I have spent a month relaxing at home.  I feel more healthy now and motivated to start new things again.

I spent a few weeks to look for a new work, and finally got hired

Now I am working at the Service Center of one of the biggest JPN Camera companies in Sapporo.

People bring cameras, printers, fax, scanners...etc to fix.

I will be mostly at the front desk when the customers come, and also picking up the telephones for the technical related matters.

I have started working there on this Monday, and now I am getting trained about the knowledge of Cameras and Printers.

It's been interesting so far.  It interests me to learn about the Camera...especially the single-lens reflex camera.

They told me I can borrow those expensive camera and use at home during the weekend, so I want to start learning about it for the work and for my interest.

I went to the famous Rose Garden with my mom and dad today.  Chizaki Rose Garden has more than 400 kinds of Rose from all over the world.  The Garden is on the top of the hill and it has a great view of Sapporo city.

We had ice cream with rose flavor.  It was actually surprisingly good!

Here are the pictures

I have one favorite hair salon and I always go there when I come back to Sapporo.

Since the salon sent me a discount ticket, I decided to use it today.

The funny thing is that all the staffs at the salon know what I have been doing, where I was...etc.

The first thing they asked me when they saw me today was "Manami!!  How is your Spanish boyfriend?"

I was like...Hhhhhhhow do you know it?

The thing is that my mom also goes to the same salon and asks the same hair stylist as me.

The hair stylist always asks my mom how I am doing.

It is so funny that I don't really have to tell the long story...all the info is always updated by my mom.

I have my hair cut even shorter today...and the thing is that I look exactly like my mom

Having lived in Taiwan for 3 years, I have tasted so many different kind of Asian(mainly Chinese..and South East Asian) food.

They are so Hao Chi!!

One of my favorite dish is Thai Green Curry.  I have learned how to make it there.  And I used to cook it almost every week.

And back in Japan...I was so dissapointed to find that coconut milk is so expensive here.  They sell one can for almost 4 USD!! 

I could get it in Taiwan for 1 USD.

And I was almost giving up the Green Curry...but but BUUUUUUUT, today I went to 100 yen shop (about 1 USD), and found the coconut milk sold for 100 yen!!

I was so happy and bought 3 cans...he he he

Using this coconut milk, I have tried coconut sweet soup and coconut jelly today.

If you have good recipe with coconut, please let me know!!

Elvina, how did you make the coconut cake? I really realy liked it.

Today I want to make a comment about our front garden.

My parents are so into "GARDENING", and they are putting so much effort to make our garden more beautiful.

Now I am also helping them to water the flowers once a day.

I like the pink flower called Safinia. How do you like them?

I have hold a party last Saturday at our new appartment. 

I always dreamed to have a home party and invite friends for dinner.

And now it came true!!  Now we have a perfect appartment to have parties.

I have invited 8 friends home, and cooked a lot of food, Tacos, Fried Chicken, Salad, Sangria...etc.

I really had a nice time.

Anne and Elvina

Happy 2007.  May the new year will be even better for all of us!

I had a pretty nice New Year Eve Party at Jane and Piero´s house.

We had more than 20 people coming from Taipei, Taichunr and some other cities outside Taipei.

I met a lot of new people there from France, Italy, Poland, Panama....etc.

It is always nice to know people from all over the world.  We had nice chat, food, drink and dance!!

As it is becoming one of the biggest Taipei events, we had a spectacular fireworks from Taipei 101 building, the world tallest building.

This time the fireworks cost 1 million US, and it lasted 3 minutes.(1 minut improvement from last year)

Some of them left the party early to went into the crowd courageously.

And most of them stayed at the appartment till 11:30 and went up to the roof top to see the fireworks.  The view from the roof top was just great.  We could see whole image of 101 and also other fireworks coming out from shopping malls in taipei.

It was the 3rd New Year since I came to Taiwan.  Now I see myself more used to the life with more great friends.

We celebrated with Italian Sparkling Wine that Piero brought...and hugged each other.

I just wished David were here also, but I am sure he is now having a great new year in Spain with his family and friends  (but I hope he will be back here soon)

Another great news!

One of my best friends here in Taipei, Steffen´s wife, Shuhui had a healthy baby boy yesterday afternoon.  He couldn´t wait to come out to the world till 2007!!  I am going to see the baby, Cicero this afternoon!!

Conglatulations, Steffen and Shuhui!

It's Christmas again.
I see Christmas decolations in the city, bus drivers wearing Santa's Red clothes, and people doing Christmas shopping.

The time passes unbelievably fast. 

David is now flying back to Spain to spend Christmas and New Year with his family and friends.  It's been a year and 2 month since he left Spain the last year, so he's been looking forward to this vacation at home.
And especially his mom can not wait to see her baby boy after a long time.

I was actually planning to go to Spain with him, but now I am with a new work and can not take any holiday.  I will have to wait till next winter and save some paid holiday.

Last year I made David a scarf, and had a nice Christmas party with friends.
And for the New Year, I went back to Sapporo to spend a New Year with family.

This year I will be staying Taipei trying to find friends to hang out with me.

One month without David...I will miss him a lot and envy him eating a lot of good food there and having lots of fun in a sunny country!!

Me...working crazy in rainy Taipei...
Well, but I will try to have as much fun as possible.

How is your Christmas this year friends?
Any updates in your life?

Have a great Christmas and New Year 2007.

I am packing...putting winter clothes, books and CDs into a box to send back home.

Very familiar look of street, smell of street food, noise...give me different impression now.  I will miss them all. 

Yesterday I went for swimming with Paola.  She is also facing now a problem that she can not do anything and only the time can solve.

We are both sad and frustrated lately...so swimming is a good way to reduce this stress and feel refreshed.

In the cold water...I swim non-stop for an hour getting things in order in my head.  I always feel better after swimming.

Paola and I talked for a while after swimming how the life sometimes doesn't go the way you want and how we feel now... and how we are worried for futures...

We just speak out...and we know there is no answer, but somehow we feel better after that.  It is better than keep things in mind.

And after I talked to her, I thought that everybody is holding some kind of problems....and my problem is not too too bad....at least I am healthy, I have found someone to love, and I have friends to support me.

I will stop to be so pessimistic about the situation.

Last night I went out for the last "Girls Night Out" with Elvina, Anne, Aries, Yeeyan, Mei and Jane!

We had Taiwanese Hot Pot for dinner and then we went out for the Taipei Night Life.

It was Ladies Night last night, so yeah free of entrance charge!!

First we went to the bar called Luxy...but none of us liked the type of music.  According to Elvina...this bar is for kids.  Yeah we are matured ladies...so we had one glass of drink there and moved to the next target...Carnegies!!

Finally we found our type of music there...and danced and danced a lot.

I really enjoyed the time with them. 

Good bye Carnegies...