Questionnaire #3

Hello! I feel like it's been ages since I last did a questionnaire/survey...but I finally managed to fill one out. I saw this one going around and it's just a bunch of random questions. I may have answered the same questions in previous questionnaires, but it wouldn't hurt to refresh lol. This may be a long one. Any of you fellow bloggers out there that enjoy these, fill free to fill one out yourselves. Here we go:

1. First Name.
Hitomi.

2. Sign.
Libra.

3. Languages you can speak.
English and Japanese.

4. Favorite color.
It always changes, but currently it's red.

5. Coffee or tea.
Don't put me in this situation! As much as I love coffee, my heart always leads back to my love for tea the most. #GreenTeaForLife

6. Average hours of sleep.
My sleeping schedule is very random, but recently I've been pushing myself to sleep at least 6 hours.

7. Dog or cat person.
I love dogs too, but if you know me, you know I'm a hardcore cat person. #MotherOfCats

8. Do you take naps often?
I want to, but I force myself not to. If I do, I can't sleep at night.

9. Are you a morning person? 
Nope.

10. Number of siblings.
I only have one older brother.

11. Person you called last.
My mom.

12. A question you are always asked.
"Are you half?" asked by Japanese people. Some can already sense it, but others are still confused when they look at me. XD

13. Song you sang last.
No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande. I can't get that song out of my head.

14. Showers or baths?
Definitely baths. So relaxing.

15. Who is around you right now?
My baby Kuu sleeping next time me.

16. Do you like spicy foods?
LOVE. Especially Korean spices.

17. Have you ever had a breakdown?
Yes. I actually had one recently, but it's all good now.

18. Last movie you saw.
Avengers: Infinity War. OMG. That's all I can say. OMG.

19. Do you like your neighbors?
The people who live in front of us and beside us are pretty cool, but the people who live behind us are crazy. I've honesty never spoken or seen them before! But I've heard rumors that they are not very pleasant.

20. Longest friendship?
10 years(?) now with my bff Danielle! I still have friends who I still keep in touch from when I was living in Aomori, but I feel we don't have that strong bond that I have with Dani. I think it's because we've gone through so much together, she has always been there for me and we also message each other to check up on each other considering the distance between us.

21. When is your birthday?
October 2nd.

22. What's your favorite videogame? 
Final Fantasy...Kingdom Hearts...Resident Evil...Xenosaga...I can go on~

23. Coca Cola or Pepsi?
Neither.

24. Any allergies?
Ugh! Don't get me started with hay fever! (T-T)

25. What show are you currently watching?
A lot of my favorite shows recently finished and won't start up again until next year. I'm currently just keeping up with Riverdale and Detective Conan. Shingeki no Kyojin will be returning soon! So I'm looking forward to that.

26. Do you have makeup on right now?
Nope. And it feels good! My face needs a rest.

27. Do you think your life story would make a great movie? 
...it wouldn't be GREAT, but I think it would be somewhat...interesting.

28. Is your room clean?
Working on it right now!

29. When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Flight attendant, lawyer, game designer, police/detective...I think I left out a few more, but those were memorable decisions I've made lol.

30. If you could go back 5 years and tell yourself something, what would it be?
Be careful who you trust.

31. Do you prefer to shop in-store or online?
I like to do either one, but lately I've been kind of tired of the clothing around here because almost everyone dresses the same. So, recently I've been shopping online. Especially when there are items they don't sell here.

32. Do you have an Instagram?
Yesss → Hitomitomtom

33. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes.

34. Do you have straight or curly hair?
Wavy. I was born with really curly hair, but once my mom took me to get my first haircut, it wouldn't grow curly anymore. That's so strange...but I had such beautiful hair. (T___T)

35. Do you wear contacts/glasses?
Both.

36. How do you like to relax?
I like to sit around with friends and have a nice chat over coffee or something. I also like to stay home and watch YouTube videos with some coffee/tea in hand, and Kuu-chan there next to me.

37. Have you ever been scouted?
Sort of? First time, I was scouted at the mall for a modeling agency when I was in the states. Second time, I was someone who was so shy to sing in front of people, but thanks to my friends, they really took me out of my comfort zone and made me enjoy karaoke. I've been told many times that I have a beautiful singing voice and I was once introduced to a singing teacher (who is often on TV), who told me that I should join her. People tell me I should join singing contests and even go on TV on singing shows. I remember people were actually planning on sending requests to the TV shows, but I told them not to. XD

38. Favorite kind of flower.
Sakura and roses!

39. Favorite beauty brands.
From the top of my head: DHC, Missha, Visee, Kate, Memebox, Nature Republic, Skinfood, Creer Beaute.

40. Favorite Disney princess?
I don't know why, but ever since I was little, I always liked Aurora/Belle.

41. Have you changed over the years?
Yes. A lot.

42. What's the most difficult thing about the past 10 years?
Losing a lot of my loved ones...

43. Favorite season.
Fall.

44. Do you want to get married?
Someday, but I'm in no rush.

45. Do you drink?
Yes, but not a lot.

46. Beer or wine?
Wine.

47. What do you post?
I post a lot of positive things as much as I can, fun things, inspirations, etc. But I do avoid sharing personal things. There's a lot of things you guys don't even know. ;)

48. Favorite food.
Japanese and Korean food.

49. What is something you wish you could spend more time doing?
Traveling.

50. What is your favorite scent?
Plum blossoms.

51. Who is your current obsession?
Dangerous question~ for now, Jackson Wang♥

52. What's your blood type?
Blood type A. Not a big deal in the states, but super big deal in Japan. It's how they judge you.

53. What's your favorite music soundtrack?
Currently -- The Greatest Showman.

54. Nationality.
Japanese...American.

55. What do people call you?
Hitomi. Tomi. Tom-Tom. Hitomi-sensei (personal favorite hehe).

56. What is your occupation? Do you enjoy what you do?
I'm an English teacher (along with other things). I really enjoy it! At first, I was so nervous and I had no idea what I was getting myself into, because I wasn't the kind of person who would TEACH people, let alone 30 people in one classroom! All my students are amazing. I'm their teacher, but they don't always treat me like a teacher but like a friend...family.

57. Dream job?
Singer.

58. Do you take pictures often?
Yes and no? Lol. I take pictures when I feel like it. Like I'm not the kind of person who would take pictures every time I go out.

59. Could you go out in public, looking like you do now?
Uh...no LOL unless I put on a mask.

60. Phobias?
Arachnophobia...I get easily scared of spiders. But I love Spider-Man. XD

61. What is your fashion style?
A mix of everything. I don't have a specific style.

62. If you could change your gender for a day, would you?
Yeah! Totally. It would be interesting to see how it's like as a guy for a day.

63. Are you tired right now?
Very. But I'm on a vacation so I feel so relaxed.

64. How many kids would you want to have?
Maximum 2.

65. Have you ever found it hard to tell someone you like them?
Yes! It's hard stuff.

66. Do you have any other blogs?
Nope.

67. Has the last month been really stressful for you?
Yes. Very. I'm glad it's over. I feel like March~April are the worst months in Japan! I see why people here are stressed around that time.

68. What was on your mind mostly today?
That I better call my mom and my family in Okinawa.

69. What's on your schedule for tomorrow?
I might go out with a friend, depending how I feel. Hay fever is just REALLY bad.

70. What's the longest relationship you've been in?
2 years and a half.

71. Which would you prefer to receive as a gift - flowers or chocolate?
Flowers.

72. Did you sleep well last night?
Oh yes! First time in a long time.

73. How would your parents react if you got pregnant?
No idea...well, I think my mom would be happy for me? It depends, are we talking suddenly? Like right this moment??

74. Do you consider yourself to be a strong person? Why/why not?
Yes I do. I've been through so much, yet here I am, still standing strong.

75. Ketchup or mustard?
Ketchup.

76. Comedy or mystery?
Mystery.

77. Baseball or basketball?
Baseball.

78. Marvel or DC?
I like both, but Marvel all the way. You just can't compare.

79. Do you have Facebook?
Yes. But it's personal and I want to make it minimal to old friends or family members, so I'm sorry if many of you sent friend requests and I don't accept. Please forgive me! Nothing against you. I don't even get on there much.

80. Do you have a YouTube account?
Yesss → Hitomitomtom

81. Do you want to change your name?
No. I'm ok with it. For many years, I wanted to change it since I was bullied because of it. There were times where I changed my name, but as I grew up, everyone thought it was unique, so I stuck with it ever since.

82. Tattoos?
None.

83. Piercings?
Yes. Ears.

84. Right or left hand?
Right hand.

85. Any surgeries?
Yes. I've broken my right arm before.

86. Have you dyed your hair before?
Many times~~~ I think my favorite color so far was amber.

87. Are you named after someone?
Yes. After a character from a Japanese drama.

88. Do you like your handwriting?
No. I have ugly handwriting~

89. Have you ever given blood?
No...I wanted to. I remember in high school, we had a blood drive and I wanted to give my blood, but they refused me because I was too tiny. It looked like I was the one who needed blood LOL. Just when I wanted to do a good deed... (-_____-)

90. When was the last time you saw your parents?
I haven't seen my mom for almost a year and a half now. (T-T)

91. Any plans for the weekend?
Karaoke party???

92. Favorite Pokémon?
Eevee!!! And its evolutions.

93. Do you support the LGBT community?
Of course!!!

94. How do you vent your anger?
I go to the gym. Which is interesting because I work a lot harder when I'm angry lol.

95. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?
All my jeans are skinny jeans.

96. What are you going to spend your money on next?
Clothes! I haven't done clothes shopping in a long time, and I need some new clothes now that I threw away a lot of my old ones.

97. Does everyone deserve a second chance?
Depending on the situation.

98. Do you want to try anything new?
Kyudo! I mean I've done it once before...but I really want to start taking actual lessons.

99. Do you take vitamins daily?
Yes I do. Thanks to DHC's Vitamin C capsules!

100. Team Captain America or Team Iron Man?
Team Iron Man all the way!!!

How I Lost Weight + Tips

I'm constantly asked: How are you so thin? WHY are you so thin? Do you even eat!?

First of all, I never miss a meal. And well...I wasn’t born like this. In fact, I was a very BIG child. I had rolls over rolls. Literally. My mom's friends would even call me "Tendo Yoshimi", because I looked so much like her. I was often mistaken as the older sister, just because I was bigger than my brother. As I gotten older, I wasn’t as big as I was, but I was quite chubby. I never had a problem with being chubby at first, but I was made fun of and at the same time, I really had to think about my eating habits. I often drank soda and pigged out on all sorts of snacks while watching TV or sitting around doing nothing. That consistently happened all the way up to junior high school. I was very insecured about myself. I didn't even like getting my pictures taken (if I had a picture of that time, I'd post it, but I don't have any. I'll ask my mom to send some and I'll update this post if I receive any).

That's when it hit me. Once I started high school, I decided to make it an opportunity to be active. Freshman year, I played soccer, had PE, hip hop dance class and a detective/security class -- which was SO hard with all the intense training which was literally like boot camp, so I did it only for a year. Sophomore year, I had PE, and instead of hip hop dance, my friend suggested me to take folklorico with them (a Mexican dance). OMG I was the only lost white girl, but surprisingly, it was a lot of fun! Everyone worked so well together, but I didn’t want to continue it. So in junior year, I had PE, went back to hip hop dance and started musical theater (which does involve a lot of moving around). Finally, in senior year I only did PE and dance. For four straight years, I had kept with a very active schedule, improved on my eating habits and managed to lose weight. Not to mention my body was so toned! I don’t now, but I did have an amazing 6-pack! Not gonna lie LOL.

After graduating, I wasn’t crazy active as I was in high school, but I didn’t want to stop just because I no longer did those activities. So during my college years I did dancing and workouts at my own home, and kept away from fast food.

Moving to Japan for the first year I wasn’t that active since I just got here there were so much to do. But once or twice a week I would go to a big park nearby and ran for an hour on the track. I moved locations again, so I had to change lifestyle yet again. Japan is full of healthy, fresh food, which makes it easier for me to live a healthier lifestyle. And almost EVERYONE is active (including the older people). It has given me more motivation watching Japanese people. They really push themselves and almost everyone I meet are in amazing shape.

Right now I still eat as healthy as I can, but considering I have a busy schedule than what I had compared to when I was living in the states, I don’t go to the gym often. I go once a week now (or on holidays), I’ve been wanting to go twice or three times but it’s hard to fit in my schedule right now. Same goes with dancing. So to make up for that, I go running every night in the neighborhood! Problem is that I haven’t gone running for months because it was super cold here. But! I just recently got back into it since it's gotten a little warmer. Which leads to another question: Why are you still in good shape even after going to the gym/dance once a week and not running for months? Well, I walk. I do a lot of walking to get to certain destinations. That's the great thing about Japan, there's always people walking. I think shopping really helps with the workout too, because when it comes to shopping, there’s a lot of walking involved! In general, I just try to find excuses to move my body. I do drink alcohol. It’s nice to drink it after a long day of work with other people. Nothing harmful, I do limit myself. I honestly think you don’t HAVE to stop eating or drinking everything that’s bad for you. You just need to know your limit; the portion you’re taking in and to not make it constantly all day everyday. There may be times where you throw something away completely in the process. I was in LOVE with Coca Cola once. But I stopped drinking it in junior high school thanks to my aunt. During that time I had REALLY bad acne and she said that maybe the cause of that could partially be soda. So I quit soda ever since. Just the other day, I drank Coca Cola for the first time in years, and I HATED it. I just can’t stand the taste anymore. Daily, I take down a lot of water. Water is also good for your skin. Not only for weight purposes, but I’ve also been trying to keep healthy for my skin. I still have acne, I’ve always had acne problems, but it isn’t as bad as it once was. I try to take proper care of it.

I don’t have the perfect body. I don’t believe I do, and I don’t want you guys to believe it either. I just want to live a well-balanced life, and take better care of my body. Plus, it makes me feel good! So, I don’t want to be that kind of person giving advice, because some routines don’t work out with everyone. The routine I’m doing may not even work for you, but even if it doesn’t, try to find your routine if you want a healthier lifestyle. There’s always going to be something that will work for you. You just gotta work hard and find it. It doesn’t come that easy.

Busy Life + Vlog Update

Hey guys! Long time no blog post, but I decided to put something up since it's easier to work on it on-the-go with my phone rather than vlogs. So while vlogs are going through a long process right now, I decided to use the blog.

As many of you may already know, I'm always busy! And only getting busier. Not that it's a bad thing, but sometimes I need a breather...

It's not that I work every single day of the week. I have two days off (though it could change depending how things continue). But recently I haven't be able to relax on those two days off because I have other business to take care of. Don't get me wrong! I love my job, but it gets tough and I'm starting to feel really exhausted and I space out a lot to the point where I draw blanks. I think mainly it’s because my body isn't fully accustomed to the new routine? I don't know.

For those that may not know: I'm an English teacher in Japan and that is my main job, but I have other side jobs and projects I work on with a team as well. Ever since I came to Japan, I've been getting so many opportunities from left to right. It started 3 years ago and still going!!! I'm truly thankful for the people who help me and to our connections, but at the same time a part of me thinks I'm taking most of the opportunities for something else...

I just can't say "no" without overthinking things. I don't know what it is. And this is something I'm trying to change, but can't fully...and that is always making other people happy first and I'm coming in last. That is something I've recently been noticing. When I take all these opportunities, I feel so proud of myself and other people are proud of me too. This has never happened before in my life. Before I came to Japan, I was always that girl who wasn't so bright and couldn't do absolutely anything right...so being here turned me into something I'd never imagined and I wanted to prove people wrong. I'm scared to fail people and myself. And this might sound ridiculous but people are like selling me (omg not what you think lol)...with my skills, my image, and my name to bring in more business and to expand. Now, when I say it like that it sounds bad, but it isn't exactly BAD. You might think I'm being used, but really I'm not. The process is just...I have to bare with a lot of things, a lot of things that can evolve to stress. I love being in my working environment, but I also love being around the people I love. Sometimes I don't have time to interact with them...and that part slowly drifts away, but I‘ve tried so hard recently to always manage to catch up to it again.

The people around me take really good care of me. They care about my health and my well-being, but I'm the one at fault for not telling them how I physically and mentally feel. I don't like worrying people and I don't want them to stop everything that’s going well because of me. I'm scared of me ever ruining everyone's hard work.

What I'm trying to say and what I'm trying to keep telling myself, is that being busy is good, it keeps you on your feet and gets your brain moving. But we shouldn't have to think what other people think. We can't please everyone. We should do what makes us happy. We also need to remember to make a balance with everything. It can be REALLY hard, I know, but it's something that has to be done. If you don't, you're just going to lose a big part of something you'll forever regret. I don't want it to always be business. That’s why I make myself see my friends/family. Because I know when I see them, that's when I feel relaxed and not stressed. That's when I feel at home and at peace. And just that really helps me to separate myself from the business world.

Anyways, I really should stop ranting and move on lol. Let's lighten the mood a little and move into vlogs. I'm still not giving it up! But I want to limit myself after all...I try to work and edit them once a week, but it's been impossible so I'm thinking once or twice a month considering how it goes. So, I will basically put everything together within what happened in that month. I hope you all understand. My friends were sad haha but it can't be helped unless I were to hire someone to edit for me, but I'm not exactly a known YouTuber so that's out of the question LOL. And this isn’t a job for me. It’s a hobby. We will see how it goes. The routine may change again. Like I said, I’m trying to change some things and want to try to relax when I can get even the tiniest chance. Being a workaholic is exhausting! So that’s all for now. Until next time~

Shows/Movies Recommendations #1

Hey guys! So I did this segment on my old blog. I don't exactly remember what I titled it, but I remember I shared shows or movies that I watched and was happy to recommend a lot of them to people who were interested.

I've been trying to keep my balance between watching Anime, Japanese/Korean and American dramas. I live in Japan and even though I'm an English teacher, most of my classes consists of me explaining everything in Japanese. There are days where I forget my English (not even kidding), so I've been trying to message my friends/family in English several times a day including social media, speak more English, and watch American dramas as much as I can. I want to recommend the latest shows I finished watching most recently or shows I'm still in the process of watching (mostly because most of the shows are still ongoing). So let's get to them!

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead takes place after the onset of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. The zombies are colloquially referred to as "walkers". Humans that they bite or scratch become infected and slowly turn into walkers as well. It is revealed early in the series that all living humans carry this pathogen, so that if they die from any other cause, they will also turn into walkers. The only way to permanently kill a walker is to damage its brain or otherwise fully destroy the body, such as by cremating it. The series centers on sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma to discover this apocalypse. He becomes the leader of a group of survivors from the Atlanta, Georgia region as they attempt to sustain themselves and protect themselves not only against attacks by walkers but by other groups of survivors willing to assure their longevity by any means necessary.

(Credit: Wikipedia)

I started watching this series while they were on their 4th season. I fell in love with it as soon as I watched the first episode. I'm a big zombie fan, so I was happy to have found out about a decent zombie series. They'll be on season 8 this month and I don't exactly know when they'll end it, but I'm kind of hoping it'd be soon. Why? Well I'm still a fan of the show, but after season 7, my love for it kind of died down due to a certain traumatizing episode (don't want to mention any spoilers)! And it just kind of ruined it for me. I still want to watch the series til the end, but I hope they can lift my spirits again lol. It's a little frustrating when it feels like the walkers aren't much of the main problem anymore.


Stranger Things

Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the early 1980s. The nearby Hawkins National Laboratory ostensibly performs scientific research for the United States Department of Energy, but secretly does experiments into the paranormal and supernatural, including those that involve human test subjects. These start to affect the unknowing residents of Hawkins in calamitous ways. (Credit: Wikipedia)

I apologize I couldn't find a more thorough summary for this series, or wasn't able to summarize it myself. I didn't exactly know where to start. Ok, so I didn't think I would ever watch this series, but I did. A lot of my friends were posting pictures of it and it made me curious. I checked it out and I thought it started off a little slow, but I watched the entire first season in one day! It's different, but so intriguing. I just love the kids! They're so adorable and easy to love. I'm probably the only one saying this, but I felt like I was watching something like The Goonies. This series is fairly new so season 1 (now they're on season 2) didn't give a whole lot of detail to what's going on or how, but I look forward to seeing what more they'll reveal as the series progresses.


Game of Thrones

Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones has several plot lines and a large ensemble cast but centers on three primary story arcs. The first story arc centers on the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms and follows a web of alliances and conflicts among the dynastic noble families either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence from the hrone. The second story arc focuses on the last descendant of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty, exiled and plotting a return to the throne. The third story arc centers on the longstanding brotherhood charged with defending the realm against the ancient threats of the fierce peoples and legendary creatures that lie far north, and an impending winter that threatens the realm. (Credit: Wikipedia)

I watched this series while it was on their 5th season. I saw Michelle Phan's tutorial on Daenerys Targaryen's look and just from watching that YouTube video, it directed me to Game of Thrones and I got into the series instantly. I don't really know what to say about this series. I don't know how to go around it without giving out spoilers. You just have to see it for yourself! It's just full of unexpected turns and it's something you would want to bringe-watch your way through. If I'm able to find the books, I'd love to read through them. But I must warn you ladies; be careful for Jon Snow...you'll fall for him.


Riverdale

Set in the present day and based on the iconic Archie Comics characters, "Riverdale" is a surprising and subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Josie and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small town life -- the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade. (Credit: AceShowBiz)


Binge-watched season one in one day! Any of you guys into those Archie Comics? I read quite a few of them a long time ago. But I have to admit, what really drew me into watching this show was because of Cole Sprouse (how did he get so handsome? lol). Though I'm not exactly that big of a fan of his character...yet, or maybe I'm just not used to it after just one season. There is something haunting about the show that pulls me in and I love the style and atmosphere of everything. They're currently on their second season! And I heard things are heating up and darker secrets are to be revealed.


13 Reasons Why



Clay Jensen returns home from school one day to find a mysterious box lying on his porch. Inside, he discovers seven double-sided cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and unrequited love, who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah unfolds an emotional audio diary, detailing the thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Her instructions are clear: each person who receives the package is one of the reasons why she killed herself. And after each person has completed listening to the tapes, they must pass the package on to the next person. If anyone decides to break the chain, a separate set of tapes will be released to the public. Each tape is addressed to a select person in her school and details their involvement in her eventual suicide.

(Credit: Wikipedia)


I'm a fan of Selena Gomez. I don't know what it is about her, but she is so true to herself and to her fans. She's obviously very popular, but I feel like she's genuinely a caring person and not a diva. But anyways! I guess she's the executive producer of 13 Reasons Why, and because she is, I watched all of season one. This is a sad series. There were several scenes where it was hard to swallow. I feel a lot of the events were relatable to what a lot of people go through. Recently on the news, I suppose someone committed suicide the same way the character in this story did and a lot of hate happened for this series. The show sends out a deep meaning, and I know it would never intended on doing that to someone. This is like a bullying prevention. I think this is more for people who bully people and to show them what they're like from another point of view. To see what pain they bring upon a precious human life and pushing them into ending it. Bullying is still a serious issue and though this show has been pretty dark so far, it teaches that and I think it wants to reach out to a lot of people to make them understand.


The Vampire Diaries



The series is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town charged with supernatural history since its settlement of migrants from New England in the late 19th century. It follows the life of Elena Gilbert, a teenage girl who has just lost both parents in a car accident, as she falls in love with a 162-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore. Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Stefan's mysterious older brother Damon Salvatore returns, with a plan to bring back their past lover Katherine Pierce, a vampire who looks exactly like Elena. Although Damon is initially the villain and harbors a grudge against his brother for forcing him to become a vampire, he later reconciles with Stefan and falls in love with Elena, creating a love triangle among the three. Both brothers protect Elena as they face various villains and threats to their town, including Katherine. The brothers' history and the town's mythology are revealed through flashbacks as the series goes on. Additional storylines revolve around the other inhabitants of the town, most notably Elena's younger brother Jeremy Gilbert, her best friends Bonnie Bennett, and Caroline Forbes, their mutual friends Tyler Lockwood, and Matt Donovan, and their history teacher, vampire hunter Alaric Saltzman. The town's politics are orchestrated by descendants of the original founding families, all comprising a "Founders' Council." The founding families of Mystic Falls includes the Salvatores, the Gilberts, the Fells, the Forbes, and the Lockwoods. They guard the town mainly from vampires, although there are many more supernatural threats such as werewolves, witches, hybrids, ghosts and many more.

(Credit: Wikipedia)


Omg. Damon Salvatore. That's all. Just kidding hehe. Where to start? This is the show I'm currently watching now. My friend Saho recommended this show to me, saying it was good. I've heard of it for quite sometime, but I was afraid to start watching it because I thought it would be something like Twilight. Not that I don't like Twilight, it's just I wanted something completely different from that. Nina Dobrev is gorgeous. I actually was a fan of hers since Degrassi (yes, don't judge me). I can't stop watching this series! It's good. There are 8 seasons in all and I think season 8 recently ended (correct me if I'm wrong)? And after 3 weeks, I'm already on season 7 lol. My honest opinion about it; from season 6, I just started to get upset for many reasons. If you watched the series from the beginning, you'd know what I'm talking about. I'm hoping things will get better from where I'm at now. Regardless, I know I'm going to cry when I finish. This series is like a rollercoaster.

5→9: Watashi ni Koi Shita Ikemen Sugiru Obousan

Junko Sakuraba dreams of working in New York, but she currently works as an English conversation teacher. She's about to have her 29th birthday. Junko works hard to achieve her dream, but New York seems far away. She has also not dated in a long time. Junko attends a funeral held at a temple. During the funeral, she makes a mistake and throws ashes onto a monk chanting a sutra. She feels apologetic and embarrassment. Later, Junko's family deceives her into going on a blind date. The man she meets on the blind date is Takane Hoshikawa. Her date is the monk whom she accidentally threw ashes on. (Credit: AsianWiki)

I'm a fan of both Ishihara Satomi and Yamashita Tomohisa, so I had to check out this drama. I really like the storyline since it talks about an English teacher (and well, I'm an English teacher myself hehe). It's not one of those serious love stories, but rather a cute and funny one which I normally enjoy most. It's been awhile since I last saw YamaPi on screen and I was so happy to see him again and he still looks handsome as ever! As for Satomi, I really loved the wardrobe they had for her throughout the entire drama. There was a time where it actually inspired me to wear those kinds of clothes to work. I recommend it! If you like cute and short love stories.

Kaito Yamaneko

Kamenashi plays Yamaneko the eccentric and mysterious 'Phantom Thief' who steals from the corrupted rich and while exposing their misdeeds. Along for the ride is: Hideo Katsumura a magazine reporter who (at Yamaneko's request) is writing a feature on the 'Phantom Thief', and, Mao Takasugi is a bullied schoolgirl who is secretly a genius hacker. (Credit: MyDramaList)

Fantastic! This was a pretty good drama. This was definitely a different side of what Kamenashi usually portrays in other dramas. I personally think I loved the kind of character he was playing in this drama the most. I have to admit I was still a little confused with the ending, so I'm hoping if they do make a season 2, that they'd get more into detail with that. Nonetheless, it's enjoyable to watch. It'll give you quite a few laughs.

Detective Conan



The story follows the adventures of Shinichi Kudo, a young detective prodigy who was inadvertently shrunk into a child's body due to a poison he was force-fed by members of a criminal syndicate. Neighbor and family friend Professor Agasa strongly suggested Shinichi hide his identity to prevent them from killing him and the people he cares about, so Shinichi takes the name Conan Edogawa. He goes to live with his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, Kogoro, and tries to use Kogoro's detective agency as a way to find the people who shrank him—without letting Ran figure out who he really is. (Credit: DetectiveConanWorld)

I haven't been watching a lot of anime recently. Well, I haven't been watching new anime at all lol. The one anime I'm watching right now and keeping up to date with is Detective Conan. I started watching this series when I was in Misawa, Japan during my elementary school years. At first I thought it was ridiculous, but once you get into the show, it really reels you in! There are so many unexpected twists and it's never ending. Gosho Aoyama is just full of surprises. There's a lot of fillers, but it's always fun to play along and figure out who the culprit is. Almost all the characters will grow on you. The series is still ongoing; around episode 880 and almost at 900! I can't believe how far I came to catch up with this series. But I want to see it til the very end.

That's all for now. I don't know when I'll release #2, but I have a feeling it won't be for awhile until since I haven't decided on the next series or movies to watch. I'll get some recommendations from my friends and I'll see you in the next segment of Shows/Movies Recommedations! Bye for now.

The Horror Movie Tag

1. What is the first horror movie you remember watching?
A Nightmare on Elm Street! As a kid. I have no idea who got me into watching that but I think it was my dad, since he was a horror movie fan. But I'll definitely not forget about that since it gave me years of nightmares lol.

2. What is your favorite horror movie?
That's hard! Maybe Ju-On (The Grudge), only because after A Nightmare on Elm Street, no other horror movie got me so terrified until I watched Ju-On, then it became another year full of nightmares because of that movie. It was a different and interesting story like no other. If a movie like that really affects me, I must give it credit lol. But only the first film! I wasn't a fan after it kept continuing.

3. What is your favorite horror movie genre?
Slasher, Thriller, Paranormal or Psychological kind of genres.

4. What genre scares you the most?
Gore, but also Paranormal movies.

5. What is the last horror movie you watched that actually scared you?
The last time I actually watched a really decent scary movie was when I was in the states. Maybe my bestie Dani can recall our last horror movie session, but I honestly don't remember.

6. Who is your ultimate scream queen?
Jamie Lee Curtis.

7. What’s a concept that you’d like to see in horror?
I would have to agree with my friend here, I really like the whole yami shibai concept, because Japanese stories are, I find, scarier than American stories. It gives you a lot of unexpected chills. These stories are like no other ordinary stories. I've heard a lot of those kinds of stories here in Japan and it's really freaky. And sometimes even disturbing, but I think it would make a horror movie more interesting, grabbing concepts from that.

8. What is your favorite on screen kill?
Not that I would call it my favorite, but if I had to choose, I would say, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, where Freddy was controlling one of the patients as a puppet by using their...veins/tendons? It was like blood bending and every time I saw that scene, I would cringe. Just the thought of my insides being used like that...

9. What’s your favorite horror franchise?
Probably Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise (as you can already tell). It's like it's been following me since my childhood lol.

10. Who’s your favorite horror director?
Wes Craven and Stephen King. Though Stephen King is more of a novelist, but wouldn't he be considered a director too, for his own horror movies? I don't know.


This was a pretty challenging tag. I've seen many horror movies in my life, so going back to them was tough to choose from. But this was fun to do! Thanks so much for the tag, Mon-chan! For any of you bloggers and horror movie lovers out there, go ahead and give this tag a try!

Halloween Questionnaire 2017

It's October! So you know what that means...yes, I had to do this. Because yes...Halloween. It's a Halloween Questionnaire! I found this going around on Instagram and I thought it'd be fun filling it out. I really haven't been active on this blog, so I thought it'd be nice to put up an entry every once in awhile. Just to give my blog some life. But enough about that. Here. We. Go!

1. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you seen one?
Yes I believe in ghosts and yes I've seen one when I was a kid.

2. Favorite candy?
I actually don't eat candy much anymore. I don't know what it is. I guess I kind of grew out of it. But what I do eat every now and then is chocolate. So...chocolate, I guess.

3. What did you dress up as when you were a kid?
The one costume I clearly remember was my devil costume.

4. Parties or Trick-or-Treating?
Parties.

5. Have you ever carved a pumpkin?
Yes. Many times.

6. Worst thing you’ve ever gotten trick-or-treating?
Candy wrappers? Lol.

7. Best costume you’ve ever seen?
I can't remember, but there are a lot of great costumes out there. People come up with brilliant ideas!

8. Favorite ‘Halloween’ monster?
It's always either been vampires or witches.

9. Favorite thing you’ve dressed up as?
Probably my Amber from Sucker Punch costume and my Koan from Sailor Moon costume. I don't know what it is, but I was so proud of how those came out.

10. What are you dressing up as this year if you’re dressing up? What would you dress up as if you aren’t?
I don't know. I don't really plan my costumes anymore. If I do get a last minute one, it'd probably be a simple witch or cat.

11. Do you like going to haunted houses?
Yes! ...But not alone lol.

12. Haunted woods?
Yes, but again, not alone.

13. Ever worked in/hosted a haunted house/wood?
No. I mean, not that I know of...

14. Got a favorite spooky tune?
Halloween Party from Halloween Junky Orchestra! I play that song every year ever since the song first came  out.

15. Any wardrobe malfunctions?
I remember I had problems with my Jill Valentine costume lol.

16. Scariest Halloween moment?
I don't know if I would call it the scariest Halloween moment, but I remember going out with friends and there was someone going around, dressed up as Michael Myers. They followed us around the neighborhood for over an hour! It was pretty creepy~

17. Least favorite candy?
Candy corn. I know what you're thinking! But I don't really like the texture.

18. What are your plans for this Halloween?
Not sure. I know that we will do something for the kids though.

19. Have you ever played with a Ouija Board?
No. And I don't think I ever will. Those are no joke.

20. Least favorite thing about Halloween?
It's only once a year instead of everyday of the year.

21. Have you ever played Bloody Mary?
Yes! My friends and I actually filmed a video of us doing that in my parents' bathroom lol. I honestly don't know what happened to the footage, but I swear there were weird things happening in that bathroom after that...

22. In a zombie apocalypse what is your weapon of choice?
Oh, I gotta go with my Asian instincts and go with a katana. XD (Michonne status)

23. You’re in a horror movie. Are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer?
Not even kidding, I think I'd  be the first to die lol.

24. If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf), what would you pick?
Black cat, which I already have, but a wolf would be cool too.

25. Favorite Halloween/Scary movie?
Oooooh. That's a hard one...but it's always been sort of a tradition on Halloween day, where my friends (or me alone), would watch the Halloween series. Or Hocus Pocus (which isn't scary, but so fun to watch every time).

Bonus Question: Planning on going to any haunted attractions this year?
I want to. Universal Studios Japan is doing something and I really wanna go, but I'm pretty busy this month to even go. Plus it'll be so packed with all the people! Maybe next year.


And that's all. Get into the Halloween spirit and try this out yourselves, bloggers! I'll see you in my next post.

2017 Update

Hello everyone! WOW. It sure has been a long time since I posted here. I've been super busy! As always. Like I said, I don't want to get rid of the blog, but I also won't be posting frequently, because...well...this is why hehe. That's why I do vlogs more. I don't exactly film EVERYTHING, but if you haven't yet, fill free to check out my YouTube channel (here). There's so much to talk about, but I'll only give a quick summary.

This year has been crazy. Especially during April and May because there was a huge mess at work that came at us out of nowhere and I had to help clean it up. It wasn't necessarily a "bad" thing, but I was so stressed out because I had a lot of jobs coming at me all at once. I'm finally getting used to the routine, so it's at a good pace now. And during that time I got a kitten who I named Kuromi! I'm so happy. People ask me, why another black cat? Well, I love black cats! They say they're bad luck, but in my eyes, they're not. Plus when I got her at the event, she was the most popular kitten there among her siblings. It's interesting, because she was the only black kitten in the bunch, so she really stood out. It's like I have a child now. It's definitely teaching me more responsibility. But really, I have my friends to thank. When I'm not around, they always take such good care of her. Right now she is almost 6 months old and next month she will most likely be getting fixed. I feel bad doing so, but the vet said that it's best she does or she could pick up a lot of illnesses and it'll be tough later. Plus it will extend her lifespan. We will see how that goes. If you're interested, you can follow her journey in my vlogs or even on her Instagram page (here)!

Speaking of busy, work has been great! The team and I are also working on some projects/other jobs on the side, most of what I'm keeping secret and hope to share with you all in the near future. Even though I'm busy, I don't let work stop me from going to the gym and doing other activities such as getting back into dance. I'm also starting to run every night. The gym I go to; the running machines are all broken due to an accident that happened to three people! THREE PEOPLE (including one of our students). After that, I'm terrified to get on them, so running at night is its replacement. Keeping active helps me relieve stress and though I'm so exhausted, it feels so good when it's accomplished! I can't just sit around the whole time, I need to keep my mind and body moving. Oh! Not to mention, I got an image change. I felt I needed it after Obon vacation. I was thinking of cutting my hair short at first, but it took 2 years to get it as long as it is now so it would have been a shame to start all over. I don't know what I was thinking, but I suddenly had the urge to get bangs again and I did. There are days where it looks good, but there are other days where it looks horrible! I guess I'm just not fully used to it yet.

In November, I'm going to have a little getaway from Kobe and most likely going to Okinawa. At least I'm hoping, but it pretty much sounds official. Reason why, is because my cousin is getting married! She also had a baby boy who I haven't met yet, but dying to meet! Her and her boyfriend have been trying to arrange their wedding date for years. Due to a lot of incidents happening during the years, they had to hold back the wedding countless times. But now it's official and they invited me to come. I really wanted my mom to come too, but I'm afraid she won't be able to come to Japan this year. It's been two years since I last went to Okinawa. I'm really excited to see my relatives again.

Let's talk about vlogs! I know I've been a little behind on them (not going to try rushing anymore), but like I said, it's been busy and it'll be busy for quite some time. I'm trying to work on vlogs little by little each night, depending if I'm not too tired. I really enjoy vlogging! It's just been hard to vlog, especially since there hasn't been much to vlog. That's why I'm doing a lot of random rewinds from my old vlogs. Recently it's been a lot of traveling/scenery. During and after Obon vacation, it's been very eventful! In a good way. What you see in the recent vlogs doesn't even sum up everything that had been happening. I've been trying to do face-to-face vlogging, but that's hard too! Especially when I don't get exactly have enough time and I don't know if it's even facing me LOL. Which brings me to getting a new camera, one that you can see yourself while filming (but so expensive). That won't be for quite sometime. I want to use the camera I'm using now until it gives out. It's very special to me, because my mom gave it to me as a birthday present 4 years ago when I told her I wanted to film again. Thanks to her, I have a camera to vlog with!

On a last note: My birthday is next month! No idea what's planned for me, I don't really care for it anymore haha but I feel my friends are still going to do something. What I'm looking forward to is HALLOWEEN!

I guess that's about it so far. I feel there's so much more to talk about but I don't even know where to begin. If I feel there's something missing, I'll add it in later. But that's all the time I have today. Hope you all are having an amazing week! Until next time.