means new pictures I added after I first posted this blog post.
Long time no see.
You know, Japan is famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms, or SAKURA, 桜. 
Cherry blossoms are not blooming right now, but they're going to be in full bloom sooner or later here in Japan.
Now, cherry blossoms-themed goods and products are being produced and sold by a lot of brands and stores to welcome spring like these:
Blooming.
Well, I got these ones to treat myself.
To be honest, I'm turning 32 years old next month, so I'm rewarding myself in advance. I'm getting moumoon's new album "NEW MOON"
and LUPICIA's "THE BOOK OF TEA PORTE-BONHEUR"
for my birthday. I've already ordered them online. I can't wait.
Though the color pink is not my favarite color, I care for light pink and cherry blossom-themed items. I love light green, too. I think it goes very well with cherry blossom light pink. I think I'm going to try SAKURAFUL beverages served by Starbucks Coffee Japan this year. They just started the other day. They offer nice cherry blossom-themed items every year including tumblers and mugs.
And I tried both "SAKURAFUL Frappucino" and "SAKURAFUL Milk Latte."
Both are awesome. Their SAKURAFUL Milk Latte is available both hot and iced, but I tried its hot one.
According to their official website, one of two SAKURA beverages, SAKURAFUL Frappucino, will only be available till February 27 while the other one will be until March 19 because they are starting Coffee-based Frappucino or something after that. It's a pity that we have to welcome spring without their cherry blossom-flavored frappucino. You should try it out ASAP. If it was served much longer, I'd have it many times during this spring. Well, I'll definitely have either or both of them again while they are offered.
Anyway, I'll introduce several cherry blossom items released by my favorite brands and companies.
First of all, LUPICIA's SAKURA Tea items.
They are soooo beautiful and refined, huh? To tell the truth, I'm writing this blog post having their "SAKURA" flavored tea. It smells great.
You know what?
LUPICIA offers same seasonal flavers every year in different designs. I remember last year's ones were beautiful, too. I still do regret that I didn't get them for myself. I got them to give some people. You can see their last year's paper bag in cherry blossom design in this blog post; "Welcome To Tokyo."
Ta-da!
Smaller canned containers in the same designs just show up as you see. These flavors are; SAKURA, SAKURA VERT and SAKURA & BERRY.
Well, LUPICIA has several flavors for their SAKURA series, and they're offering each flavor in both sizes as always. Smaller ones are only available in "TEA BAG SET," which has several kinds. As the name suggests, smaller ones have tea bags, not tea leaves, while usual ones do.
Their SAKURA series has SAKURA, SAKURA VERT, SAKURA & BERRY, SAKURA ROOIBOS and CERISIER.
This year's designs are shiny, but their smaller ones are not. The photo above doesn't show the last one flavor, because I got all SAKURA flavors except that one. I got that one in the smaller size.
Here they are. This "TEA BAG SET" includes smaller CERISIER and SAKURA ROOIBOS though I've not opened yet. The first flavor is low caffeine while the second one is non-caffeine, which means caffeine-free in English. Well, the word "non-caffeine" seems so-called Japanglish, haha.
I really like having a cup of coffee or tea, but I can't before going to bed, you know. Then, they are perfect. Though I'm not pregnant, I'm sure these kinds of items are popular among pregnant women.
Well, as I mentioned earlier, their SAKURA series' "TEA BAG SET" has several sorts. At first, I thought I'd get the one that has 6 flavors, but changed my mind. I'd always wanted to get their SAKURA-themed canned container in both sizes. That set doesn't include SAKURA ROOIBOS's smaller one, so I bought those two ones that I've already shown.
Next, "SAKURA Tableware" by Afternoon Tea.
These cherry blossom-themed items are Afternoon Tea's except the small petal-shaped plate I put the spoons and the fork in.
Right now, I'm having LUPICIA's SAKURA flavored tea with Afternoon Tea's SAKURA mug. The combination is so great, right?
LUPICIA's SAKURA tea smells great. It tastes great, too. You should try it out!
And I got other items, too. All of them are so beautiful and I love them.
Oh, by the way, I made those chocolate and matcha desserts for Valentine's Day this year.
I'd say they are not so good, though ... I hope they enjoyed them. I have a sweet thooth, but I always buy something sweet and don't make by myself. Valentine's Day is the only day, actually, haha.
I used Itoen's matcha to make that matcha one ... strictly speaking, I tried to make fluffy chiffon cake, only to fail. It was a bit sticky and bitter, and I know why, haha.
You know, Kouta owes Itoen a lot when Tully's Coffee became a subsidiary company ...
Well, I guess some of you feel it weird, but here in Japan, women and girls give chocolate or something to men and boys to express their feelings ... some may confess their love and others express appreciation. I explained what Valentine's Day is like here in Japan in details in "Happy Valentine's Day 2018."
This year, I gave cherry blossom-inspired gifts to my trustworthy boss to express how much I appreciate him. I've mentioned him sometimes here in my English blog. I don't think he checks my English blog or understands English, but thank him again. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for protecting me so I can keep working. I promise I return the favor. And I always hope you get further ahead someday. I do. I'd like you to become a director of the parent company in the future. And I'm sure you can make it.
Gee, I realize I used a wrong word before. He's trustworthy boss, not trustful, you know. So I checked my past blog posts and corrected it. I have to learn English more. I'd say he doesn't trust people easily like I don't. Actually, I don't trust people in general, but I trust him. This doesn't happen so often. I guess he's a bit like me. We both speak our minds, stand out ... We are easily misunderstood even though we have an eye for people, I'd say.
I don't have enough time tonight, so I'll write about Cherry Blossom series of L'OCCITANE some other time. I've been using their Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion. It's available throughout the years, but this combination named "Cherry Blossom Mist Complete" is a seasonal one and is only available for a limited time.
Well, by the way ...
I'll mention one of my favorite proverbs;
"燕雀安んぞ鴻鵠の志を知らんや"
It seems the saying is translated as "How call the sparrow soar with the eagle? " "Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars," "Only a hero can understand heroism" or "Only a hero can understand a hero."
Well, narrow-minded people who think they are something in a small world or society and that they have some power or something are everywhere even though they are not something at all in a wider or bigger world.
And a person of small caliber can never understand what big figures and great men are thinking and trying to achieve. In my humble opinion, at least they should know that people have a different point of view. Some people think or feel the same way while others think in a different way.
Not all, but many people especially men try to become important in an organization including companies or societies they belong to. Some might want to have fame while others might want more money to support their families. Some get promoted because they are good at their jobs or talented even though they don't try very hard to become important, you know what I mean.
And some even don't show clearly or obviously their strong will, devotion, resolution, greater ambition and so on, because they think displaying them openly is uncool.
Some narrow-minded people in my company say that I'm mentally ill or insane, but I'm not, unfortunately. I'm afraid they'll never be able to understand a wider world or people with a broader insight and a wider perspective ... what kind of power or influence on the country people like me have. So be it. They can never see or experience what we do.
And people with greater authority or stronger power never be too proud or act big in smaller worlds or societies because they know and realize they are not something while they are. It's hard to explain, though. At least they've known and experienced wider ones.
I've always been suffering from this strange but strong and sharp intuition, and I don't want to call it a gift or a talent or a calling or something like that because it's always been like a heavy load and a handicap in my life and it's really really hard to live with it. I don't think having a good intuition is NOT a good thing at all. I hope I will appreciate it someday and that can call it a gift from Heaven or something and realize it helps me somehow.
I'm not interested in getting promoted or being highly evaluated by narrow-minded people in a small world or society or a company or whatever ... I'd like to have stronger power, greater influence and authority so I can change this country for the better, and the world as well if possible. If I were a man, I would dream of becoming the Prime Minister of Japan, but I'm a woman. And I'm sure I can change Japan in my own way ... in a way that men or other people can never do.
I will.