Sista in Tokyo

Mommyhood and Moment Garden. I Highly Recommend Both!

My little angel was born December 1st and for the past month, I have been busy learning and enjoying motherhood.  It is really cool!  Seriously, I had no idea it would be so fun, so exhausting, and so fulfilling all at the same time. And, guess what!?  I am still able to get things done with my start-up, though I hoped to have it launched before my baby came. 

These days I am taking it easy, marveling at my baby girl, recovering from giving birth, and working hard on launching Hitch'd.  I have also been helping my husband launch his new recruitment company, (go babe!!) where I plan to take on a few exciting searces in the consumer web industry as well!  Yep, we have a lot going on in the Bullock household these days, however I have been pleased with how things are working out. 

I'd have to say that so far, the biggest challenge is my trying to cook and get things done that require leaving the house or staying away for more than 2 hours, as I am breastfeeding.  But, I have a super-duper breast pump that I am certain will come in handy very soon.  My doctor has given the okay for exercise and I'm excited about the new Tokyo American Club as it's close to my home and they offer child care services.  So, soon i'll be able to head up to TAC, get a little work out on and not worry about a babysitter or getting back to my home within a small time window.

Anyway, my little sweet pea is growing quickly!  She is already a six-weeks old.  I've been using my iPhone to capture cute and memorable moments and I now have a collection of over 100 photos and videos of her doing some random baby things.  As my collection continues to grow, I recently decided to do more with my captured moments (beyond sharing them on facebook with people) and so I began using the service Moment Garden. 

In short, Moment Garden is a free web service that let's you chronical and share captured moments of your child with family and friends (or just keep them for yourself).  Instead of uploading photos and stuff, I just email the photos from my iPhone to my moment garden e-mail address.  I like that it's focused on privacy because I only share a select group of photos on facebook, Moment Garden is much more intimate and the site design is really cute.

Since we're here in Tokyo, I plan to use Moment Garden as a way for our immediate family back in the states to have a constant dose of baby cuteness like we do.  Thing is, a few members of my immediate family don't really go online very often.  It would be cool if they could print and mail photos so my family occassionally as well!  (Hmmmmm, could be a cool service.) 

Check them out.  I think this service will really take off and will be a big hit with the mommy blogosphere.  In fact, I like it so much that I think I'll be a bit of an advocate for them and share this service with the mommy groups here in Tokyo.

Anyway, great idea, great service, and my interaction with the founding team has been super positive.  +100 for being a start-up focused on parents and children!

 

 

 

 

Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

For the serious student of Japanese who is ready to devote the next ten months to learning and perfecting their language skills, the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (Stanford University) located in Yokohama may be for you.  The Center offers both a summer program as well as a 10-month program.

The 10-month program admits up to 60 students annually who are degree candidates at a university or college, or college graduates who intend to enroll into a graduate program after completing the 10-month Center training.  Further admissions guidelines require two years or more or college level study of Japanese and an Inter-University Center Japanese Proficiency Test, among other things.

Tuition is approximately $15,000.  For further information about the center, application procedures, and the deadline- Please Click Here

10 Things to Remember When Learning Japanese

When I first began learning Japanese I was excited.  My first Japanese class was full of excited students who like me, were anxious to begin learning how to read, speak, and write Japanese.  I remember being proud of myself for the small battles-- like mastering hiragana and katakana.  Indeed, it was exciting to finally learn how to write Ta-ka-ra in katakana, I thought it looked so cute on paper.  (I'm so corny)

Maybe it was the mystery of it all that made me excited to complete my Japanese homework, or maybe it was fact that I had finally found a language that I was really interested in learning.  Whatever it was I was hooked, and with every lesson learned I wanted to learn even more. 

JAPAN PODCAST REVIEW: JapanesePod101.com

I recently made the decision to return home this summer and prepare for law school, instead of remaining in Japan to work for a year.  It was a tough decision, one that I am still coming to peace about for I had plans for Sista in Tokyo, which among other things included a weekly podcast.

As a commenter suggested last week, why not a Sista in Tokyo podcast?  Lord knows I love to talk! (hehehe)  Unfortunately, that probably won't happen--that is unless I obtain a position with a company in Japan that pays well and doesn't involve teaching English.  No offense to English teachers and aspiring English teachers, but the thought of teaching English in Japan for an entire year, on a daily basis, makes me dizzy with irritation from boredom.