金曜日は日本語で - Japanese Friday ミツワ版

アメリカに来てからバージニア、アリゾナ、ペンシルバニアと、色々な所に住みましたがどこでも日本の食料品は簡単には手に入りませんでした。アジアンマーケットはあることはあるのですが、品数が少なかったり賞味期限がきれていたりなんて事がよくありました。 I've lived in Virginia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania since I came to America, but it was always hard to find Japanese groceries at those places. There were some Asian Markets, but they often had very little choices or were already expired.

ニューヨークに住むようになって一番嬉しいのがやっと日本の食料品をを気軽に買えるようになった事です。　特にニュージャージーにある「ミツワ」というスーパーには毎月一回ぐらい行っています。先週また行ってきたのでその時の写真を少しお披露目したいと思います。 The best thing about living in New York is that I can finally buy Japanese food on a regular basis. I especially frequent a supermarket called Mitsuwa in New Jersey about once a month. I went again last week, so I'd like to share some photos from the visit here.

ミツワはハドソン川沿いのエッジウォーターと言う所ににあります。週末に行くとたいていは駐車場が満杯なので私は近くのターゲットの駐車場に直行します。そこからだと川沿いの歩道をお散歩気分で歩いてたったの２分なので、ミツワの駐車場で空いている所はないか、帰る人はいないかとぐるぐる回っているよりよほど手っ取り早いです。 Mitsuwa is located in Edgewater, NJ along the Hudson River. If you go there on the weekend, the parking lot is usually full, so I go straight to the Target down the road instead. There's a walkway by the river that connects them and it only takes 2 minutes to walk over. Much faster than driving around in circles looking for an empty spot or someone who is about to go home!

ミツワに着いたらまずスーパーに入る前に外側のプラザのお店を覗きます。冷凍食品が溶けちゃう、なんて心配をせずにゆっくり見られるからです。本やおもちゃの他、普段はなかなか手に入らない日常品がたくさん買えます。今回は息子に日本語の絵本を買ってやろうとはりきって行ったのですが機関車トーマスの本ばかり欲しがるので結局手ぶらで出てきました。 When you get there, check out the store in the little plaza before you go into the supermarket. That way, you can browse as much as you want without worrying about melting frozen foods. There is a book store, a toy store, and others where you can buy Japanese supplies that you don't often see. I was planning to get a Japanese picture book for my son this time, but all he wanted was Thomas the Tank Engine ones, so we left the store empty handed.

次はフードコートで食事です。これは主人のトンカツ定食。私は今回は和風スパゲッティーにしましたが普段はラーメンとイクラご飯のセットをよく頼みます。他にもうどん、そば、中華など色々選択ができます。でもお昼ごろは座る席がなかなか見つからないので少し早目かちょっと遅れたお昼にするのがおすすめです。 Next up is a meal at the food court. This is the Tonkatsu Lunch that my husband ordered. I had Japanese style spaghetti this time, but I usually like to have the Ramen and Ikura rice set. You can also have Udons, Sobas, and (Japanese style) Chinese food. I recommend getting there early or eating a little later than usual since the food court is always packed around lunch time.

食事の後はとうとう買い物の時間です。毎週はないですがよく特別セールやイベントがあるので必ずチラシをチェックしてから行きます。先週末は九州と沖縄の物産展をやっていました。今回は博多の辛子明太子と写真に写っているプリンシューを買いました。　ものすごーくおいしかったです！！！ Once you are done with your lunch, it's finally time to go shop! They often have special sales and events, so be sure to check their ad before shopping. Last weekend, they were doing a Kyushu and Okinawa Food Fest. We bought spicy cod roe from Hakata and the flan cream puff shown in the photo. They were extremely yummy!!

気がすむまでお買い物をした後、家に帰る前におやつを買って一息つくのも一つの楽しみです。　今回はハドソン川とマンハッタンのスカイラインを眺めながら緑茶ソフトを味わいました。 When you've shopped your hearts out, don't forget to have a little snack before you leave for home. We enjoyed a cone of green tea soft serve while taking in the view of the Hudson and the Manhattan skyline.

ミツワはニュージャージー店他、カリフォルニアとシカゴにもお店があります。　詳しくはミツワのウェブサイトをご覧になってください。 Mitsuwa also has stores in California and Chicago besides the New Jersey store. Check out their website for more informtion.

I got a Treasury!

Yesterday, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, I got the urge to play around with the poster sketch tool on etsy. But I guess it was fate because at lunch time, I noticed that the treasury was about to open!

So I sat and waited, and managed to snag one!



I always love taking patterned photos of multiple, repetitive items, so I looked for photos like that which were taken in Japan. I think it turned out pretty well!

What do you think?

Sneak Peek - Eruopean 4-in-1

I've been working on a new bracelet design based on the European 4-in-1 chain. It's a pretty straight forward 4-in-1, but with just enough beads to make it a little more feminine and still won't interfere with how the links overlap. I think it's much prettier in person than how it appears in the phots. I'll have to work on taking better pictures!



I've been doing the "wearability test" for a day now, and it seems pretty strong. I also like how it lays on your arm. It's very flexible and slinky! So please keep an eye out for it at my etsy store! I will probably be making some to list there soon!

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Quick Update! This bracelet is now available at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28824700

Newbie Monday - Potpourri

I’ve been trying to introduce newbies according to themes for the last few weeks, but there are some sellers who just stand apart from the rest. There was no way I was going to leave them out, though, because they are so fabulous and talented. Hence, potpourri.


MegnificentCo

I’m sure it’s not easy trying to sell knitted items when a good majority of etsy buyers are hanging out at the beach or having a barbeque, but this New Jersey seller has such beautiful items, I’m sure that elusive first sale will come her way soon.

I am personally drooling over this stormy blue Ruffled Scarf with cascading ruffles that keep you nice and cozy on a blustery day. If you like your winter clothing to have warmer tones, it’s offered in maroon as well.

Besides scarves and muffs, MegnificentCo makes summer wraps and purses. Think ahead and get a scarf from her store now so that you won’t be caught without one when you actually need it.

TDNCreations

Looking through TDNCreations’ store makes me want to go back to school and study metal working. I share her enthusiasm about what can be created out of a strand of wire, and there are so much more possibilities when you can solder!

The simplicity of her pieces also speaks to me too, as evidenced in the Silver Moon Ring shown. There’s a certain aura of serenity around her works, and the beautiful crescent moon just begs to be gazed and meditated upon.

I also love the Starfish and 3 Chains Anklet with delicate chains clasped together by a little starfish. What a perfect item for summer.

makingstuffwithlove

My final seller of the week has one of the more unique stores in etsy. She makes little puppies out of felt, and she can even make one modeled after your little pet!

The one shown is a Bichon Frise, and I couldn’t resist choosing him as the featured pup because he has such a friendly smile!

Due to her choice of materials, she seems to handle short-haired and long-haired breeds equally well, which is actually rare to see! I know because I have a Yorkie, and I’m often frustrated by how they are represented in many of the breed-specific knick knacks.

I wish her best of luck, and of course, good luck to MegnificentCo and TDNCreations as well!

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I hope you adore these newbie finds as much as I do. If you are a newbie with 5 or less sales, and would like to be featured too, please leave a comment or convo me through my etsy account!

金曜日は日本語で - Japanese Friday 学校版

***Please scroll down for the English translation***

数週間前にも同じ事を言いましたが、アメリカに来たばかりの頃の私は英語が全く分からないと言っていい状態でした。学校には日本語が喋れる子は一人もいなかったので、先生や友達とは和英・英和辞典を指差しながら意思表示をしあいました。宿題も親に手伝ってもらわなければお手上げ、と言うか親に宿題をしてもらっている感じでした。

一番大変だったのはテストです。先生方も辞書を使わせてくれたり、皆より時間を長くしてくれたりしましたが、それでも“F”（日本のテストで言えば６０点以下）をもらってよく大泣きしました。学校で少しリラックスできるのは大好きだった図工の時間と日本にいた頃には少し苦手だった算数の時間しかありませんでした。

そんな風に英語にどっぷり漬かりながら毎日を過ごしても、皆がだいたい何を言っているのか分かるようになるまで一年かかりました。友達と違和感なく話をできるようになったのは８年生（中二）の終わり、アメリカに来て３年後です。

英語、日本語、または別の他国語を勉強していらっしゃる皆様もあきらめずに頑張ってください。今二歳半の我が子を見ても思うのですが、言葉を覚え、それをちゃんと喋れるようになるまでにはとても時間がかかるようです。

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I mentioned this a few weeks ago too, but when I first came to the U.S. I could barely understand English. No one at my school could speak Japanese, so I had to communicate with my teachers and friends by pointing out words in my Japanese-English dictionary. I couldn’t even do my homework without my parents’ help, or should I say, without my parents doing it for me.

Tests were the hardest. My teachers usually allowed me to use my dictionary and gave me extra time to finish, but I still ended up receiving plenty of F’s, reducing me to tears. The only time I could relax a little at school was during my favorite subject, art; and during math, which actually was my least favorite back in Japan.

Even with those seemingly endless English-filled days, it still took a whole year before I began to understand what others were saying. It wasn’t until the end of 8th grade, 3 full years after I came to America, that I was able to chat with my friends without feeling conscious about my English.

So if you are trying to learn English, Japanese, or some other foreign language, please don’t give up and keep at it! It’s pretty clear looking at my 2-and-a-half-year-old, that learning to understand and to speak any language is a very time consuming endeavor!

Newbie Monday - Out in the Garden

You may not notice it when you first take a glance at my etsy store, but I actually get a lot of inspiration from mother nature. I'm especially influenced by the color combinations and the patterns I see. Many other sellers seem to find inspiration in nature, too, as evidenced by this week's Newbie picks.


kidfluenced

The store kidfluenced is run by two interior designers from Calgary, Canada. They have some beautiful shadowbox art for kids in their store, which are great for kids at heart too.

The one shown is called Imagine Butterfly Shadowbox Art, and it's all aflutter with bunch of butterflies and flowers. I can definitly see it hanging in a tween girl's room! At the Farm one would be a great addtion in a room for a slightly younger child.

Life's a Beach shadowbox is fantastic for a beach house or a beach-themed room, not just kid's rooms!


stilltimephotography

Stilltimephotography is a seller from Riverton, Utah and a stay-at-home mom like me. She sells photo prints, photo greeting cards, as well as magnets in her store.

The photo shown on the left is from her greeting card series called Outdoors Set 2. I gravitate towards images that are so close up that they almost become abstract, so I love that composition.

I'm also partial to the Piano Keys because I used to play too, and looking at those keys make my fingers start moving on their own.


HarmonArt2

When I look through HarmonArt2's store, the word that comes to my mind is "harmony."

There are 2 artists represented in this store - Emily, who creates the fine art gourds like the Small Fall Leaf Gourd with Black Background shown here, and Brian, who creates the earthenware pottery and jewelry. Their items have similar themes and colors, however, and complements each other perfectly.

A husband and wife team that is in perfect harmony with each other as well as with mother nature! What could be more beautiful than that?

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If you are a newbie etsian and would like to be featured in this blog too, please leave a comment or convo me through my etsy account!

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Quick update! HarmonArt2 has been chosen as one of the Fresh Shops in Etsy's Voter! Please go to http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=60 and vote for them! Voting ends July 27th!

金曜日は日本語で - Japanese Friday スクールバス版

***Please scroll down for the English translation***

日本の小学校に行っていた頃、私は放課後が楽しみでした。 いつも校庭で皆とおしゃべりした後、近所に住んでいる友達と誰の家で遊ぼうかと相談したり、道端の花をつんだりしながらゆっくりゆっくり帰っていったものです。　家は徒歩５分ちょっとで帰れる距離でしたが、最低１５分、たまには３０分もかけて家に帰ったこともありました。

アメリカでも町中に住んでいる子は歩いて学校に行き来しているようですが、郊外では皆スクールバスに乗って帰ります。 バスに乗り遅れると親にわざわざ迎えに来てもらわなければならないので、おしゃべりなんかしている暇はありません。　皆大急ぎで宿題に必要な教科書を集めバスに向かいます。　私はトランペットを吹いていたのでバスに乗る前に音楽室まで楽器を取りに行かなくてはならず、いつも大慌てをしなくてはなりませんでした。　

でも、バスに間に合ったからと言って安心できるわけではありません｡ トランペットのせいで いつも皆より遅れてバスに着くので、座る席を見つけるのも結構大変だったのです。　たいていは仲の良い友達が席を取っておいてくれましたが、その子がお休みだったりクラブ活動があったりして乗っていない時は一緒に座らせてくれそうな子を探さなければならないのです。　バスの席にぎりぎり納まるサイズのトランペットケースを持っているのでいい顔をして座らせてくれる子はそうはいませんでした。

玄関先にランドセルを放り出し、「何々ちゃんのとこで遊んでくるねー。」とまたすぐ出かけて行けた日本の思い出とはかけ離れた世界のスクールバスでした。

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Back when I was in Japan, I couldn't wait for the end of the school day. After chatting with everyone in the school yard, I would slowly head home with neighborhood friends while discussing whose house we should play at or picking flowers on the side of the road. Even though I lived 5 minutes away, I used to take at least 15 minutes, sometimes even 30 minutes to get home.

In the U.S., inner-city kids often walk to and from school too, but most kids take the school bus in the suburbs. If you miss the bus, you'll have to wait for your parents to pick you up, so no one has time for chit-chats. Everyone collects the textbooks needed for homework, and then heads for the bus. Since I used to play the trumpet, I also had to run to the band room to grab my instrument before running to the bus in a big hurry.

Just because you managed to catch the bus in time didn't mean you could relax then. I always got to the bus later than everyone else, thanks to the trumpet, so finding a seat wasn't easy either. Most of the times, I had a friend who saved a seat for me. But if she was absent or had a club meeting after school, I had to find someone else who will let me sit with him/her. With a trumpet case that barely fit into the bus seat, I was rarely welcomed with a smile.

The memories from the days in Japan when I could drop off my school bag at the door and run off again to play with my friends seemed very far away on that school bus.