und das wetter?

its almost christmas...in other words, its almost time for me to come home for the holidays! i've been counting down the days for months now, i can't believe december 27 is just a few days away. after living over a year in this very foreign country, i can't help but scream/jump with excitement when i think about going home. food. family. driving. shopping. boston. hair cut. being able to understand what the wanker people are saying. buckley. snuggling. boston symphony orchestra. friends. twinkles. sleeping in. baking. ping pong. playing piano...

i can't wait.

one thing i can wait for is the weather. i've heard is terrible this winter--blah. i've been constantly checking boston's weather with this awesome website. check it out! i've made it my daily routine not only clicking on boston, but other cities around the world just to see how their weather is. the pictures are so great!

evian. live young.

let's observe the effect of evian on your body.

ok--this commercial just made my day.

eat. pray. love.

i'm currently reading eat pray love by the amazing elizabeth gilbert, a very talented author & journalist. my sister mailed me the book last month, & it is such an inspirational read. i can't help but highlight at least 2 sentences on every page--because her words are just that engaging.

this is one of my favorite passages, which i can't seem to get out of my mind. these are words from an indonesian medicine man, which gilbert met on one of her many journeys.

"you must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. that way, you can stay in the world. but you must stop looking at the world through your head. you must look through your heart, instead. that way, you will know God. "

the first days of spring.

dear noah & the whale,

did y'all write this song for me?

"cause blue skies are calling...but i know that it's hard."

love, leah bell.

bored to death.

after seeing rushmore for the first time, jason schwartzman stole my heart. i'm not sure what it is about him; but i love everything he's involved in from his films (darjeeling limited & i heart huckabees are definitely my favorite movies) to his music (coconut records--definitely my favorite) & now to his hbo series, bored to death.

jason schwartzman plays jonathan ames, who leads a double life as a writer & a private detective. also starring ted danson & zach galifianakis, who are both equally odd, hilarious & entertaining. this show is seriously amazing...you must watch it. oh, & the theme song is so great (because jason wrote it).

what my heart looks like.

i do:

*like sushi.

*learn so much everyday.

*cherish my new friends.

*adore my students (some more than others).

*realize my time in japan is flying by.

*enjoy each moment (because of the aforementioned bullet point).

*miss home (because that's where my heart is).

*print society is awesome.

44.

my president is so amazing. & classically handsome...might i add.

then you can start to make it better.

my night is complete, thanks to this awesome flow chart & the lovely lady at

far out brussel sprout.

& i do my little turn on the catwalk.

i'd like to briefly recap the event, which occurred right before my ugly swine flu diagnosis. anthea, a fantastic fashion journalist & great friend, had a VIP press pass to this seasons' japan fashion week & invited me to tag along. it was my first fashion show experience & let me tell you, it was unbelievable. we went to several shows, all of which were equally impressive & inspiring. we even got to party with the models at the kick off event! it was so much fun & i want to go again!

i can't help but post this song (which i can't stop singing). oh, right said fred--thank you for writing such an inspiring song...ha!

i'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts.
& i'm too sexy for Milan too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan...

i'm a model you know what I mean & i do my little turn on the catwalk.
yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah i do my little turn on the catwalk....

its so swiney.

yesterday i had a high fever, left work early & went to the doctor. guess what? i have THE flu, yes, that's right--swine flu. for the next 5 days i must stay locked up in my apartment, away from everyone & everything in order to prevent this crazy sickness from spreading. yuck! instead of wallowing in my misery & pain, i'm determined to take advantage of this time of rest & relaxation. i plan to catch up on my reading, studying, gradschool applying, writing & blogging. yay for optimism! :)

japan has turned me into a huge bike lover. whenever i pass by a train station or grocery store, i am bound to spot a fantastic bike that i can't take my eyes off of. a couple months ago, i started photographing these bikes, which i find so appealing. how great are these bikes? i wish i could have them all...

& last but not least, my bike!

today marks the date of declaration of dependence, the new kings of convenience album. i can't wait to hear what the brilliant numbers norwegian duo have created. its been 5 years since their last album launch, so i'm sure there'll be many surprises & incredible tracks. their new single, boat behind, is simply unbelievable & makes me smile. check out the video!

la vie en rose

some days i feel like being swept away...

happy october!

today is the first of a new month. i've been awake for about an hour & its already been perfect: an overseas

phone call from a true soul, black coffee, fresh avocado & a new podcast from this american life. yep, this month will be phenomenal.

i'm currently reading 'emma' by jane austen. consequently, i've fallen in love with dear mr. knightly. he's so humble & romantic. i read this quote last night & it may be my absolute favorite, "i cannot make speeches, emma...if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more."

--mr. knightley, chapter 13.

kohana

today i went with my friend emi & her daughter kohana to a quaint little cafe. we had a marvelous afternoon talking, playing & eating! i took these photos of kohana while she was eating her dessert (cookies & homemade kiwi/banana jam). i love these because she looks so content & in her own imaginary world.

which photo is your favorite?

nothing could make my evening better. i am watching o' brother, where art thou, going through my photos from last week's vacation (i'll post them soon), staring at the harvest moon & loving the cool, night air. fall is approaching & i am thrilled! this season is definitely my favorite. here's 5 reasons why:

1. glüwein (even though its traditionally a winter drink, i like to start early).

2. pumpkin patches (photo from we heart it).

3. leaves (photo from we heart it).

4. cool, morning sunlight. (photo from we heart it).

5. cardigans! (photo from hrrthrrr).

...so, a truly happy harvest to you all. x

obenkyo.

i recently started to study for the g.r.e. & am really excited about it (is that weird?). its really nice feeding my famished brain. check

out these great photos of books from my new favorite website, we heart it.

...what have you read today?

poladroid.

shake it like a polaroid pictah! so, how much do you love instant polaroid cameras? i do!! i remember using my grandparent's & thinking it was the coolest thing. then, i got a pink, polaroid camera (with sticker film!) for my 8th birthday & was ecstatic. there's something about that noise--& the excitement of waiting for the picture to come clear. unfortunately, polaroid stopped making the film in february of 2008 & the only place to get the film is on the net. but, there are other alternatives! today, i stumbled upon the website,poladroid, which allows you to download a program & turn any digital photo into a polaroid picture. the application is so simple & really fun! check out my favorite photos from my iphoto library,which i tweaked to look like old polaroids.