back to the land of walla walla sweet onions

It is so good to be back in Walla Walla! It is hot, it is sweaty, and it is full of college students and friends. I arrived on Friday around 2PM at smallest airport I've ever been to in Walla Walla. As I was flying over Washington, it was beautiful to watch the landscape change from ocean to lakes to mountains and then to gregarious amount of wheat and agricultural fields on the east side of Washington. The wheat fields were one of the most amazing sights I've seen, as the tractors, from rolling over the fields, etched such intricate designs seen from above into the fields.

After arriving in the airport, the next many many hours were spent transporting my belongings from 3 different places into my new room. And it wasn't just a few boxes. However, with a dolly and the help of my roommate, I got it all into my room, which left the room a mess of boxes and luggage everywhere. it is still not all cleared out and unpacked yet.

I love where I am living, in an on campus housing called College House. It is a large white stucco building with apartment style rooms. There is a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and one bedroom. It is a triple, and so far how we have it set up is that the three of us are sleeping in one room and have our desks in the other. I love that I can cook for myself when I want and what I want. It has made me realize how much you really do not need to eat. I no longer have to eat at 11:30AM and 5:30PM on the dot to secure a spot at the dining hall and get good food relatively quickly. Not having to do that, has made being here just that much better. I love that I don't have to wear shower shoes in the shower anymore.

The downside to living here, however, is that since I am in a corner room, there are streets on two sides of the building, just outside of our windows. So, the traffic noise is not the greatest, but its not so bad.

Anyhow, school starts tomorrow. I cannot believe it, and I cannot believe how fast the some has gone by, once again. I say that every summer, but it just gets faster and faster the older I get. My schedule is not quite complete yet, so I'm a little uneasy about that, but hopefully it will all get figured out soon. I already had calc II homework, and I already cannot do it. I'm a bit nervous about that, as it has been a while since I've done calculus.

I've taken pictures of my room to show to my family and friends what my new home is like! Welcome to my humble abode.

 This is, obviously, my door. I'm living with two of my best friends, whose names are on the door.

As you walk in, to the left is the bathroom. It even has a tub! What luxury.

I've finally finished decorating my study space. I am missing my painting in Sweden because it is in a MIA box in the mail. Hopefully it will arrive soon. 

The kitchen is through the doorway on the left. The living room is where my desk is.

This is out living room! Boxes are stilling being unpacked and everything. It won't be this messy, I promise. Soon, it will be spotless. 

Opposite of the bathroom is our room! We've managed to fit three dressers and three beds in it. I'm on the top bunk for now, and we'll rotate every so often to make it fair. I got it first, as I'm already used to being on the top bunk this summer for 3 months.

This is the kitchen. It came with a table and three chairs. We've added an extra for company. In case you were wondering, that is a Martinelli's bottle.

This is our overly stocked kitchen. We pretty much have everything and can make anything you could ever want with the appliances we have.

And finally, I'd like to end with this picture. Last night we cooked our first meal together.  For the dinner, we picked some greens at our school's organic garden and steamed it. Apparently, we didn't catch this little guy, so sadly got steamed in the process. My friend surprisingly discovered it on her dinner plate. 

wishes and goodbyes

If I were on a grand adventure walking along Crystal Cove and I peered inside one of the nooks in the cliff to find a magical lamp sticking out of the sand, I would rub it and get a single wish from a magical genie. You know what I would wish for? I would wish that my family could come visit me up in Walla Walla. They are the one thing that I really miss when I am at school there. Well, them and also Asian food. But, really. I love coming home, not because it is Irvine (because let me tell you, there is not much here but shopping shopping and more shopping), but because my family is here.

As much as she may not believe it, I am going to miss this goofball. 

Last year I had thought that going up to school in Washington wouldn't be so difficult, and really it wasn't. I transitioned very easily, made friends, and had a great time. Freshman year, I came up by myself with 3 huge bags on the airplane and that was it. I was completely fine and happy to finally be there, but as I saw everyone's family moving them into their dorms, getting a tour of the school, and saying goodbye, there was a little part of me that wished my family was there, too. Someday, they will finally see my new world and it will be extra special.


Anyway, life moves on and I am all packed and ready to leave tomorrow morning on the plane at 8am. I have one layover and should be arriving around 2pm. Am I excited? Yes. Am I nervous? Yes. Life is just so different there than it is at home. And when I am back on campus, I will be running around to a million places picking up keys, packages, my bikes, several boxes from storage, and of course my babies, my plants.


Well, as for my last day in Irvine, I am really enjoying spending my last hours with my fammmmmblyy. We went lap swimming and shopping for Asian food to bring with me. Now we are baking some treats. And later we will be having spring rolls for dinner and making my last trip to Yogurtland! And to top the night off, we'll be watching my favorite movie and book, The Lord of the Rings. :))))))


Goodbye Irvine, for now. I'll see you again soon.

the big harvest.

I have a week left of summer vacation. How bittersweet it is.

Last weekend, my little brother and I spent the weekend with my grandparents. Visiting them is always so precious and I always have a great time. My time was spent mostly relaxing, but also just enjoying their company. Also, my grandma makes the best food. On the downside, I gain probably 10 pounds because we are fed so much, but its all from love. 

A while back, my older brother who traveled from farm to farm in Canada, started a vegetable garden in my grandparent's backyard. And now, being summer, it was harvest time! What happened to a lot of the vegetables was that he had planted so many seeds that the density of the growing vegetables was too high, making many very small vegetables. Anyhow, we were able to harvest some very small, unproductive corn, many great fat carrots, a bit of broccoli, lots of red potatoes, some unripe green tomatoes (which we were hoping to fry), and lot of small beets. It was so much fun working out in the garden, and I really loved it. If I ever live in a house of my own, that is one thing I will have. Gardens are also fantastic, as you are sustaining your own food supply right from your very own ground. Sometimes I dream of living on a completely self sustainable farm.

Some of the large and fat harvested carrots! Success!

Harvested, washed, and cut.

My grandma found this before I came to visit, but it was growing in the garden! It's a giannnnt zucchini! I feel like you could put two eyes and a mouth in it and call it Larry (I know he is a cucumber, but Larry looks good as a zucchini too),

The next day after our harvest,  we took a trip to the L.A. National History Museum right by USC. It was a great museum and I always love seeing animals and insects, even though many were stuffed. 

A butterfly in the museum's new butterfly sanctuary.

DINOSAAAAAURS! This was the museum's newest exhibit that just opened in mid-July that attracted many of the visitors. It was an exhibit dedicated to the dinosaurs. I have decided that my favorite dinosaur is the triceratops or one that lives in the water.

Now, this is for all you biology nerds. I thought that this was really entertaining. The latin name is Gorilla gorilla gorilla. So, the genus is Gorilla and the species is gorilla gorilla. 

We happened to be in LA on the same day of the 3rd annual Tanabata Festival in Japanese Town. The whole festival was just such a great experience. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the parade that was in the evening, but I certainly got a taste of the festival. Many people were raising money for the earthquake/tsunami victims of Japan. There were people dressed as samurais and warriors, anime characters of all kinds, cute characters, and there were also people dressed in the traditional kimono. It was cool being there, knowing that I am Japanese and that I do have an ancestral connection to this heritage and culture. Almost everything about the Japanese culture fascinates me. And of course the food is amazing.

People write wishes on pieces of paper and tie them to bamboo. During a certain time, (this festival perhaps?) the bamboo is burned, which burns the wishes with it. When this happen, it is thought that the wishes will all come true.

Some of the funniest ones were about getting boyfriends or getting someone to like them and silly things like that. Others were quite serious and very meaningful.

Don't you just want to hug him to death?

Characters asking for donations. I like the guy on the right the best.

And so, after my time with my grandparents I came back home. My older brother and his girlfriend came down from Berkeley the next day, and so my family has been spending time with him. 

Today, I dropped off my three boxes I am shipping to Whitman at the post office! And I am getting all ready to go!

And so, my adventures continue into the last week that I am here. Tomorrow, I go visit my other grandma for lunch and then I'm going to see the movie The Help with her. Saturday, sadly, is a funeral for my papa's cousin who recently passed away from cancer that had infected her liver. It is very sad, as she was very young and left behind a young daughter. I never liked funerals, but it is a part of life. Tuesday, my best friend is coming home from Germany and I will spend the day with her! I am sooo looking forward to it. And that is all for my plans so far. Hopefully I will make it to the beach before I leave. 

eighteen days.

I haven't written in a while, as there hasn't been too much to write about in my very adventurous life in Irvine. As for my summer to-do list, I can check off most of the things I set out to do. It has been quite a productive summer; you can accomplish quite a lot when you're not doing anything else. I've read, painted, made kubb, scrapbooked my time in Europe, watched countless hours of television, sold things on amazon and ebay, cleaned, babysat, and taught swim lessons. This is how I keep myself entertained, alongside thinking about my life and other pointless things. But it's about time; I am very ready to go back to Walla Walla.

I have 18 days left until I leave. Though I am excited to go back, I also want to savor what I have left of my relaxation in California. There will probably never be another time when I will be as relaxed and duty-free as I am now. These days will be filled with swim lessons, babysitting, reading, netflix, camping (hopefully) and hiking, a visit to my grandparents, dinner with my grandma, and lots of family time.

the king and his kubbs

perfect summer days

Yesterday and today were such perfect, classic summer days. I started yesterday morning with a nice long run to my school where I ran the track in the scorching California sun. After a nice cold shower, I went to a swim meet to visit the summer league swim team that I used to coach and swim on. It was so nice to see all my little swimmers again, who are actually not so little anymore. One of my old swimmers even brought me fudge from home. I got home and worked on my painting, and then my papa and I went to Lowe's, where we picked up flowers and materials for Kubb! For the rest of the day, me, my papa, and my little brother worked on making Kubb, which I will explain later in this post. After a long day making the game, we finally got around the actually playing it. And for a perfect finish to a perfect summer days, we ended with a trip to Yogurtland and a movie on Netflix. I don't think my day could have been more perfect.


As for today, it was a nice day with my brothers and papa playing kubb. I also finished my painting!

This is what we saw in front of Yogurtland. We were thinking, what happened? Someone must've got hurt. Think again.

Ahh, so this is what they do on the job.

This is what I do when I got back to Irvine. I go to Yogurtland and eat out of Hello Kitty cups and spoons.

And this is what I've been working on over the past couple of days, with a comparison below. It is the view of Sweden from the road outside of the station.

kubb

Kubb, also known as "Viking chess," is a Swedish lawn game played during the summer months. It is like a combination of bowling and horseshoe, making it an interesting and fun game to play. The goal of the game is to knock over the king before the other team does, but one must knock over all 5 kubbs before it knocks down the king.


The game is definitely coming up with my to Whitman. How it will catch on, I guess I will find out. I decided to make it yesterday with my family. We used one 4x4 that was 8ft long and one 1 3/8 in dowel that was 6ft long. In total, it was around $15 dollars + manual labor rather than $50 off of Amazon. And as for paint, I used acrylic paint that I will then coat with an acrylic top coat.


I used this website for instructions:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20398029,00.html . So if you want to make a set, follow these!

The first step we did was make the decorative cuts on the king. In the instructions, this was not first, however, it is much easier to cut the king when it is attached to the rest of the wood for stability.

After cutting the king, we stripped the 4x4 to make it smaller for the kubbs. Then we cut the wood every 6" to make the kubbs. We ended up with 12, so we had 2 extra. To make the stakes, we used the scrap wood pieces that was stripped from the 4x4.

Shown here is cutting the dowel into 6 12" batons.

Next is sanding, sanding, and more sanding!

And now for the painting! I was going to paint flowers of different families onto each kubb, but after painting half a kubb, I realized it was too much work. And so, I've decided to paint half of the kubbs blue and the other half of the kubbs white. The king's crown is yelllo with two white stripes and a blue body. The body will hopefully be painted with different scenes from Sweden. I am thinking a maypole for one side, a windmill for another, trolls (?), and another undecided side. As for the batons and the stakes, I will decide those colors tomorrow.

This is the finished product! (unpainted, of course)

oh, the joys of being home

It is so great being home and finally relaxed, as I can finally do the things I cannot do while I am at school. It is also fantastic being back in the states because everything in comparison to Europe is so cheap. I walked to the UCI center today with my little brother and sister to have lunch. To my surprise, I bought 3 lunches for us for under $8.00. Frankly, it is so sad that I was in such shock. For the price of 3 lunches here in the states, I could not even but myself one sandwich in Europe.

There is so much that I have on my to-do list and currently doing list of things this summer that I will try to accomplish before I make my way over to Walla Walla on the 26th of August. 

1. I am basically reorganizing my life. That basically entails cleaning out my boxes, giving away old things, throwing away trash and papers I don't actually need but I thought I did, packing boxes of things going to Whitman, and things of that sort.


2. Make Kubb.

3. Paint, paint, and paint some more. I don't know the proper way of painting, but I love it. I just started to paint about two years ago, and somehow my family inherited more brushes and paints than we could ever possibly dream of. My brother also got an easel for Christmas. How convenient. I love making art, but I am just always way too busy at Whitman (or at least I make excuses) and I don't have the right materials there, so hopefully before the month is up I will be able to produce a few pieces. With my new pictures from my trip to Sweden, I have fantastic landscape pictures that I would love to paint. Currently, I am working on a piece that is a view of Sweden from the Research Station in Skogsby, Sweden. 

4. Read, read, and read some more.

5. Scrapbook. I am behind. I have graduation, Australia, and now pictures from Sweden to scrapbook. It takes quite a long time. May I repeat? A LONG TIME. 

6. Teach swim lessons. This is my only source of income this summer, and I am  desperately in need for a job and the money. From Sweden, I am basically broke because I spent all my money on hostels and food. 

7. Clean the house. Cleaning is always so satisfying. It is also therapeutic for me.

8. Run. 

9. Hang out with my siblings as much as possible before I am off.

10. Eat shaved ice. I have been craving it for about a year now. Asian shaved ice is one of the best inventions ever made. It is shaved ice, drizzled with condensed milk and topped with any kind of topping you like. I like red bean, and lots of fruit.

While I was cleaning things out of the house and looking at books to give away, I came across some old family photos. Crystal, I don't mean to copy your blog, but I would love to share them. I couldn't resist. 

This was us then... 

My cousin Hayden, Brendon, Jonathan, and Me. 

The three of us in American Samoa.

I will leave you to figure out who this is. 

Brendon and Me on a tulip farm in Oregon!

David, Me, Brendon and Jonathan. Man, do we look goofy.

Jonathan, Brendon, Me, and David

All of us at Christmas. Kerianne, Jonathan, Me, Brendon, and David.

And, this is us now...

Jonathan, Brendon, Me, Kerianne, and David.

Oh, time flies. That is why I must make the most of it. 

memories, reflections, and the sweetness of being home

Journey Home

After 27 hours of travel, I am finally home in California! My brother picked me up around 3 AM this morning from the LAX airport, so I am really thankful for him. I'll be seeing the rest of my family later this evening.

Just when I thought that my travels were going perfectly well this morning, they took a slight turn. Everyone boarded the plane in the Boston airport and was all ready to go with their luggage stored and seat belts all fastened, until an announcement was made saying that unfortunately the plane is going out of service due to mechanical difficulties involving the fuel. Fortunately, the plane never took off and I am not in the plane that would've malfunctioned in the air. So, for that, I am so glad. Everyone deboarded the plane, and we boarded the next plane about 5-6 hours later. The wait wasn't so bad, but I was just so tired and sickly feeling. I am home now, and that's all that matters! And I won't have to go on another plane for at least another month or so.

What matters is that I am home and able to finally relax now. I just have to battle jetlag, which I don't think will be too difficult. My brother's new apartment is very close to the beach and its gorgeous, so I'll take a nice long walk or run.

Reflections

After any kind of trip, whether short or long, near or far from home, I like to reflect upon my experiences and my favorite memories.

After spending 5 1/2 weeks in Europe, 1 1/2 in Ireland and Denmark and 4 in Sweden, I have most definitely gained valuable insights and knowledge that changes the way that I see both myself and the world around me. This was my first trip traveling alone, and I have to say it was quite enjoyable though stressful at times. For the most part, I was traveling with classmates, but I spent about a week alone and all the traveling on planes/buses/trains was alone. I definitely enjoyed being independent and learning how to do things on my own, but it was also nice to share the experience with a friend. 

Because of the course, I will never see flowers or insects the same. I have gained such a deeper appreciation for the entire natural world around me in a deeper sense than just the aesthetic nature of it. I enjoy being able to identify major families and the flower structures of plants, in addition to just admiring their beautiful colors and shapes. The interactions between insects and plants is just a whole new world that if not looked at closely, is so easily surpassed for its importance and complexity. It is amazing how each flower and each insect has its own niche and its own specific adaptation in the world. Everything fits together like a perfect puzzle piece.

Not only have I learned Swedish words like utfart, infart, glass, ost, and jordgubbar, but I've definitely gained an appreciation for the Swedish culture, as well as Danish and Irish culture. It is always a pleasure to learn more about the histories and lifestyles of people other than Americans. Most importantly, it broadens my narrow American view of the world just a little bit wider. I still have so much more to learn and experience.

I've also learned so much about myself and my own character. I have learned that I do like to be independent, but experiencing new things with friends or family is also something to treasure. Previously, I had thought that I really don't like traveling with others because I like going at my own pace. However, that isn't necessarily true. It is nice to have a traveling companion, someone to get lost with, someone to rely on, someone to go out and have fun with.

I've also learned that I cannot let go of my youthfulness as I get older.  I realized that I really enjoyed being around my professor's two younger daughters because it was so easy to open up and be my silly self. Kids, especially, are definitely an outlet for me and they keep my spirit in such a high. Many times I would just enjoy talking, and many times we had great fun playing soccer and just kicking around the ball. While studying for the final at the end of the course, I definitely felt an urge to go play soccer outside and burn some energy before I could continue studying anymore. That is one thing that I really missed last year at Whitman. No doubt, I had a great first year, but I was constantly surrounded my people my own age. Rarely, except my professors, did I really interact with younger or older people. It may have to do with the fact that I have younger siblings, so I just enjoy hanging out with them. Even though it isn't something really new that I've learned, I realize that I really love kids and the youthfulness they bring.

As for my favorite memories and experiences.. oh I have so so many.

1. Gazing upon the Cliffs of Mohor in Ireland with the wind blowing in my face was simply phenomenal. I've seen it in pictures, but to actually see the real rock formations is awe-striking. Oh, and to add on top of that, it was my birthday and I just had a wonderful day seeing the countryside of Ireland.

2. Eating ice cream on the harbor of Farjestaden while it was pouring rain. There were 6 of us huddled close together enjoying our treat. Biking back in the rain, basically getting drenched was quite an adventure. I loved being out in the rain.

3. Playing soccer with my professor's daughters and my classmates. I forgot how much fun playing sports was. I forgot how exhilarating it could be and how much fun it is to play as a team, pass, and score. Oh, it brings me back to the days of water polo.

4. Just everything about Midsummer. Collecting birch leaves and flowers, decorating the maypole, making a crown, dancing around the maypole, eating pickled herring, cheese, crackers, and strawberries, drinking brennivin with my classmates, and just enjoying each others company made it a great holiday. I would definitely like to celebrate this holiday again. 

5. Kubb! It can be frustrating, but every time you knock one of those blocks over and it makes that clink sound, oh it is so satisfying.

6. Squishing my toes deep into the sand in the ocean at Haga Park. The ocean, and water in general, brings me so much peace.

7. Running past the strawberry fields while the sun was starting to set over the ocean. The scent of the strawberries is one of the best; I never realized how potent the smell could be, nor how sweet. Every run I did was absolutely gorgeous. It'll be hard to go back to running here without the stunning view.

8. Brendan's rap about spiders. Enough said.

9. Watching my professor catch flys outside of Borgholm Castle.

Oh there are so much more and I can go on and on, but I'd rather not bore you to death.. if you even made reading it this far. 

But, oh, it is good to be home.