WaniWisa

So I got to see my sister Lisa with all of the Thanksgiving festivities going on. I was so happy that my entire family was able to get together this year. We had such a wonderful time. Lisa and I have a special bond and I am convinced we were in the womb together.....I just popped out a year and a half earlier than she did. Growing up I wasn't really able to appreciate our relationship much. I used to tell her to go away because she followed me everywhere, and to leave me alone at times. Man, I was a mean kid. I just got annoyed that she wanted to be my sidekick 24/7. We made up skits and performed them for each other in the rock garden behind our home in Japan. We rode the bus to kindergarten together and took ballet classes at Matsumoto Sensei's ballet studio. I think one of our favorite things to do now is to watch our ballet recital when I was five and she was only three. We are both giggling on stage and while I tried to remain serious as always, she was flopping around carefree.....so cute and still brings us to tears. Anyway, Lisa and I continued ballet together at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle for many years. I was so proud of her when she got to perform the main part of Clara in the Nutcracker....while I got to do Chinese for four years! I have fond memories of summer dance programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, with Lisa and my best friend Lexie. So many inside jokes were created those summers. And all of the early mornings getting ready for seminary before school....Lisa would sit there all sleepy eyed and watch me get ready. I would tell her to quit staring at me but I don't think she really knew what she was doing. Too tired and too early. Anyway, I am so fortunate to have a sister who still wants to be my sidekick 24/7. Although we live in different states now, I hope we will soon be able to reside close to one another. I want to be Auntie Lani and take care of little Lisas and Jeffs. Hint hint. I am so proud of Lisa and all of her accomplishments in social work, dance, counseling, church.....now I find myself being more of the tag along I think. I love you Lisa : )

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving and I'm already watching Elf. Christmas movies are a tradition for us Tamakis on Thanksgiving. Especially Home Alone. Went early to the gym to train a client, worked out a little bit harder and longer, and now for festivities. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I am truly grateful for your friendships and the joy you bring to my life.

My Uppers

I was just thinking about the little things in life that make me happy. Do you ever do that? You know, you're busy doing your own thing, and you find 5 bucks in your jeans pocket while you're doing laundry.......or you see a picture of yourself when you were 5 wearing that awful hand knitted sweater.....or you get a voice message from your dad that you decide you have to save because you laughed for ten minutes straight about it ......or someone totally trips right in front of you at the store and you try not to laugh? It's those little things that keep me going sometimes, and what I think really make up the best part of our every day lives. You know what I'm talking about right? And I think we all have our own little lists of things that keep our engines running. Forget the big graduations, birthdays, road trips, vacations, anniversaries, etc. Daily things we do or events that occur, to keep us smiling. Here are some of mine that I've thought up.

A Family Guy episode I somehow missed on Hulu.com and now get to watch it
Finding an earring I thought I had lost at the bottom of my purse
A client unexpectedly resigns early and I get a boost to my commission
My turkey meatloaf experiment turns out just right and Alex seems to genuinely like it
Sleeping in for 9 hours because I don't have work on Sundays
Looking at a picture of myself wearing uncomfortable laderhosen that Mom made me wear when I was about 4
Stepping outside and it is much warmer than I had expected
Werther's Originals in coffee flavor
Lifting heavier and feeling stronger in my work out
Coming back from vacation to see I've left my house clean
And old client returning to train again because they've missed working out with me
Finding ballet friends from my past on Facebook and seeing what companies they are dancing for now
Seeing that weirdo at the gym wearing his singlet and matching headband. All white on Thursday...yikes
Taking a big fat nap with no time restriction
Going to the Bayou on Saturdays
Sitting on my porch with Chelsea talking our woes away to Maverick frozen yogurt
Nice long hot shower with lots of water pressure and my favorite Loreal Body Vive shampoo...smells so good
Making dinner with Alex on a weeknight after work
Wearing my favorite hoodie and Nikes around
Sour watermelon gummies
Yellowtail sashimi
My Norah Jones CD is not scratched up like I thought it was
Sleeping on down pillows
Putting in a new pair of contacts
Seeing cute kids at the gym and getting them to wave and smile at me
Speaking with Granny and realizing my Japanese is still pretty good
Green tea chai tea from Beehive Tearoom
My Blackberry is scrolling down again after being stuck
Watching a Jazz game at Fiddler's Elbow (half off pitchers with Chelsea)

Anyway, these are my uppers. I resort to them once in a while and I think they are actually good for me. I'd be curious to know what yours are. Life is so much better when you take a hard look at these little things. Try it.

The Rents

I think I may have been a little over zealous about this blog thing. It was my way of moving away from facebook, but these days I can't find much time to update my blog. All I can say is that I am excited for my family to come visit for Thanksgiving. Although I'm nearly 29, I still yearn to spend time with my parents and wish I could see them much more often. I am really lucky to have my parents. They are my friends. Pop leaves me goofy messages on my voice mail all of the time. They are usually pretty cryptic. He calls me on his lunch breaks to tell me he is just checking in, and that he is walking along the Port Angeles waterfront for exercise. I think Mom used to go meet him more often on those walks, but she's been busy quilting and preparing lessons for seminary lately. My dad is really good at keeping in touch with me, and always has been. I remember going to Pennsylvania for the summer for ballet. I think I received a postcard from Pop almost every single day.....even it they only had a sentence or two written on them...and usually about what he ate that day. Anyway, Mom has been such a good friend to me all of these years too. I think I stalk her.....actually I do. Has your mother ever asked you to stop calling her? Yeah, me neither, but sometimes I think she gets frustrated because she's in the middle of making a quilt or preparing a seminary lesson or something. But Mom still always answers the phone when I call her. I think she likes that one of her daughters is still single and likes to communicate with her on a daily basis. She will listen to my woes about work being slow, boys, finances, and my political ideas. I think she is my biggest supporter when it comes to me finding happiness and fulfillment. And the coolest thing for me, is to see my parents walk hand in hand. It's wonderful to see best friends stay best friends for so long. I love my parents dearly, and am so excited to spend time with them and all of my family this Thanksgiving.

Where Did You Get Them?

So there's this funny phenomenon that only occurs in Utah for me. And we all know that Utah has it's own culture out here. I was at a 7 eleven getting a coffee, when the guy behind the counter asked me where I was from. My initial response was to say Seattle, but I knew he didn't want to hear I was from somewhere in the US. If you look anything besides wonderbread white here in Utah, they want to know what your ethnicity is. So I told him I was from Japan, and he seemed satisfied. I wanted to ask him where he as from as well, but I already assumed he was from India. Well, to be fair, he looked Indian,.....and he WAS working at a 7 eleven afterall. Don't you guys watch the Simpsons? Anyway, I remember people at BYU asking me, "Where are you from?", "What nationality are you?", and the clencher....."What's in you?"......that was the most ignorant for sure. It was weird because people in Seattle hardly ever asked what nationality or ethnic origin I was. I think they knew it wasn't particularly appropriate to ask someone what race they were, and secondly, Seattle has a huge rice crop of Asian people anyway, ha ha. I really do miss the cultural diversity in large cities, though. Different languages, foods, religions, cultures, churches, looks, etc. I felt it expanded my horizons to be in an area that was so diverse. And here in Utah I guess I could say I contribute to the cultural atmosphere, but nowadays I am much more "white" than Asian. I yearn to speak Japanese, and to be around Japanese people, but don't really have the opportunity. And I also realize racial stereotyping is not limited to the US, or places like Utah. My mom took us girls to church in Japan when we were little and some lady came up to her and said, "My your girls are so cute! Where did you get them?" Open mouth, insert foot. My mom only replied, "They're mine,".....and yes we definitely are. When I tell people I am half Japanese, I am asked which side of me is Japanese and I want to say my left side. In any case, I am very greatful I had the opportunity to live in Japan for the first eight years of my life. And hopefully one day, my little Lani's will have some hint of Asian in them, and they will get asked the same questions that I did. I want my Japanese side to show up in them just a little bit. Is that too much to ask?

In Your Face-book

So there's this phenomenon called Facebook, and I'm pretty sure it has taken over my life. Not slowly, mind you, but like a blow to the head. You really don't even know what's hit you, until you find yourself on it like it's your job. Hmmm....Lani Tamaki...Occupation, Facebook Enthusiast. That would be sweet to get paid by the hour to be on it, but quite lame at the same time. It is a sad truth...I feel like I'm in high school sometimes, and I don't like it. The good thing about Facebook is that it's always fun to see what your friends are up to, and it has allowed me to get in touch with people from all over. I even found Maya Keeley from kindergarten in Japan! Top that! And to see my old roommates from BYU's baby pictures?.....priceless, as they say. But I believe this has become a culture of sorts. First you get talked into creating a profile AGAINST your will......right? Wink wink. Thanks Ceci. And then you start to find these people from your past, and they find you, and then...you're found several hundred times. Woo hoo. Then what? It becomes a display case for your bragging rights to the amount of friends you have, or the stuff you did that weekend, or your political opinions. In any case, Facebook has done me a lot of good and I am indeed grateful for that. Geez, it's the only way my little sister Laura will "talk" to me. It's like a link to her vital signs so that I know she is still alive. Status update = heartbeat. Anyway, so because of this Facebook invasion upon my life, I have decided to be proactive and begin this lovely blog. I felt that a blog was more of an intimate look into my life, and that I could invite a select few to read about the inner workings of my brain. I forgot how much I love to write,....or maybe just hear myself talk. Ha ha. But in all honesty, my blog is my attempt to provide commentary on what I believe are relevant topics in this world. It's fun to reminisce about my childhood and my past experiences. So although my writing is not particularly profound, I hope it provides some entertainment for my audience, as it does for me.

Football, or More Like Rugby?

Okay, so I'm watching CNN just like every other American right now. I too, am roped into this Presidential election this year. I honestly feel like I am watching a football game on the television screen. It's a good one! So close....one point for Obama...Ohio?! Unprecedented!! and one vote for McCain....in Mississippi? No way! I like a little bit of unpredictability and a good close battle. I still say, may the best man win, but a landslide is just not my cup of tea. I wonder how physically and emotionally exhausted these two individuals must be right now. How do they sleep at night? Do you think they recite speeches in their dreams, or campaign from their beds? When do they sleep? No time with all of the excitement and craziness going on. I always thought Bill Clinton looked sleep deprived with those heavy bags under his eyes,.... and now we know that it wasn't the welfare of Americans that he was worried about, but the welfare of his.....cough cough...manhood and a certain intern perhaps? Ha ha. Anyway, McCain and Obama must really feel like they've been playing a rough game of football this whole time, and all I have to say is poor McCain...football at his age must be exhausting! It probably feels more like rugby to him. Ouch. You have to give it up to the both of them though, for working so hard. I just didn't particularly like the slanderous commercials and low blows that went on, but I guess that's politics. Thank goodness for Saturday Night Live and it's humanizing effects on the candidates. It was great to see the humorous side of things. And good luck America on your next four years. I'm very curious to see how this next big game turns out. And if we lose in this one, we all lose big time. And then I show up at Granny's doorstep in Nagano, Japan. Hi Granny.

Utah-rded Cops

So I had an interesting experience last night. I got pulled over by a cop right by my house. I was on the way to the airport and was already running late to pick up Alex. Great, this is just what I needed. Well, the cop took forever to walk up to my window. I was wondering what the heck kind of thing I had done for it to take so long. He finally approached me and asked, "do you know why I'm pulling you over?" And I said, "no, I really don't" because I really had no clue what I had done wrong. He proceeded to tell me that I had not made a complete stop at the red light, and that I seemed to have been suspiciously waiting quite a long time in that driveway that I had pulled out of. He said this to me in an arrogant, snotty manner. I was like "Wow, look Dude, I freaking live here, and that was MY driveway douche bag. I could hang out there as long as I wanted to"......Oh I wish I had actually said that outloud! Anyway, he asked for my license and paperwork etc., and took another aeon to get back to the car. He finally handed my license back to me and told me to update the address on it and to make complete stops from now on at red lights....duh. As I began to pull away, I thought to myself that it was the strangest pull over I had ever experienced. I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed he had called 2 other cop cars on me like I was some drug bust operation! Hello! Look at this face! I'm half Asian and I could pass for 14 years old! (Oops driving at 14 would be illegal anyway). Do I look like a drug dealer? I got a 3.8 GPA at BYU and passed all four years of early morning seminary. And I'm sorry I "lingered" in MY driveway too long for you sir.....I could honestly sleep in my driveway if I felt like it. I swear Utah cops are so Utarded. But I guess in the end, they were just trying to do their job...too hard, in fact. Like breaking up Provo parties every weekend in college. Thanks cops for keeping me safe from creeps like myself : )

Sundays

Growing up, Sundays were considered sacred; no shopping, no working, no recreation, no exercising, 3 hours of church, meetings for callings, interviews with bishops, visiting teaching assignments, scripture reading, home teachers coming over....wait, does this sound like a day of rest? In any case, for me, it was just a normal part of life having grown up in the LDS church. Sundays just seemed like another busy day for me. Go to church, come home, and do the mounds of homework I had from high school. I remember sitting at that computer in Pop's study, writing several papers on Sundays......it was the only day I didn't have ballet practice. I remember getting ready for church, and Lisa, Laura, Mom, and I, waving goodbye to Pop as he stood on the doorstep. For Pop, Sundays were and still are days for catch up around the house. Even now, I call him to see how his Sunday is going, and he tells me that he cleaned the toilets (always), watered the lawn, did the laundry, cooked curry in the crock pot, and ran errands like going to Costco, and grocery shopping at Safeway. Nowadays it seems like he's working on Sundays as well (he says that's how we afford a back yard). We used to ask him why he didn't come to church with us, and he would tell us that Sundays were his days of rest from work, and that it was a day where he didn't want to sit quitely in a suit for 3 hours. He wanted to read his newspaper, get his hairs cut (as he says), do his shopping, and enjoy his wine. He was always kind about our home teachers coming over, and missionaries joining us for dinner. Sunday dinners were always a goofy time for the Tamakis. One of us would say the prayer (last one usually to say "not it"), and Pop would video tape it with his camcorder. He would sometimes chime in on our prayers and it would make us laugh (and Mom angry). Anyway, I still miss those Sundays in the Tamaki house. Everybody busy doing their own thing. Mom writing in The Book of Terry, Me doing my homework, Lisa talking on the phone to her thousands of friends, and Laura....not really sure what Laura always did (played with her hamster?) Anyway, Sundays for me are quite different now. I'm not waking up early, getting all dolled up for church, and doing a bunch of homework. Somehow, I've adopted more of Pop's outlook on Sundays. It's my day away from work, and a day to run errands, clean, and do those things which allow me to feel rested and rejuvenated to start another busy week. My idea of spirituality is to enjoy nature, set everything right that went awry during the week, read an uplifting book, write in my journal (The Book of Lani?), maybe go to brunch, and work out. Sundays to me are still sacred because I try to slow down and see what I can do to improve the week ahead. I still sometimes miss the routine of going to church and the fantastic dinners prepared by Mama Tamaki, but I am grateful for the memories and the chance I get to look back at these times with fondness. I do miss my family, and hope that some day, I can build a similar "bonding" atmosphere with my own family on Sundays.

28, and My First Time Voting

Okay, so I know we've all heard enough about the 2008 election. We are bombarded with television ads, opinionated coworkers, newspaper reports, and paraphenalia. (I hope I spelled that right.) In any case, I'm just excited that I actually got off of my butt and cared enought to register to vote this year. For once in my life, I am feeling the effects of the economy in my work, insurance benefits, and supermarket and gas station experiences. It is upsetting to have clients tell me that money is tight, and the economy is anything but great.....work is slow and I need to save my money......I can barely afford my membership every month let alone personal training....or can we train twice a week now, instead of three times? It breaks my heart. While there is some comfort in knowing that my occupation isn't the only one struggling, my personal experience remains the same, and the effects are still upsetting. So while I'm not 100 percent confident in either candidate this year, and wish they weren't so extreme in their viewpoints, I'm still grateful for the opportunity I have to participate by voting. And at least when the results come back and it's one way or the other, I know that I did my part to try to move this country along in whatever way I believe is the best way to go. And if all else fails, I want to move to Vancouver, Canada. Maybe I will see you there.

Chick er Chreet

I remember as a kid, moving from Japan to Port Angeles. Everything was new to me, and I did everything I could to assimilate. I didn't want to be that Japanese girl with the thick accent who dressed funny and ate weird things. I wanted my name to be Alyssa Green, and I wanted to be wearing the coolest 80s styles....I had denim boots with a jeans pocket on the ankle, some white tights with lace at the bottom which I wore under my shorts, and a hypercolor sweatshirt of some guy who's clothes came off as you blew on his body...ha ha. I can't believe Mom let me buy that. Do they still sell hypercolor shirts? They should make a come back! Anyway, I remember moving to this new city, and thinking America was soooo cool....little did I know that Port Angeles was hardly America! One thing I remember vividly, was that Mom would take us to the local library, and I would check out books about two things in particular: mummies and Halloween. What a weird kid I was. I was obsessed with Halloween. I thought it was the neatest holiday ever! Dress up as a total weirdo, and get candy from total strangers. How much better could it get for a kid? I remember Mom made Lisa and I costumes as Malificent, the witch from Sleeping Beauty. My cape lining was teal, and Lisa's was fushia...I opted for the witches hat to appear less dorky, and Lisa of course went all out with the horns. Hmmm, I think Lisa still likes to wear her horns sometimes....just kidding. I remember preparing by carving pumpkins with Mom, and getting our hands all yucky with snotty guts. Mom would toast the seeds, and I just thought they were gross. She was so into holidays that she would put Halloween stickers in our lunch boxes all month...they were scratch 'n sniff monster stickers that smelled like dirt. So cool...they didn't have THAT in Japan. Anyway, I believe Lisa and I were the witches from Sleeping Beauty for about 3 years or so. Our costumes grew smaller and smaller each year, but Mom didn't want to sew new ones....I don't blame her (She never did sew that Michael Jackson jumpsuit for me like she promised either,....and now I'm grateful that she didn't!) Anyway, I miss those Halloween nights as a kid. It is so different as an adult now. Go to a bunch of parties where every girl in the room is some kind of excuse for a skanky display....Look! I'm a slutty postal worker! or I'm a naughty turtle! or check me out! I'm in my bra and underwear and some devil horns or angel wings and it's okay i'm not a slut cuz it's halloween shenanagins. Barf. But it's those creative costumes that I like to see, and those cute kids running around. And a bit of little Lani still lingers when the Halloween candy comes out. Mom and Pop made me chew sugar free Trident gum, but got them back by spending all of my weekly allowance on candy! May we remain youthful for as long as we can, and have a Happy Halloween!

Just about that time

am i getting old or what? seems as though i get more and more tired these days... but i guess i did train 9 people today, and that my friends, is a long day if i may say so myself. sometimes i wonder if people really understand what my job is about. sure we get to wear our pajamas to work, yell at people to get on their hands and knees and give me 5 more, and criticize our clients on their sodium consumption....but there is so much more to personal training than just 50 minutes of belittling. to me, it's more of a case by case, i'm-gonna-help-you-figure-this-weight-loss-thing-out-if-it-nearly-kills-me kind of attitude i choose to take. each person to me, is a puzzle and a precious flower that needs tender care and handling. i do my best to get lost in every session and to put myself in each of my clients' shoes. some days i come home feeling more emotionally exhausted from the personal interest i take in my clients' goals, than the physical tiredness i experience from the rediculously heavy weights i attempt to lift. and i guess i could get by as a trainer that kind of cares about dr. so and so, or Mr. blah blah blah who spent all day arguing a case in court, or the Draper Mom who has been chasing her 3 kids around the house....but i can't help but get lost in each person's life, and each person's goals, family, interests, hobbies, talents, emotions, and vulnerabilities,....i believe that to truly help an individual with his or her personal health goals, i must also come to understand personal histories, insecurities, and strengths. and honestly, i can say with all of my heart, that it is my pleasure to do so. with every new client, i acquire a friend and an experience....i learn a new perspective which improves my ability to help future clients. i love my job. and for good reason, it wears me out. so now, this personal trainer/friend/therapist/weight lifter, is going to bed, probably falling slowly asleep to new exercizes being invented in the far reaches of my brain.