5 Mins of Fame Curveegrrl

[Laurenfra]

Ladies and Gents she is all yours

[MontanaRebel]

Did I miss something? lol

[Curveegrrl]

Hee! I belong to the people! Ask me anything. Don't be shy. If it gets too personal, I'll just make stuff up. :sarcasm

[pammie]

since you live in Japan.
1What is the japanese (atkins friendly) food you like best?

2. If you are going to cheat, what would it be with?

3. What Atkins recipe did you first look at and think no way, and actually now you love it?

4. When did you realize you wanted to do Atkins?

5. What are you making for lunch tomorrow when I come over?

[lostandfound]

If your life were a novel. What would your title be?


How did you decide on Atkin's as your WOE?


What's the most dramatic change you have made, since beginning Atkin's?


Hugs, Tammy

[Curveegrrl]

Yay! Questions!

Pammie: 1) I love love love (!!) Yaki Nikku! Definately. (for those unfamiliar with this delight it is BBQed meat and veggies that you grill up right at your table in the reastaurant!) OK...maybe it's really Korean, but I eat it here! I also love shabu shabu, tofu, oden, Konyaku, yaki tori, that bacon on sticks things...wow. There's a lot!

2) My cheat...ice cream and beer! Especially now that we're getting into summer.

3) hmmm...it'd be something you made. you make lots of cool stuff that I'd never think of doing. Maybet the Fauxba. It just looked so strange. Everything mixed together. But I love it!

4) I've known I've wanted to lose weight for ages. I just didn't know how to go about it. Or I was too lazy. Whatever. But when I saw the successes that a friend (YOU!) had...well, how could I refuse?

5) Tommorw is Cabbage salad (which some would call Coleslaw, but this has a more seseme flavour), Marinated grilled pork, and chicken salad. But then I was worried it was too plain looking, so I got a red and orange pepper to throw in somewheres so you don't have a heart attack that the lunch is all one colour.


lostandfound: The title of my life's novel would probably be..."Fantastipo!" Which is actually already the name of a movie in Japan. My avatar is an animation of the two main characters dancing the theme song. The movie stars to fine young pop stars who I adore. And the theme song (and dance) is the background music of my life. If I had to make an original title though, it'd probably be something like "HEY! He's Too Young For You!"

I decided on Atkins after seeing the amazing results that our own Miss Pammie has had. I'd only met her once before, and when I came back to Japan...I just could NOT belive the transformation that had occured! I wanted some of that success for myself!

The most dramatic change. I move now. I exercise. This is madness! I still don't LIKE exercising. But it gets done. And I don't take nearly as many naps.

[MontanaRebel]

So what kinds of food do you use on Atkins that may be different from what we may use?

Not sure if that was a good question or not. lol

[Mary-chan]

Hey Curvegrrl!

How do you like Japan? Nihongo ga wakarimasu ka? Where in japan are you? I spent a month in Japan last year (my friend's Japanese mother used to always say "meari-chan!" in a really cute way, so I borrowed the 'name' for the board lol)

I LOVED yaku-nikku!


What is your favorite movie/book/song?

When you play monopoly, what piece do you play as?

[Laurenfra]

What took you to Japan?

[Curveegrrl]

MontanaRebel: A lot of the foods I use here are the same as I'd use at home. Meats, eggs, butter, cream. But there are lots of veggies here that I never saw at home. OK...maybe I'm just from a small town (shout outs to Sudbury, Ontario) or just never really looked at vegetables very closely before..but who knew there wre this many kinds of mushrooms? I'd never seen daikon before. Or bitter melon (which is more like bitter cucumber...but I don't name things) Threre's lots of other great veggies here too, that I just don't know the names of. I just say "Hey! That leafy thing."

[Curveegrrl]

Mary-chan: Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! (Nice to meet you) I'm loving Japan! I'm having such a good time. Nihongo o hanashimasen. Demo sukoshi wakarimasu. Bekyoshimasu. (Which is a very ungraceful way of saying: I don't speak Japanese. But I understand a little. I'm studying it.) I live in a city called Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture. It's about an hour north of Tokyo by bullet train. Do you know where Nikko is? I live near Nikko. Where were you in Japan? Did you have a chance to tour around?

My favourite movie is To Kill a Mockingbird. I really like how it's seen from the point of view of the little girl. It's interesting that it's shot in black and white. And Gregory Peck is just wonderful in it!

My facourite book should probably also be To Kill a Mocking bird, but I must admit that I am a sucker for chick lit. I love the novels by Marian Keyes. I just roar with laughter as I read them. I can ususally read them again after only a couple months which is unusual for me. I generally just read a book once (except for DANDR of course!)

My favourite song...I can't chose! can I give a top 5?? In NO particular order: Shake by Smap, Fantastipo by Domoto Tsuyoshi and Kokobun Taichi (under the character names Haiji and Toraji), Hey! Minna Genki kai? by Kinki Kids, Naniwa Iroha Bushi by KanJani 8, and recently I cn't get the song Cherish by NewS out of my head! Oh those Japanese boy bands. I luuuurve them so!

In Monopoly...I like to be the dog. But so do most of my friends. So I'll be the shoe without too much stress.

[Curveegrrl]

Laurenfra: That's actually a tough question! I studied Anthropology and Sociology at university. I wanted to be a social worker. But in the summer before 4th year, my friend who was applying to teacher's college asked me a question. "If I don't get into teacher's college, will you come to Japan with me?"
"Sure. No problem."
"Oh thank you. I'm so stressed about not getting into college. If I don't get in I want to teach in Japan for a year and then reaply."
"Sound cool....but what am *I* gonna do in Japan?"
"Teach!"
"Hahaha! YOU are the English major. YOU can teach English. *I* am the Anthro major. What am I gonna teach?"
So she explained to me that anyone with a degree from an English language university is qulified to teach English over here. So I started doing research, looking at different companies and salaries, what the job entails, how one actually moves to Japan. And I called her back. And said that YES! I'd definately go with her! To which she replied that she had changed her mind and didn't want to go. And she did get into teacher's college, so no stress there.

I started applying to different schools and companies in March of 2001 (my last year of university) and I accepted a job with a big English Conversation School. I graduated in May. Came over in August. I was teaching in Tokyo. I lasted a year. It drove me nuts!

For the first 6 months I really wanted to learn how to do my job. So I didn't really travel, didn't go out much, didn't have many adventures. By six months, I was feeling more confident with myself so I relaxed a little and went out more. That's when I really started noticing that I didn't really like the company I was working for. The classes werre fine. I liked my students. But the company has some policies that just wrecked my head. And working in Tokyo made me nuts too. The trains were so crowded. It was hot and humid and smelly. I compare living in Toyo in August to living in someone's mouth! And that someone has not brushed their teeth recently!

So I started looking to get out. And I found a job in Poland. I taught in northern Poland for 2 years. But while there I really started to miss Japan. I traveled quite a bit in Poland and Europe, and realized that I never gave Japan the COUNTRY a chance. I just got so mired down in my job and city, that I didn't see all the other stuff that was here. And...and...I really like this group Smap. They are just the coolest thing ever! I figured, oh I'll like the music anywhere I go. And Polish music was good. But Smap. Smaaaaap. I just HAD to come back to Japan.

Luckily I had met another Smap fan the first time round. We met for a concert. That concert was the highlight of my entire year in Japan. Those boys (and by boys I mean men) can put on a show! So she submitted my resume to her company, and here I am! Happy as I've ever been in my life! I arrived at the beginning of last August and cannot belive how quickly the time has flown!

[Mary-chan]

Mary-chan: Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! (Nice to meet you) I'm loving Japan! I'm having such a good time. Nihongo o hanashimasen. Demo sukoshi wakarimasu. Bekyoshimasu. (Which is a very ungraceful way of saying: I don't speak Japanese. But I understand a little. I'm studying it.) I live in a city called Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture. It's about an hour north of Tokyo by bullet train. Do you know where Nikko is? I live near Nikko. Where were you in Japan? Did you have a chance to tour around?

Yoroshiku! Watashi mo benkyou shite imasue.. (i am also studying) . I know where nikko is, but I didn't have a chance to make it north of tokyo. My friend lived in Okayama, so we stayed there for a while, but then travelled to Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Himeji, Oosaka, Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo, and Yokohama.. I had gotten the JAL railpass before we went.. unlimited train rides.. it was such a good deal!!!
Here's my website for my japan pics if you want to see:
http://homepage.mac.com/jimjimbinks/PhotoAlbum38.html (links at the top to the other Japan pages)

There are so many things I miss about Japan.. I think it is contagious.. You don't realize how much you love the place until after you leave it! All these little things about Japan that I miss!! Like the mayonaiise (i dont know why, but it just tastes better there!), and the sandwhiches from the konbini's, and the little japanese children trying to practice their english on me, and other things...

I could babble on for hours about Japan, so I better shut up now, lol.



Also, To Kill a Mockingbird is an awesome book! I've tried to get my bf to read it a few times, but to no avail.

[Curveegrrl]

Mary-chan! Your pics from Japan are great. It looks like you had an amazing time. I'm jealous that you made it to Osaka. I haven't been there yet. Or Kyoto. Hopefully this summer I can make it out west.

Did you have people coming up wanting to touch your hair? I get that sometimes, and I'm not a knock out blonde like you!

[MontanaRebel]

Think I need to move to Australia....getting tired of this country and their government. lol