talking to this guy. Oh well. After this guy left, I talked to the manger about this and he just said "oh, just leave those customers from the next time." I didn't understand it, so I told him "But, how about other customers? They couldn't get in the store." He didn't really answer my question to this, so I kinda figured why this store is closing. Anyway, that was my day!!

Yapppy! I have Thursday and Friday off in this week! I am pretty happy right now because I have two days off, bought two pair of shoes yesterday, and I am holding another pair of shoes at the store! I like shopping.

It is funny that every time I talk to English speakers, they are always suprised and say to me "Your English is pretty good!" Well, I have lived in the States for almost seven years and this past three years, I mostly spoke English, so I hope my English is pretty good!! I still cannot say "wood", but that's okay. I can live without saying wood!!

I had pretty good two days off. I went to the store yesterday to buy shoes and sweater which I was holding. I ended up with couple t-shirts and shirts for my mom and dad. I think I did good thing!! I was gonna go to Hiroshima city today, but I didn't go because the weather wasn't really good, and my grandma died today (I think). My mom and my dad are leaving tomorrow morning to see my dead grandma and help getting prepared for the funeral. I am going to the funeral on Sunday with my brother. I am not sad at all about her death because I only met her several times, but I guess my dad might be sad. I think the last time I met my grandma was 15 years ago. I kinda worry about my work because I cannot work on Sunday which happen to be the busiest day in the week. Oh well. By the way, in Japan, there are pre-funeral before the funeral. And 49 days after, there is another ceremony because we believe that the spirit stay 49 days and after that, it will go to the heaven or reincarnate or whatever. I really don't want to go to the funeral because there will be entire Yoshida people whom I definitely haven't missed. Anyway, I will just keep trying to pronounce "aluminum" during the funeral!!

It was a crazy day today. I was working on the storage room to organized the boxes we have received past couple days. I think before I had two days off, the storage room was pretty clean because I organized everything. But, today when I saw the room, I was sooo sad because there were lots boxes all over the room! And, we received about 50 more boxes from other stores today! Because the store was busy today, I was working in the storage room all alone all day!! I was stressed out, but I did clean up the mess from this past couple days, and I was ready to open new boxes. I wasn't gonna help customers today, but I saw the Canadian guy whom I talked to about a week ago. I kinda liked him cos he was nice, so we talked for a while. When I was talking to him, my friend came to the store. I wanted to talk to more with this Canadian guy, but I switched to my friend because I respect friendship!! Then, after they left the store, I went back to the storage room and worked on new boxes. I felt I worked the most among other co-workers!!

I bought new Radiohead album today! Yaaaaaay!! The album was released in Japan first for some reasons. I was gonna US imported version because it's cheaper than Japanese released one. But, I couldn't wait! So, I bought it. I think album is pretty good. If you like Kid A, you should buy this one too!!