Kiwako's Blog

Camera

2005-07-14T12:10:00.000+09:00

I like taking pictures. But I do not use high-tech professional kind of camera. I use "lomo." I use SMENA 8M. It's a Russian (Soviet) camera. Smena 8 M had produced since 1970, but it's not produced anymore. Anyway, Smena8M is my favorite. If the weather is good, I sometimes go out with Smena8M and take photos. Since it's old, it doesn't really work as I want it to. But that's also what I like about this camera. For some reason, red comes out pretty with this camera. The photos above are Smena8M and a photo that I took with it. I think red comes out very pretty. What do you think??

Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

2005-07-13T12:03:00.000+09:00

1. Intro
2. Lost Ones
3. Ex-Factor
4. To Zion
5. Doo Wop (That Thing)
6. Superstar
7. Final Hour
8. When It Hurts So Bad
9. I Used To Love Him
10. Forgive Them Father
11. Every Ghetto, Every City
12. Nothing Even Matters
13. Everything Is Everything
14. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill

Needless to say, she is a wonderful woman. She is one of my ideal women. I got this when I was 9th grade. When I was in 9th grade, I didn't really like this CD, actually. At that time, I was more like Back Street Boys kind of girl. So I haven't listened to it until recently (maybe high school senior.) But now, I love it. Maybe I'm a grown up, huh? Anyway, I love all songs in this CD, but especiallyI like Doo Wop, Final Hour, I Used To Love Him, and Everything Is Everything. I still listen to it almots everyday in my car. I like her vioce. And what she sings about is very smart and sweet. I love Lauryn Hill since I watched Sister Act 2 for the first time. She is beautiful, smart, and funny.

Elephunk

2005-07-12T12:01:00.000+09:00

1. Hands Up
2. Labor Day (It's A Holiday)
3. Let's Get Retarded
4. Hey Mama
5. Shut Up
6. Smells Like Funk
7. Latin Girls
8. Sexy
9. Fly Away
10. The Boogie That Be
11. The Apl Song
12. Anxiety
13. Where Is The Love

I like Bclack Eyed Peas. Like "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," I put this CD in my CD changer in my car. When I was in Florida, my very best friend, Shakira liked them. This CD is very special for me. Because she copied this CD for me when I left there. I especially like Hands Up and Hey Mama. I also want their latest CD "Monkey Business."

I Care 4 U

2005-07-11T11:57:00.000+09:00

1. Back & Forth
2. Are You That Somebody
3. One In A Million
4. I Care 4 U
5. More Than A Woman
6. Don't Know What To Tell Ya
7. Try Again
8. All I Need
9. Miss You
10. Don't Worry
11. Come Over
12. Erica Kane
13. At Your Best (You Are Love)
14. Got To Give It Up

Aaliyah past away. This CD was released after her death. I got this CD when I was in Florida. It also has DVD which includes some music videos. In this CD, I like "Miss You" and "Come Over." I love "Miss You," especially. I always listen to this song when some international students are leaving here.

The Diary of Alicia Keys

2005-07-07T11:55:00.000+09:00

1. Harlem's Nocturne
2. Karma
3. Heartburn
4. If I Was Your Woman/Walk On By
5. You Don't Know My Name
6. If I Ain't Get You
7. Diary
8. Dragon Days
9. Wake Up
10. So Simple
11. When You Really Love Someone
12. Feeling You, Feeling Me (interlude)
13. Slow Down
14. Samsonite Man
15. Nobdy Not Really (Interlude)

Alicia Keys is one of my ideal women. She is beautiful, sexy, smart, sings well, plays the piano... She is perfect, I think. Especially, I love If I was Your Woman and If I Ain't Get You. The Lyrics of If I Was Your Woman is something all girls agree. I like especially "You are like a diamond, but she treats you like glass, but you beg her to love you, for me you won't ask." I have exactly the same experience! haha.

#1's

2005-07-06T11:34:00.000+09:00

1. Sweetheart
2. When You Believe (From Prince of Egypt)
3. Whenever You Call
4. My All
5. Honey
6. Always be my baby
7. One Sweet Day
8. Fantasy
9. Hero
10.Deamlover
11. I',, Be There
12. Emotions
13. I Don't Wanna Cry
14. Someday
15. Love Takes Time
16. Vision of Love
17. I Still Believe

My very first American CD. I got this when I was in 8th or 9th grade. Now I'm not a big fan of her (well, I like her, though.) But some of these songs are my favorite. "When You Believe," "Whenever You Call," and "My All" are my favorite.

U Turn

2005-07-05T11:32:00.000+09:00

1. All Night Long (Feat. Nelly)
2. Back Seat
3. Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda
4. Try Our Love Again
5. Where Do We Go From Here
6. Been So Long
7. Good Enough
8. Someday, Someway, Somehow
9. For The Rest Of My Life
10. If It Was Cool
11. I Don't Know Yet (Interlude)
12. So Sorry
13. One Of The Ones Who Did

Brian McKnight. He is very talented, I think. Most of songs in this CD are sad songs. Like they broke up and he wants her back. So this isn't a happy CD. But still, I keep listen to it.

BET.com

2005-07-04T11:29:00.000+09:00

It reminds me of days in Florida. So I still visit this home page and think about my friends back there.

BET stands for Black Entertainment Television, by the way. When I was in Florida, I didn't have many White friends. Most of my friends are Black. So whenever we come over to somebody's home, we usually watched BET. They have some music program like 106 park, and also they have Black News, and Black comedians' program. I loved this channel, really.

Santa Fe High School

2005-06-30T11:27:00.000+09:00

The school I went in Florida. Now I have a link for its home page. So please visit. And the images are their library.

This school means a lot to me. The principle, Mr. Herschleb, was a great person. I will never forget how happy I was when he told me "You are a raider." Because it's translated as "you are one of us." Mr. Turney was my American History teacher. I wasn't doing good in his class, but he understands me and helped me alot. He was also a coach of our football team. And I think he got married while I was there. I wonder how he's doing. Ms. Gillman was a cute lady. I loved how she speaked. Ms. Hancock was also a cute lady. Ms. Arreola was my Spanish teacher. I enjoyed her class. And finally, Coach Cox. I can't thank her enough!! She was girls b-ball coach, and I was manager. She is such a nice person. And when I was having problems with my irst host family, she helped me a lot. And Coach Moody was also nice. I love them!

Sweet Home Alabama

2005-06-29T11:24:00.000+09:00

I also watched this in Florida. One of my friends had this on VHS, so I borrowed it and I watched it 3 or 4 times. I think Melany is too lucky that two good-looking and sweet guys love you at the same time. Both of them really love her, and care about her. The story is too good to be true, I know. But... you know, girls want to believe that might be true! I actually got this DVD before coming back to Japan, but I found out you can't watch American DVD in Japan, and vice versa. Sucks.

Lilo And Stitch

2005-06-28T11:14:00.000+09:00

This is also my favorite movie. I watched it right after I changed my host family. I didn't get along with the first host family, so I felt left alone in the U.S. I was Stitch. I was so different from others. I was alone. I missed my family. Everything Stitch went through in the movie was exactly what I was going through back then. So this movie is very special to me.

Soulstar

2005-06-27T11:09:00.000+09:00

1. Soulstar
2. Youloveme
3. Womanopoly
4. Forthenight
5. Infatueighties
6. Whoknows
7. Babymother
8. Missyou
9. Momentinlife
10. Thereason
11. Dontstop
12. Her
13. Whereareyougoing
14. Romancipation
15. Givemorelove/Leaveamessage

I got this CD when I was in Florida. I like his voice. I don't really listen to this CD recently, but still, I think this is very nice CD.

Priceless

2005-06-23T11:29:00.000+09:00

1. Introlude (Pricey Bunch)
2. Someday
3. You Make Me Feel
4. Take It To The Head (Feat. Keith Murray)
5. Sister (Feat. Faith Evans)
6. Again
7. Priceless Interlude
8. Strong Man (Jeff In C Minor)
9. How Does It Feel (Married Your Girl)
10. He Proposed
11. So Sweet
12. Whatcha Gon Do?
13. I Live Here Now
14. Girlfriend
15. If
16. Back In the Day
17. I Still Do
18. You Bought the Sunshine (Feat. The Clark Sisters)

I first listened to her song on BET when I was in Florida. She sang "He Proposed," and I loved it. This also reminds Shakira, my very best friend. When I heard the song, I was at her house and eating some Chinese take-out. How's she doing now?? Oh, and Demeatrice!! He proposed me, seriously. haha. I didn't know what to do back then (cuz we weren't even dating!) But it was funny. Kelly Price reminds me all those funny days.

Still Ghetto

2005-06-22T10:58:00.000+09:00

1. Intro (Feat. Duganz)
2. Diamond in Da Ruff
3. Fabulous
4. Let's Talk About It
5. Put That Woman First
6. Beaty And Thug (Feat. Mary J. Blige)
7. Me And My B*tch
8. Backtight
9. Spacial Day
10. Long As I Live
11. Interlude
12. Everywherer I Am
13. Tight Jeans
14. Whut You Want
15. Every Which Way (Feat. Dunganz)
16. Still Ghetto (Feat. Taquane)

This is my favorite. I heard "Put That Woman First" right before I came back from the States. And I loved it. But I guess he's still not that popular in Japan yet. At least not as popular as Jay-z or Eminem. So I was so excieted when I found this CD at HMV Sendai. I got the CD, and found out that I love all the songs in this CD!! Especially, "Put That Woman First" and "Beauty And Thug" are my favorite. "Put That Woman First" always reminds me of days I spent in Florida, right before coming back to Japan. The weird feeling half sad and half excited. Sad for leaving the town, excited to see my family and friends. When I listen to this, I always remember myself sitting on a couch and watching BET with my very best friend, Shakira.

Happy people/U saved me

2005-06-21T22:29:00.000+09:00

I love, love this CD. This is R. Kelly's CD. I think I got this CD last year. It has 2 CDs: one is Happy people, and the other is U saved me. Although both of them are good, I love Happy people. This one really makes people (me, at least) happy. So I always listen to it whenever I'm depressed. It really reminds us the power of music. Happy people is kind of like radio station type of CD. U saved me is kind more like thank God. Anyway, music is great. And "No Music, No Life" is true!

Beauty And The Beast

2005-06-20T20:49:00.000+09:00

I know this is kind of childish, but I love this movie.

Maybe this movie is so famous that I don't really have to explain the story... But there's a very beautiful girl named Bell. She fell in love with a beast.

Story isn't what I love about this movie. Of course, it's a cute story, though. But what I like is that Bell isn't the ordinary "princess." Yes, she is beautiful, but she doesn't know or she just doesn't care. And also, unlike any other princesses, her neighbors think she is a bit strange. She reads alot, she is active, she is strong. She does what she wants to do. So I like her. And also, I love the Beast. He's scary at first, but as the movie goes on, you would find him cute and sweet. It's so easy and natural to follow his thought. He falls in love for the first time in his life, and what he goes through emotionally is what we have gone through when we like or love someone. You want him/her to like you, but at the same time, if you are so naive and easily get hurt.

Overall, it's just a cute movie of all time, I think.

Perfume

2005-06-16T00:29:00.000+09:00

Do you wear perfume? I do. I started wearing them when I was in Florida as an exchange student. Then, I came back and found out (or it's more like I remembered) that Japanese girls don't really wear perfume, especially to school. So I quited.
But there are some perfumes that I really like. The one I usually wear is ENVY ME (GUCCI.) I just love the smell. I also like Tommy Girl. And I also love, love, miracle (LANCOME.) BVLGARI NOTTE is also my favorite. So I was going to get those. But when I went home this Golden Week, I found out that my Mom already had "miracle" and "NOTTE!!" I'm 20. I just can't wear the same perfume with my 45-year-old mom!! That's disapointing.
I think smell is importatnt. Smell of rain, smell of my grandma's home, smell of the forest, and everything. I also like aromatherapy, and incense. When it comes to aromatherapy, I like vanilla, and ylang ylang.
But when I wear perfume, I try not to put too much. I hate when people wearing too much perfume. Especially when I don't like the perfume, it makes me sick. And I used to think ENVY ME is very good smelling so that no one hates it, but actually one of my friends does. So I try not to put too much.

How to lose a guy in 10 days

2005-06-15T23:54:00.000+09:00

It's my favorite movie. I think it's cute. Kate Hudson is very cute. And Matthew McConaughey is cute. I think the story is kind of like "Never Been Kissed," though. But anyway, why is Matthew McConaughey so cute?? I mean, he might no be "the cutest," but I think he could make girls cuter together. Kate Hudson looks very cute with him (in fact, she IS cute, though.) He also stars in my another favorite movie "Wedding Planner," and his co-star, Jenifer Lopez also looks so cute with him. Both of them are very cute by themselves, but with him, they look even cuter, I think.
In this movie, Andy (Kate Hudson) is so bad! And it's just hilarious!! She is a writer for a girly magazine (kind of like Cosmopolitan,) and she writes an article called "how to lose a guy in 10 days." So she starts dating a guy, Ben (Matthew McConaughey,) and tries to drive him away in 10 days by using classic mistakes most women make in thier relationships. But Ben is tough because he is also on bet to make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Since he is tough, she does everything she could think of.
I just love this movie. I have this DVD, and I've watched so many times.

U.S.

2005-06-13T23:02:00.000+09:00

I've been there three times. First time I visited there, I was 12. Second time, I was 15. Third time, I was 17. First two times were just travel, and I stayed there for like 2 weeks with my family. I went New York and Orlando, Fl. Third time, I went to a little town in Florida called High Springs. I went there as an exchange student, and I stayed there for 10 months.
Those three places are very different. Of course, New York is a lot different from other 2 places I stayed. To me, it's almost like different nations or something. High Springs is just 3 hours away from Orlando, but they're totally different. People seem different, atmosphere is different, environments are different.
Realizing this fact, I can't help but wander, is there anything I know about the country? Or, for that matter, do I even know about my own country? I only know Sendai (my hometown,) Akita. I've visited Hokkaido, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto. But for sure, there are more places that I don't know in Japan. Like south. Basically I have no idea what's going on down there... Shame on me, huh?
It's so embarrasing when I can't answer questions about my country asked by foreigners. Next time I study abroad, I should learn more about my country.

I got my hair cut (and straightened)

2005-06-12T15:48:00.000+09:00

Yes, I did. Now I got a bang. I haven't had my hair this short since I was 14 or something. And I haven't had a bang since 16. So I look really different now. My friends liked my new hair. They told me I look younger! That's good. I cut my hair cuz it was really damaged. Seriously, my hair was crispy. That's not a good thing. I only showed my ne hair to several friends, so I'm excited and nervous what others would say about my hair tomorrow. Well, see how it goes.

TOEFL

2005-06-06T15:42:00.000+09:00

I didn't take it.
Instead, I did my homework. And I went to work.
I'm tired. I used to do my homework on Friday and Saturday so that I can spend all day doing whatever I feel like doing on Sunday. But now, I can't. I want a whole day-off. I want to just lay down on bed, and watching TV or DVD all day. That's exactly what I want!!

Working

2005-06-05T15:30:00.000+09:00

I work at an Italian Buffet kind of restaurant.
I've worked there for about a month. Besides the fact that working on weekend kind of sucks, I like it, actually. I've never thought I would like clearing off used plates and leftovers of others, though. Well, I don't. I don't like clearing off those things and sometimes... kids' vomit. But I do think I'm lucky that I could meet more people. Today, and American and his Japanese wife and their kids came. I talked with them. They were so cool. And the kids were so cute. They were so adorable. I wish they come again. I wish I could talk with them more.

Oops!

2005-06-04T15:21:00.000+09:00

Oops! I had to work tonight, but I completely forgot!
One of my coworkers called me at 5:30, and he was like "where are you right now?" So I told him "I'm in my room, what's wrong?" And he was like "Umm, you are supposed to be working from 5:30." So I was freaked out. I mean, I just started working there. And I was soooooo embarrassed. Well, to be honest, I didn't check my working schedule on Friday. That's because I'm supposed to work on weekend. My official day-off is from Monday to Friday. So I just didn't check the schedule on Friday. But there's no excuse. That's not good enough to be an excuse, you know. Well, I better check all the schedule from now on.

Merhaba!

2005-06-02T23:55:00.000+09:00

Well, I seriously start writing this blog.
But the problem is... I don't know what to write!! Oops!
"Merhaba" means "hello," by the way. Maybe you didn't know, but I know a little bit Turkish, actually. Hehe.

Merhaba! Benim adım Kiwako. Memnun oldum. Özcan ailesi bugün parkta. Hava güzel. Güneş doğuyor. Kuşlar şarkı söylüyorlar. Nasılısınız? Okulunuz nasıl gidiyor? Ben her gün kampüse gidiuorum.

Something like that.

Anyway, since this is a blog, maybe I should write what I've done today... Pretty much nothing. OMG! It was sooooo hot today, wasn't it? I felt like I wanna do nothing. So I decided to do nothing. Maybe I'm too old to get excited and go outside and play sports or whatever. Maybe? Yes, maybe.

I wanna go watch some movie! I really want to see Hitch. It seems like a cute movie. I will go watch it with my girls sometime. Hopefully next weekend or something.

Welcome to Kiwako's Blog!!

2005-05-19T12:16:00.000+09:00

Kiwako's Blog is starting now.