Boring Laptop Cases Need Not Apply

In addition to the somewhat eventful "tsunami" of TWENTY-THREE inches in northern Hokkaido, yesterday was interesting for another reason.

I went to my first temple bazaar. There is a temple right across the street from school on Imadegawa. My 4 hour afternoon class was cancelled (HALLELUJAH!) and since I was talking to Chen about the bazaar thats on Higashi-Ichijo-Dori (you try rolling that off your tongue 10x fast) on the 26th she mentioned that there was a temple bazaar right near school going on now.

So I went to the bazaar. I knew which temple it was because I dropped by there when Uncle George and Aunt Stella were in town a few weeks ago; they like to take pictures and see everything.

Very crowded, as it was the middle of the say (around 3pm). Still, some of the stals were starting to pack up so next month - go there early.

I wandered around, seeing if anything caught my eye. ALOT of stuff caught my eye - the Japanese are GREAT at making crafts and little things. But, I am a student, and on a tight budget. I am forcing myself to be on a tight budget.

That doesnt' mean I am allowed a few induglences once in awhile. Case in point: I found a SPA in Osaka run by an Middle Eastern woman that does actual eyebrow WAXING. And FACIALS. All western style - Japanese pedicures are too funky (sparkly rhinestones, anyone?) and they don't believe in the concept of waxing.

No hot wax today. Instead, a laptop bag.

If you read a few (rather, more than a few) blogs ago, I mentioned how I got a MacBook and I wanted a new laptop case. I am not the corporate type (I like the look of the suits, but that does not mean I will wear a black suit with a white button down shirt to work everyday), so that means PLAIN BLACK LAPTOP CASE = NO-NO. I had a plain, black laptop case for my old Sony, and did i ever use it? No.

However, Kate Spade has not issued the Larabee Dot Noel laptop case in MacBook-size, and most of the manufacturing companies hadn't either. The industry thinks that MacBook = 15" Powerbook so no new cases specifically for the MacBook. And hardly any that were interesting. It took me awhile to get an interesting one (khaki burlap lined in fleece) and I had to find it on the net.

But that was a sleeve. And I am digressing. I needed something with handles. Something interesting, and something that fit the laptop perfectly.

I found it at the temple bazaar. A little tote bag - yellow patterned fabric, with army-green canvas handles and a mouse named "Chu" appliqued on the front. I was talking to the lady who was selling the bag and was saying that there were alot (plain pink with cherries and green with mushrooms appliqued) that were really cute! And they were and either 600 or 800 yen which is great. In the end I chose "Chu" the mouse.

Got a tiny pair of earrings and a cute barrette too for under 1000yen as well and 2 cool postcards to put on my wall (matching) but the highlight was the bag, now with my laptop sleeve: