I like tofu. There are so many yummy tofu in Japan. I eat tofu everyday because I am doing tofu diet. I am getting fat, but tofu is helping me to be in shape again!

I think I am gonna get hair cut.

I change my flight schedule in this morning. I called up NW and changed July 28th to Aug 6th cos I don't want to quit my job before the store is closing. I haven't got my student visa yet, but I think I am getting it within next couple weeks. It was kinda sux that I had to pay $150 to just change my reservation. Oh well, two days work for me!

I am trying to lose some weight right now because I feel I am so getting fat. I cut down all junk foods I usually eat during the break at work and eating white rice for dinner... I am so trying.

I am really glad I have Friday and Saturday off because I have been doing something even in my day off. So, I think I am not going to do anything tomorrow cos I wanna rest!! I am going to Hiroshima city to get a hair cut on Saturday. I can get hair cut here, but my friend who is hair stylist works at Hiroshima city, so I am going there for her! I am such a nice friend!

I was reading the news about gay marriage. I didn't like Bush's attitude like "oh, I am not saying anything about it before my election day." But, I don't really care that if gay couple can get married or not. It would be nicer if we can get married, but I think marriage is just one of the ways to say "we love each other." Of course, I do like to have a right to get married with someone I love, but I think if I love someone and can live together, I would be happy without getting married. I don't know if "getting married" is having meaning anymore cos the divorce rate is pretty high in these days. But, but again, I am not against with gay marriage. I do like to get married someone I love, but I am saying it is not necessary for me to legally get married cos living with someone I really love in my rest of life is more important for me than signing the legal paper.

I was listening "Punk Goes Pop" earlier. I think "I'm real" in punk version is pretty good!

Today (yesterday..) was Sunday. Lots of customers came to the store. I had two days off, but I wasn't able to relax at all because I went out both Friday and Saturday night. I went to Hiroshima city to get a hair cut (about 60 miles from the city I am staying right now). My appointment was from 6pm, but my friend (she is hair stylist. That's why I went to Hiroshima city to get a fucking hair cut!) emailed me to change to 7pm cos the store was busy. I got to Hiroshima city about 5pm, but as soon as I go there, I regretted that I should come there earlier because there was huge sale going on at every store!! Of course, I did go to Beams and Ships which are my favorite select shops in Japan. But, because of so many people in the both stores, I really couldn't look at clothes they have. But but, I did buy some clothes at Beams. I wanted to do more shopping, but I had to go to hair salon where my friend works at, so I went there to get a hair cut. I hadn't seen her for three years, so it was really nice to see her. She is one of friends I knew from the high school. I think I like her the most among my high school friends because she is really bold person. We went out to get a dinner after she finished taking care of my hair. We had lots things to catch up, but I wish I had more time cos I had to finish up talking to her to catch the bus!

Today, after the work, I went to Korean barbeque restaurant with Mr. Nomura (Nomu) and Mr. Fujikami (Fuji). It was supposed to be five or six people coming, but it ended up with three of us to go to the restaurant together. Actually, I had a really good time with them because they are my favorite guys at work. We talked like a mug until the restaurant was closed! After that, Fuji had to go back, so Nomu and I went to Karaoke!! So Japanese!! I am pretty sure I am gonna miss these two guys after I go back to the states!

There weren't many customers in the store today. I was really really bored, so trying to find something to do. I did couple things, but I was still bored, so I was signing along with radio. But, I was bored, so I was thinking about what I am gonna do in this weekend. Of course, I was still bored, so I stopped thinking!

It was super steamy and hot day! I was already tired in the morning at the store and thinking "Maaaaaan!! I'm not gonna survive today!" But, of course, I did survive. There weren't lots of customers, so I was cleaning up the stock room. Because it was so hot, I was having short breath, dizziness, and my body was just dried out! I thought I was having heat stroke or something. I just hate the store is fucking hot! Good thing is I am having two days off!

My day off! Yaaaaay! Well, most of the day, I was sleeping like a mug! I played Mother1+2 (still playing 1), but my party just died out, so stopped playing. My mom told me that today is her birthday. I totally forgot, well, I did not know my own mother's birthday! Yes, I am a horrible horrible person! I did feel bad to do nothing for her, so I got flowers for her. I wanted to buy something else, but I didn't have money.... My mom seemed to be very happy with flowers. I wish I knew my mom's birthday, so I could bake cake or something!

My Japanese friends have been asking me to make this site in Japanese. Because typing Japanese taking too much time, I don't think I am gonna make my site in Japanese. Maybe some part, but not daily log for sure!! I just made guest book for my Japanese friends, so if you are Japanese and want to sign my guest book, go to my guest book!!

I went to Uniqlo today. Uniqlo is Japanese version of Gap. It has really really cheap clothes and other stuff. But, it wasn't like Gap style unitl recent years. I used to shop there when I was in junior high because I didn't have money! Uniqlo used to be very not cool, selling junior high kinda clothes. However, past several years, Uniqlo has been changed and became one of the biggest retail stores in Japan. I went there to buy something for my friends because if I don't bring back anything from Japan, they would be pissed! Well, maybe not. But, Andrew has been asking me to buy "Gi" for him. I will try to find Karate-gi or Judo-gi, but not sure if I can find black one. Mmmmm. Anyway, I bought couple things for Melissa, Priyada, and Matt. I hope they will like what I got!!

It's finally here!! I got new student visa today! Yaaaaaaaaay!! I had been so nervous about when I would get it. Now, I can go back to the states! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!! I am so happy!

Today, I got about $80 from the store manager because our store did very well last month. Well, the store is closing, and I am a new guy, but I still got money. No complain!

Today was pretty good day for me!!

I think I am a bilingual because I am kinda able to speak both English and Japanese. So, I am always the one to talk to foreigners at the store. I would never think there are actually foreign customers coming to the store because Fukuyama city is kinda small town. I don't mind to help foreign customers cos I am the only guy who can speak English at the store. But, I do mind to help foreigners who cannot speak English. I always speak to any foreign customers in Japanese first because if they can speak Japanese, it's weird to speak to them in English! This is Japan man!! Speak Japanese!! But, most of people don't speak Japanese well, so I ask people who cannot speak Japanese well "Do you speak English?" Most of them can speak English, but sometimes, there are people who only speak some language I don't know. Sooooo, when I have to help them, I get confused because English is the only language I can speak other than Japanese. I always wonder how they live in Japan if they don't speak both Japanese and English!

I have three weeks left until going back to Chicago (my parents get mad when I say to them "I am going back to Chicago!" because they think I am going to Chicago, not going back...well....), but I will have very little time for myself because I have to work like a mug in the next three weeks. I told the manager about when I am going back and I can only work until Aug 4th. The store is closing on July 31st, but we have to transfer all stuff to other stores, so it will take couple days to finish up. I hope it won't take more than three days, so I can have more time to spend time with my family and friends. I could quit ealier, but I really want to stay until all work is done at the store. I just wish everything will be sold out, so we don't have to do anything after the store is closed!

I am tired. I AM TIRED!! After the store was closed, we changed the layout of the store. The store is getting smaller and smaller (we closed out some space), so it looks like we still have full of stuff in the store. Oh, by the way, I bought a pair of shoes.....again.

There is a guy who comes to the store every signle day. He looks like a business man because he wears tie and shirts. I have no idea where his jacket is though! Anyway, he comes to the store every day, and checks everything in the store. After the closing out sales began, we have changed prices every week, so people keep coming. Since he comes every day, he knows which stuff are just marked down, so he buys these stuff. Today, he came to the store twice and bought t-shirts and jeans whose prices were just marked down yesterday evening, just before the store was closed. I just admire his spirit cos I don't think I can come to the same store every day.

I have day off tomorrow. Yaaaay!!

I am seriously getting fat. My weight hasn't been changed, but I can see that I am losing muscle and getting fat! I could join in the gym here, but it would cost me more than $300 for couple months!! I am paying my gym membership (chicago one) while I am in Japan, so I kinda don't want to pay double memberships!!!! I am doing some training in my room, but of course, I don't have bench press machine, so I cannot really do training!! I could run outside, but since we are in the middle of raining season, it's not possible!!!!! I just cannot wait to go back to Chicago and start working out again!

I am tired like a mug! In this week, Monday is a holiday in Japan. So, people are having three days off over the weekend. That means, more people come in the store than usual. I am not going to have a day off until Thursday, so I have to work even though I don't want to!! I guess I am just going to go to the bed!

Last night, I had a dinner with my co-workers. I have tried to make them to go to the restaurant which is owned by the company my dad works for. We really couldn't find time to get together after the work, but we finally made it last night. We ordered tons of foods, but everything was pretty much gone within couple hours! It was fun night.

I saw redesigned 2advanced studio's website. I actually don't like their new designed at all. The site is called "Prophecy," but I have no idea what that is and why they had to make 3D model of the city of Tokyo to celebrate their new site. I just hate the designs which featured something about Japan without authenticity. The site uses some Japanese characters, but they don't mean anything, they are even not words. I can imagine people who designed this site must watch Japanese animation all the time and think Akira is the best anime ever and have some strange fascination about Japan. Also, I don't know about "fight for the feature" thing. I do think the site is using pretty high level flash animation (that is impressing). However, I think the designers just tried too hard to make cool looking site. The whole design theme ended up with pretty silly. I think they better study some Japanese before "fight for the feature"!!

I am finally having day off tomorrow!! Yaaaaaay!! Well, not really. Today wasn't that good day. Everything just pissed me off so much, and I wasn't functioning at all. I was gonna almost kick one of co-worker's butt (or maybe spit on his face..), but I didn't do it cos I am a grown up man. Also, I have been feeling not so well in the past couple days. I constantly feel dizziness all day long. I almost fainted when I was working in the stocking room in this afternoon. I think that's because I haven't had enough sleep since I came back to Japan. I guess I am so vulnerable to everything about Japan!!

I have two weeks left to enjoy this fabulous country. Yaaaaaay!! I just cannot wait to go back to Chicago and go to grad school. According to Matt's blog, he got a parking ticket!! Nooooooooo!! Poor my gummpy. Wait, poor me cos it will be on my record!! Thanks Matt. No capcom for you!

Today, I bought PS2 game called "roommania #203." The game was originally released on Dreamcast, but now it's on PS2. I wanted to buy this game when it came out (of course, DC version), but I didn't have a chance to buy it, so I waited for three years to buy this game! This game is pretty weird. You are god who is watching the boy named "Taihei Neji." Mr. Neji is a college student and spends boring college life. Since you are living with this guy, you can interfere his life a little bit. Well, you can mess up his life a little bit. For example, you can move the desk while he is gone, and when he comes back, he gets really surprised by the desk. Actually, there is not much you can do with him, so basically, you just watch him. The object of this game is to make his life more exciting. Well, I don't know if I can make his life exciting to just move desk. I think this game is extremely geeky game, so that's why I love this game. I also bought PS2 game called "Grandia Xtream." I loved the original Grandia on Sega Saturn. Xtream is third instrument of Grandia series. I just played a little bit, but I am not sure if I like this game or not. I just hope it gets better as I continue playing!!

I have been super busy in the past couple days. Because the store is closing tomorrow, we had to change price, layout of the store, etc etc... And, there is a week left until I go back to Chicago, so I have been going out with my friends every night. I think I am gonna miss this. I am gonna miss my friends, my new friends from work. I was able to make good friends at work which I didn't expect to happen at all. I hope I can keep in touch with them after I am gone!!

I went to my friend's house today to see his daughter. I have known him since high school, but I had never met his daughter cos I live in the states!! His daughter was really cute and sweet. She is still 2 years old, but super active! I brough toy for her, and she seemed to like it! It did make me want to have a kid!