November 2005 is the month of Glory for Chiba, the place I live. Our beloved baseball team: Chiba Lotte Marines won the national league for the first time after 31 years!
This means, Marines is number one in Japan, number one in Asia! Yes!!! For Japanese, baseball is number one sport game. So the winning affect people. I am not much fans of baseball except go to see the game in the stadium once or twice a year. Just know enough about the game and our home team position in the league.
But the spirit is now all over.
Bobby Valentine (the coach, yes he is not Japanese, American in fact) is national hero now. Last week when Bush came to Japan, Koizumi brought Valentine to the door step of Airforce One to welcome US no 1. He then, got a big hug from Bush like an old friend. A real glue for US-Japan relationship. Valentine is now all over the TV channel. He is a charming guy.
Shops around the town (Chiba) offer a winning discount for people. My neighborhood shop sell their cooking utensils in ‘Marines’ discount up till 70% off.
People rush in to join the fans club . It is now become exclusive. Too bad earlier this year when my friend who is the active member of the club offered me to be one, I refused…well who knows Marines will win at that time. I missed the chance to get the free jersey : (
Last week I joined the hundreds thousand people on the street to see the winning parade.  The neighborhood suddenly packed with people (where are these people came from?!). Stood for an hour (not like those who camp from midnight to get the front row) I got the glimpse of Valentine and his boys waving around in a very very big smile standing in the fancy cabriolet exclusively provided by Toyota and the open top double deck Marines bus.
The hundreds thousand people may not know each other, but all become one, unite in winning spirit and shout out loud trumpeting: Chiba….Lotte….Marines!

Check the team at:
http://www.marines.co.jp/

Check glory parade (with the cool confetti!) video at (click on top right):
http://www.makuhari.tv/n-051120.html

***Symbol: Copyright 2003 Chiba Lotte Marines

Satoko Araki is the name. A new friend of mine. She is the daughter of our Otosan(father), Tombo-san. We heard many story of Satoko for years, but it was just last Saturday I got the chance to meet her in person. A very friendly and humble lady. Satoko was working as product designer for JVC electric until last year when she decided to quit the corporate world and start to follow her heart. She loves beads from 4 years ago. Despite her head to heel schedule as career woman and mother of two, she spare time for doing beads, something that she loves. Getting better and better (with her strong art background, her major in univ is oil paintings) she is now one of those famous professional accessories/jewelry designer, specialize in beads and stone those of the fancy sparkle of Swarovski. The famous beads magazine: ビーズBOOK volume 8 featured her creations. It was just awesome!
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me. She open her magic box of jewelry as a greeting of friendship on Saturday, and asked me to choose which ever I like. I got a bracelet, two necklace and a ring. Designer product! I need to go to a party now….
Here my salute to Satoko. A woman that dare and brave to follow her heart. Not to let herself trap in a corporate world (although she go a great career and surely compensation package), stand and shout it loud: "Follow your heart!"

Swarovski url:
http://www.swarovski.com/

The mag (Beads Book vol

If anyone ever ask me what is the best decision I ever made in my life, the straight forward answer will be: marry my husband, Akhtar.
I burnt my boat, left all behind (family, job, friends, country, culture and all) and start a brand new one (and later learn that actually not at all I left anything but physical distance).

I believe in how powerful love is. How experience each second of life with a partner who also my best friend fulfill each unfulfilled space in my soul.
How learning the never ending lesson of life together is much more effective to be able to pass the examination of life.
How marriage enrich the wisdom and patience, deepen the soul.

So today, my sincere congratulations goes to those couple-souls who decide to unite as one and start their journey.
To Evie and Tom, who knotted their love in September 2005.
To Lucia and Andrej Handzo, who knotted their love in a festive in front of Bratislava Castle, yesterday Nov 12 2005.
To Dwi and Aji, who will know their love on Nov 26 2005.

Love is all we need.

Gibran’s about marriage:
http://www.thepurplehouse.net/wedding/gibran.html