It has grown on me!: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Last Day of 2014

My husband and I headed toward Los Angeles airport to fly to Hawaii. We decided to travel Hawaii to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had traveled Oahu Island before, and this time we decided to go to Hawaii Island, also called the Big Island.

This is the view of the Big Island from the airplane. I'm going to update my blog from Hawaii during our traveling.

My entries related to our traveling on the Big Island can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Hawaii%20%28the%20Big%20Island%29

Monday, December 29, 2014

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

Hokkaido is northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectures. My husband bought this Starbucks Hokkaido mug while he was on business trip in Japan. I have already mentioned about Hokkaido tumbler in my previous entry, and the design of this Hokkaido mug is almost same with Hokkaido tumbler. If you would like to read my previous entry, Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Hokkaido, you can check it out. Anyway, I'm going to share this mug with you.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

・polar bear
・the map of Hokkaido

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

・the trees in Furano

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

・a kitakitsune, a fox

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

・a bear footprint in snow

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Hokkaido

This is Starbucks Japan Hokkaido tumbler.
Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Hokkaido

Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Hokkaido

Starbucks Japan - City Mugs

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan mugs can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks Japan tumblers can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20tumblers

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan

      My entries related to my Starbucks US collections can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Japan

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Sendai

Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. My husband bought this Starbucks Japan city mug, Sendai, during his business trip in Japan. The design of this Sendai mug is pretty much same with Sendai tumbler. If you would like to read detail of each picture, you can check my previous entry, Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Sendai. Anyway, I'm going to share this mug with you.

・Fukinagashi of Sendai Tanabata Festibal, which is one of three famous festivals in Tohoku region and the most famous Tanabata Festibal in Japan
・Date Masamune, who was the first lord of Sendai domain

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Sendai

・keyaki, Japanese zelkova, which is the official tree of Miyagi prefecture

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Sendai

・sky night of the Milky Way

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Sendai

This is Starbucks Sendai tumbler.
Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Sendai

Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Sendai

Starbucks Japan - City Mugs

      These are my previous entries.

Starbucks Hokkaido Mug

Starbucks Kyoto Mug

Starbucks Sendai Mug

Starbucks Hiroshima Mug

Starbucks Kobe Mug

Starbucks Yokohama Mug

Starbucks Okinawa Mug

Starbucks Fukuoka Mug

Starbucks Kanazawa Mug

Starbucks Nagoya Mug

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan mugs can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks Japan tumblers can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20tumblers

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan can be seen here.http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan

      My entries related to my Starbucks US collections can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Japan

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa prefecture in Japan. Even though I have traveled so many places in Japan, I haven't gone there. I wish I would travel there someday. When my husband was on his business trip in Japan, he bought this Starbucks Japan city mug, Kanazawa. I'm going to share this mug with you.

This two-legged stone lantern pictured is one of Japanese traditional architectures made of stone, toro. This toro is called Kotoji-Toro and is symbol of Kenroku-en, an old private garden and one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

This yellow one pictured is yukitsuri, a technique for preserving trees and shrubs from heavy snow. During winter, you can see yukitsuri in Kenroku-en.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

This orange structure (its actual color is black though) is mikado, the main gate of Oyama Shrine, a Shinto shrine in Kanazawa. This mikado is designated as a nationally important cultural property of Japan.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

Hokuriku Shinkansen, a high-speed railway line in the Hokuriku region will extend to Kanazawa and will officially open next year.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

There are Japanese traditional structures with latticework in Higashichaya-gai, which many tea houses stood in. You can see the picture of Starbucks mug in the tea house below.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

There are gas lamps in Higashicyaya-gai.

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Kanazawa

Starbucks Japan - Mugs

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan mugs can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks Japan tumblers can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan%20tumblers

       My entries related to Starbucks Japan can be seen here.http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan

      My entries related to my Starbucks US collections can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Japan

Friday, December 26, 2014

85℃ Bakery Cafe, Cake Was Way Too Sweet

Yesterday, my husband bought this cake at 85℃ Bakery Cafe for Christmas. It's been years since we had their cake last time, but we remembered that their cake was pretty good. Three years ago, my ESL teacher told students that they served less sweet cake and it was tasted pretty decent. At that time, I was surprised that I have never thought that their cake was less sweet because it was just ordinary sweetness for Asian cake which I like. Frankly, I am not a fan of American cake because it is excessive sweet for me. That's why my husband and I were excited to have the cake from 85℃ Bakery Cafe last night. Unfortunately, we were really disappointed at this cake. It's because its sweetness was insane. It was not one they used to make. Their cake was excessive sweet for us... I miss Asian cake!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas Trees

These are Christmas trees I saw this year.

The Market Place

California Downtown Disney

Starbucks in LA

Irvine Spectrum Center

My Home

Happy Marry Christmas!! :)

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

It's Christmas Eve today. Today, I listened to this song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, which was introduced by Judy Garland in 1944. Many artists have covered this song since then.

Lyrics

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yuletide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

     Today's Vocabulary

・Make the Yuletide gay ; Make the Christmas time happy.

・ in olden days : 昔々、昔は、昔に

・ yore 【jɔ́ːr】 : 昔の

・ dear to : （人）にとって大切［大事］な

・ bough 【báu】 : 大きな枝

    This is my entries related to my favorite songs.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/songs

    This is my entries related to my favorite Christmas songs.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/songs%20-%20Christmas

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Starbucks Japan - City Mug - Nagoya

According to Starubcks Japan official website, this shiny golden Starbucks Nagoya mug was also inspired by traditional tiered food boxes as well as Starbucks Nagoya tumbler. Both designs of Starbucks Nagoya mug and tumbler are almost same, so I don't talk much about every detail of this mug. If you want to read more details about each picture, you can check my previous entry, Starbucks Japan - City Tumbler - Nagoya. Anyway, I'm going to share this Nagoya mug with you.