THANK YOU AND I MUST SAY THAT YOUR ARTWORK IS AMAZING! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU SKETCHED THAT PICTURE ON YOUR BLOG!! YOU ARE AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHER TOO! HOPEFULLY YOU ARE OVER YOUR EX BY NOW AND YUE AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED DAUGHTER ARE ENJOYING LIFE! :)

SAY GOODBYE TO BOLLYWOOD BRANDON IN YOUR BRAND NEW MERCEDES!

Team usa!

Hope everyone is having a great week, and great weekend! I'm swamped with work but hope to get an article up about the upcoming Japan vs USA World Cup Final. It's going to be a great game! As a preview, I can say this: the Japanese haven't beat the USA yet, just a couple of ties. However, I believe that this Sunday, it is their time! USA is a great team with a lot of heart, and they fight hard to win. However, I honestly believe that Japan has an equal, if not greater amount of heart, and on top of that, I believe that their skill level is at a very high point right now. They are on top of their game!

My body is in the States, but my heart is in Japan.

Go Nippon!

こにちは！！！ Just started studying hiragana in preparation for my trip to Beppu, Japan next year! I'm so looking forward to going....I can't wait! よし！

hey there i just wanna say that your daughter is super gorgeous hun xx

I don't have the time tonight to go into detail, but this film is definitely worth plugging before I go to bed: "Ip Man" Directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-tung, Xing Yu, and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi.

I can honestly say I haven't seen a really, really good film in quite awhile. I did watch Jet Li's "The Warlords" recently, and really liked it. However, that movie did not leave me as satisfied as Ip Man, which is based on the life of the Grand Master who taught the legendary Bruce Lee himself.

This movie absolutely does NOT disappoint. It's not just all fighting, and the fighting isn't done with silly string. It has humor, tough times, sadness, and triumph. It is a masterpiece in my book.

Highly recommended. : ) I watched the dubbed version, unfortunately (I always prefer subtitles with the original language), but even then they did a great job.

Personal Effort!

Since my life and mind are moving into a very international direction, it is only natural that I would stop to ponder at some point my daughter, and what I should be instructing her in, as well as the example that I should be providing. Since she is only 10 years old (in just a couple of weeks, actually), it is just not possible to try and teach her a lot of "heavy" things. I know, because I've tried, and failed - miserably!

An idea popped into my head that seems to have been working great so far. I have been listening to different music styles from different cultures around the world, and lately I have really been into some groups from Scotland, Australia, Japan, and even a Jewish reggae outfit. I have never been into "pop" music here in the USA, but the artist that has been in my car's CD player the most lately is Ayumi Hamasaki. After I saw her live performance of "Dearest" recently, she won my heart. I'm not sure why there is such a difference for me between JPoP and pop music here, but it is enough of a difference to make me avoid the one and sift through the other for gems.

Back to the subject at hand: in my quest for new musics, I realized that I had a great opportunity to open the door to other cultures for my daughter by using the songs that I find. Upon playing some for her last week, she immediately noticed the difference between what she was accustomed to hearing and what I had now presented to her. At first she thought it was a bit funny to hear the other languages, and I was a bit bothered at that. However, after listening for awhile longer and talking with her, she began to listen more intently and became very interested in what she was hearing. Bingo! So, I realize (once again), that my daughter is very much like me: she doesn't like not understanding something. She went from initially thinking that the music I gave her was just a "joke," to becoming very interested at this "new world" that had opened to her, and desirous that I give her more.

So, I believe that my foot is now officially in the door, and my 10 year old punkin who told me a year ago that she was too scared to travel overseas has now begun to exhibit her first signs of curiosity about what is "across the pond."

It is a swell feeling to see these things in a child and cultivate them, so that they can more easily become a very well-rounded individual, and the best they can be. I could regret this about my own parents, but I would rather be joyous that my daughter has a father who acknowledges her needs and takes steps to encourage her.

hey check out one of my favoerite bands

Okay, I think I've gotten enough writing out of my system, and now I can go to bed. Good night, morning, or afternoon, wherever you may be.

-B.

hey i posted some ninjutsu pictures if you want to see :) im the tall one with the Beard lol

We have IM coming up..like reading your conversations.

oh im going to teach english up in sapporo japan when im done with college and hopefully get me a girlfrewind/Spouse while im up in japan lol