Today, Tomorrow, And Sometime Yesterday

Tsuru Project in NYC : Send Love, Hope, and Support to The People of Japan!

2011-04-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello, New Yorker! and Everyone!It’s been a month since Japan’s Earthquake & Tsunami disaster. I’ve seen many people trying to support and help Japan. Yes, lots of fund raising events happened here in NYC as well! I am so grateful to know that… Japan is loved by the people from all over the world. Thank you so much :)

Now, my friend, Mayumi is planning to have a special event to send cheers, love and hope to the people of Japan in this August. Tanabata Festival, that is. In the event, people will write their wishes on a strip of paper and hang them on bamboo branches. The branches will be decorated with tons of hand crafted origami cranes!! In Japan, it’s commonly said those origami cranes make your wish come true if you make thousand of them. Yes, Yes, Yes!! Sending all the good wishes for everyone’s happiness and Japan’s rebirth!!! Her project right now is to collect origami cranes as much as possible for the event. She needs your help!! If you are in NYC….you can join this origami workshop in Brooklyn tomorrow. If not…you may be able to send some origami cranes by mail? Whatcha think? You may contact with her team through their blog. http://tsuruproject.wordpress.com/

Much love and gratitude,

Hanako

Origami Workshop for TANABATA FESTIVAL(wishing tree) in August & for sending LOVE and HOPE to the people of Japan
Time : 2pm-5pm
Place : 232 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

(Bedford Ave + between North 5th street and North 4th street. )

You can get off L train at Bedford Ave.

MAP

http://tsuruproject.wordpress.com/

In Mayumi's own word...
鶴プロジェクトには、夢があります。叶う夢です。それは、七夕 in NYです。
PROJECT 1: wishing tree : 七夕祭り
東日本大震災の被災地のひとつである宮城県仙台市では、毎年夏に仙台七夕祭りが催されます。七夕祭りは古く中国から伝わった行事が、日本の伝説と融合して生まれました。現代においては、紙に願い事をかいて笹に吊るす祭りとして知られています。特に仙台の七夕祭りは東北三大夏祭りの一つとして数えられ、装飾の大きさもさることながら、その手の込んだ美しい七夕装飾を一目見ようと毎年各地より大勢の人々が押し寄せます。今年は震災の影響もあり、開催されるかどうか未定です。鶴プロジェクトの実現可能な夢は、ワークショップでNYの人々や子供達に鶴を折ってもらい、集まった鶴で大きな七夕飾りを作り、七夕 in NYを開催することです。ひとつひとつの鶴を糸で繋げて大きな七夕飾りを制作します。当日のお祭りのイベント開催場では、それぞれの願いを紙に書いて鶴を折ってもらい笹の木に吊るすインタラクティブワークショップも同時に行います。このプロジェクト、七夕祭り in NYを実現させるためには何千何万の折り鶴が必要となります。鶴プロジェクエトの夢、七夕祭り in NYに賛同していただけるならば、折り鶴を寄付、または鶴を一緒に折って下さい。私たちの夢が一歩前に進むことができます。

A Piece Of Love, A Piece Of Snowflake

2011-01-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

I'm at home, chilling. Another snow storm hit Northeast yesterday, and ha....it dumped tons of snow once again. Last night's storm was eerie. It was a thunder snow storm! I never experienced it before. Here's the weather article on The NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/nyregion/28snow.html?_r=1&hp I don't know what to say....but this winter reminds me of a severe winter weather back in 1995 or 1996. NYC was covered with a thick white blanket throughout the winter at the time.

I love snow, their ethereal beauty appeals to me a lot. A tiny snow flake comes and goes as if our life begins and ends. ah, I can't ignore my frustration and hope for my sick auntie. She's about to cross the bridge to the other side of the world. She suffered enough. It's a time for her to be free from everything. I'm praying for her new journey to be a peaceful one. I only wish if she can sip a tiny spoonful of honey and water before she leaves here.

Life is hard. She lives in a beautiful country, Japan, where everything seems so secured and peaceful. She has a plenty of love, friends, families. Her life is filled with abundance. But she suffered a lot with her illness and the horrible medical treatments. I now think about "life" again. There's no "secured life" at all. It's just like an illusion. Just be happy. Pursuit what makes you feel happy as much as you can. At the end of our life, "secured life" may not have any value. Be with someone you love, spread love, and give a piece of thoughtful advice to your loved one if he/she goes on a wrong path. Please do so before it gets too late to fix the path.

That's all for today. I'm gonna get to see a beauty of snowfall in Central Park from now.

Love, gratitude, and PEACE,

Hana

The Frozen Tundra NYC and Life Goes On

2011-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

This winter has been very nasty. I keep dreaming about the warm weather. Sunbathing in a tropical island would be so sweet :) It is way too cold to get out today( 1/24 )! When I got up this morning, it was only 6 degrees...I love number 6, but not in the actual temperature! brrr...... no bueno...no, no, no.

Although I'm not a big fan of the winter at all, I love to see the beauty of it. I strolled around my favorite place, Central Park, yesterday and shot some pictures. I usually stay there for 2-3 hours....but man, the frigid weather didn't let me enjoy the scenery for that long. My finger felt numb soon after I arrived at the Ramble. All I can think of was to have a warm cup of cafe latte...Mmm, mmm.... :p There were a few people walking in the area, yes, it's so rare to encounter someone especially in the cold. Here's some pics to share the wintry beauty with you all.

It's all about snow and ice. I'm longing for a spring warmth... oh, but you know what? A very cute tour guide said hello to me the other day.

Yes, a fierce red color bird, Cardinal! He looks like a little phenix, doesn't he? I also met a woodpecker, and other wild birds in the woods. If you wanna taste a little bit of nature in NYC, this is the place you wanna visit.

BTW, I've been thinking how this cold weather affects on us, humans. My dear friend, " J " lives in San Diego, where he could spend most of his days in 70s-80s. Sweet isn't it? No true winter, it's almost always mild and warm. Now, I have a question to ask...experiencing the cold and the stillness during the winter let us create a different culture or attitude or behavior compared to those people who live in a same weather pattern all year-round??? What do you think?

I only know that experiencing the winter let us observe and learn the cycle of life. You know, we literally see its beginning in the spring and the end in the winter. We learn the perseverance from the winter, I guess?? Trees are naked, water remains frozen and still, no butterflies in the air, no fireflies to catch. Everything seems quiet and dead in the winter. It is the time for most of living creatures to slow down. It's not a total death though, it's a pause or a break before a new cycle. Underneath the thick ice, there's always life's miracle is happening.

I've never lived in a place without the winter. I'm curious how my perception in life changes if I live in a tropical island...hmm...well, until I plan to taste the tropical life, I shall explore my adventure in the winter then.

Yes, Life goes on.

Toodles!

-Hana

Winter Hibernation

2011-01-20T12:39:00.000-08:00

It's too late to greet " Happy New Year"? There were so many events happened while I was hibernated from blogging. Yes, I didn't feel like writing anything at all. No, not a word. I only continue writing my morning pages/journals to track my thought or intention. It is true that I've been busy being a socializing butterfly since Christmas. Of course, being busy on the physical world means...less hours for spending time alone with myself and sitting in front of a computer! No time, no writing.

Writing is hard. It's not as same as commenting on someone's photos or SNS's wall. I need to commit myself to write. Keri Smith posted a fantastic blog while ago related to a writing matter. Here's what she posted:

“I procrastinate worse than anybody.” Writing is so hard. “I need eight hours to get maybe 20 minutes of work done. I had one of those yesterday: seven hours of self-loathing.”
“Writing is a deep-sea dive. You need hours just to get into it: down, down, down. If you’re called back to the surface every couple of minutes by an email, you can’t ever get back down. I have a great friend who became a Twitterer and he says he hasn’t written anything for a year.”
-Dave Eggers (from an interview with the Guardian)

Whatcha think? Do you agree? Writing is like a diving! ah, then...I've been just sunbathing instead of diving. ha ha.

Diving or sunbathing, you must have had a great holiday season. I believe everyone is doing well and following your own blissful path in 2011 already? Some are energetic, some may be experiencing downtime. It's ok, just allow yourself to open to the flow of life. No need to feel that you are not good enough or healthy enough, or not making enough effort to improve your life etc. You are doing your best just as you are. Allow yourself to have some space for a self-worthiness not only judging and criticizing :)

My yoga instructor, Steph and Kevin are great. They often tell us some inspirational stories before they start the class. I attended Kevin's class at Kula yoga project in Tribeca a while ago. He mentioned that yoga practice don't force us to do the perfect job on any poses. ( Cool! ) The practice guides us to learn how we create a space for breathing when we are in a struggle. Most importantly, it won't give you any grades. It teaches us to accept who we are or what we can do now. Everyone is doing the best. Each person's achievement is different and they are all good. No need to compare yourself to others at all. You are enough. Embrace your worthiness. So, here I am, I'm heading to Steph's class tonight. I'm with my beginner's mind. Open to any possibilities, open to any mistakes, open to any surprises! I am worthy of learning all the good and mistakes!

oh, and I watched this vid yesterday. I found it through Miss Joyologist, Tricia Huffman's tweet. It's perfectly related to this post. Enjoy!

Love and gratitude to you all,

Hana

Beth's Postcard Project!

2010-12-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

This is Elizabeth McClung. ( The photo was borrowed from Superforest ) She is an awesome human being who is spreading positivity and love into the world by sending out a postcard to anyone. Yes, anyone. My favorite blog site, Superforest posted a blog about her a while ago. I was inspired by her random act of kindness. You would love to read the blog post? Here's the link! Thursday's Inspiration Information

Anyways, I wanted to get involved with her project by sending her a postcard as a reciprocity of LOVE. I worked on the project on Thanksgiving day, which is the perfect day to express my gratitude towards her attitude. Here's some pics of me...

Drawing, drawing, drawing....

I cut out a cardboard into a size of postcard. Yup, recycling!

I decided to draw " Love in a Bottle " for her.

There, a finish product!

I believe any snail mails are so precious, so intimate...! I love what Beth said on her blog : " The postcard is fantasy, it is encouragement, it is a companion against loneliness, it is a smile between friends. It is what you need it to be...that someone knows your name, and a little part of you, and cares about that part can sometimes get you through. "

So, what do you think? Do you have someone in your mind sending a postcard? or wanna send Beth a LOVE card? You can write her a card to this address. Let's spread Love in to the world together, shall we?

Beth McClung

PO BOX 2560

Port Angeles, WA 98362

and another interesting "Mysterious Letters Project" is on at ItStartsWithUs.com as well. Check it out! These creative projects are so much fun! Have fun with it. Love, reciprocity, gratitude...our universe is filled with a good energy...It's abundant ;)

Love and gratitude,

Hana

The Deliciousness Of Four Seasons

2010-11-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Having a good time in a new season? Yes! It's autumn!! A powerful energy coming from our mother nature, yes? I enjoy seeing the changes in the color of trees here. Central Park is the most amazing park in the world, I mean one of the best for sure. I found these amazingness the other day. Check this out!

See the beauty of the autumn? and you know what, it smells....sweet. Go outside and smell the air. It's sweet! or....am I just daydreaming about devouring a yummy piece of pumpkin pie? Yum!

BTW, how do you feel now? I mean what stage of your mind are you experiencing? Upward or downward? Right way or the other way around? I believe I am not the only one who felt some kinda nostalgia or feeling down at the beginning of fall? Spring and summer are energetic compared to fall and winter which offers us a quiet and contemplative time. The sun comes out early and sets at an early evening hour of a day. That's already enough to feel loneliness or long for a warmth of something! This seasonal changes have an effect on human habitual patterns or way of thinking? I guess...a little bit??

My experience with the four seasons is so far very interesting. How so? Ok, let's go back to January....The month of January was a new start of 2010. My life remained quiet...no movement at all. I wanted to see a change, but it wasn't a time yet. So I waited. Anyways, winter is a great time for being cozy and contemplative? Then, spring comes...I had to go back to Japan for a few weeks and observed my dad's resurrection. Through the experience, I sensed something was about to happen. You know, seeing him obtaining a new life at the age of 77 was so cool. Yes, a change happened in my life as well. I was able to let myself go from an old comfortable zone as simple as possible. I freed myself. Finally! I felt like I was a new born baby or a new shoot on a tree! But I had no idea what would happen next and, lo and behold, new exciting events kept happening throughout the summer! Then, my life simply got into a quiet term in September. I reconnected with my inner-self again and figured out which direction I'm gonna steer into. I am taking a tiny baby step towards the direction...what you call it as a " dream ". I look forward to a gift from winter...

ah, Ladies and gents...I'm now in a process of getting my driver's license. Beware New Yorkers! I'm gonna cruise around the city soon! It's a sort of my must-have item for making my dream into a reality. Yup, my baby step, that is!

So, where are you at your life now? or where are you at your mind?

Today, it's a New York Marathon Day! I shall give those runners some cheers as I see them across the city. They are so lucky to see these amazingness in Central Park while they participate in the event. I hope everyone is tasting a yummy autumn wherever you are.

Cheers to you all. Life is happening as it is. Savor it as much as possible :) I have a blessed autumnal life today, so do you.

Love and gratitude,

Hana

Happy Birthday Superforest!

2010-10-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yaaaaaaay! Happy Birthday Superforest!! Yes, my favorite blog site, Superforest is celebrating its 3rd birthday today! whoo hoo!! As they explain what Superforest is in their own words : SuperForest is a positivity blog. The members of our team are scattered across several countries, all united in a journey toward exploring how to redefine "environmentalism" and "sustainability" to encompass all aspects of life. Being so, everything you find on this website has been chosen to uplift and inspire one person: you.

If you haven't heard about Superforest yet, then go and visit the site! You'll be amazed and fall in love with it immediately. I promise, the blog site is yummy! and watch the special birthday video. That is their mission, The Superforest Humanifesto.

Much love and gratitude goes to Team Superforest and every single Superforesters in all over the world!

Love and cyber group hugs ( Thanks Superforester Sheri, I borrowed the word from you ) ,

Hana

PS.September BLUE Sky

2010-10-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

PS. I forgot to add this part in my previous blog. Reading an article of Psychology Today was a pretty good remedy to get out of the BLUE and stay focus on the present moment mindfully. One of my great friend sent me this link long ago. Here it is.

The Art of Now : Six Steps to Living in the Moment

It's a pretty long article to read, but I promise. It's good. Yum!
Thank you, my dearest Shinyu for sharing the deliciousness of it.

Have a crispy clear weekend!!

Love and gratitude,

Hana

Tumblr, Tumblr, Tumblr

2010-09-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, Hey, Hey, people! This is an additional blah blah blah to my recent blog "September Blue Sky".

I now have my photo and quote site on Tumblr!! I upload my photos daily and post an inspirational quote whenever I find it through an awesome galaxy of cyber space. Come & Visit me there as well!!

Miss Moon in The Sky

Love and Miss Moon's smile,

Hana

September BLUE Sky

2010-09-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

Oops...I'm dreaming that September has just started...Have you seen TIME? Where did it go? I want to retrieve a piece of TIME that I lost in the month of September. Bummer, the technology is not capable of doing that yet. Ok, then... How've you been? I've been good and lazy, lazy and good. Since the summer has gone, everything around me is in a slow motion or rather there's no movements at all. I think I'm in a break after experiencing so many interesting events this year. Man, time for taking a deep breath then...

Looking up the dark blue September sky, I wonder how easily we/humans are prone to DO something restlessly? We even feel guilty or uncomfortable by resting in stillness, don't we? Well, some of you may be ok in that state, but I felt guilty ( for what? ) and also felt blue ( ha, nice pun with the title of this blog ) without getting involved with " things-to-do " in days. First couple of days were ok, then, I totally got bored and felt insecure afterwards. But I knew that being busy doesn't always means creating a better condition in life. We tend to forget living mindfully by being busy, yes? I needed to get off from a busy- bee treadmill and take time to look into my mind profoundly and mindfully. What's my search? I wanted to find an answer to this question : What do I want?

The stillness was scary. I thought " the Nothing " of the Neverending Story was coming to get me. Seriously! My only task for a day was writing The Morning Pages. Other than that, I didn't have much plans to go somewhere or do something. I was mostly with me, myself and I at home or just strolling around the city to get a fresh air. The Morning Pages is a writing task for everyday. Three pages of whatever crosses your mind-that's it. Write it, don't look at it. Spit every clutters out of your mind and closed the pages. By doing so, I get clearer than before and it gets easier to deal with the things that really matter to me. and a good news is...I found what I wanna do! I have an answer to the question now. Yay! I'll keep it as a secret for now, if you don't mind? I don't want the magic of my dream to be faded ;) By allowing to have a little time to practice stillness and calm unfolds the sense of balance in our minds and lives. Am I living in the present mindfully now? I hope so.

BTW, tomorrow is the first day of October, everyone. Any colorful wishes for the coming new month? I finally see a seed of my dream is growing. It's still a teeny-weeny sprouts showing the face above the ground in my heart <3 I need to take care of it as it grows big by watering, giving good nutrients and sunlight ( a ray of hope? ). I'll be patient till it gets matured.... I am exciting to see it grow! whoo hoo :D

Have a happy last day of September and enjoy a delightful Autumn taste in October!

Love and gratitude,

Hana

A Voice From The Past

2010-08-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Guten Ohakonbanchiwa! ah, this is my made-up "Germanese" greeting. German + Japanese. Well...." Ohakonbanchiwa" is another made-up word created by one of a Japanese anime character. It's a mixture of these three words : "Ohayo/Good morning", "Konbanwa/Good evening", and "Konnichiwa/Hello". Pretty convenient, yes? Loving it!

I'm finally chilling at home instead of getting outside and digging some fun with friends. Yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired and also it's time to seek for a new adventure now! What do I want to experience next? hmm.....Well...prior to the new adventure, it's nice to clean all the clutters out of my closet and mind. So, I started dividing the clutters into a junk and recyclable item. Guess what? I've got great findings! Yup, found my old scribble notebooks. Especially, two of the drawing books are really old. I did many drawings when I was still a teenager...Here's some of my Japanese manga drawings. Let's peek Hana's teenage era...BTW, I was so passionate to do these drawings everyday instead of studying. I wanted to become a anime illustrator. My career dream completely altered though.

Fun? Yes, it is fun to bring back the memories from the past. Looking at a school album would be super fun! I would do that when I get back to Japan next time. Imagine, turning the pages of those albums or notebooks...then you start to hear the voices from the past, the younger version of you. What she/he says to you? Are you happy to tell her/him that you become who you wanted be? or maybe, a little YOU emerges from the past and gives you some bold courage you used to have?

What I've leaned from the findings is a simple core of where my mind is always set : searching for a meaning of life. Despite of a considerable lapse of time, I haven't changed much on how I think or what I believe in both positive and negative matters. The only difference I can tell is that my current quest is more profound than the past one. Learning & practicing to kick my negative scarcity out of my system and leading my life to be full and complete with abundance. But boy, surprise, surprise! I used to dig a darker side of ME a lot...reading those thoughts made me feel depressed...so I put the feeling back into " the past "and came back to the present. Smile.

Anyways, this cleaning project seems very practical and meaningful. I now created more space for a new thing to come in. Hello, Universe. I'm ready to take on a new adventure! What? ah, ok. I need to come up with an idea what's next, because....I am the creator of my life!!! Let me think....

" A man is what he thinks about all day long. " - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a great summer weekend everyone! Hula hooping? Swimming? Sun bathing? Do whatever brings you :D Ok? For now, I'm gonna dig this vid, Jason Mraz's beautiful performance at Hollywood Bowl on YouTube :) Ha! Love his amazing voice and talent!!!!!!!

Love and a sweet summer kiss,

LoveAboundingHana

Girls' Night Out!

2010-08-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

" I saw fireworks from the freeway, and behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away..." -Jason Mraz

Me, myself, and I...and 4 of other beautiful japanese girls headed to Breezy Point on this Monday evening. Just to watch the mysterious night ocean. ha ha, girls just wanted have fun :) Nope, no boys, people. We rented out a sexy red Volvo for the night. Everyone left their own clutters ( work, laundry, assignments, emails...etc) at home and soaked up a blissful fun night.

I had been wanting to see the night ocean so badly...then I asked a friend if she's interested. She immediately called me up and we ended up having our gathering at a beach. Fantastic :) Thank you Universe, thank you Mayumi!! My wish was granted :) Yay!

Unfortunately, the sky was kinda cloudy. We expected to see the sunset at the beach though.. :( hmm...this is funny. Every time I decide to go to a beach, the sky is covered with thick clouds or fogs. June Gloom was hovering above the city of San Diego while I was there, too. I wonder I am Miss. Misty...? Tell me the truth, Universe?

The weather cannot beat our girl's power! See? How happy we were???! The ocean breeze was pretty strong. ooops, a bad hair day! ah, are you looking for me? I'm there with a black shrug and a coffee. Ok, ready to hit a beach, girls!

ahhh....so good to be at the beach...so good to hear the voice of ocean! I kinda liked this cloudy day in the end. Off-white color of sky brings up the softness of the ocean and sandy beach. Love! The magical power of our lovely ocean helped us feel calm and peaceful.

We had a great supper : tuna sandwich, fruits, cheese, cookies, and red wine. The sky turned into deep dark grey color around 8:30pm or so, then we realized the tide was on the ebb. Seeing the ebb tide, I thought about letting go. Letting go of the things, letting go of my feelings, letting go of the flow of life. My mind became so clearer. I absorbed myself into the peaceful voice from the ocean. Felt so blissful. I wish I could share the happiness with you all...! The ocean was as gentle as a midnight summer breeze. She/the ocean sometimes....gets cranky though... ;)

Here comes another weekend to create your lovely memory. Soak up with the sun if you want to, pig out your favorite dim sum if you want to, make out with your love if you love to...Carry out the things that make your heart bounce. Love your life :) Love yourself. You are worthy of all the LOVE is.

Namaste,

Hana

PS. Monday, the 9th of July was a new moon. I've heard that your wish will be granted if you manifest what you want to create in your life on a new moon night. So, we, 5 of us did practiced the manifestation wording. Hopefully, each of us will see the good outcomes in the near future...Keeping our finger crossed!

and all the pictures (except the one with a red Volvo) was taken by Miss. Yumiko Furukawa, a superb Japanese artist. Check out her web site. Her work is beautiful.

Yumiko Furukawa

and my friend, Mayumi owns her petit art gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and artsy web shop as well. You may find some cool arts and goodies out there! Check it out.

Mystudionyc

Being Happy, Being Me Part 2

2010-08-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey, hey, what are you up to? Had a great weekend? Had a hot date with someone new?! Life is fresh. Just like those yummy & juicy peaches! Have fun, taste every bit of the flavor. oh, you haven't done anything you plan to do this summer yet? Then what are you waiting for? Get on it NOW! It's not too late to start. Just need to turn off the TV and kick your butt off from the couch ;)

I'm back here again. Yes, I promised to you writing about what I've learned at Cafe Gratitude workshop with Matthew and Terces in SF. Do you remember what my purpose is for this trip? Right. I wanted to know how I can leave scarcity in life and get an access to a world of plenty : a quest for an abundance in life.

First, what is abundance? My idea is to have and experience the infinite supply from the universe in life. It sounds ok, but I guess it has to have more detail in it. Matthew and Terces says abundance is the assurance and knowingness of being supplied. Meaning to say that abundance is always present and we have an access to it by being what we think, what we say, what we believe, the actions we take and the attitude we have. They explain we would be able to experience abundance if we keep our attentions on all the things we've already been given.

As they started sharing all the good stories with the participants in the workshop, I was overwhelmed by curiosity and joy. I was so happy to be there listening, learning, sharing the experience with everyone. I deeply nodded when Matthew told us about how human beings easily see the world as something out there. We live as if life is happening to us. But in fact, we are the one sculpting our experience of life and projecting it to the present moment. Yes, there is no OUT THERE.

It seems mastering of Beingness is the key to access to abundance. Beingness means what we think, what we say, what we believe, how we act, and what our attitude is. So, just look at what circumstances in your life you're in and want to change. I've tried this recently, and I'm making a change in life. I'll talk about it later, maybe next time. You can experience a different circumstance only if you start shifting your thought to a new one. I love this quote from their book : " The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. -Florence Shinn "

Aside from practicing of Being, knowing that we are always being provided is another lesson to master. Otherwise, we'll fall into the swirl of something is missing, something is wrong. Our ego starts to control our life, yes, scarcity begins to show up in life. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, open your eyes and see/think what you have right now. Having a place to sleep, having love that you can share with your family and friends, having an access to internet? wow, that's amazing!! See how lucky we are to be provided? Be grateful for what you have and who you are and be worthy of receiving and giving. Keep your attention on what has already been given, then you start to see a whole new experience of life. One more great quote from their book : " While you fear missing a meal, you aren't fully aware of the meals you do eat. - Dan Millman "

I still continue to learn the teaching by reading the book, " The Abounding River ". I've found some assignments to practice so far. What I wrote here is just a small piece of my learning. I'll talk about more of this issue through my experience from time to time. My quest has a bright future. I am happy, I am happy to have my life as I create. I am being happy, then I am being ME.

My huge gratitude goes to Matthew and Terces, and Angi, Marta, and everyone at Cafe Gratitude community. Thank you! and special appreciations to my inspirational friends, jon and Marie-Eve :)

Much love and gratitude to you all,

Hana

A Tiny Feather

2010-08-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hola! I know, I know...I suppose to write about the second part of "Being Happy, Being Me ". But unfortunately, my mind is now experiencing a mood swing, therefore, today's blog is about my little thought on this tiny feather... ha! Take it.

A tiny feather flew from somewhere and rested on me in a park. I carefully held it with my finger, then tried to put it into my card case. Whoosh! A mischievous breeze swept it away from me! I was disappointed not being able to keep it. I know it's silly, but it looked like a tiny piece of "Happiness". I felt like I lost a gift from it... Oh well, anyways, I wish the feather a happy journey.

Guess what? It came back to me very next day while I was reading a book in the park! Yay, the tiny happiness returned to me!! I kept it safely in my card case this time. Is this a message from the universe? There has to be a time and place to receive things? What do you think, people? The clouds are hanging heavily. Having a slight headache. Let's go home. I'm a bit tired. See ya tomorrow, my trees ;)

Kisses from trees and ME,

Hana

Being Happy, Being Me Part 1

2010-07-31T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hola, how are you? I've been away from writing for so loooooooooong. The month of July was just filled with fun fun and more fun! Yeah, it's summer!! Hope you guys are having a great summer as well ;)

What I have been doing this summer....ok, I had a fun 4th of july celebration with my friends. Watched Toy Story III, had a yummy Korean dinner, clapped our hands for Macy's fireworks. Although the weather was extremely sticky and yucky...the celebration was excellent. Then I had a fantastic guest from San Diego, we strolled around Williamsberg, Brooklyn and he had a chance to sing his songs at an open mic at a bar. Later his friend joined us, we had a crazy dancing night...oy! and then...I flew to San Francisco for a spiritual workshop with Matthew & Terces at Cafe Gratitude. wow, that was a super nutritious experience ever!! oh, yes, I am absorbing their teaching now, slowly but surely. Thank you Cafe Gratitude community in SF. My gratitude and love goes out to every single person I met at the workshop. Thank you Angi, thank you Marta, thank you Naomi & her friend who kindly gave me a lift to SFO. Thank you, Matthew & Terces!! I'll definitely try to make another trip to " Sacred Commerce " workshop!! Keeping my finger crossed. Wait and see how the universe wants me to take an action ;) and lastly...I had an amazing trip to San Diego!!! It was a BLAST :D My friend & his GF provided me so much fun entire my stay in SD!!!!!!! Hiking, watching the night ocean, walking around a lake under Miss Moon's smile, awesome authentic Mexican food, yummy chinese noodle.....laughter after laughter...Man, my summer just let my heart and body bounce a lot! Thank you all of you, YOU! Yes, YOU=EVERYONE and EVERYTHING I met and experienced!! I've now charged up with tons of love fuel :)

BTW, what I've learned at Cafe Gratitude workshop was very inspirational. Prior to my trip, I wanted to know how I can come out of a scarcity in life and access to a world of plenty. Their teaching gives me a great tip for that achievement....

I wanna write about Cafe Gratitude workshop, but I'm tired. Today's yoga was pretty good, and my body tells me to sleep now ;p Sorry, I'll write the rest sometime next week, ok? Gotta be a super early bird tomorrow...so I'm gonna crash!

Namaste....

Hana

Love note

2010-07-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

"I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you. Yes, I do..." - Luc and The Lovingtons

Have you had a moment that you felt "love" so profoundly? It could be for someone particular or someone in your imaginary world, or it could be just about general LOVE in the universe. For some reasons, I suddenly wanted to write a love note to whom/what I'm in love with the other day. Maybe the power from fresh green trees in a park whispered the magical words of love into my ear , maybe the spirit of yoga evoked the feeling in me, or music stirred up my emotion...?

"Hello my love! Waking up this morning, I just thought about you. Your awesomeness feeds me at anytime, anywhere. I can see your face in my heart every minute, second, and every millisecond. I know you are very good at playing hide and seek, aren't you? Sometimes, you drive me nuts! But you know what? I'll find you wherever you go. Because...I know how you laugh and hum your favorite song, I know your hands are always looking for mine to hold, I know your warm stare tickles my heart. Oh, hear that? Birds are teasing me cuz I blush, blush...and blush when I look into your eyes...I'm a helpless cat in your arms.... <3 "

Love is crazy, sweet, passionate...What would you do with it? Suppose you find it on your palm as a shape of those cute marbles or candy. Roll it? Crush it? Taste it? Whatever you do, it's your choice. Send a message of love to your special someone today. Talk about LOVE with your friends and family at a dinner table. You know, LOVE may play hide-and-seek with you tomorrow. So we might take an advantage of now to hold it, embrace it, caress it.

May everyone smile with a shower of LOVE tonight.

Nite, nite...

Love to you, you, and YOU!

Hana

Freedom Song

2010-06-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

Heyo, guys!! Having fun in the summer sun? I wanna share this special music with you today. Yup, I promise...these guys are great. Perfect for you to dance, smile, and sing out loud. Their tunes simply brings you joy and happiness and are made out of 100% Pure Love and Positivity. Here's the link to Luc and the lovingtons.

*The photo was borrowed from their Myspace photo album.

Whatcha think? Give a shout out to them! How I found them? Ok, everything starts from my favorite blog " Freshness Factor Five Thousand ". Yup, some of you already know that's Jason Mraz's bolg site. In his blog, he explained how he stumbled upon the song called " Freedom Song" : How I got to Ghana is a story that begins with a song. Last year I stumbled onto a radical project called Harmonic Humanity. The successful Seattle based organization that puts original music in the hands of the homeless, who then are given the opportunity to distribute the CD’s as they do with newspapers nationwide. Their first album included the standout “Freedom Song” written by Luc Reynaud and a group of extraordinary children. Understanding music to be a powerful healing tool, Luc and his guitar traveled from Seattle to Louisiana right after Katrina hit. There, he would compose The Freedom Song with displaced kids. It would become an instant hit for families in Baton Rouge.On Luc’s myspace page he asked the song and story be shared with the world. I immediately found myself playing it for my friends whenever they got in my car and soon I’d be covering it at gatherings. In no time, my whole community was hooked on it.

Freedom Song

Luc Reynaud | MySpace Music Videos

I simply love this song so much. It lifts your spirit up up up in the sky high! Feel the power of human love through this music. Well, if it's a beautiful thing....why not share it? right? Please pass this song to your friends and family. Let's spread the words of love, shall we? ...and you can order their CD through their Myspace page. I ordered a copy of it already :) Felipe (vocals and percussion ) is a sweet person to talk to. "I'm Awake" is another sweet song I love. Sing out loud, be happy :)

Speaking of love...why don't I tell you about Jason Mraz's extraordinary effort to bring happiness & freedom to the children who are imprisoned as child slaves in Ghana. Jason traveled to Ghana lately to get involved himself into helping end child slavery with an organization called "Free The Slaves". He's been enthusiastically involved himself into these humanitarian activisms. Every individual's small acts would change the world to a better place. His words are fresh and inspirational. Watch this video interview and think what we can do to bring more smiles on the children in our society.

Watch live streaming video from aplive at livestream.com

and...today, June 23rd is Jason Mraz's birthday!! Yeah, Mraz day everyone!!! Happy Birthday, Jason Mraz!!!

Much love and the power of music for everyone on this mother earth,

Hana

Weekend Fun

2010-06-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Howdy? I guess most of you are back at work already. How was the long weekend? I had a great one. Yes, I got a opportunity to be a flower elf this weekend!!! Yaaaaay! So sweet to be involved with what I love. I helped out an event designer, Jerry Sibal at Design Fusion NYC.

The weather was nice but hot...then the designer required us to wear all black attire for his job. So, imagine...boy...it was the most appropriate day to wear a black T-shirt and a pair of black pants! All the designers were melting. The wedding was held at a country club in Long Island. I was too busy to take pics, but I have some to share my experience with you all. Here we go.

Boys and girls are preparing the low centerpieces for the dining tables using wheat grass, white roses and some lemon leaves in a square box. You'll see the final product later. The front arrangement is a bride & groom table arrangement I worked on.

Boys are constructing a frame for a place card table arrangement. Using the designer's signature material, wisteria vine.

Jerry is working on a runner for a ceremony. He meticulously attaches small pieces of white fabrics shaped in rose petals onto it. Beautiful and romantic.

So, this is the tall centerpieces for a dining room. His style is always lush! Peonies, roses, and hydrangeas...." An Event To Remember ", his latest book reveals another gorgeous works of his company. Check it out!

and the low centerpieces with candles and a mirror. The reflection on the mirror must be fantastic when you light up the candles. They illuminate everything around it.

A place card table. The bride looooooves this phalaenopsis orchid.

Cocktail tables are situated outside with simple arrangements of white peonies. The glass vase were all covered with tropical leaves. It gives you a clean, crisp summer sensation. In this kinda weather, it's perfect!!

Here's the decoration of a ceremony. The boys set up these metal gates. Too heavy for me?!

Two big entrance arrangements and a chuppah decoration at a back.

Oy vey....building up this chuppah under the hot & steamy weather is hard...!!! We have to keep spraying on the flowers otherwise...they wilt quickly with the heat :(

Lastly...this is a cake decoration we ( myself and another designer ) worked on in a refrigerator....brrrrrr...yeah, it was cold!!! Crazy day with the extreme temperature changes, you know? BTW, the cake looks delish, yes? I tasted a piece of white chocolate...yum! shhh....it was just a piece!

So, this is the life of flower people. We are all here to make your event special and most importantly our mission is to make you happy :) I must say, flower people are all flower joyologists! We love to send you our love throughout the work!

Recovering from the body exhaustion because of the intense job on the wedding, I visited Central Park again yesterday. Wanted to receive a healing energy from trees and flowers. Then I happened to encounter these people!!!

Yup, they are hula dancers!!! I later figured out they are the students of Halau Hula O Na Mele 'Aina O Hawai'i. The organization offers the hula dance lessons and gives some performances in the city. Surprisingly, among them...I found a girl I know of! A white shirt with a flower in her hair...she's the owner of a boutique, Saada on the 2nd Ave and 61st street. She was superb! This event provokes a strong interest on joining the class. Funny, one of my best friend in Japan is also crazy about this Hawaiian culture. hmm...universe suggests me to explore another possibility to expand my flower joyologist misssion. Interesting.

I can see myself in the group...I wanna join it!!

Remember, life passes with a blink of eyes. Enjoy each moment of your life. Be happy, Be creative, Be who you are. LOVE WHO YOU ARE.

Love and gratitude,

Hana

PS. Ms Joyologist Tricia Hoffman is joining aids bike ride tour between 6/6-12 for 7days. Let's send her cheers and love!! Namaste...

Being Free

2010-05-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

I was at the rooftop of my apartment building the other night. Wanted to look up the evening sky and listen to the urban sounds of New York. Wish I could share the sound and soft summer breeze with you all. Feels so magical to stay up there, you know? All the visual images and physical experiences are merging into one. Like you're creating a piece of art. I love it when it happens...!

I've been thinking about " Being Free ". This photo shows you the state of " Being Free ".

Yup, I cut the straps off from these sandals because they hurt my feet a lot. Without the straps, I feel much comfortable!! See? My feet are no longer tethered, no more blisters! Yes! ...and I notice the fact that I'm living in the condition I'm no longer tethered as well. Being unemployed and I'm free. Only a myriad of possibilities stand out. What a great feeling that is!

I was once a waitress dreaming about becoming a flower designer in NYC. My passion led me to what I wanted to be : A flower designer. I kept walking on the path for a long time. The straps clung to my old path has been cut off and they let me go. I'm on my way to find other possibilities in my career path. I believe the reality is the creation of our thoughts. Here we go...I've started conveying my dream into a reality once again. and you know what? It's been great. Seriously, everything is starting to work out well. I'll keep you posted on my story ;)

Meanwhile, I'd share these images of my " Being Free And Happy " moments with you all.

Found an ice cream truck in soho. They are so so soooooo good!

and I got a scoop of yummy (handpicked)strawberry ice cream! ahhh.... nom nom..and nom... :9

Of course, I found a perfect place looking at red rambling roses while I was eating the ice cream.

See that? How gorgeous they are? Peeking through the iron gate, I got kisses from the peach roses.

At my feet, there were twinkle twinkle little yellow stars greeting " Hello! ".

The little white flowers are like clouds in the sky. Gentle and fragile.

I love strolling around the city when the weather is good. Finding these precious little happiness are extremely fun!

Lastly, this is just an additional part of this blog, not related to the title at all..., but I happened to open this book " A CLOUD " a while ago, so let me introduce this artist, a Japanese graphic designer, Katsumi Komagata. He's an award-winning graphic designer who are inspired by the development of his daughter, and he began creating sets of visual story books and playful cards games in 1990. I love his book called " A CLOUD ". In the book, he explains how our daily life keeps changing and ends eternally...then a new life, a new day to follow. He gives a metaphor by using the life of clouds : Clouds meet their changes in the shapes and dissolve and reborn again every day, every hours, every minutes, and every seconds. He uses different textures of papers so that it gives you a great physical sense of feeling or touching on the different clouds every time you turn the pages. Life never stop changing, we can only cherish the past but holding it. I love his words at the end of this book : The clouds seem close but are very far. They keep on forming and changing all the time. Clouds contain water which is heavier than air by almost 800 times. Million of tons. Great energy is in each cloud. Gradually, they become rain falling onto the ground. We are always under the sky. In my childhood I wondered why the clouds moved. Sometimes they would make me wish something and think of someone, sometimes I would predict the weather with them. There are cloudy days. Sometimes I forget to look at the sky because I am too busy. So there are clouds inside the book. As we turn the pages, memories come back with the view of clouds that we have seen before.

Hope you are feeling happy and free as well. Wherever you are...I send you love.

" The clouds form and die eternally. There is only clouds for today.
There will be clouds again for tomorrow."

Much love & gratitude to you all,

Hana

Slow Down....

2010-05-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

" Slow down, you move too fast, got to make the morning last..."

Simon & Garfunkel

I definitely agree with what Simon & Garfunkel sing in the song. Our urban life style usually forces us to keep going. We are not having enough time to survey what our life's purposes are. Take a moment in the morning, or afternoon or before you go to bed. Just look around and find the serene joy coming to you. Ask yourself what's your priority in life? Hope you find the answer. BTW, I felt the flower smiling joy while I was looking at these guys in a park. Check them out.

Green leaves are swaying in the spring breeze....

Then, trees are dressing up with a ray of sunshine....

Little white flowers try to embrace you in their arms....

and these little blue flower says, " Don't forget about me! "....

I know this must be my privilege to have this happy moment in the park, yes? I am a Flower Joyologist, I understand their (=flowers & trees ) words ;) It's already weekend, everyone. How are you spending your free time? Movie? Hiking? Bike tour? Whatever it is, enjoy the moment you live in. Enjoy every moment you breathe. Here's my favorite quote : Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. -Albert Einstein

Love to you all,

Hana

Simple Life

2010-05-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. -John Lennon "

I just happend to be there in Central Park and found this quote of John Lennon yesterday afternoon. It was an extremely fantastic weather, breezy and sunshine. All the trees and birds were celebrating LIFE! Under a warm ray of sunshine, I met an Italian guy who is an educator/life coach. We had a nice chat for a while. He may be another messenger from the universe?

It's been a week since I was laid off. So far, so good. A new idea comes and goes...An image of myself in the future gets clearer than before. At first, I felt kinda awkward spending lots of time at home. I didn't know how to adjust myself into it. I now have enough time to read a book, take a walk in a park during the day ( aside from searching a job... ), breathe into a fresh air ( at least in a park? ), and seeing other people's life along the way is so powerful and inspiring. These simple things were missing while I had a full-time work at a flower shop. Being laid off is a painful matter, but I feel joy at this moment...The joy comes from a freedom. I've never got out of an ordinary life style : Work 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. This is my first time not having a job, but I tell ya...I'm having a great time of my life! Sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. Life's got all different flavors. So alive.

My cousin just sent me an email from Japan. She's recently moved in to a remote area in Kyoto, quitting her job, trying to adjust herself to a new life. It's an extremely small community that dosen't have much of an urban life style : No big super markets, no hot bars or restaurants to hang out, no cooking school she can offer her incredible talent. She used to be a cooking/baking instructor at a cooking school. Her passion was to bake all the different breads and to teach and share the fun with other people. Well, everything comes from a heart would be precious, isn't it? On the contrary to the inconvenience in her new daily life, she started to find a joy. She explains : I may have withdrawn myself a few steps behind from where I was before, but I've started to see everything in a beautiful picture. I had an enormous pressure to catch up with my assignments, work, and house keepings, but now... I have a time to enjoy outdoor life in the nature, buying seasonal vegetables and fruits from a local green market. I find a happiness in a very simple life. Breathe, eat and sleep. I'll start baking when we finish our kitchen renovation, so it'll be awesome!

I found her story and my new life have something in common. We both found a joy in a state of being free. We are both free from our old comfort zones. Creating a new circumstance to live. Spring has sprung, summer is on the way. Our journey takes us to another surprise, another struggles, another happiness. Life is all good afterwards... :)

What about yours? So far, so good, I believe...! I send you this pretty smiles of lily of the valley. They signify the return of happiness in the " language of flowers ". So, catch it!

Much love and kisses to you all,

Hana

Transformation In Progress

2010-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Time flies...17 days of my Japanesy life passed so fast, and can't really believe it's been almost a week since my arrival in the US. Yes, I'm back in where I belong to. Well, New York is still my base camp at least for now. I may change my mind in the future, who knows? I trust in the ever-changing climate of the heart ( I borrowed the expression from Jason Mraz. Thank you. )

My trip to Japan turned out to be fantastic. My dad's surgery went well and he's recuperating faster than we expected! High 5 for his fighting spirit :) As the spring season kicks off with tons of cherry blossoms, signs of new life, hope, and happiness shows up everywhere we look around. Good to feel the vibes from the nature.

oh, I show you some pics of those cherry trees in Kyoto before anything else.

There were so many places you could go and see these beautiful trees throughout the city. Just amazing! Go and see those beauty next spring time if you can.

Anyways...my spring dream life in Japan is over, I now face to a reality in NY. Ouch! Honestly, I would've stayed longer in Kyoto because I could stay away from this uncomfortable change in my life. Uncomfortable? Yes, stepping out from a comfort zone is very hard. I get lots of pressure and fear by putting myself in the unemployment condition. I can easily get lost in time and end up doing nothing. Here we go, my mind is trying to escape from the NOW. Boy, I thought I'm willing to take this change though? Fear makes me think of avoiding the hardship.

You'll have to excuse my negativity. I'm a human, I have fears and dark side. Yesterday was one of those depressing day ever. Maybe a gray colored sky and rain added a grim impression to my feeling. Aren't we all have those day, are we? I wanted to lift my heavy heart, so I decided to give myself a gratitude every time I accomplished one thing. Here's the things I did yesterday : I sent out thank you notes to my relatives who visited and shared love with us while my dad was in a hospital. I called my mom & dad to check everything is ok, I read the instruction of filing unemployment...Most importantly, I splurged on sleeping! Need to get over with a jet lag as soon as possible... otherwise I won't be able to use my brain fully!! My language button also needs to switch into English not Japanese ;p Suffice to say, I felt better by the end of the day after acknowledging some improvements in my present situation.

I found this quote on Superforest today : “Happiness comes from accepting the present situation, whether it is something you wish to savor as long as possible or change as quickly as you can. Neither is possible without acceptance as the starting point, because without acceptance you are living on the periphery of your life. There at the edges, you can’t fully enjoy the good stuff or do anything about the rest.” –Victoria Moran Thank you Superforester Aaron, you made my day!

Time to make more progress...I'll see you all later ;)

Love to you all wherever you are,

Hana

Start Fresh

2010-04-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's April already...! I've been waiting to see all the beautiful spring trees so badly. How are you everyone? Being perky and happy as the weather gets mild and warm? Isn't it so nice to see spring transformation in everywhere? Had enough of rain so far...I see the rays of sunshine coming through my window blinds right now. Feeling alive, feeling happy.

I strolled around my favorite place, Central Park, on Thursday and today. Everyone seemed so happy to welcome the spring weather. Reading, chatting, sleeping and jogging.... People are soaking up the sun with joy. Great time. Oh, due to a holy week, I would say this to you all...Happy Passover and Happy Easter :) The Easter bunny is munching Matzo?

These are the pics of cherry blossoms in the park.

Hope to see them in Japan, too. I'm leaving tomorrow to Kyoto... I'll be there for my dad ;)

BTW, This April is a special month to me. Dad's surgery, being unemployed, starting a new life and seeing some changes in other people's life. It's so interesting when everything is coming together for a fresh start. I'd be honest. I'm scared about putting my feet into the unknown, I mean getting out of a comfort zone. I even had a mini-breakdown a while ago...and I'm sure I'll face to some obstacles along the way in the future. As far as I'm concerned, this would be a remarkable new chapter in my life. Looking back my past 15 years, I stayed and worked at the same flower shop. Whoa...15 years...! Time flies, really. Love to my work made this happen, you know? Brava! Time to move on now.

As I was watching the cherry blossoms in the park today, I recalled some conversations with my friends I had a while ago. Those were very inspiring stories. Each story came from a different person, but the main ingredients are the same : Courage, Hope, Positivity. Those people in the stories dip their toes into the unknown and experienced a metamorphosis, a fresh start. What a perfect timing to hear about these stories! I believe something big and magical is pushing my back to follow my interests. A small step or giant Godzilla step, I'll walk on a new map of my life.

Ok, time is up. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend :)

Love, Bunny, and Cherry Blossoms,

Hana

Anger Management Inc.

2010-03-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever lost your temper completely ? and feeling awful afterwards? I guess everyone has been there, done that before...right? I'm not a screamer, but yes, I throw things when I get irritated... Nobody sees it anyways? ah, right. I admit. I do this when no one is watching me. ha ha. I just wonder...why throwing things gives a chance to overcome the anger? hmm...am I dumping the feeling far away??? Interesting.

About a week ago, my employer/friend totally went bonkers. It was like a temporary insanity or some sort. Must be so hard to see things clearly when people lose their temper and drive everyone crazy. And the core of a matter is usually nothing serious. They get snap...because they are under a lot of stress or pressure throughout their daily life. You name it, trouble over a relationship, traffic jams, an event with a wrong time and a wrong place... Like it or not, we are deeply affected by those bumps in life.

How do you control your anger without disturbing others? I find a good one! I try to shift my anger into peace whenever I push a fury button. How? Yoga. Stand in Tadasana, then move to Uttanasana, of course breathe accordingly. I repeat this until the quiet state of mind starts to appear. Luckily, I have a place to be alone at work, so it's perfect! Learning to remain rational would be the best solution for " Anger Management ". I was content with what I did while he was bursting out his anger for nothing. He apologized later though.

I also notice how easy to hurt someone by words. You know, people want to defend themselves and blame someone for their unhappy condition. Throwing nasty words to others means...you create a gap between them. That doesn't help for improving the condition at all. Only by using considerate words to approach people would be a way to amend the problem.

oh, and how you can get rid of your stress? Well, you gotta figure it out by yourself. There are many ways to live without stress. I practice yoga, accept changes in life, stay fresh each day, and know that each events are there to provide us for a new opening : An opportunity for a new possibility. Think about it, things are happening for good and bad. And we learn to be patient when everything is gone bad. Ok? Nothing is life-threatening. Where there's a will, there's a way.

If you need a guidance to live happily, go and read Joyologist Tricia Hoffman's blog, " I Am Being ". She's good.

Let's maintaining a balance in life both good and not so good. BTW, the picture of a dancing ballerina above is a pun for this. ha ha. Hope your " Anger Management " is working properly.

That's about it. Enjoy your day wherever you are :)

Love, Peace, and Namaste...

Hana

After The Rain

2010-03-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

It's been raining whole weekend since...Friday night. Saturday was one of those heavy duty stormy day, being drenched and miserable. Good to listen to this song, " Raindrop Keeps Falling On My Head ".

Despite the weather condition, I attended a yoga practice as usual. I needed it so badly since my yogi Steph was finally back from her trip! Yay!

Is this a trick of calming sound of raindrops? I was about to write something a while ago...then forgot. I should've taken a scribble about it! oh, well...hopefully I'll be able to retrieve my memory sooner or later. Meanwhile, I wanna show you this amazing " onion " ( no, it's not a coconut ). Isn't it nice? What you are seeing here is a " life " !! A new life is just about starting its journey... or, it may be a new shoot of possibility?

As I've said on my previous blog, spring is a time for rebirth. All the plants will soon sprout and animals and humans are going to be bouncy again. No longer lay dormant, a new life, a new energy are bursting out from each individual life form. This onion is no exception. How amazing to see the transformation!

Looking at the onion besides my bedroom window, a thought popped up in my mind : The onion's transformation is a form of a progress in its life. The progress is invisible when it begins inside of its body. And the same goes to our life, too. Although it seems there's nothing much different between today and yesterday or a week ago and a month ago, we're making a progress everyday. The progress toward our own goals, dreams, ideal worlds... We'll get to see a result of our progress sooner or later. So, keep up your good work, everyone! Can't wait to see a new shoot on your head!

Lastly...let me introduce my dad's recent progress. At age of 76, he's going on a open-heart surgery in April. He rejected it first because of a fear of possibility ending his life shorter...but then, he changed his mind. Wanting to see an ultimate good result on his health condition. He wants to dare not to be defeated by his heart problem. He wants to live more. What a beautiful word " Live", " Being alive "...! So nice to hear the news. I am totally proud of him. His surgery is risky, but I believe he'll make it. Since his surgery is scheduled around Easter, I call April 7th as my dad's resurrection day. It's a good omen, yes? I'll keep you posted about his journey. Wish him luck, please? Thank you in advance ;)

Here's my pic with my dad and mom.

I love you, dad. I always do.

Hope you guys are having an awesome day!

Love & Peas...

Hana

One Of Those...

2010-03-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Hello there. Hope you guys are having a good time this weekend? Sí?

Yesterday, I was good and bad. I mean, I was irritated about a few of minor mishaps and forgot being in the state of happiness. I walked around the park later...then I got myself back. Listening to the voice of trees and spring fairies brought me a peaceful state of mind. I tried to shift my energy to a good one. Feel so awful, doen't it? Whenever we feel some kinda doubts or negativities or just simply getting frustrated by those minor incidents? It's only in our mind though, you know? Those feelings are not us. Our life is wonderful, but our feeling tries to get us and let us see the grim image of life. Lucky me! I know how to kick the butt of those dark side of feelings! Yay!

Anyways, I found these awesome messages from lovely spring fairies in the Central Park. I wanna share them with you today...

But first...a week ago, the park was like this.

and now... a bunch of spring fairies worked so hard whole week....then, this transformation has happened!

Birds are singing a happy spring song.

New shoots are coming out and stretching out their bodies.

Flower buds are becoming big and preparing for a spring recital.

ahh.... so good to feel the spring breeze after a long loooong freezing winter. This is a time for a rebirth, a time for falling in love, a time for starting out a new career, a time for _________ ( fill in the blank whatever you want to add ). Forget the yesterday's struggles. Today is a new day. I smile and ....a time for a coffee chat with my friend now!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Ciao,

Hana

Sowing A Seed Of Possibility

2010-02-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

A messenger came to see me and gave me this quote : " So where in your life are you challenged right NOW? How could you take those exact same CIRCUMSTANCES and create an opening, A NEW POSSIBILITY, for yourself? " It's a quote from one of a blog I read : Self-Examiner. Yeah, this is what I wanna add to my check list. I'm steering my heart to see how I can lead my life to a new possibility.

This little messenger looks cute and sweet. How he got here? I don't know. He was there, a couple of blocks away from my apartment, but I found him right next door of my building a few hours later. hmmm.....he followed me???

His smile actually gives me a comfort. Telling me not to worry about the future. I assume he wants me to understand this : The most important thing is to enjoy every moment of life, both good and bad. True. Being grateful for every moment will lead us to create a door to the next chapter in life. Am I right, Mr. Messenger?

"Taking those same circumstances and create an opening", it sounds very similar to what my friend is doing with his artwork. He is currently working with his big project for his own sake. It requires lots of time and a strong will to accomplish the work. What he does is very simple, cutting paper into a same thin strip, weave those strips into a one sheet. Then he paints each tiny square with a red paint. He repeats the same process over and over till he finishes about 10 sheets or so. As he paints the square, the paint will be used up, so he adds more paint and water into a dish. There...the changes in color occurs. He just let the changes to happen. Trying to see the new possibility in his art. Some changes are not even visible...and the truth is none of those tiny squares are the same. Everything is different, everything is ok. Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. There's just a vast of possibility in abundance. I can see our life on his art.

We live up to the same routine circumstances day by day. Although it's easy to be swallowed by the momentum of passing time, I want to be aware of being in the NOW. By doing so, I see the differences in life, then I'll be able to appreciate each moment of my life. I imagine those red squares in my mind as a trace of my life. Some are deep red, some are light pink...Creating a new possibility may be very simple. Just like what my friend does with his art work : Take the same circumstances and find a opening to a new possibility. Try to be aware of what we do in the present. Be in the NOW, live in the NOW. You're already creating your new masterpiece...!

Time to snuggle down in my bed. Need to get up bright and early tomorrow.

Sleep well, I see you tomorrow...

Good night, love always!

-Hana

A Tale Of Finding A Perfect Soulmate In 5 Chapters

2010-02-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

1. She was cute and funny. Loved to explore her little world everyday with her tiny step...oh well, she was still way too young to meet up her lovely prince anyways?

2. Then she grew up a bit, found someone made her heart bounce......awww...he was her first "love at the first sight". The yellow cardigan boy was smart, kind, and sweet. She tried to be extra cute whenever she had a chance to hang out with him. Unfortunately....he had to move away. oy vey! Although she and the boy exchanged several letters for a few months or so, it didn't last well. They were just kids. Made another friends and left the past as a good memory.

FYI, She's in the middle of the front row. A blue colored sweater dress girl. Funny hairdo ;p

3. As soon as she became a high school student, she realized her decision was totally wrong...yup, she picked a girl's private high school, not an unisex public school. ha ha. Instead of having a crush on someone in a real life, she had a crush on a musician. Nick Becks/Kajagoogoo...he was the only Prince Charming during her adolescent days. Namaste...

4. Well, after all those chaotic school days, she finally settled as a grown-up girl. Found a job, enjoyed freetime with her new pals at a gym. She thought her colleagues were all kinda nerdy, so she looked into another locations/opportunities for finding a love mate. She joined a party, ski tour, swimming tour, you name it. She did whatever she could do to meet her special someone, but to no avail. Life was harder than she thought.

5. She got bored with an ordinary life in her hometown, Kyoto, then she started to search for something interesting...At the age of 24, she made a trip to NY in 1991. Oh, yes....she met a super cool guy...! He gave her a courage to explore a new journey. The chance meeting with him turned out to be an eye-opening event. Of course, she had a crush on him...but she was just a tourist, so she went back home and planned to go back there again. She got an intuition : There must be someone out there in NY..." he " maybe the one?! Her heart was filled with hope and anticipation...She returned to NY in 1992, met someone new, but broke up with him about 6 months or so. She was lucky enough to reunite with the guy she met in 1991, but they remained as a best friend. Months and years passed... short and long term relationships happened and ended. She's currently still in a search of Mr. Right. Is she lonely? Maybe. Is she desperate? No. She's just a happy girl, knowing who she is, what she wants. Being grateful for a gift from life. Sitting by the window, she chatted with a seagull : Hey, do you know where my love bird is, Sunny the seagull? Need her help a bit. Go and look for the birdie for me, please?

As she looked up the sky, yes, there was hope in abundance. The sky was turning into her favorite salmon pink. " Mmm...I can feel it. Something sweet thing is happening soon...! Yay! " Her day was super. She's fine.

Love always,

Hana

PS. To all the single beautiful girls, or boys... No need to worry. You'll meet someone funny & lovely when you see a love bird in your heart. You only need to prepare for it, I mean, for the bird to build her nest in your heart...so, smile. Everything is wonderful.

If You Had A Magic Wand, What Would You Do?

2010-02-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Heyo, what's going on with you?

I found a blog about this young British chef, Jamie Oliver on my fave positivity blog site "Superforest.org" a while ago. oh yes, I love love loooove his cooking book! If you don't know him, go to his web, and check him out! His cooking recipes are fantabulous!

BTW, do you recognize the material in the pic above? It's a one of my lovely colored yarn untwisted and a deep cerulean blue glass behind it. Loving the color so much ;)

oh, here's the link of the blog.

Make Jamie's Wish Reality

He recently gave a stunning speech on TED about how he wanna help people to fight against obesity and educate every child about food. This is his wish and the answer to his own question : "If I had a magic wand, what would I do? " His message is pretty intense and impressive. When someone talks with his/her passion, you'll feel it and it moves us to do something good. Very effective way to create a better world, yes? Here's the video if you wanna watch his superb speech.

...and now I'm thinking about my own version of answer to the question : If I had a magic wand, what would I do? Of course, my passion leads me to the answer!...but somewhat...I struggle to see what I really wanna do or what's my real passion is. I do love my work as a flower elf, then I ask myself..."This is it? Anything else??? Am I missing to see something behind it? " If I strain to see it, the mean fog immediately comes out and gives me a blurry image of my passion. I only know this simple core of the matter though : Whatever it is, I wanna feel happy. I wanna feel the same happy feeling I had while I was on a bike in the Netherlands. That bike ride trip gave me an insightful perspective of my journey. I saw my path I was on and believed the path was the right one for me. I was so sure that I would reach to the place I wanted be no matter how hard the wind blew against me. I felt joy and grateful for being ME. Maybe, just being who I am, what I am would be my passion for life?

Well, there is another thing that I want to accomplish in my life by using the power of passion. I wanna share the happiness with my family, friends, and people I happen to encounter. I would spread love and kindness of flowers through my work, then I would be happy if I'm able to bring a smile on someone's heart. or, if I could send out the same good energy through blogging and be able to light up someone's heavy heart, that's also super sweet. hmm....funny. Writing this blog gives a way to see things clearer than before. My keyboard has a magical power? Interesting.

It's sunny and bright here in NY today. Feeling a touch of springy air. Very nice :)

How's your magic wand? What do see when you use it? Let me know if something unthinkable comes up, ok?

I'm off now.

Enjoy the rest of Sunday afternoon!

Love,

Hana

Gonna Bake A Pie?

2010-02-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

Oooops, it's already 1am. Well...I tell ya. I enjoyed watching this chick flick movie tonight! I read a blog (After The Harvest) about this movie today and became curious about it..Yes, as Heather mentioned in the blog, Keri Russel's southern drawl is superb!! Oh, boy...and those scrumptious pies....this movie makes your tummy really hungry and gives you a motivation to bake a pie. Seriously. I don't have any baking tools at home, but it really moved me to feel like going to the kitchen, then bake a pie or two! BTW, a song Keri sang in the film, " Baby Don't You Cry " is very sweet.

The story is about this young waitress, Jenna, struggling with her life, making a wrong choice, being stuck with it kinda thing. Also, you'll see how she learns about what would love do for her. It's a mix of drama + comedy, I guess. I'll save you all the detail of the story till you watch it. If you just wanna feel happy or if you're trying to make a change in your life, then watch this. It gives you a certain positivity to kick your butt off and keep you staying on the most courageous path in your life. I think our spontaneity gives a chance to start a new day / life. I mean, too much of thinking and planning would cause us to feel anxiety. Follow your heart, start a new day, and enjoy adding more flavors to your life.

Looove what the owner of a diner said to Jenna : Start fresh. Neat. We are all capable of starting a new life as fresh as a " Freshman keylime pie "...

Thank you, Heather! Your blog made my day!!

Listening to " Baby Don't You Cry " as a lullaby tonight.

Good night.

Love & Pies...

Hana

Drink Lemonade, It's Good For You

2010-02-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, hey, hey! What's up with you all? Busy weekend for a romantic night with your love? Ok, ok, fine. The Valentine's day is coming, but you know what? I have an inspirational story I wanna share with you all today.

Have you heard about an independent documentary film called " Lemonade " ? This was created by Erik Proulx who was laid off from a large ad-agency. Yup, he got a pink slip, then he found his life. hmm...I don't wanna say a lot about this short film before you watch, so....just click on a vid and enjoy. It's worth watching. I promise.

Whatever you do with your life, it's your choice. Choose wisely and don't fall asleep while you're creating your life / yourself ;)

Ciao,

Hana

PS. Sorry, whoever lives outside of the US can't watch this vid...boo! Wait till it comes to your place in near future...ok? Meanwhile, you can browse their web site here! http://www.lemonademovie.com

Snow, Snow, Snow...Blizzard 2010

2010-02-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning, and I was disappointed about the accumulation of snow over night. I thought Mr.G must have given us another wrong forecast.

So, I went out for my weekly flower shopping at Van Vliet wholesale flower shop near by. I bought a bunch of salmon pink rose " Trust ", yellow daffodil, and mimosa. By the time I finish arranging flowers in my bed room....the weather condition turned out to be a severe blizzard condition. ha ha, sorry, Mr. G. You were right. We've got a true blizzard!!! Yay!

Who would stay in a home if the weather like this? I definitely.....go out!! Looooooooooove snow, I just don't like it when it's starting to melt. Slashy street sucks ;p Anyways...here's my friends covered with snow in Central Park today...

The pics look kinda smoky due to a white out condition. I was soaking wet after 2 full hours of long walk in the park. Now I'm home and lounging comfortably. The wind is still strong...and snowing! Hey, blizzard 2010, it's ok, we had enough snow already...you can go now?

Sometimes...it's nice not to think about anything seriously. I had a beautiful snowy day, that's it. Nothing more.

Ciao,

Miss snow girl, Hana

Be A Rock Star of A Greener World!

2010-02-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

Hey, I've decided to post this video while I'm writing another blog. I found this vid from a web site called "Plastic Pollution Coalition ". Just take a look what this geeky boy would do for making a better world... ;)
Ready? ok, Go and look!

So, I believe everyone can do a small thing to make our world cleaner and greener...? Dream good, dream big!

For now, gotta run!

Ciao,

Hana

Yearning For Yarns

2010-02-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

February 2nd, Groundhog day!! I heard most local groundhogs didn't see their shadow...so that means we are in store for a short winter?! Yay?!?!

...tick tock, tick tock....

Fine, I'd be honest. I've been trying to write this blog, but I've been busy visiting la-la land early evening hours lately, so I couldn't. Open my blog, browse some pics and crash on my bed...I repeated this pattern until today. It's already Friday... Happy weekend everyone! Hope you're well and smiling :)

Ok, spring may be just around the corner, but you know what's coming next weekend? The Valentines's day!! As a flower elf / flower child, my assignment this week was to come up with a sweet idea for the special occasion. hmm...oh, yes. I know what I can do ;)

Here's what I did. Seeing is everything.

I decorated simple glass vases with colorful fabrics and yarns. Looks a bit sweeter, no? The vases need to dress up like girls, too. Then finally they creates a magical harmony with flowers to entice your love's heart.

Pretty in colors. More work to be done, but this is just a sample.

For some reason, I've been hooked on a yarn lately. The texture is so soft and fluffy. It makes me feel like rubbing my cheek on it. Yarns are like...love. Colorful and fuzzy. They can be entangled, they can give you some itches, they can give you some warmth...

Speaking of love, I took these lovable pics this week. Their sweetness made me smile.

Hola! A lovely heart showed up when I cut a watermelon radish in half.

My boss brought a box of cereal for his breakfast, but the expiration date was way way too long ago...so, I picked these cute heart shaped ones and arranged them with flowers in our flower shop's window.

James De La Vega's artwork on the street of NYC. Isn't this so adorable? Fish in love. Cute :)

I guess when we think of something, the image is starting to appear everywhere we look around. I hope our world also changes into a peaceful place as we have a image of green & love filled planet earth in our minds. So, go ahead everyone. Create your world / environment with lots of love.

Now...I'm gonna knock on the door of a la-la land.

Sweet dream ;)

Much love, love, and love to you,

Hana

Howdy Sunshine, It's Sunday!

2010-01-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Breathe in through your nose....breathe out through your nose....Once again, in....and out. One more time altogether, breathe in through your nose.....and out from your mouth and say haaaaaaa...... Ahhh.....Feels good, no? How are you spending your weekend, everyone? I'm still in a deeeeeeeeep freeze in NYC. Yesh, the winter in NY is awfully cold, freaking cold. I'm not fond of it at all. Not at all. Despite of the cold weather yesterday, I attended my favorite yoga class at Kula Yoga Project, trying to get a kick out of it. The class was packed with many yoga enthusiasts! My yogi Steph was still a bit sick, but she gave us an awesome lesson! Thank you, and feel better, Stephanie :)

As I was walking towards my favorite pastry shop " Once Upon A Tart " after yoga, I saw these crazy guys working on a street. It's on Canal Street and Broadway. Here's what they were doing in the frigid weather!

Yup, they were painting a mural for an advertisement of some sort! They must be the ninjas? Whoever they are, their work is super! Hope they get a bowl of yummy & warm chicken noodle soup at a chinese kitchen near by ;)

I encountered another creative people on my way back home. This happened in a subway station. I was waiting for a train at the Union Sq station, then...I started smell yucky smoke coming out of somewhere all the way inside of a tunnel. I immediately turned around and tried to get out the station. Then...here comes a cheery music...! Aha! Yes, it must be them, " Baby Soda Jazz Band ". I was right. Haven't seen them quite some time, but I looove their music. It makes your feet tap and dance.

They have a pretty big family in the band, so I see the different faces always. This time, I bought their latest album! whoo hoo! Baby Soda rock!! They are on Myspace, check them out ;)

Baby Soda

Today, I had a craving for beets! Sí, one of my friend's comment makes me think of this root veggie. I know, it's out of season right now, who cares? I just wanna EAT them!! Thank you, those fantastic farmers in California, Florida, and Mexico and elsewhere. We need you badly! Anyways...I made a yummy balsamic vinegared beets ♥

Wash and clean the surface of them...

and slice them...what? who said I killed them?!

Place them on a tray and put it into an oven until the surface is slightly cooked. This way, you can lock the yummy juice inside! cool?

Now, it's ready to do the rest of cooking.

Put them into a pan, and add some extra virgin (me?) olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add water till it covers the surface of beets. Cover the pan and heat to boil off any excess water.

When the water is almost gone and the beets get tender, taste for salt, season with a little lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Toss with a sprinkle of dill. ( or tarragon, parsley )

Yay! My yummy beets! Mangi, mangi... :D

This was a part of my lunch menu aside from a butter milk scorn and a super green drink. oh, this super green drink is so easy to make. I got it in Japan. It's a barley powder. The taste is like Macha-tea.

Add a tea spoonful of the power into a container and shake it with some water. That's it.

ahh...so good to spend a weekend like this. Wish tomorrow is Saturday again... ha...! I think I'm gonna go for this as my dinner...raw raw raw your boat, gently down the stream...♬ ha ha ha. Go Raw!

A bowl of colorful veggie salad! The ingredients are... baby spinach, celery, carrot, watermelon radish (cute? Got them at a local farmer's market), zucchini, and fennel. Maybe...I make some soup, too.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Be well,

Love, love, and love...

-Hana

Yummy Nummy Once Upon A Tart

2010-01-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

Had a awesome yoga lesson this week! Feeling so fantabulous! How are you? Life is good and yummy?Mine is so far so good. Yummy as well. Speaking of food...it was so so soooo good to have this yummy nummy Irish soda scorn at lunch last Sunday! ahhh...love it!! Well, I wanted to enjoy my favorite food that day since it was a sort of special occasion. Yeah, yeah, yeah...my 42nd birthday! ha, ha :) Due to my persistent jet lag, I didn't do any crazy things at all. Postpone those fun gatherings with my friends later in February. I just wanna celebrate my B-day for a month long or so. Strange? No, not all. I adapt the idea from my friend. I believe it's a sweet thing to do, Sí? oh, but I already had a couple of birthday sweets. Here's one.

My favorite apple tart ♥ Got it from a bakery down in Soho, called " Once Upon A Tart ". Believe me, their baked stuff are so delish! ...and my boss got me this fruit tart at Citarella. Sweet?

Yup, my B-day is very very sugary. Another sugar laden feasts are coming soon...Stay tuned for an updated news of my growing muffin top. ha!

Today, I'm thinking of making a photo blog. I'll show you some photos and tell you what's in it, or what my thoughts are. Ready? ok, then... let's start it!

I just turned around now. My kitty, Seesaw was sound asleep. so sweet to see her face like this. Sweet dream, baby...chasing a butterfly in a flower field?

I saw this Miss Moon and an airplane the other day. They said hello to each, then the airplane was busy carrying people to where they can share LOVE...♥

The weather was grayish. Light showers give a life to all the living creatures. What about you, Mr? Are you happily singing in the rain?

Love is mysterious. It comes to us without any warning and suddenly... put a blindfold in our hearts! How can we get there? The place I can see you clearly? Guide me please, wanna see your smile.

Come out, come out wherever you are...It's only in your mind. There's nothing to keep you inside of the wall. You are free to go anywhere... I'm waiting for you.

It was snowing when I got out of my bed on Thursday. My lovely spring flower, mimosa gave me such a delightful comfort with its sweet aroma in entire my bedroom. The yellow colored flowers were giggling. They told me that the spring is on its way. I hope so. I realy do!

Here's another adorable smile of mimosa. I tell you, boys. The Valentine's day is near. I strongly recommend you to send some spring flowers like this. A bundle of mimosa would be so charming in your love's bedroom. They are so fragrant, so sweet. I promise. This brings a smile on your love's face :) This is a tip from a flower child. Ok?

and...my blog will be ending with this video. I love this song. " The Rainbow Connection ". This is done by my fav musician, Jason Mraz and Paul Williams. Promise. It's worth listening to it. The slideshow is only for a huge fan of Jason or Paul ;) Listen to the lyrics. Beautiful...

Have a happy weekend!

Love and Peas....

-Hana

It's 2:30am...do you know where your heart is?

2010-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Bummer...a jet lag is bugging me a lot! As my peaceful sleep time was disturbed by the persistent jet lag last night, my mind started to wander... then rise and shine! Here comes a bright morning. Sleepless, but gotta start a new day... oy vey ;p Anyways...I posted my tweet/status on Twitter & Myspace several days ago and some of my friends commented on it. I asked this question randomly : Letting go of your possession is hard or easy? So, what's on your mind? This has been a big issue for me somewhat. I often discuss about this with my shinyu / best friend by email.

Like it or not, we always come across to " hello and good-bye " on every event or beloved item /possession at a certain time in our life. How do you deal with it? Are you good at letting go of things? Be a master of letting go. Know when to release your heart from them. You'll be able to enjoy your life without any stress by doing so...I know I'm just talking about an " ideal "way of life. But it is true...I suffer if I hold those things so dearly. I prefer the things to flow...not to be fixed. hmm...

ok, imagine....you've got a coolest hat, loving it so much. then...oops! You left it at a counter of a coffee shop!! Ugh...! There's no way to get it back. What do you do if you're in the situation?? Think about the whereabouts of the hat for the rest of a day and feel unlucky and sad? or detach your thought from it completely and feel content with what you have still? Don't you think the latter seems happier?

What about this situation? You are having an super awesome time traveling in a foreign country. Your experiences made you strong and wise. You feel refreshed and happy. Now, the vacation is over, back to your home. All you can think about is... the great memories of the vacation even though you have a tons of things to do in your physical world. It seems you're forgetting to be in the now. It's ok to cherish the past, but better not hold it. Because...we only go forward, not backward.

Letting go of what we love is definitely not easy. But sooner or later, the time will approach us to say good-bye to our attachments. We just need to work on how we can detach from them, and release our feelings from them when a right moment comes. Ebb and flow. This is a cosmic rule in this world, I believe. You know why it's hard for us to follow the rule? We are so afraid of making and accepting a change. Letting go of things means we're making a space for something new (condition) to come in. Yup, something new. Changes are coming, and we are not so good at being ready for them!

BTW, I read this blog long ago. I found it very interesting. It's about " ebb and flow ". You'll see this artist's work visually and learn how he accepts changes and letting go of his attachments.

Sand Dancer

I llike this part in the blog : "Don’t fight it. Trust Peter’s example: the unstoppable tide is an opportunity for change, for rebirth. Destruction is part of the evolution of beauty. It’s elemental, inevitable and ultimately LIBERATING. "

Well said. That's it. Go with flow.

Hope you find a way to a happy-go-lucky journey in your life :)

Love & Peace,

Hana

These are a few of my favorite things!

2010-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hola, everyone. Hana here. I'm trying to be a lazy cat today. Lounging at home, sipping a glass of soothing mint tea...ahhh....this is the ( cat's ) life! Had some yummy cheese ( I got it at a local farmer's market yesterday ), a few slices of walnuts bread with blood orange marmalade at lunch.

I've finished editing one of my slide show, I've already uploaded it in my web gallery. If you wanna check it out, here's the link. Web Gallery

Ok, today.... I'll show you some of my favorite things around me. You may play a song, " My Favorite Things" as a background music.

I love my Blend Apparel T-shirt! Don't you wanna get one for yourself, too? Jon Marro is a genius designer! and these T-shirts are all environmentally friendly productions ;)

My kitty, Seesaw. Her pink nose is so so sooooo sweet! Currently, she's in love with a feathery toy. My roommate has got one for Seesaw recently. Yup, they are becoming a bff.

Sunset at Queensboro Plaza, NY. Love to see this golden colored train track. Don't you think it's like a golden bridge to your dream, yes?

My friend, Mari's handwritten original T-shirt. Her hubby is the best pizza chef in Kyoto, Japan. Stop by their lovely pizzeria and get one of her fantastic T-shirt as a souvenir. I strongly recommend to order the shirt in advance. Her Myspace site is here ➔ Otto Bello Their pizzeria is located in Uji-city. This link may be helpful to get there...but sorry, it's only in Japanese! ➔ La Gatta

The music of my friend, jon ji, always encourages me a lot. He spreads a happiness and courage. He's currently on tour in California. Hope some of you can give him a high five at his show. Check him out on his web, pretty please? He sings 21st century gypsy blues. Interesting, huh? ok, here's the link. ➔ jon ji

Sunrise at Bliss street station in Queens. It's filled with hope. Well...the name of the station tells all.

James De La Vega's street art work, " Become Your Dream ". I love them a lot. You can see some of his work in my web gallery.

I love to watch the night sky, listening to the chatting of stars and moon. In this pic, Miss Moon and Venus were gossiping about...a boy next door.

oops, gotta go now. The concierge of a la la land urges me to get back there now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming. See ya everyone, I'm off to see the wizard of dream... ;-)

Love and Peas...

-Hana

PS. ...duh, why am I forgetting about this guy. Jason Mraz. Yes, love his music, thoughts, ideas, smiles...He definitely creates my favorite things!! Thank you. Namaste....

Blood Orange Marmalade On A Cold Day ~revised version

2010-01-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Cold wind, icy sidewalks, snow covered naked trees...the winter is still remaining perky. How are you, everyone? Hope you're home having a cup of tea or so.

I read this blog on my fav website, Superforest : Leon " Seasonality Chart ". It was about fruits and vegetables in season. This article let me think of the benefit of the seasonal food. Also...I thought about our life. Our life also have the four seasons, you know?

First of all, how many of us are aware of the seasonal food when we cruise around the supermarket for our breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Our mother nature does not intend to produce strawberries for year-round, but we see them almost everyday. What's wrong with this picture? Aren't we supposed to eat the foods only comes out in its season??? Think about this. Here's a white peach at a local supermarket, and you're about to grab it...just because you love it so much. Then...how is the taste? hmm...something is wrong, this is not as same as the one you like. Yes, those are not grown naturally. So, they are lack of its true nutrients! Let's take a moment...the seasonal fruits and vegetables give us its magical power of nature directly into our body's system. They will help us get through the season. As a result, we are happy and healthy! If you pick the one which is forced to grow in a wrong season, then it may not as powerful as the other one.

* FYI, This rainbow colored chart was created by people of Leon.

Now, turn your attention to your own life. You see the ups and downs or the beginning and end of something throughout your life, right? Don't you think it's like you're experiencing " a season " of your life? What I want to say is this : Everything has its season. We can actually put ourselves in a chart above, too. The four seasons indicate the cycle of our life. Let's say, someone is starting out his new career = Spring time. His work starts thriving rapidly and he's super energetic = Summer. He starts to see the result of his efforts and gains some achievements = Autumn. The work has completed, then he's now contemplating to get down on a new assignment = Winter. Get it??? Know where you are, which season you are in. Try to use your maximum energy being the very best of you in the season. If you know this rule, all the good nutrients comes together into your life and you'll be able to grow a yummy fig or something!

FYI, my life still remains in the winter, but not that bad at all. The taste of it? hmm... slightly sweet, a touch of bitterness to follow. Just like a spoonful of Blood Orange ( winter fruits ) Marmalade... Looking forward to a warm spring time soon. I may dig for some Apricots ( spring fruits ) afterwards...! Cheers to you all.

Love,

-Hana

Rain Drops In My Thoughts

2009-12-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

One rainy day in Big Apple, I had this thought popping up in my mind at night : Rain drops and our thoughts are siblings. They both come and go, they are look-alike.

Here’s the thought I got from its siblings, the rain drops.

The rain drops made me think about the invisible things around us, as I was looking at the pouring rain from the window of a bus I was on. They are so precious, do you know it? Can you believe in the things that are invisible to the eyes? What do you do with it? You don’t take it seriously and ignore it? or struggle to understand it? or you have a kind heart to hold it gently no matter what? ok, I think it depends on what I’m talking about. What about the love and friendships? You can’t see them with your eyes, but they are there for you always, sitting right next to you no matter how far you and your friends/families are apart. Can you see them smiling? Hope so.

I just wrote this scribble upon my thoughts above, thinking of all my friends/families living in the different cities and the countries.....Here we go...!

There are things I can’t do for you.

Because I’m here you are there. We’re apart.

I can’t go out for a fun meeting at a lunch or a dinner with you.

I can’t help you painting your new house in green with yellow polka dots tomorrow.

I can’t snatch your favorite ice cream from your hand and eat whole thing.

I can’t grab your love handles and say that you’re aging. ( mean! )

I can’t pinch your cheek and say “ wake up! “ in the morning.

I can’t do....etc....

But there are things I can do for you.

Because I care about you, and I don't need to be there with you for doing this.

I can send you my funny pictures to make you laugh.

I can call you and sing a happy birthday song for you. ( sure, I do it everyday )

I can see the same stars and moon and talk about it. ( unless you’re in a different galaxy...)

I can think about you at any time, so you are closer than you’ll ever be as my dear friend.

I can send you a mail with full of joy and happiness using my magical words.

I can do....etc.....

All in all....I'm happy that I can send you a piece of me by using an invisible sailboat across the Milky Way... ★

See? Whatever the things I can’t do for you are only the matter of the physical presence. Whatever the things I can do for you are sort of “ invisible”. You can find the underlying feelings of love & friendships there. You’ve got to see it through with the eyes in your heart though. That’s the most precious things in the world. That’s the things I care about the most. Thanks everyone. I’m happy to be a friend with you all ;)

Love and peas....and oatmeal?

-Hana