Ganbare!

Many things happened this weekend; oh where to begin?

On Saturday, it was pissing rain. HARD. As in, if it were snow, it would be a blizzard. But this is Kyoto and we don’t get blizzards; only genteel snowfalls (I want a blizzard!). And I had to meet up with some students to interview about their Machiya Light-Up project for Kyoto Journal. It turned out pretty ok for a preliminary interview in my halting Japanese; we will do a more comprehensive one in English, so I can record it next week. I was also invited to their bonnenkai (End-of-Year) party; I might go for an hour or so this Thursday.

That evening, I met up with Emily and we went to the old dorm where Colleen used to live for a Christmas party Emily was invited to; she asked me to come because she didn’t know anyone besides the guy who invited her and she didn’t want to be rude and turn him down. We ended up socializing/eating/mingling for about an hour or so and then we went back to my place (I live 5 minutes away), knitted and watched Grey’s Anatomy Season 3.

Yesterday, Emi my jazz singer/songwriter friend performed at ShinPuhKan. On my way there, I noticed that Higashioji-dori was blocked by traffic; after a few minutes of musing, watching people and reading kanji characters disjointedly, I saw the runners and realized, “Oh! It’s the Kyoto Marathon!” and asked the police officer. Actually it wasn’t; it was the national high school race or something like that. I saw the leader run by me; as runners passed, people shouted “Ganbare!” “Run hard!”

The concept of “ganbare, ganbatte, and ganbarimasu” can be applied to any situation requiring luck; so while it means “Good luck” generally, it can be translated to mean “Work hard” as well, dpeneding on the situation.

At ShinPuhKan, Emi’s whole family was there and it was really sweet; Emily and I were the only “non-family” people there. The songs are the same but it’s always fun to see her perform. After, Emily and I went back to my place: more knitting, more Grey’s Anatomy. My baby blanket is getting bigger and I can’t tote it around anymore. I started working on socks for my “tote about town” project.

Speaking of knitting, I got a nice little surprise today and just in time for Christmas! My package from the Kawaii Swap came in today: in it was a pack of Hello Kitty Christmas themed stickers, a small box of chocolate (which I promptly ate, yum yum!) and a amigurumi stuffed cat, with a letter on Chococat stationery. So adorable! I think I will name the cat “Neko-chan.” (“Neko” means “cat” in Japanese).

'Tis The Season...To Get Sniffles

Fa, la, la, la...la, la...bah humbug.

It NEVER fails.

Every year since I have started college, I get sick around the holidays. Particularly after December 15, and before December 25. I am thinking that since final exams are around that time of year, it's due to the stress of school.

Last year, I had tinglings in my throat, and proceeded to hightail it to the Kyoto Uni health center. I got a weird powdered medicine because I had my flight the next day and didn't want it to get worse. This year, they came back with full force last night.

Just like last year, I attempted to will the tinglings to go away (ok, I had medicine, but I prevented it from getting worse before I went to the doctor). And, it worked. I am getting quite good at mentally preventing sore throats (I do not like them, having a bad relationship with my throat and germs since childhood, but never had my tonsils taken out). Luckily, my glands are not swollen. I just feel a bit dry and as if a cold is coming on. Now I am sneezing.

So, when I woke up this morning I called my koto teacher and told her I had a cold and took two Tylenol. No way I was going to ride my bike all the way down to Kujo today. Still, I took the bus down to Kyoto Eki because I was meeting some friends to check out the Toji Temple fair, since I figured I can make do with the bus and some walking about. Even hough the day was pretty decent, I put on my North Face and wrapped my pashmina around my neck securely.

The lady from the travel agency called when I was out; luckily I had a 1-day bus pass so I went back up to Sanjo. Turns out, the final confirmation of my tickets for Australia were ready, and I got the printout. While I went to the Gap and Zara in search of leggings, I began to not feel so hot again so I took the bus home.

Got home and drank orange juice, ate two mikans (Japanese mini mandarin oranges, they are in season now), took more Tylenol and proceeded to just finish a Halls lozenge. I have social engagements this weekend and will NOT let a fever or a cold take me over. That said, I will rest as much as possible (I knitted all afternoon) so that I am somewhat decent for Monday, as I have to start working on my presentation.

The Three Month Stretch

Last Monday, Rits called me saying something along the lines of "Information regarding your return home has arrived, please come and pick it up."

I go to the International Center today in anticipation. I get to know when I come home!

Erm, not exactly.

Turns out, I had to fill out a bunch of forms indicating where I wanted to go (JFK, not Newark!) and when. Easy enough. Gave them my passport number, got my adviser to sign the form (I knew his office hours on Thursdays, or at least I can drop in during a specific time and I know he would be there) and got everything neatly filed away with the office by 3:30pm.

I wanted to get it over an done with, because I only go to Rits once a week and its the winter break as of tomorrow. Don't want to deal with this stuff during my vacation.

My dates? First choice is either March 22 or March 23, the weekend before the lease of my apartment expires which is March 25. Get final deposit of stipend on the 19th, and it gives me 3 days (because my stipend arrives at 9 am on the dot of the day that it is deposited) to tidy up my affairs: close cell phone, health insurance and bank accounts.

Things like tossing useless junk, selling furniture, random crap I won't take home and bike will start at the beginning of March when I make "Sayonara Sale" and spread the word amongst my friends. The International Center will call me or email me when my plane ticket arrives.

So that means as of this weekend, I have EXACTLY three months left in Japan.

It's Not Beginning to Feel Alot Like Christmas

Hearing (and reading) about the snowstorm in the Northeast from various sources made me think.

It's weird. It LOOKS like Christmas - even some houses in my neighborhood are strewn with Christmas lights - but it doesn't really feel like it.

This is coming from a person who, in spite of growing up in a place where the snow turns dirty in less than five minutes, still knows that come Christmastime, you are supposed to be freezing your butt off when you venture outdoors, and when you go out, you wear getups just short of "ski bunny" to protect yourself against the elements. And you don't mind, really.

Mel, coming from a warmer climate, actually has a pair of Quiksilver ski pants for those nasty days. They have proven to be very useful, even if not intended for the slopes but rather the nasty winds that turn around the corner of 5th Avenue; I keep telling myself to get a pair.

No offense of course to those living in warmer climates - it's just what I am used to. I spent Christmas of sophomore year of high school in Florida, and the palm trees with Christmas lights were strange. Weirder was walking around in shorts.

It is 50 degrees here in Kyoto and I am still going around in a light jacket, cardigan and scarf. When I ride my bike, I put my gloves on if only for preventative measures at first, since I get hot later and subsequently remove my layers. I only wear a hat if it is ridiculously cold. Which I haven't done yet.

My advisor looked at me a couple of weeks ago - or rather at my feet - in aghast. It was still sunny and pretty warm out, but I wore my Uggs nonetheless; in this country where you take your shoes on and off all the time, they are easy to put on. I would wear my flats or riding boots, but that day the sky threatened rain and I didn't want to ruin those shoes. My Uggs are old. No matter if they get ruined.

So when he asked me if it was too cold for me, I looked down at my feet and said a bit sheepishly, "Well, it IS November. Back home, it's snowing right now."

I miss snow.

Of All the People, in All the Places in the World

Today I was in the library at the study abroad program puttering away on my laptop, procrastinating and using the internet. I was also doing some work - I am going to lead a part of the class tomorrow so I figured a powerpoint presentation will help a bit, since I still have nerves about talking in front of people.

I print, and head down to Prof. S's office to show it to him. I knock on the door, and see him talking with a petite Japanese woman. She looks...familiar.

We both realized it at the same time - she was my old Japanese teacher from when I started Japanese waaaay back in January 2003 at the Japan Society. I continued with her for about a year, then I went off to London. Oh my god! Of all the places in the world - Kyoto and in particular in Prof. S's office to see my old Japanese language teacher. Prof. S explained what I was doing and in particular why I was in his office - "course assistant."

I waited outside until the two of them were done with their meeting. At first, I thought she was coming here to be a new Japanese language teacher, but turns out she is now at another school and the representative for the school since some of their students are here. After getting over our initial shock, we compared notes.

She asked how Mel was doing; when I began studying Japanese, I dragged him along, and she taught the both of us and knew we were a couple. She asked if I was married (guess she saw something on my finger) and told her I was engaged, and to him as well.

We exchanged emails, and I told her I would email her some photos of my time in Japan. I still can't believe it! So surprising, but a nice one too. She is a good teacher.

"No Worries"

I was looking at my ticket receipt last night for Australia, when I started freaking out.

I only have one hour and 10 minutes between planes. One hour and 10 minutes to go through customs, possibly get my baggage, and re-check. I then looked up the Brisbane Airport and discovered to my dismay that I need to take an AirTrain between the domestic and international terminals because they are THREE kilometers apart.

Oh, crap. Is it enough time?

I tried to reassure myself, (and my mom tried to reassure me over Skype) saying that I had an hour and a half in Detroit to go through that mess known as US Immigration and Customs (even the US Citizen/Permanent resident line took forever!) and had to get my luggage, re-check, and go back through security. I professed my worry to The Aussie, whose response was not particularly helpful: "I told you that the Brisbane Airport was big" (he of course, has an intimate relationship with BNE since that was his local airport).

Gee thanks. I love The Aussie and all, but seriously? Right at that time men sucked. After some more minutes of conversation, I began to really freak out, thinking that I am going to miss my flight, etc. etc. If I miss my flight, I miss the bus to Canberra.

Plus, I learned that the maximum amount allowed as carry-on is 15lbs total. Either I was going to pack really, really light (thank god there is free laundry in Canberra) or I was going to miss my plane. I think I might leave my laptop behind. Ringo may be pretty light compared to the clunkers that my friends have, but it will weigh me down.

This morning, I called JetStar in Australia via Skype, knowing full well I will not get the specific information via the Japan line as easily and as quickly. Apparently, I didn't have the specific JetStar reservation number so I would have to call back later. This was at 9:30am. JTB (the travel agency I used) opens at 11:00am. It was one of those times that I really wished things were like NYC and open either at 9 or 10am. I STILL forget that the shops (except for the department stores) open at 11 as opposed to 10.

At 11:01, I called JTB. After explaining twice in Japanese, the lady told me she will look up the number and call me back. I got the number in less than 5 minutes, and called Australia again.

Good news - my flights are "thru," which means when I check-in in Osaka, I have also checked-in for my flight from BNE to SYD. Also, my luggage will go between the planes so that means I don't have to pick them up and check them in again, like I had to do in Detroit. But I am still thinking of just going with a carry-on (I will call again like a week before just to double-double check). If I do check-in my bag, it means that I can bring my laptop, but I really don't want to lug it around. Alisa pointed out that I can still tweak my presentation, but it's excess weight.

Honestly, I have no qualms running through an airport. It wouldn't be the first time (when I had known Ingram less than 24 hours, I convinced him to run through Narita in Tokyo so that we could make our connecting flight to Osaka on time).

More good news: I got the confirmation from Wake Up! Sydney - 4 Share Dorm, Female Only. Another good thing about it is that while they do take your credit card for the reservation, it's only for reservation purposes; I will pay in cash there (phew). Very happy, though I think I messed up on the number of nights that I was going to stay. I don't like it when they ask for the check-in date and the number of nights as opposed to the specific dates - it can lead to mistakes. So I counted off my fingers - yes, 2/2 to 2/7 is 5 nights, not 6 - and e-mailed them back, telling them sorry made a mistake, and these are my dates.

"No worries," was part of the reply. How cool - they actually do say "no worries" in Australia, and it's not some Crocodile Dundee thing. Mel not only hides his accent (it only comes out after a tipple and when he gives speeches/presentations) he doesn't say "no worries."

All that's left is to email Mel's mum to let her know when I am going to Sydney so she can email the family friends and let them know that the DIL is coming. They might take me around for a day. Also need to email this professor I know who is at a uni in Sydney - we met last year at a conference, so it would be cool to meet up, if only for a bit.

When I return to Japan, it is going to be very interesting (but I am being sarcastic here). They just implemented mandatory fingerprinting like the US. But unlike the US, even permanent residents (except those "special permanent residents") and those who are on visas and have the gajin card (like me) get fingerprinted. According to the news, travelers are fine by it, but a lot of the foreign residents are not happy.

NH-Wha?

Spurred on by Libby's question on "What is the NHK?" I give you another edition of..."Maria in Japan."

This week's episode: "Battle with the NHK Lady!"

Dum, dum, dum.

***

Maria is in her apartment, puttering about one evening when she hears a knock on the door. Owner of hand that knocks on door does not announce him/herself.

Maria slowly creeps to door. Well it's more like two paces; this IS Japan, land of the tiny!

She looks at peephole.

Strange person in a suit.

Dum, dum, dum!

Tune in next week for what she does! (Hint: you guys already know.)

***

As several of you noted, it might be the NHK lady. Or person. They come to collect the fees that no one pays.

What fees? NH-Wha?

NHK is like the BBC. In fact, according to Wikipedia, NHK modeled itself on the BBC. I was able to make that connection pretty quickly since I lived in London, and remember the tv ads and bus ads and posters plastered everywhere warning people who don't pay the BBC fees. It's state-run television, to some extent (hmm, that sounds very Cold War Soviet Union). So in Japan, you have a lot of variety shows and samurai dramas and such.

Regardless, Japanese tv does suck. I only watched it extensively during Golden Week at Mayuko's condo in Shirahama and only enjoyed the commercials.

Japan does have a law stipulating that people pay certain fees. But they don't enforce it! Hence the NHK lady and attempts at freaking me out.

On the outside of the apartment doors in my building are the stickers with numbers for the gas and electric, and a sticker that says "NHK." I knew about the fees when I was checking out my apartment and asked my landlord about them. He actually started to laugh. No one pays the NHK fees. Just like no one pays the BBC fees. But in England you get screwed over more.

Security Check

Warning: I'm a bit snappy.

You know, they always say that Japan is safe. It sure is to be quite honest; I mean, there have been nights here where I ride my bike back up from downtown at 1, 2 in the morning by myself. No homeless people (they are all under the bridges at the Kamo River, but they don't bother you) no wierdos. I am too busy flying on my bike to garner any attention. Also, there are still people around; the Kamo River/Kawabata-Dori is one of the major North-South arteries of Kyoto.

But still. Except for the fancy manshons (apartment buildings), most apartment buildings in general don't have any security. The main door to my building is never locked; in fact, most buildings don't even have a front door. The only door that you have is the one to your apartment. Anyone can come in.

That has made me a bit uneasy, but I guess I considered myself lucky.

Until about 5 minutes ago.

I was doing my own thing, listening to The Cat Empire when I heard a knock on my door. I muted my music and checked first if my door was locked, then through the peephole. There was a Japanese woman, of middle age in a suit, sort of.

:::Knock knock:::

I KNEW that she knew that someone was inside because obviously I had my music on and I turned it off. But I didn't open the door. She just kept knocking and even looked at my peephole, as if she was willing to see who was on the other side of the door. I am not opening that door! She said not one word. Just knocked. Then she turned to my neighbor (who I think is a bit of a wierdo, he talks in this wailing voice which sorta creeps me out) and knocked.

That's when I knew I wasn't being targeted specifically, but just going around. Then I heard her knock on other doors but not even my neighbor opened his door. And this wasn't the first time this has happened either!

Call me paranoid, but I really don't like it how people can walk into my building without prior notification, or that the front door isn't locked. It just makes the stereotype of "Japan is safe" even worse. Sure, naysayers can say that it's true but better to be safe than sorry. Things still happen here. This place is not paradise.

I am not knocking Japan (pun not intended) - I like it here a lot. But there are just some things that tick me off, which I think is natural. And when it comes to strange people knocking on my door and not even saying a WORD, then we got issues here.

I'm off to the combini. Comfort chocolate is in order.

Too Close for Comfort

Oh, bah.

There was an earthquake in Nara prefecture a few minutes ago. A thump, and my windows actually rattled.

A bit too close for comfort, that one.

Strike a Pose

SO many titles to choose from for this blog. Mostly from Madonna songs.

Regardless...

On Friday I went to the Sagawa Art Museum with 3 of the s/c's from my class; it was in Otsu, over the eastern mountain range near Lake Biwa. We, along with 5 others (who came to the museum as we were leaving) volunteered to check out the Raku Bowls collection at the museum, and a teahouse that is built on the site. The class this Monday focuses on tea in Kyoto - and Japanese tea sure as hell played a big role in politics. Not so much now, however.

The museum was amazing. Give me that museum, turn it into a house and it would make some fancy architectural magazine.
The pictures don't do it justice. More on Flickr.

We saw the bowls and generally loved the museum - unfortunately we didn't get enough time to see the other art galleries. Why? We were too busy having fun with a blank cement wall.



Models we do not make. There was this cavernous room on the lower level of the Raku Kichizaemon building, where the entrance to the teahouse and the galleries where the bowls were located. It was actually underneath the moat surrounding museum, one of those 6-inch deep ones for decorative purposes, and the glass bottom was a part of the ceiling.

This let light come inside; I wanted to take a picture before we went into the gallery but a gallery person told us to wait till noon, where the light was best. It was sure worth it, and a lot of fun. I have to say that is one of my most favorite museums now.

Can Ya Pay Mah Telephone Bills, Can Ya Pay Mah Automo-bills

Oh sweet relief.

September was quite unbearably hot, which meant I used my air conditioner. I thought it would be quite a lot since there were some occasions in which I would leave it on all night. However, I did my green part - which, I do admit, was partially motivated by the fact that I do NOT want to pay an extortionate amount of money for my electric bill. I thought it would be around ichi-man, (10,000yen, or about $80-$100).


The electric meter dude just came by.

I opened my little envelope with much trepidation.

3,614yen.

That is how much I pay on average during the wintertime - thank god. I may have mentioned this before, but they are cutting my stipend by ichi-man next month: boo. Eh, now that Japanese language classes are starting next week, I won't be in my apartment so much, regardless.

In Japan, you can pay your utility bills at the combini (and you can do everything at the combini, I love my local combini and I think one of the people that works there even recognizes me at this point) - you take the big white piece of paper with the amount to the register and they stamp it, scan the barcode and there ya go. No need to go mail a bill and go through all that hassle of trying to remember to buy stamps, as you can also pay the bills at the Post Office ATM machine. That I have not figure out how to do, which in a way, is all the better, since the Post Office is now privatized.

Oh, My Poor Tory's!!!

I got caught in the rain today. And I was wearing my Tory Burch flats. Screw me getting wet, I was more concerned with my shoes getting wet!!!

Allow me to backtrack.

Today was the Takasegawa Fune Matsuri, or, the Takase River (well, it's more like a canal) Boat Festival. The Takase Canal is really old and one particular part of it near Nijo-Dori served as a major hub for transport in flat-bottomed boats, and was crucial to the economy, yada yada...

...but at this matsuri, there were maiko. Two of them. Serving tea and sweets.

And I got a picture with one of them. Not just OF them, but WITH them.

At first I wasn't really sure if I could because there was in fact a sign that said, "Satsue Kinshi" ("Photography forbidden"). In that sense, I internally played the "gaijin who can speak Japanese, but not read it card" and started snapping as discreetly as possible. Spurred on by the fact that the Japanese were taking photos with their noisy keitai (read: cell phone) and big fancy SLR's, I started to edge up a bit closer to the maiko.

Snap, snap. They serve tea. I stick around a bit more. Snap, snap. I think something up is with my camera (too many buttons and I do not know all of them - it's really Mel's camera) but I think I fixed it. Snap, snap.

At one point, the tea ceremony-ish part was over, and the maiko were actually serving tea to those who were present. I didn't get served tea myself, but I did ask one of the maiko if I could get a photo of her, and got both of them together. There was one foreign lady sitting near me and I asked her, as the maiko were milling about, if she can take a photo of me with one of the maiko if I asked them.

Let's just say, my hands were actually shaking a bit. To see a maiko walking in Gion is one thing. To take pictures of them at the Miyako Odori is quite another. But to take a picture with one? I totally acted tourist, but all I have to say is this - I asked her politely in Japanese, and I said "thank you" in the Kyoto dialect ("Okii-ni" as opposed to "Arigatou").

(Apologies for the frizzy bangs - it was very humid. Best to go over to my Flickr because you DEFINITELY want to see the rest of the pictures.)

Afterwards, I checked out the Shimadzu Museum (which will be a field trip actually for my course so more on that in the future) and then decided to check out this underground shopping center near City Hall. It looked cloudy. However it was still hot - so hot, that I could feel the sweat dripping down my neck. I want fall to come. NOW.

There was a flea market in the courtyard in front of city hall, and I walked around, in spite of the fact that they were packing up. Look what I found!!!

A vintage Chloe bag. I am pretty sure it is real if only for one reason: Japanese will not bat an eyelash at forking over hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for a designer bag. Quite 50's/60's-ish, don'tcha think? And it's in pretty good condition - I paid 300yen for it. It was originally 800, then down to 400, then because I was hesitating, the lady suddenly said "300yen." I was sold. Very classic.

Then the rain started. Very very hard. I contemplated riding home (because I had my bike and I do know how to ride my bike whilst holding an umbrella for all it's illegality) but instead I ducked into a store that I have been eyeing, called Florame. It's French and sells organic aromatherapy stuff. The lady in the shop gave me some cold tea and I picked up a a mini-soap in Verbena and a 3-pack of Lavender, Almond Milk and Vetiver. Much like L'Occitane - and in fact, there is one on Shijo. But I don't bother because I can get that stuff back home, but Florame isn't in NYC. I have recently been getting into scented stuff - I picked up scented tealights and a plug-in in from Yankee Candle Co. and brought them here with me. Now my apartment smells really nice.

But oh, my poor Tory's. They felt a bit squishy when I finally got off my bike and scampered up the stairs.

Tales of the Japanese Toilets and the Tissue Packets that Love Them

When I first got to Japan, I would always get little packets of tissue paper as advertisements. You can find these everywhere - in front of the school cafeteria, on a busy street corner, downtown etc. I would get these in twos and threes and hold on to them - the packets were tiny, they were free and good if I needed a tissue.

I was always somewhat confunded by the "Why tissues?" question. Usually at school, they give out plastic folders as part of the advertisements - well that's easy to understand. Students need folders. I think I have only bought myself one here and that was a large one to hold most of my files. Otherwise, I use the free ones, to carry around the papers I just need for the moment.

In the summer, they advertise on fans - tradition I think carried over from the Edo period. Besides, everyone and their mother (myself included) uses a fan in the summer. It is STILL like 90 degrees out, and it won't get colder till about oh, mid-October. Last year, I was still just wearing a cardigan or a light jacket by the end of November. I want to wear my riding boots, dangit!

But why tissues? Hmm...well it is actually considered quite rude to blow your nose in public. So that's not it.

Yesterday in class, Prof. S. was using the wireless to show the students a faulty problem on an entry about Kyoto in Wikipedia. He opens up his bookmarks and one of them was labeled "Wiki-Japanese Toilet." EVERYONE started laughing and Prof. S. turns around, nonplussed and says, "The 'Japanese Toilet' article is the best article written in Wikipedia."

I have already mentioned my love for the Japanese toilet - the fancy one with all the buttons that is. The ones that cost over $1000 in the States precisely because of all the buttons and the bells and the whistles. Let me tell you, you use a Japanese Washlet, and you never want to use that old button-less toilet again (I very much missed them last August). I avoid the squat version at all costs. However, if the situation is dire then I will use it. So long as it is somewhat clean. I have seen worse versions in Greece, in the tiny mountain villages. But if I have a choice, then I choose the Washlet.

The reason why they give out tissues as advertisements is, according to Wikipedia, that most of the public toilets in the train stations and such do not have toilet paper. When I read this, I was like, "Eureka!"

When I went to Nara I had find a bathroom ASAP. I go to the one in the station which was the closest and there was no toilet paper.

%*$&^.

Luckily I had 200yen on me and bought my tissue packets.

I really need to hoard more free tissue packets - just in case.

Nai, Nai

Take a look at this video. A dad is feeding his son some baby food and he runs out! The reaction is classic. "Nai, nai" means "None, none." And when the people are shouting out "kawaii" that means cute. I need to start a series of "Cute Japanese baby videos because they are just so adorable!!!

What Being in Japan Has Done to Me

For one thing that is the most obvious, is that I am more picky with my Japanese food. Mel and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant and I couldn't stomach the tuna rolls. Mel still thinks they are great but the man has not eaten proper sushi, or whale sushi for that matter (I have eaten that in Shirahama).

It's just like the Chinese food here - American Chinese food is groos. I can't eat it. However, I had heard that the Chinese food in China is quite different so I will eat me next cup of egg-drop soup when I (finally!) get to Beijing. When that will be, I have no clue.

The second thing that I have noticed is that well I have become more, how shall we say...high-maintenance? The girls in Japan go all out when it comes to getting ready and while I am not the type of person who will fail an exam because I don't have my mascara on, I have started to pay a little more attention to what works and what doesn't.

Clinique had this "RSVP to Colour" event at the Macy's in Herald Square/34th Street last week and I wanted to go because in essence it was a consultation on what works and what doesn't. I like Clinique because it doesn't feel so makeup-ey and cakey and it's allergy free.

And what a consultation! My makeup artist was amazing and we tried both regular stuff to see what works on me and fun stuff. She put on green eyeshadow and while it sounds horrendous it actually was nice because I have green-ish/blue eyes. Makeup artist said it was a day look but for me, I don't wear eyeshadow during the day so I held off on it.

We also talked about skincare - I turn 23 in December and I figured might as well think about crows feet now as opposed to later. My maternal grandmother is 78 years old and has not a wrinkle save for some (very) fine age lines, and looks 65 because of it. Why? She took care of her skin. I didn't even get a tan this summer and I am glad I didn't. I even carry my sunglasses with me everywhere all year round because my eyes are sensitive and the minute I feel myself squinting, out of the bag they come. In Japan, no one wears sunglasses because they are related to the yakuza (Japanese mafia) but I already stick out so I really don't care.

I tried this eye cream thing from Clinique while I chatted with the makeup artist; told her that in Japan this stuff is twice or three times as expensive. And I learned that the hard way - the lipstick I got in Japan was 2800yen whereas here it was $14.50. And that lipstick (Rubelite) was really bright for day, I needed a daytime lipstick. Apparently, I have long eyelashes as well.

So this is my new make-up booty:
Long Last Lipstick in Ruby Glass (discontinued! I got the last tube, but I saw it at Century 21 in B'klyn)
Perfectly Real Makeup Foundation in Shade No. 8
Cream Shaper Eyeliner in Chocolate Lustre
High Definition Lashes Brush Then Comb Mascara in Black
Touch Blush in Petal Cream
Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine in Sugarplump (my lips are already quite full but I liked the color and I doubted the plump factor in these things, and its an alternative to the lipstick, and it doesn't feel goopy)
Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40
and...
I plan to get the Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trio in Ebb and Flow come March when I return if its still there. When I was in Detroit, I picked up another tube of the City Block at the Duty Free because I have a feeling I will run out of that pretty quickly.

In toto...$124.08. I have never done that before, but the fact that I got the consultation made me feel good so I had tried on all the stuff beforehand made me feel confident.

Anata mo Atashi mo POCKY!

That is the slogan for the Pocky commercials in Japan. You could say that it literally means, "You and me - POCKY!" or rather, "You and I [want] POCKY!" Something like that. Pocky are these little sticks covered with flavors; some are even specific to the season and the region - for example, Kyoto has some special matcha flavors. I like the Tahitian Vanilla and Cocounut as of late. You can get them in Asian food stores back in the States; I'm lucky in that Hong Kong Supermarket has one whole section filled with the million flavors of Pocky.

This particular commercial below strikes my fancy: the little kid is adorable, and its cool how it's a total traditional setting, pounding out the black sesame (Kurogoma - that's the flavor Pocky they are advertising in this commercial, I've had the ice cream in Kii-katsura).



Below, we have high school commercials - this one is for the "giri-choco" that girls give to guys they like on Valentine's Day. If you pay close attention to the music, it's the same tune as in the previous commercial. It kicks ass. Poor girl; she likes the guy so much her giri-choco practically knocks him over! :::sigh::: high school :::sigh:::



This last one is the most recent set of commercials, featuring Morning Musume, a famous J-pop group. The name literally means "Morning Daughter(s)" (there is no distinction of singular and plural most of the time in Japanese).



(PS. This is what you do when you can't sleep - you watch Japanese commercials on YouTube).

As If I Don't Not Have Enough Already

My hair is falling out. Apolecia, I think. I read in "Being a Broad in Japan," that it's common for Western women who come to Japan to have their hair falling out. Maybe it's because I have my hair in a ponytail (heat + no desire to use hairdryer + long hair = ponytail) everyday and thus the regular strands that fall out possibly just come out in one big clump, but I feel my hair is falling out.

Possibly due to several factors:

1) I ran out of my American Garnier Fructis shampoo and while I am using Clairol Herbal Essences, its the Japanese version and Japanese shampoos in general tend to be harsh.
2) Water is also harsh here - Japanese just LOVE their chemicals don't they?
3) Possibly a mineral/vitamin deficiency, particularly iron - I haven't had red meat in like ages, and although while I try to eat my fruits and veggies, they are damn expensive especially the ones that are mega common back home because they weren't a part of the Japanese diet, and won't ever will be = prices through the roof. $2 for an orange?

So, I need to go to the doctor when I get home to see if it's a mineral/vitamin deficiency or some other problem - I do not need to be OD-ing on multivitamins/mineral supplements when my levels are somewhat intact. But I doubt it.

As if I do not not have enough hair on my head already. It's thin like a baby's, and there isn't much of it.

Up On a Mountain, Praying in a Temple

This past weekend, Colleen and I went to Koya-San, which is in Wakayama Prefecture. Koya-san ("Mt. Koya") is about 1KM above sea level and the center of Shingon Buddhism which was founded by Kukai/Kobo Daishi in 819 (they say that he is the guy who created hiragana, now THAT is a person to sing praises to!).

In order to get to Koya-San via public transportation (twisting up a mountain in a car? I have done that twice and both times I feared for my life), Colleen and I did the following:

1) Keihan Line Rapid Express Train from Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto to Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka (literally end to end): 1 hour
2) Transfer to Osaka Subway Midosuji Line to Namba: 15 minutes
3) Take the Nankai Dentetsu Rapid Express train from Namba to Gokurakubashi Station: 90 minutes
4) Cable car from Gokurakubashi Station to Koya Station all the way at the top of the mountain: 5 minutes.

But wait! There is more. When Colleen and I got to Namba Station, we just missed the 11am train to Hashimoto Station (which is on the Nankai Line) which connects to a train that goes further down the line to Gokurakubashi Station, so we had to wait an hour. All in all it took us about 4 hours to get there (and even the same amount of time coming back for some reason even though the train from Gokurakubashi was direct to Namba and we made all the connections with less than 5 minutes in between). The great thing is that to promote tourism, there is a special "Koya-San Free Pass" that includes round-trip train tickets, 2 day bus pass, discounts on some temples and souveneir shops for only 2780yen. Killer.

So all in all, 5 connections, 4 trains, 3 cities, 2 prefectures and a cable-car near a mountain tree.

The scenery was very nice. Like my trip to Shirahama, I got the chance to see the countryside, or the inaka. And it was downright proper inaka, especially after Hashimoto Station; the train began to snake its way up the mountain and since it was so precarious, there is only one line of track for a two way train system. How does that work? Well, the track divides into two at the stations so I guess they station masters and all other parties involved just keep an eye out so that opposing trains pass by each other at the stations and not play chicken on the mountainside. But that is only really between Hashimoto and Gokurakubashi.

The coolest part was the cable car ride. If you suffer from a fear of heights or vertigo, even taking the train up the mountain gives you some interesting sights (such as very steep drops). The mountain is so steep that the design of the cable car is actually slanted; imagine something like a moving staircase, and that was how the cable car was designed. Literally. I felt like I was on a theme park ride.

To my surprise, Koya-san isn't just a complex of Buddhist monasteries with some things to cater to the tourists here and there; it's a right proper town. "Holy crap," I thought, "I am REALLY in the inaka. Cooooool!" When you live in the city, especially in a foreign country, you learn to appreciate the chances that you have to actually get outside of it. Another awesome thing is, Koya-san is so inaka (at least for me) that I got to FINALLY see this for real: the old-school Japanese mailbox.There wasn't even a 100yen shop to be found!
Because Koya-san is so high, the weather is a bit different; it's cooler. In the summer, people come here in droves because down below is so damn hot. It's sorta like my dad's hometown in Greece. No mosquitoes, but a lot of bugs. Also, because of the nature of the town - Buddhist friendly - everything shuts down around 6pm. Colleen and I learned that the hard way when we went out to get some dinner, luckily there was a small cafe open.

Our check-in was at 4pm so we had some time to kill. We both packed light, but it is annoying to lug stuff about but we trudged on, making reservations for Buddhist vegetarian cuisine at the tourist office for one of the smaller temples the next day. Lay people can actually stay at the temples (its called "shukubo" or "temple lodgings") but it was really expensive. Koya-san can be done in a day but with the 4 hour trip, that's alot of stress. So, we made reservations at the Koya-San Youth Hostel.

Before we could go to the hostel, we went to Kongobu-ji (which has the CLEANEST bathroom I have ever seen at a temple in Japan), which was constructed in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the main temple at Koya-San. It's also the location of the largest rock garden in Japan. We had to take our shoes off, which was a common theme for the weekend and quite annoying for me because I wore my sneakers, thinking that because of the weather (it was going to rain) and the fact that we would be doing alot of walking, while my suede loafers were pretty decent, sneakers would do the job better. I forgot that like Himeji, really really old places (and even the new Treasure Museum in Koya-San) make you take your shoes off. No contest.

When we finished with Kongobu-ji and the time to check in came, we headed over to the youth hostel. Youth hostel it is NOT. More like a mom-and-pop run budget ryokan (traditional Japanese inn); maybe the association with the YHA helps bring the prices down, maybe the Japanese idea of a youth hostel (especially in this neck of the woods) is different, but Colleen and I lucked out from here to kingdom come. First, while it had that settled in look and the bathing room/bathrooms were not private it was clean and very well-maintained. Second, our room had a view of the garden AND had painted screens (it was called the "Tea Room" - walking around the house before we finally checked in, I saw that the room was open and prayed that we would have that room and we did) and third, it gave us a really good breakfast. Cost? About 4400yen for the night. That was less than 40USD. After dinner, Colleen and I settled in our room and chilled out and read, though the ladies in the room next door to us were bloody insomniacs and acted like over-caffeinated junior high school students.

The next day, it was raining. No matter really; we were both prepared and it was a good chance to check out the umbrella-worthiness of my parasol, without doing too much damage to it. Result? I think I will use as an umbrella when it doesn't rain that hard, given the fabric of it. There are more umbrella-like parasols (at OPA!) that I intend to get. We had breakfast in the main room, checked out (more like telling the owner, "Thank you for having us, we are leaving!" and the owner responding, "Take care!"), put our stuff in a locker at the tourist office and trekked off. Even though it was about 8:30am, the town was up and running. First stop was the Treasure Museum, which had on display a ton of Buddhist art dating all the way back to the Heian period (started in 794, if I remember correctly) till about the mid-twentieth century. At one point, the place was so quiet, so empty and so filled with Buddhist statues that I felt like any minute they would come alive a la Tomb Raider.

To continue with the creepy aura of the day, the fog was rolling in. Good thing it was in the morning and not in the evening; fog + Buddhist temples = mega creepy aura. Colleen, ever the stout San Franciscan, exclaimed that the weather reminded her of home; me the somewhat wary New Yorker, just tried to keep an eye of my surroundings. As you can see, I wasn't amused. Luckily - and rather strangely - the sun came out but the weather was like a light switch: on-off, on-off. At one point, the weather was still cool, but the sun was blaring; so, I re-opened my parasol and commissioned it once again to sun-blocking duty. It also had to dry, since I was paranoid about ruining it.

We hit the Garan, which is a series of temples and stupas - one of which Kobo Daishi lived in and saw a lot of tourists and pilgrims, many of which were praying to the empty buildings. What was interesting was that unlike the circuses of students and tourists that I see at Buddhist temples in Kyoto, while Koya-San is a bit touristy, it's very hardcore Buddhist. No circuses (of the hokey sort that you see at Kin- and Ginkaku-ji's) of any kind here. Even at the museum, there were boxes for monetary offerings in front of the statues; if there wasn't there was a small group of coins in its stead. We also went to the Daimon (literally "Great Gate") which is on the opposite end of Koya-San, near the highway that runs into the town. We wanted to check out the Tokugawa Mausoleum, but it was cutting close to 12 and we had to make time to get to lunch.

Lunch was Buddhist vegetarian at Muryoko-in, one of the smaller temples. Colleen and I both got the cheapest one and were amazed at the amount of food - we thought it would be like regular Japanese fare: alot of money, but barely nothing or freaky stuff. It was delicious. While at Muryoko-in, we both agreed that where we stayed was much better.

After lunch, we headed to Okuno-in, a big draw at Koya-san for tourists, pilgrims and mourners alike. Mourners? Okuno-in is the largest Buddhist graveyard in Japan. Thank god there was no fog, just alot of sun when we went. It was so crowded! The graveyard went into the woods, and the much older graves were further inside; I'm guessing that over time, the graveyeard spread closer to the road, obviously. The kicker were some of the company graves. One was mistranslated as "White Ant Memorial" - while the kanji literally mean "white ant," it's actually "Termite Memorial." The exterminating company built it to apologize for killing the termites. My favorite one was UCC - UCC is a coffee company, so part of their grave (for former employees) was a big stone coffee cup. Even Nissan had one, completely festooned with the logo, just like the ones on the cars.

Walking through the graveyard was a bit sad though; here and there (and at times everywhere) there were small statues with bibs and knit caps. They were "jizo" - statues built in honor of a dead child. Jizo is actually a Buddhist deity who protects children, especially those who died before their parents. I saw some statues with chocolate bars and other toys and things that were pretty new, so I could sense the relative closeness of the jizo statue - it wasn't just something that took place in the past. (Side note - they can also be for aborted children; I won't go into politics here, but I will just say what I read once in this book called "Being A Broad In Japan" (which is a book for foreign women in Japan): according to the account of one foreign woman, putting up a "jizo" helped her with coping with the decision that she made.The values system is just different here, as compared to the US.)

You could get a sense of how old the place was with the moss growing on most of the older graves which were closer to the main temple. It spite of the robustness and the din emanating from the throngs of people, you could still sense the tinge of melancholy.

After Okuno-in, Colleen and I headed back to Kyoto. Four hours later, we were back in the 'hood and proceeded to have falafel, kebab and pita at Falafel Garden, a local Israeli restaurant. Given that Greek/Turkish/Israeli/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food is pretty similar, it's the closest to Greek food that I can get in Kyoto (without me having to make it). The kebab that evening tasted particularly delicious; with summer around the corner, the backyard garden was open. I felt like I was back in Astoria.

Oh, The Japanese Appliances You'll Use

Anyone who has studied Japan or Japanese for an extended period of time knows of one sure thing:

they have very interesting appliances.

Take the toilet. Or rather, the toilet seat. They are either called "washlets" or "warmlets" and for good reason: a warmlet is a heated toilet seat. A washlet, well to put it bluntly, is a toilet seat that sprays or jets heated water to clean your bum. And has a heated toilet seat. It's a toilet seat on steroids.

While a warmlet only has either maybe one button (the switch to turn the heat on or off) or none, the washlet has an array of buttons on a control panel along the side of the seat. The only washlets that I have come across on a regular basis are the ones at school - the newer the building, the newer and nicer the bathrooms and the more chances of me coming across a washlet (in addition to the evil and ubiquitous Asian squat toilet). There are even buttons that control the water pressure. At first, I could not make heads or tails of all the buttons but lets just say now is that I want a washlet for my future house.

Toto (think Kohler in the States as a brand for plumbing stuff) actually has a showroom in NYC now but compared to the Japanese prices of washlet, they are pretty expensive; not so many people use them, though there is an increasing demand. Hideki Matsui requested that he have one installed in his apartment in the Trump Tower by the UN.

It's a complicated setup. You need to have an electrical outlet near the toilet so you can actually plug the toilet seat in - it sounds totally absurd, but these toilet seats actually have miniature computers in them. Its like having a butler for your bum: "Would you like the water warmer? How is the water pressure, mum?" Then you have to connect the toilet seat to a water source. So electricity + water + bum makes for a precarious setup unless you have people who know what they are doing, can lead to some interesting occurrences during installation. I wonder how well equipped Toto's lawyers are for sue-happy Americans.

My opinion is that the more buttons, bells and whistle a Japanese appliance has the better it is. It's not like the States where the more buttons you have the more complicated it is. That is very much not the case here. Take my next Japanese appliance: the unassuming rice cooker.

You can get a $30 rice cooker or even cook rice in a pot. But the Japanese take it up a notch and as Emeril Lagasse says, "BAM!" I myself have a very simple rice cooker that I actually got for free (it's pretty old but I got it for free and it makes my rice); Colleen has a newer one with several buttons and settings. One is "O-kayu" which makes Japanese rice porridge, which is aptly called "O-kayu" as well. It is their version of chicken noodle soup for when you are sick.

Then you have the regular ol' "make rice" button. And I think two or three more other ones that I didn't really pay attention to. But here is where it gets REALLY nifty: there is also a button labeled "Keki" in katakana. In Japanese (and in bastardized Greek-English, and for this I highly find amusing), "keki" means "cake." So not only do you have a rice cooker to make rice, you have a rice cooker to make cake. As such, Colleen has make banana bread in her rice cooker. We plan to go to Meidi-Ya (the foreign food store) to get Sara Lee brownie mix and try to make brownies in a rice cooker. Only in Japan kids, only in Japan.

Which leads to the question: why have a rice cooker than can make cake? Well the answer I think is pretty simple: due to the lack of space, (small houses = small kitchens), the nature of Japanese cuisine and the fact that Japan is earthquake prone, full-on ovens are not that popular or that common (they do exist here, however just not in a typical Japanese house). There are mostly stove top burner sets with a small grill in between the two burners (imagine a rectangular box with two burners then inside the box a grill). I myself just have one electric burner, but I got a small grill that I use as an oven which is electric. Some of these burner-boxes are electric and some are gas; if it's gas you hook it up to the pipeline, but when you are not using the burner-box there is a switch to totally turn of the gas. I have that for my hot water; it's all because of the earthquakes.

So I have seen many takes on the Japanese appliances. My friend Alisa has a microwave oven that can make brownies, grill fish and toast bread. I was going to get the same microwave, but opted for the smaller and cheaper grill. Her microwave is the classic case of having a million buttons, yet you actually use every single one of them.

But I think the one that tops them all for the moment is the one I least expected: the blackboard eraser cleaner. Yesterday, during my graduate seminar, my sensei was writing on the board - using chalk and an eraser of course. (The only whiteboards that I seen are portable ones). All of a sudden, he pulls out a small shelf under the chalkboard that contains a yellow and green box. I never really noticed it before, but what I have noticed is that all the blackboards at Rits have a small drawer underneath the ledge for the chalk that holds more chalk.

To the green and yellow box. It was plastic and had a plug that led to a socket right underneath the chalkboard. But what got me was the NOISE that emanated from it: like a loud vacuum cleaner. I was sitting in the back, and totally surprised to see my sensei running the eraser across the top of this screaming box and voiced a very audible "Eeeh? Nan desu ka?!?" ("Huh? What is that!?!") The Japanese kids started to chuckle - there are three foreign kids in my class but they are Mongolian and Korean so I am the most visible "foreigner" - and explained to me that that is a machine that cleans the blackboard erasers by vacuuming all the chalk dust out, so that way you don't have to clap the erasers to clean them (or scrape them along the edge of the chalk holder ledge). I asked the Mongolian girl near me if she has seen that and she said it was her first time as well. Even my sensei was chuckling at my surprised reaction; I literally jumped in my chair from the noise because I wasn't expecting that. (I am assuming, since from my own experience Korea is pretty similar to Japan, that Korea might have these things as well.)

Now THAT is a nifty appliance. Even better, there weren't millions of buttons, but I'll bet that one day the upgraded model will have a button to control the volume of the vacuum, the speed of the vacuum, maybe squirt out some cleaner...

We're Dressing Japanese, We're Dressing Japanese, at Least it Looks So...

Today, I finally went shopping. As in right proper shopping that does not involve just groceries or 100yen. It was a beautiful day; after my koto lesson I started to ride my bike back uptown. I had noticed teeny little bulbs in a flower shop.

Turns out, they were saku-saku, or peonies. I had loved peonies ever since I was 15 and discovered Kate Spade and J.Crew; the Kate Spade store down in SoHo always had peonies in small bulb vases or large round bowls, and I loved the way it looks. In fact, I am definitely going to register for both shapes of the posy vases and the Round Dot, Library Stripe and Larabee Dot rose bowls in various sizes. I am obsessed with Kate Spade. I love the fact that it's classy yet with just a dash of whimsy to keep it fun.

But I will stop before I get to crazy. So peonies. For 2, they were 350yen (about $3) and there were ones that were in full bloom and they were huge. However, I picked up two sets - dark and light pink - and whose bulbs were still tightly shut. So long as I don't kill them before they bloom, they should look glorious. I very much want peonies for my wedding, but that is highly doubtful as it will be in September.

So I got flowers. I need a vase. I stopped at this little shop still in the neighborhood of my koto teacher and found a cute jar with a lid. I also got a towel, since I forgot mine back in Shirahama (yes, I know I still haven't regaled that tale yet, will do by the end of this weekend). Then I sped off and headed for Shijo. There was this shop that I was always curious about, called Yojiya and there was a big shop right in Gion, across from the Ichiriki Teahouse (yes, the same one that is Sayuri's main teahouse in "Memoirs of a Geisha"). I have always seen women carrying shopping bags with the ubiquitous face logo on it and never really got it till I finally walked in.

Yojiya - as I discovered through the internet and its website - is famous for selling face blotting paper. You know the kind that Neutrogena, Biore etc. sell at the drugstore, claiming that it will take the oil off your face. Well I have the Clean and Clear ones and unless I literally scrub my face, I can't get the oil off. I tried a sample piece and Yojiya and voila! There was oil on the paper and not on my face. I was sold. I got a 3-pack with 20 tissues in each, so if I use one a day that is a two month supply. Not bad for 1020yen. With Spring here (and evil summer looming in the distance) this is a good idea. I also got lipstick blotting paper, since I have become a red lipstick sort of person these days. I also got a case for the face blotting paper.

After Yojiya - with my arms now filled with the peonies, and shopping bags, together with my bike and it's basket I felt like one of those girls in French movies, all that was missing was the baguette! - I headed to the 100yen shop. I figured since I was down here, I might as well get what I needed (I was originally planning to go on Sunday). Got cereal, a new storage drawer for my school supplies and straws, since I have now started to make the Greek frappes (yes, I found a shaker, and the regular instant coffee is just as good, but the do sell Nescafe here so I will get that next time). It is hard to drink a Greek frappe without a straw, since it has all the foam on top.

The 100yen shop that I always go to on Shijo is called Seria. Before I came to Japan, I did crazy internet searching to find out what was what and where. I found the location of Seria through their website and since it has good cereal (and all 100yen shops pretty much look the same) I always go there. On top of Seria is a shop called Right-On that sells clothing for men and women. I sort of liken the women's section to a mild version of American Eagle and the men's sort of like Diesel, though they do sell various brands. They even sell 7 for all Mankind Jeans - however, their largest size is a 29/30 and I am a 31 (and sadly gained a bit of weight back since I just got over a mild binge-fest as of late due to some mild issues. But I got over it, have my motivation back - see my other blog for my research plan and meeting with advisor).

Buying clothes here sort of sucks. The department stores only have like two articles of the same item on the floor and you have to ask the salesperson for more. Plus, I am too big for this damn country. I am a size 10-ish in J.Crew/BR/Gap/Everywhere Else and a 9/9.5 shoe (depends on the design of the shoe). NOTHING BLOODY FITS. Except for Uniqlo which is a good godsend. I just got two tshirts there today and it was Pima Cotton for 1000yen a pop.

Point being, I really can't buy clothes here. There is a J.Crew in Osaka but the prices are probably even more through the roof. Zara is ok, but the lower end stuff I am not that big a fan of, because I care (a bit) about the quality of the clothing especially when I fork out god knows how much money. The Kyoto branch of the Gap by Kyoto Station just closed.

But I have been to Right-On once before; after cursing at the Japanese Import Gods for not bringing in 7's larger than a 29, I figured why not give the tops a shot. The first time I was there, I found some that fit but decided to come back later. Some of the girls dress in these tunic things that just cover their whole bodies and make them look like shapeless tents. It's a conservative thing in Kyoto; that and the desire for pale skin so they cover their arms down to the wrist even in summer and carry parasols. I do like the parasols, since I am pale myself and want to protect myself from skin cancer and hate the greasy feeling of the "Sunscreen Milk" that they have here. I am seriously considering getting myself a frilly parasol, so long as it can double as an umbrella - I don't think anyone in NYC would use a parasol, though it is a portable sunscreen to give you shade I think. As for the tunic-tent tops, I figured if they are that big to engulf the girls, I would just fit into them so it would look nice on me.

No tent-tunics, but what caught my eye at Right-On was the sale reack right outside the store and the sign "1000yen." 10 bucks for a shirt? Might as well give it a try.

At the end, I walked out of the store with two long sleeved (and long) shirts that are V-neck (gray and black; the black one has this tuxedo-satin panel on the back across the shoulders), a black-and-white gingham button down shirt with ruffles, and those cropped, 60s-ish elbow-sleeve length jackets in black. Now, the jacket is a wee bit snug if I close it, but I only close the top button for the intended retro look. It is a great jacket, since all I have to do is pop over to Uniqlo for basic t-shirts to wear underneath. I got it for 3000yen - it was originally 7000. The black and gray shirts were 1000yen each and the gingham shirt was 2500yen from 4000. Said gingham shirt was the shirt I tried on my first time at Right-On but I decided to come back the following week; good thing I didn't! I ended up saving 1500yen.

My pearl necklace - don't worry it was fake - broke while I was in the dressing room. I got it back when I was in London; it was a double strand, but one strand broke so then it became a single strand. I quickly rectifed the pearl-less situation; I went to an accessories store right across from Right-On and got a new - fake - necklace for 630yen.

I have not done shopping like this in a LONG while. I think it is a bit psychological to some extent; now I feel quite happy. When I was in London I did not get any article of clothing for a year because I had no money and things were expensive and I didn't like London fashion that much (TopShop? Blech - though I got a cool coat from there but that was it). So when I got back from New York I felt like I had to "make up for it" which sort of sounds stupid. But now I am happy, and very satisfied - I barely have any summer clothes besides, because I am a winter/fall sort of person. I reorganized my clothes closet/cabinet (its over my bed so it's a cabinet thing) and discovered that I have more sweaters than actual t-shirts that are not undershirts for sweaters. And it's hot here already. Furthermore, this little unexpected excursion has contributed partly in my quest to spice up my wardrobe a bit with a bit of Japanese pizazz and won't have to wait till I come home.

On my way back to my apartment I noticed Japanese men in their early 20s who looked like pretty boys (way to skinny, way to tanned, overly distressed jeans, tight shirts, big puffy vests, dress shoes and bleached, spiky hair) accosting pretty women - probably for hostess jobs - at the main intersection of Shijo and Kawaramachi. They were just standing on the corner, and if a girl caught their eye they would go up to them. One woman just kept walking and the man still walked with her - keeping the fast pace - trying to talk to her. As I was riding my bike, two old geezers tried to talk to me and stop me but I had my iPod on and sped by. When the first one tried to talk to me, I stopped to get my sweater out of my bag - it was a sunny day but a cold wind - but when I saw him approaching me and opening his mouth, I stopped opening my bag and sped off on my bike. The second guy was as I was unlocking my bike after getting milk at the 100yen supermarket.

So, the pretty Japanese girls get accosted by young (sometimes cute/handsome but idiotic and asshole-ish nonetheless) Japanese men. I get the old geezers.