Pieces of me in letters

Temperature is going down for the past couple of days. Summer is leaving, and autumn is coming. Semi don’t sound as loud as they did 2-3 weeks ago.

Summer has been fun, although I had a few stressful weeks. Barbecue, fireworks, picnic, nomikai, karaoke, get to know new people… all good

I have deadline coming for the first draft of my dissertation, and my first defense presentation will be on October 11. Very nervous about it but there is nothing much I can do but trying my best. I still hold the idea to go on a short trip in November before my visa expires in January. But I should wait until I am done with the first defense presentation before finalize any decision about the trip.

I am about to begin a new chapter in my life. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Always wonder if I will do fine. It seems to me that everybody thinks I will do great, except myself. I need to be more confident, more optimistic… and surely can use alot of moral support. I am grateful that I have family and friends who provide me the support I need. I can not possibly thank them enough for that. I love you all

My friends and I went to hanabi matsuri (fireworks festival) in Tokyo Bay yesterday. It was going to be about 9 of us: 5 guys and 4 girls. The guys would come earlier to the viewing place to get us a good spot. We girls would catch up later bringing food for all of us. It was a perfect plan… or I guess we all thought so.

We were wearing yukata (summer kimono) to the matsuri. After six years living in Japan, I finally decided to have my own yukata. And so I bought one 2 days ago. I’ve worn yukata before but always had a Japanese friend helped me wearing. It’s really not easy to wear yukata by yourself. But now that I own one, I better be able to wear it myself! Luckily my friend next door happily taught me how to wear yukata, step by step. It was so much fun! I am not bragging but… I think I am now pretty good! I learned one time, and the next day I could even help my friend with her yukata too (^_^)v

So… this is the result… tadaaaaa~ Not bad at all ne! Wearing yukata to hanabi matsuri, I felt like a Japanese girl for a day Very exciting.

As expected, there was so many people. The train was packed, the station was even worse. It was kinda amazing that we four girls managed to meet in such crowded station! It took us awhile to get out of the station. We called the guys and found out that they arrived 30 minutes before us but instead of going directly to the viewing place to get us all a place, they were waiting for us in somewhere between the station and the viewing place. They said they were all got so tired after getting out of the packed station and walking in the crowd in high summer heat. We kept in touch by phone…. but at one point the guys said they gave up and just wanted to go back home. Ugh!

But we all girls already determined to see the hanabi. With or without the guys, we are still going! And so we kept walking… and finally… we reached the viewing place and got the perfect spot to watch! Yattaaaaaa! We all sat down… opened our food boxes (more than enough food for four of us!), and 15 minutes later they started shooting the hanabi. It was soooo amazing! The guys surely missed ALOT! Going to hanabi matsuri really was a kind of struggle and I am so glad we girls made it! Yaaayyy~~~

For my friends L, M, and N…. I had so much fun with you all! Arigato~~~