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Makiki教会

I actually moved to Makikiキリスト教会 about a month before the pandemic in 2020. I moved from Inspire Honolulu because I felt called to attend a Japanese service. After only a few Sundays, everything got shut down due to COVID.

After not attending church for a few years, I decided to finally go back on April 2nd (since April marks the start of “new beginnings” in Japan.) I learned that the only I friend that I made at MCC had left. Still, everyone is so nice. The 日本語 will be difficult for me, but I hope to make friends and find a new home here.

よろしくお願いします🙏

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Finally❣️

I finally got to visit my best friends in Kumamoto 熊本🏯 It was a long, long wait (Japan was the last country to open to travel,) but that made it even more special. I can’t even express how happy I was to see them again😭💦

ゆめ❣️ Dream come true❣️

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Liquid Aloha

I like hot coffee in the morning and cold beer at night. Everything in between is just “icing on the cake.”

On occasion, I’ll treat myself to a Grapefruit Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point. Really good and flavorful, but a little pricy. For everyday, I get whatever’s on sale at Nijiya Market (Asahi Dry, Kirin, or Sapporo.) I like Japanese beer. But my current fave is Big Wave by Kona Brewing Co.

Perfect for the backyard BBQ or catching a game on TV. Refreshing, easy to drink, and full of aloha!

I also like the color🤣

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Watch Out

Last year was a really difficult time for me, so I treated myself to a nice present on my birthday. I got a watch! First time in a long time…

All of my friends (and co-workers) have Apple Watches. About 100%! But because I’m so passionate about 日本🇯🇵、I really wanted a Japanese watch.

The very first watch that I ever owned (as a kid) was handed down to me by my dad. It was a Seiko. なつかしい。。。

The first watch that I ever purchased in my life was on my high school band trip to Japan. It was a Seiko…

So of course, this had to be a Seiko. And the 62MAS Diver was the right one for me.

Being an automatic watch, it’s not quite as accurate as a quartz watch. But it’s all good. It’s a few seconds slow, just like me. Everyday my watch seems to tell me, 「アラン、がんばってね。」

うん！がんばろう💪

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Ramen Dreams

I love ラーメン！So much so, that it’s become a weekly ritual. My go-to ramenya is Menya le Nood on Pensacola. I’ve tried almost all of the ramen shops in town, and this one is my absolute favorite. Kuriさん is the best! さいこう！Here is my Yelp review:

You can find me there on Saturday mornings at opening. Look for the table near the door, next to Nezuko.

いただきます🥢