Sweets,,, it makes me happy, the tastes of love!
I made a Truffe chocolate this year`s Valentine.  hahaha I`m genius! It`s so cute, isn`t it?!  I decolated with the flower of Camellia in fron to of my house. Today a bit rain, but warm like the beginning of the spring.   the one on the white plate is for my family, the last picture on the green plate is for me^^. the boxes are for my special people. but unfortunately? not for my boy friend...   Last year, I got a nice dinner with the guy, but it was the beginnig of the hard periond.  after that I got some guys problem><!  I couldn`t get the true love, and also I didn`t have true love to him...

This year, it`s quiet, calm, but warm valentine with nice lovely people.  sometimes, it`s good.  The other special friends who cannot meet with me today, enjoy my Delicious lovely Truffe chocolate from the pictures^^.  I love you!!

Il a déjà été un mois depuis que j'ai laissé Montréal.  The mid-night (japan time)of Jan 9th,  Je étais épuisée pour le long voyage et falle asleep deep deep deeply...

Bien, c'est juste un mois, mais I feel that it`s been like 4 or 5 mons already passed... The life in Montreal seems long time ago...  weird feeling... How`s everybody in montreal?  You miss me---? you remember me?

o.k., change the topic!  J'étudiais tout les jours français après travail depuis la semaine dernière au café près de mon salon.  Il y a beaucoup de lycées & collégiens.  Can you guss what they were talking about?  It`s about "Valentine`s Day". Wow, it`s gonna be soon!!  O.K., I`m gonna tell what the Japanese Valentine means.  We have "Valentine" in japan, too. But the meaning is a bit different.  Usually the Valentine`s day is for couples, for someone you love.  On the day, if you have a boy / girl friend, you give some gift or do something special, especially GUYs do something for Girls, right?!  but here in Japan, the concept is the same for love, but here is the day,  "Girl gives the chocolate to guy ".  If you are coulpe already, the girl gives chocolate to the guy for love.  and! If you(girl) don`t have ny boyfriend, but if you love someone, it`s the big chance to say "you love him" with the chocolate^^ .  o.k., back to the story about the students at the cafe.  the students were all girls.  They wre talking about "oh, my god! who can I give the chocolate?", "Where should I give it to him?","Where should I give it?",  "I`m afraid, excited, nervous to do that,,," daradaradara,,,,,^^, isn`t it cute?!  and also in japanese way, if you(boy) also loves her who gave the chocolate to you, you have to give something back on 14th of March!!hahaha, it`s said the japanese valentin`s style was made by candy company. 

one more thing, We have 2 kinds of chocolate, one is called "Honmei choco(late)", another is "GIRI choco". the first one is for you really love, but the second one is for Fake one. Giri choco is usually for friends, or for co-workers.  you know what?! if you work at the office for example, you have to give chocolate to even ugly old boss><! sometimes at worst case, they`re gonna come to collect the money for the chocolate.  You almost can`t say NO.><!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I hate the custom!! That`s why I used to have a day-off on the valentine`s day^^. This year, I will also have day off on Valentine`s day by chance, our salon closes every Tuesday^^.  lucky!  and,,,,

I strongly Prefere to get something from the GUY!! on the valentine`s day!!
The last year`s Valentine was not good memory for me...  it was the beginning of my sad periond of my last year><!(I`ll talk about that later).  I like the period before I get a boy friend^^. It`s fun, it`s exciting, and it`s sweet.  Most of my friends know already that I love SWEETS, also for cooking.  but I can`t find anybody whom I want to make Chocolate!!!     

I found a interesting Blog.  The blog is not by my friend.  I`ve just found it now, but it seems he came to my university as an exchange student(?) from france, he`s showing his travel from arriving to leaving japan.  The blog is in french, so I didn`t read well, but it has a lot of pictures.   I graduated LONG time ago, and the buildings of the school were moved, got bigger, and nicer compare to when i was a student there.  but you can see my town, school, food, and culture around here. 

check it out "http://lawren00.over-blog.com"

The first picture is the one of the popular cafe in Kyoto. 
The name is "Quil fait bon"
??? what does it mean? Quil? (I could find many french named cafe & restaurants)
 I`ve never been there, but it`s famous for tarte and always long line-up!!









The second Pic is the view from another cafe.  We can see Kamogawa river and mountains.   

Fufufu, Sweets!!!
Cheese cake & Straubery cake! I must have gained weight ><! OK, I`ll start exercise!!

AND this SUSHI rolles are for SETSUBUN!
Today, it`s the day for celebrate the beginning of spring, and we call it`s SETSUBUN. We usualy do MAME MAKI(throw the beans to the outside), it`s for welcome the happiness to your house and keep the demon away.  Especially Kansai area, people eat  SUSHI today. You have to eat whole roll without cutting, face to the right direction for happiness, and keep quiet (if you talk, your happiness is going away).  Is it interesting? It`s our cultual ceremony^^.