One World. One Suitcase.

oh i wish i could. 

Love, 

ALPHA

Boston Strong

Image from http://zacharysmithh.tumblr.com/

It's been so hard to be in Boston this week. 

A week that first started with bombings and now is ending with gunshots and a manhunt. 

Our city is on complete lockdown.

the entire city. 

my heart is broken and i feel numb. 

please everyone be safe and stay indoors. 

there is love in the world.

and love will triumph. 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Love, 

ALPHA

The Danger of a Single Story

Watched this in my class today and it really made me think. 

It's a great speech and really worth listening to!


Love,
ALPHA

Japanese Proverb.

words to live by.

Love, 

ALPHA

In Love With Cities.

Love, 

ALPHA

Book a Ticket

Love, 

ALPHA

Inauguration Day

Today, was the commencement of a new term for the President. PRESIDENT OBAMA. woot woot :) 

but more importantly was BEYONCE.

girl was amazing.

it's the year of beyonce. helllo anyone else excited for the super bowl just because of her?!

it's so nice that she let a football game happen around her concert :) 

seriously. she is flawless.

The 22 Most Fabulous Beyonce Moments from the Inauguration

loving her.

ALSO.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

 

we must remember how lucky we are in this world today and all the freedoms and blessings we can celebrate. i hope that we've learned from everything in the past to have a better future - or at least a wiser one. Life is precious. Everyone's life. No matter who they are. 

We've come a long way. Let's keep improving. 

Love, 

ALPHA

Goodbye Japan!

Well. Time to get back to real life
Boo :(
LOVE YOU JAPAN

Love, 

ALPHA

I Just Want To Travel The World...

Great find on Pinterest! 

I believe from this French Graphic Website! 

the places with their imagined font. 

I want to go to there.

Love, 

ALPHA

Fifty Nifty United States

How many states have you been to? 
My goal for like however long I decide to care is try to go to like all 50 states! (and some territories too!) 
Here's a list of the states and territories.
RED MEANS I'VE BEEN THERE!

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. Florida
10. Georgia
11. Hawaii
12. Idaho
13. Illinois
14. Indiana
15. Iowa
16. Kansas
17. Kentucky
18. Louisiana
19. Maine
20. Maryland
21. Massachusetts
22. Michigan
23. Minnesota
24. Mississippi
25. Missouri
26. Montana
27. Nebraska
28. Nevada
29. New Hampshire
30. New Jersey
31. New Mexico
32. New York
33. North Carolina
34. North Dakota
35. Ohio
36. Oklahoma
37. Oregon
38. Pennsylvania
39. Rhode Island
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. Tennessee
43. Texas
44. Utah
45. Vermont
46. Virginia
47. Washington
48. West Virginia
49. Wisconsin 
50. Wyoming

And now the territories:

1. Puerto Rico
2. District of Columbia (a.k.a. Washington D.C.) 
3. Guam
4. Virgin Islands
5. American Samoa
6. Northern Mariana Islands 

Now, I can constantly update you on my travels throughout this country. 

Love, 

ALPHA

Kyoto: Jan. 2013

Just some photos of Alpha's and my trip to Kyoto a couple of days ago :) 

"I hope I graduate from college!" 

The places that we went to:

三十三間堂 Sanjusangen-do

清水寺 Kiyomizu Temple

地主神社 Jishu Shrine

八坂神社 Yasaka Shrine

Yeah, the pictures are in random order....really sorry that I'm lazy and that ordering the pictures is such a struggle....whoops. But look...pretty! 

Love, 

ALPHA

Four More Years!

That's Right :)

President Obama has won the re-election! 

Congrats Mr. President

*****

This brings me to another thought. How rude and horrible people can be....Like honestly, yes people were upset that the President was re-elected but how could you possible use words like "sickening" and  "disgraceful" about a PERSON. The President is a person. A Human Being. Just because he and his party have differing views does not give reason to be cruel and just mean! Really. It's really is tragic and sad. If America is planning to move forward, we really do need to take steps being NICE and KIND to each other. Of course people will always have differing views but there is no reason to be just a horrible person. 

Please. Be kinder and you know what if you have nothing nice to say - yeah, keep it to yourself. I'm tired of hearing people's poison. Just deal with it. 

ALSO Sorry I'm not sorry that I care more about human rights than about other political issues like economics. BOOM. I love my gays and women. 

YEY PRESIDENT OBAMA

Love, 

ALPHA

Hiroshima.

"Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the World's Conscience"
                                                                                  - PAPA ALPHA

Hiroshima after the Atomic Bomb.

On August 6th 1945 at 8:15 AM, exactly 67 years ago, the United State Army Air Forces dropped the atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The atomic boy "Little Boy" directly killed an estimated 80,000 innocent people. In the following years, injuries and the radiation brought the total casualties to 90,000 to 140,000. Approximately 69% of the city's buildings were completely destroyed, and 7% were severely damaged. 

Before.

After. 

Hiroshima was rebuilt after the war. In 1949, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law passed and it provided financial assistance for reconstruction, along with land donated that was previously owned by the government that was used for military purposes. 

The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was the closest surviving building from where the bomb dropped, it thus was designated the Genbaku Dome (Atomic Dome), it is a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was opened in 1955.

Recreation of what it felt like
to be in Hiroshima after the bomb.

Hiroshima was proclaimed a City of Peace by the Japanese parliament in 1949. As a result, the city of Hiroshima received more international attention as a desirable location for holding international conferences on peace as well as social issues. The city government continues to advocate the abolition of all nuclear weapons and the Mayor of Hiroshima is the president of Mayors for Peace - an international moyoral organization mobilizing cities and citizens worldwide to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons by the year 2020 (Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign). 

*****

Click Here to Read the 2010 Peace Declaration. 

Every year a new Peace Declaration is announced on the anniversary of the Atomic Bomb. 

The Mayor of Hiroshima always writes a letter of protest to other Nations who test Nuclear Weapons.
Beginning almost 60 years ago, there are 594 letters and continuing. 

Being both American and Japanese, I felt the combination of guilt and utter sadness. I personally don't think the Atomic bomb should have been dropped, to kill and destroy so many innocent lives is just not morally right. That is why my dad said the quote at the very top, "Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the World's Conscience". No other places in the world has had to face the horrors of the atomic bomb and therefore both cities probably have higher morals than any other city in the world. If only others could see and experience the museum and understand how terrible these warheads are, maybe they'll finally understand that nuclear weapons are not the answer - they will wipe out the world and everything on it. It's tragic to see how hard the Mayor of Hiroshima works in trying to protest, and yet, it is all going to waste. 

Give back my father, give back my mother;

Give grandpa back, grandma back;

Give me my sons and daughters back.

Give me back myself.

Give back the human race.

As long as this life lasts, this life, 

Give back peace

That will never end.

           - Sankichi Toge 

Leader of Peace Movements.

                     Died at the age of 36 from tuberculosis. 

Our prayers and hearts go out to Hiroshima and the victims of the Atomic bombs and their families. I truly hope that one day we can see a world free of nuclear weapons. I really do want world peace. 

1000 Paper Cranes
Represents Prayers for Peace and Sadako Sasaki

Love,

ALPHA

The World's Most Romantic Travel Destinations

Maldives

 Ulun Danu Temple, Bali

 Oahu, Hawaii

 Paris

 Cala Dogana, Levanzo, Sicily

 Oia, Santorino

 Venice

 Chateau de Chillon, Switzerland

Love,
ALPHA

Ramadan Kareem

Happy Ramadan,

ALPHA

Guam

Just a little sense of my vacation to Guam! 

((Which is actually a part of the United States))

Guam is a very interesting place. Like I said, it's the United States...but not really. Sure it's all American laws and system but it definitely doesn't completely feel like the US. It's mainly occupied by the native Guam peoples and then there is a showering of Americans from the mainland usually soliders of some kind. The most interesting part about Guam though is the amount of Asian tourists that are there from Korea, China and Japan. These tourists come to shop at the various malls (especially the Duty Free places or designer labels) and then of course to enjoy the sun and water. 

When I went to Guam (only a 4 day, 3 night trip actually), of course I went shopping - I am a girl! But definitely not to the extent of Japanese people - seriously although it's Duty Free it's not much cheaper! In addition to shopping though, I went to go visit the more historical sights of Guam. Like the other islands in the area, Guam was first a territory of Spain. There is still a sight called the Plaza de Espana which are ruins of the old Spanish buildings. Then after Spain was the Americans and for a brief time it was under Japanese control because of WWII. Then of course back under America where it continues today. 

From my experience, Guam is a fusion of the native, American, and actually Japanese cultures. It's definitely a beautiful place to go to! But I think that a 4 day trip is about all you need! 

Love, 

ALPHA