In Touch With My Inner Artist

The camera blurred the lines quite a bit...but I still like it. It is much sharper up close. This is the first drawing I have done in four years!

This is the Kits Beach, which overlooks English Bay and the mountains just outside Vancouver city. Canada is very beautiful.

I sat on the beach and drew this at about 2pm, which apparently is the time when the tide is out. There was a lot of seaweed and some birds were searching around for food. The barges were coming and going, as well as the sailboats. No kayaks at that time. I particularly like looking at the layering color of mountains. I didn't do a great job with that, since I never used watercolors before. The watercolors I used were my grandfather's before he died; I hope to one day say that he has passed his talent on to me. I need much, much more practice.

[And besides my grandfather, Ohno Satoshi is my artistic-inspiration. I want to be half as good of an artist as he is. Yay Riida <3!]

10 minute walk away from me

Settling In

I've slowly been settling into Vancouver.

My new roommate is super nice and her friends have been welcoming, so I am not as worried as I originally thought I would be. I am still super nervous about starting classes, but that's another problem in itself.

I got my student card and student bus pass, which is awesome. All you have to do is show it to the bus driver and you can go almost anywhere in the city. It is $25 (2,500 yen) per month, which isn't cheap, but it isn't so bad either, especially if I use the bus a lot.

I really, really miss my family, and I also really miss Japan. I think I will try my best to live there when I get older and then my family can move there with me when they retire (which mom says will never happen...crazy lady).

Today, Christine's friends are taking us to a Japanese Ramen shop and I am looking forward to it very much! I never had Ramen that wasn't a package from a store, so I am hoping it is delicious.

I also found I love a lot more Arashi songs than I thought! Right now I really like "One Love", "How to Fly", and "Song for Me" (Ohno's solo). I listen to them on repeat for hours at a time!

Okay, I'd better get ready for ramen now! Will post soon!