For a moment I was confused why Nina said "white bird". I thought every kid in Japan knows that the word for that bird is kamome. It's a famous song, you probably heard it a million times. Then I realized that Nina knows the word for that bird, but not the English word for that bird. Nice drive.
@HannahInJapana Yeah, those are the kids of old college friends of mine. They are both about three years older than Nina, but Nina likes having a "big brother or sister" to follow around.
woah that's a loooooooong drive, and nina doesn't act cranky at all as most kids would if they were have to stay seated for a long time! funny face she made with the headphone on.
@igotlucky87 She did get cranky a few times. The face she makes while listening to the DVD with the headphones was one of those times. Usually, if we put something in her mouth (gum, candy) that works for awhile. ha ha
Few days ago my husband (he's a Japanese) found for me the YT-vid showing my daily route from work to house in the past, when I lived in my homeland. It's only a route, however I was deeply moved. So I'm happy for you now, being in USA again for sure meant a lot to you. Have a beautiful memories, sir. It was nice to see that your Wife and Nina truly enjoyed that time too.
do u have special lense attachment to your zi8? looks like it has blurred effect at the edges and focused on centre. and btw, did u get stuck in Irene Typhoon? hope all r well!
yay i just found out Nina does have fan page on fb, wow.. liked it already. btw @geofg is there any way that i can send you a direct msg? it's concerning a response to the commenter i deleted. lol, off topic.
I just officially watched all 180 videos!!!!! woohoo!!! don't worry i'm having my holidays now XD looking forward to more!!! i hope Nina can grow her long hair i miss seeing her long hair :) great videos and also great photos!!! :) Be healthy Nina and family ^^
@geofg really hope you will keep doing what you're doing :) i hope there's still videos of Nina when she's 20 hahahaha!!! i miss my childhood, i rarely spend time with my dad cuz he's always working...
She looks so happy in your videos in America. That's great. She'll have great stories and experiences to share with people as she grows up and is exposed to two different cultures. What's her favorite part about going to America?
@MrDekiruYo We have wondered that, too. Nina IS aware that we post these vids here, and there are many aspects of Nina's life we do not share, of course. In general, as Nina has gotten older, the focus of these vids has shifted towards our experiences as a family, and less on just Nina. I think before long Nina will cease to be the focus altogether. Then, probably nobody who doesn't know us will want to watch anymore, but that's OK. The point of this channel was never to get subscribers.
@battalname Yeah, I know there are a lot of stalkers out there. I just figure people stalking the internet for perverse reasons wouldn't be interested in this channel. There is plenty of more racy stuff out there to attract them. I don't mind the stalkers of happy people. ;)
WAAAH!!!! You passed Santa Barbara! That's where I am! Remember me? from UCSB! how cool you guys were so close for just a split second! Looked like a beautiful trip. I'm going up to San Francisco too on the 3rd. I love you nina!!
It's really cool that Nina gets to experience this at such a young age! The only place I went to as a kid is Mexico and California but that's because my family's there. Mexico is a cool country and all and im glad that I am able to speak spanish. But I really want to go to Japan. The problem with that is I don't know any Japanes. I wish I was asian not hispanic!!! Livin in Arizona isn't that fun.
@anteggma Being able to drive and listen to NPR is on my top five list of favorite things to do while in the U.S., right up there with eating Mexican food and going to the beach.
Nina will appreciate how neat these home videos are when she grows up :) It's really cool that you have a nice camera and editing skills. Back when I was a kid all there was was the video cassette recorders, and the quality is so ridiculous...going back to those is really hard to watch! :P
@ffchrissie I agree! We have some old Super 8 reels that we can't even play anymore because nobody has a projector! The age of digital ease and limitless storage arrived just in time for me to catch all these moments with Nina.
OMG I cant believe u drove through santa barbara! thats where i live! pls tell me u stopped and checked it out! ppl consider it paradise! it is soo cool to see that! i hope u guys have an awesome trip
@nespi1987 Yeah, as I was telling crazyphan (see below) we did stop for breakfast, but didn't have time to hang out. I have spent some time in S.B./Ventura in the past, though, and I agree, it is a very nice place.
@geofg well that is just far too cool! ive been watching these videos for while now and its just like wow they were in sb! really brings meaning to the phrase "its a small world"
NINA!! hehe.. haven't seen videos of her in a while, been busy with school.. and watching your videos is the best way to bring good mood to my tiring semester at school.. hehe.. my heart is being filled with genuine joy just by watching your simple famiy, and nina grow up.. reminds me when i was kid, good ol days.. hehe
@crazyphan18 I was kicking myself for not researching a good place for lunch in S.B. before starting the drive. We didn't have time to search, so ended up stopping at a Denny's on the northern outskirts of S.B. for breakfast. I'm sure there are much better alternatives. And, yeah, S.B. is really a beautiful city. As for the size of California, people in Japan have the same impression as New Yorkers. When I tell them that California is about the same size as Japan, they are shocked!
i know that Denny's my grandmother lives near there! haha but SB being beautiful also has fabulous places to eat, well save it for your next trip to America......I will be sad to leave it as i leave Sunday for college...to CHICAGO...let the adventure begin!
WOW..! Nina in my backyard..! Seriously if u guys do Santa Cruz again, consider the "Railroad through the Redwoods" --it's a genuine steam train with the chu chu and clickety clackety through those ancient huge trees, like that Star Wars movie with the Ewoks. Nina would love it --it's like $15 and departs from Felton, about 6 miles up in the Santa Cruz hills. And if you go 2 SF again, go to Sausalito and Tiburon --wow! japanese ppl love there! very "kawaii". ^_^
2:08 great shot of Nina & mom (that pointer might not capture it). Your videos have the sharpest clarity of almost any video on youtube viewed at 480p I've seen.
@iamgoddard Thanks! The camera I use, the Kodak zi8, is one of the cheapest ones on the market. It doesn't have a lot of features, but the picture is pretty clear.
The beaches in socal are all nice and sunny, but once you get past santa cruz its nothing but fog all the way up. Quite the misconception about california, I live right below San Francisco and when I tell people that I live in california by the beach, they always think of sunny socal ;D
@Pandagasms Yeah, seems like most of the times I've been in S.F. it was foggy, though Berkeley was often sunny. I LOVE that area, though, fog or no fog.
For a moment I was confused why Nina said "white bird". I thought every kid in Japan knows that the word for that bird is kamome. It's a famous song, you probably heard it a million times. Then I realized that Nina knows the word for that bird, but not the English word for that bird. Nice drive.
Dax893 1 month ago
@Dax893 ha ha Yeah, Nina was in "English mode" at the time.
geofinjapan 1 month ago
I love your goatee...
MoeTheFro 2 months ago
@MoeTheFro Thanks! I use the goatee to hide the fact that I don't look as young as I used to ; )
geofg 2 months ago
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!! NINA CAME TO WATSONVILLE?!!!!!!! I LIVE THERE!. I want her autograph!
weirdzfully 2 months ago
@weirdzfully Watsonville is great! We love that area!
geofg 2 months ago
It's nice Nina had a chance to make some America friends her age.
HannahInJapana 6 months ago
@HannahInJapana Yeah, those are the kids of old college friends of mine. They are both about three years older than Nina, but Nina likes having a "big brother or sister" to follow around.
geofg 6 months ago
woah that's a loooooooong drive, and nina doesn't act cranky at all as most kids would if they were have to stay seated for a long time! funny face she made with the headphone on.
with love, from malaysia.
igotlucky87 6 months ago
@igotlucky87 She did get cranky a few times. The face she makes while listening to the DVD with the headphones was one of those times. Usually, if we put something in her mouth (gum, candy) that works for awhile. ha ha
geofg 6 months ago
Few days ago my husband (he's a Japanese) found for me the YT-vid showing my daily route from work to house in the past, when I lived in my homeland. It's only a route, however I was deeply moved. So I'm happy for you now, being in USA again for sure meant a lot to you. Have a beautiful memories, sir. It was nice to see that your Wife and Nina truly enjoyed that time too.
iniemosakai 6 months ago
@iniemosakai Yes, the place you grew up always holds a special place in your heart.
geofg 6 months ago
Gosh, this video made me realize how lucky I am to live in California....
monicafabic 6 months ago
oh santa barbara... thought it looked familiar..
monicafabic 6 months ago
So nice! You and your family were enjoying where I live while I was away (in China) Hope you all enjoyed your time! :)
VVAANNEE101 6 months ago
Oh roads of california :3
lol nina with the headphones xD
MrArkAlone 6 months ago 2
@MrArkAlone Yeah, it was great to drive in California again.
geofg 6 months ago 2
do u have special lense attachment to your zi8? looks like it has blurred effect at the edges and focused on centre. and btw, did u get stuck in Irene Typhoon? hope all r well!
radziahradzi 6 months ago
@radziahradzi Yeah, I use a wide angle attachment on it. The blurred edges are un unintentional (and often undesirable) abberation of the lens.
geofg 6 months ago
@radziahradzi And, no, we had already returned to Japan before Irene came, and we were on the opposite coast of the U.S. anyway.
geofg 6 months ago 2
What camera(s) and editing software did you use?
fischersrt 6 months ago
@fischersrt Canon Eos DSLR for still photos, Kodak zi8 for video. I edit with iMovie.
geofg 6 months ago
What kind of camera do you use for your pictures? :)
RoseFrench 6 months ago
@RoseFrench I use a Canon Eos DSLR for my still photos.
geofg 6 months ago
So did you pick up a couple of loaves of sourdough bread when you were in San Francisco.
Tekkon123 6 months ago
@Tekkon123 Nah, we just drove through S.F., but we ate a lot of sourdough in L.A.
geofg 6 months ago
Yeah! National public radio! Woot!
NinetytoFirst 6 months ago
Nina was where I live?!?!? YAY!!!!!!
gothjet 6 months ago
You can tell she's getting taller =)
fabitapunk 6 months ago
Hope you all and Nina enjoyed your time in America :)
rainboow567 6 months ago
looks like a fun trip! i love seeing your still photography!
MsOhayoOhio 6 months ago
Welcome to California! I hope you guys make it to San Francisco. I think Nina will enjoy Japantown.
meesuji 6 months ago
how much do you think you spent on gas?
dudeshaddup 6 months ago
You were in LA and you didn't bring her to Disneyland :(
TasteMyVideos 6 months ago
@TasteMyVideos We were going to but just ran out of time in the end.
geofg 6 months ago
Comment removed
TasteMyVideos 6 months ago
yay i just found out Nina does have fan page on fb, wow.. liked it already. btw @geofg is there any way that i can send you a direct msg? it's concerning a response to the commenter i deleted. lol, off topic.
iamrochelljoy 6 months ago
@iamrochelljoy If you go to my profile page and find the "send message" button, you can send me a private message.
geofg 6 months ago
@iamrochelljoy whats the facebook fan page called??? I want to like!
crazyphan18 6 months ago
@crazyphan18 this is the name of the page- We Love Nina in Japan from YouTube <3
iamrochelljoy 6 months ago
thank you for sharing the "America Summer Trip" of Nina & the family, It's very inspiring. Hoping you'll post more. Her English is doin' great.
iamrochelljoy 6 months ago
Thank you to share the road trip with Nina story in USA. I'm your big fan from Thailand. Post more
cyberbeanz 6 months ago
I just officially watched all 180 videos!!!!! woohoo!!! don't worry i'm having my holidays now XD looking forward to more!!! i hope Nina can grow her long hair i miss seeing her long hair :) great videos and also great photos!!! :) Be healthy Nina and family ^^
vuckyoulah 6 months ago
@vuckyoulah Wow! Maybe you need to get away from the computer screen for awhile! ha ha
Anyway, thanks for all the nice comments, and I'm also hoping Nina will want to grow her hair long again some day.
geofg 6 months ago
@geofg really hope you will keep doing what you're doing :) i hope there's still videos of Nina when she's 20 hahahaha!!! i miss my childhood, i rarely spend time with my dad cuz he's always working...
vuckyoulah 6 months ago
seems like it's a very tired trip :S
161louis 6 months ago
baby ur adorable ...as always :)
latinopapita 6 months ago
Im so happy to watch Nina's summer trip in US after a long time ^^
Who're the blonde girl and boy? Are they Nina's cousins?
nana18111995 6 months ago
@nana18111995 They are the children of old friends.
geofg 6 months ago
Great recording and editing as always, Geof! Looks like you had fun!
sumirei001 6 months ago
Nice trip with an amazing family.
WorldCitizen06 6 months ago
some day, i'll going to sf CA.....
batarajarock 6 months ago
I.ve been watching all of Nina's videos in Japan. I live in LA, so it was nice to know she was in town for a few days. Luv ya Nina!
fatdice911 6 months ago
She looks so happy in your videos in America. That's great. She'll have great stories and experiences to share with people as she grows up and is exposed to two different cultures. What's her favorite part about going to America?
kichan 6 months ago 4
@kichan Probably the food and the swimming pool.
geofg 6 months ago
I wonder how your daughter will feel when she grows up about making all her early life experiences a public venture for all of the internet to see...
MrDekiruYo 6 months ago
@MrDekiruYo We have wondered that, too. Nina IS aware that we post these vids here, and there are many aspects of Nina's life we do not share, of course. In general, as Nina has gotten older, the focus of these vids has shifted towards our experiences as a family, and less on just Nina. I think before long Nina will cease to be the focus altogether. Then, probably nobody who doesn't know us will want to watch anymore, but that's OK. The point of this channel was never to get subscribers.
geofg 6 months ago 37
Comment removed
iamrochelljoy 6 months ago
@geofg internet is full of stalkers :P some people just like to watch other happy people, as I do ;)
best wishes..
battalname 6 months ago
@battalname Yeah, I know there are a lot of stalkers out there. I just figure people stalking the internet for perverse reasons wouldn't be interested in this channel. There is plenty of more racy stuff out there to attract them. I don't mind the stalkers of happy people. ;)
geofg 6 months ago
WAAAH!!!! You passed Santa Barbara! That's where I am! Remember me? from UCSB! how cool you guys were so close for just a split second! Looked like a beautiful trip. I'm going up to San Francisco too on the 3rd. I love you nina!!
purplesomeone 6 months ago
@purplesomeone Have a great time in S.F.!
geofg 6 months ago
What's that bubble thing at 3.37?
ecostrawberry 6 months ago
@ecostrawberry We weren't sure, either. It was rubbery and dried out and came from the sea.
geofg 6 months ago
@ecostrawberry Oh, wait, I thought you meant the thing at the first beach. The thing at 3:37 is a jelly fish.
geofg 6 months ago
Ahh! I live in the Bay and recognized the roads. Nice to know that Nina was so closeby, even though I didn't see her :)
veeohlah 6 months ago
It's really cool that Nina gets to experience this at such a young age! The only place I went to as a kid is Mexico and California but that's because my family's there. Mexico is a cool country and all and im glad that I am able to speak spanish. But I really want to go to Japan. The problem with that is I don't know any Japanes. I wish I was asian not hispanic!!! Livin in Arizona isn't that fun.
supersingingfreak 6 months ago
@supersingingfreak I went to Japan for the first time when I was 32, knowing no Japanese at all, so it's never too late.
geofg 6 months ago
I've been there!! YAYY!
nettycookie 6 months ago
Very cool, we will be in Santa Rosa next week.
Elderp 6 months ago
love the npr in the car; only station i listen to in the car! : )
anteggma 6 months ago 2
@anteggma Being able to drive and listen to NPR is on my top five list of favorite things to do while in the U.S., right up there with eating Mexican food and going to the beach.
geofg 6 months ago 2
I was in San Fran around the second week of August. It's so chilly there! Surprised me. Hope you guys had fun :)
angle021 6 months ago
@angle021 ha ha After hot and humid Japan, we were all freezing for the first few days in California until we acclimated.
geofg 6 months ago
Nina will appreciate how neat these home videos are when she grows up :) It's really cool that you have a nice camera and editing skills. Back when I was a kid all there was was the video cassette recorders, and the quality is so ridiculous...going back to those is really hard to watch! :P
ffchrissie 6 months ago
@ffchrissie I agree! We have some old Super 8 reels that we can't even play anymore because nobody has a projector! The age of digital ease and limitless storage arrived just in time for me to catch all these moments with Nina.
geofg 6 months ago
sorta weird b/c the route you took was the same one that i'd take to go from home to school!
stanford0711 6 months ago
@stanford0711 Do you go to school at Stanford?
geofg 6 months ago
@geofg Yes! I'm from the Santa Barbara area, so much of the route you took was very familiar to me!
stanford0711 6 months ago
OMG I cant believe u drove through santa barbara! thats where i live! pls tell me u stopped and checked it out! ppl consider it paradise! it is soo cool to see that! i hope u guys have an awesome trip
nespi1987 6 months ago
@nespi1987 Yeah, as I was telling crazyphan (see below) we did stop for breakfast, but didn't have time to hang out. I have spent some time in S.B./Ventura in the past, though, and I agree, it is a very nice place.
geofg 6 months ago
@geofg well that is just far too cool! ive been watching these videos for while now and its just like wow they were in sb! really brings meaning to the phrase "its a small world"
nespi1987 6 months ago
Looks like you took highway 1 all the way up. It might take longer, but the view makes up for it.
kantishna39 6 months ago
@kantishna39 Actually, we took 101 going up and came back on I-5, but my favorite stretches are the parts where 101 and 1 converge.
geofg 6 months ago
NINA!! hehe.. haven't seen videos of her in a while, been busy with school.. and watching your videos is the best way to bring good mood to my tiring semester at school.. hehe.. my heart is being filled with genuine joy just by watching your simple famiy, and nina grow up.. reminds me when i was kid, good ol days.. hehe
yhevrah 6 months ago
@yhevrah Thanks! Focusing on Nina is a good way for us to remember the simple joys of childhood as well.
geofg 6 months ago
HEHE!!! Santa Barbara!!! Aww shoulda stopped for lunch or something..next trip too America yeah?
LOVE the towel in the headphones need to try that trick!
I am reminded of the joke online "California to new yorkers..LA to SF, one hour drive.! HA" Hope you had a great time visiting the GOLDEN state!!
crazyphan18 6 months ago
@crazyphan18 I was kicking myself for not researching a good place for lunch in S.B. before starting the drive. We didn't have time to search, so ended up stopping at a Denny's on the northern outskirts of S.B. for breakfast. I'm sure there are much better alternatives. And, yeah, S.B. is really a beautiful city. As for the size of California, people in Japan have the same impression as New Yorkers. When I tell them that California is about the same size as Japan, they are shocked!
geofg 6 months ago
i know that Denny's my grandmother lives near there! haha but SB being beautiful also has fabulous places to eat, well save it for your next trip to America......I will be sad to leave it as i leave Sunday for college...to CHICAGO...let the adventure begin!
crazyphan18 6 months ago
@crazyphan18 OK, we'll ask you for some recommendations next time. Good luck in Chicago and try to stay warm in the winter!
geofg 6 months ago
Ahh! You guys were in my area! Hope you had a great time :-)
chuchudegozaru 6 months ago
@chuchudegozaru It was REALLY nice driving in California. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it!
geofg 6 months ago
WOW..! Nina in my backyard..! Seriously if u guys do Santa Cruz again, consider the "Railroad through the Redwoods" --it's a genuine steam train with the chu chu and clickety clackety through those ancient huge trees, like that Star Wars movie with the Ewoks. Nina would love it --it's like $15 and departs from Felton, about 6 miles up in the Santa Cruz hills. And if you go 2 SF again, go to Sausalito and Tiburon --wow! japanese ppl love there! very "kawaii". ^_^
blondecrazygaijin 6 months ago
@blondecrazygaijin We saw the steam train, and our friends in SC recommended it as well, but our visit was too short. We'll try it next time.
geofg 6 months ago
You guys drove a lot!
Beans661 6 months ago
San Francisco = Silent Hill ?
(video game reference)
CleverDjembe 6 months ago
0:40 not so happy face?
=)
CleverDjembe 6 months ago
@CleverDjembe She was bored and the headphones for her DVD player didn't fit quite right, so she was grumpy. ha ha
geofg 6 months ago
What is Japanese for "Are we there yet?"
Amtrak Does have service between SF and LA. It is a lot more comfortable than the car.
zoodensha 6 months ago 8
@zoodensha My wife and I went from LA to SF by Amtrak years ago. I like trains too, but we needed the flexibility of a car for this trip.
geofg 6 months ago
2:08 great shot of Nina & mom (that pointer might not capture it). Your videos have the sharpest clarity of almost any video on youtube viewed at 480p I've seen.
Thanks again for sharing!
iamgoddard 6 months ago
@iamgoddard Thanks! The camera I use, the Kodak zi8, is one of the cheapest ones on the market. It doesn't have a lot of features, but the picture is pretty clear.
geofg 6 months ago
Ahh, California. Beautiful State. Great place to visit. Wouldn't want to live their again.
I've never been that far North in California though. May have to go sometime.
ToxinMortalis 6 months ago
The photos u take are so clear, what camera do you use? ^^
CuteAngel7861 6 months ago
@CuteAngel7861 I use a Canon Eos DSLR for the still shots. And, thanks!
geofg 6 months ago
you went to SF?! oh man, you just gotta love that fog xP well anyway, hello from South San Francisco :]
trickster888 6 months ago
@trickster888 Yeah, SF is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, in my opinion.
geofg 6 months ago 3
@geofg true that :)
roostergirl32 6 months ago
Such beautiful scenery!!
krispix79 6 months ago
Were you guys just on vacation or did you come for some other reason?
bl3achR0ckz 6 months ago
@bl3achR0ckz Vacation and to see family and friends.
geofg 6 months ago
The beaches in socal are all nice and sunny, but once you get past santa cruz its nothing but fog all the way up. Quite the misconception about california, I live right below San Francisco and when I tell people that I live in california by the beach, they always think of sunny socal ;D
Pandagasms 6 months ago
@Pandagasms Yeah, seems like most of the times I've been in S.F. it was foggy, though Berkeley was often sunny. I LOVE that area, though, fog or no fog.
geofg 6 months ago
@geofg All of the bay area is nice, fog included. Hope you guys had a good time throughout california :D
Pandagasms 6 months ago