19.10.2012 - almost a week of illness and nothing.

Tuesday:
- I got a package from my uncle in which he sent me lovely things, including Neem toothpaste which is the fancy Indian toothpaste I feel very strongly about using. And I ran out in the morning, about 4 hours before his package arrived. How fortuitous!
Also some photos of his adorable children, who are, well, adorable.
I miss them and him and emma and everyone.

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I've been sick again for the past few days, luckily not nearly as badly as before, but I've been all stuffed up and a bit sort of woozy and have had a headache/pressure in my sinuses etc for a few days.

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Wednesday -

My alarm didn't go off in the morning because the batteries died in the night, which means I didn't get to go to aikido which makes me sad. Luckily it failed to go off on a day when all I had was aikido, and not work.
I've since gotten new batteries and a second clock just in case.

the hell?

- I walked to pick up the package that my father sent me when I had tonsillitis. For some reason it never got delivered but according to the tracking number it was at the main Kita Shinjuku Office.
So I went there and picked it up, took me about an hour since the map they gave me sucks, like 98% of all maps here ever. I'm sorry Japan, but you need to get your map act together.
And then I decided to grab a taxi back and the guy misheard me or something and went way off in the wrong direction and it wasn't until I realised we'd passed my street that I corrected him but then it was complicated to get back and yada yada yada. I have the worst luck with taxis! He was nice and didn't charge me for the mistake though, what a peach.

Da's the best father ever, it made me feel so much better just seeing the package!
I got English breakfast tea, vegan chocolate chips (I am going to find a way to make cookies without an oven. Maybe using a broiler?) , various herbals medicines, a lovely letter, a thermometer with a koala on it, and a small plastic goat! last one may seem odd, but it may or may not have made me cry.
happy tears, happy tears.

- I went to work (fine, thank you) and then to the Vegan Meetup.
Pretty good! I talked to a few people, didn't make any bffs, but you can't win them all right?
Food was amazing as usual, they had vegan chocolate chip carrot cake for dessert that was stupendous. So.

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Thursday

- woke up and went to Osawa Senei's class, which was great. Practiced with this middd ages french guy, who I think I've practiced with before. He's ok, kind of pushes you down a fair bit, which isn't my style but whatever. Good class.

 - Skyped with Magnus briefly, and now I'm off to shower & eat some breakfast.

-  I also (finally!) bought No Doubt's new album, which is amazing.
Since they've been one of my two favourite bands since I was about 6, I was a bit nervous that I'd hate everything but I am so pleased! It's really good, some stuff is a real throwback, a la Tragic Kingdom. Brilliant!

this is my favourite song off the album, so Rock Steady!

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Friday

- went to aikido
- went to my japanese lesson, I felt really good about it today. I like days like that.
- came home and made pumpkin and pasta for dinner, whaddup cooking early?
- went to work
- sautéed mashed pumpkin with my pasta and it was awesome.

seriously my two of my favourite foods together.

7.10.2012 - exploring Shibuya on my day off.

Slept in until 9, which is as late as I can sleep in now apparently.
Shame.

Showered, it was one of those awesome showers where you just feel so epically clean afterwards.

Ate an apple & a toasted pumpkin bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, surprisingly good flavour combination there.

Decided to go explore Shibuya for the afternoon.

On the way to the Farmer's Market I stopped and watched this dance group for a while, they were pretty outstanding! The photos really don't do them justice at all, you need video for this sort of thing I do believe.

Walked around the market, got a vegan whole wheat cranberry and candied ginger muffin which was one of the best things I've ever eaten.

it may not look like much, but good gracious everyone in the world but me was missing out.

And Loving Hut had a truck there today! It's a vegan restaurant (which is apparently international, though I'd never heard of be before moving here.) in Shinjuku, though not especially close to me.
Anyway, got the 'Tomato Sauce Burger' from them which was so good! I really want to go to their actual location and try other things. It was cheap-ish, too.

there was a mushroom based burger somewhere beneath all that sauce.

Then I walked around, when into heaps of stores and tried things on.

pearl cat ear headband? may have almost bought this too.

It was one of those days where I was ready to really spend some money and buy myself cool japanese clothes but nothing really truly caught my fancy except a floor length gold lamé dress. Which I can almost guarantee I will go buy within the next week.
I can't stop thinking about it!

Also almost bought some shoes, ridiculous pink high heels. Might get them too, still.
I feel like I can't truly say I live in Tokyo until I spend a day in heels higher than 4 inches.

Then I went and sat at the Starbucks that looks over Shibuya Crossing, the busiest cross walk in the world, for a while.
I was kind of at the very edge of it though, these photos do not do it justice.
I need to go back and get a photo from the place where you can really get a sense of how massive the square is and how many people there are.

the cross walk goes on for a fair bit, on the left side of thus photo.

dusk is perfect for shots like this,
and they're even better from a higher vantage point.

Came back here, I'm going to make myself some dinner and then go to bed nice and early since I have to get up at about 5 so I have plenty of time to get to Hombu to watch the dan tests and see what they're like.

all in all it's be a spiffing day off, totally relaxing. I didn't even check the time from the moment I left my house until I came home, just wandered.
It was really what I needed.

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have a good day and a pleasant tomorrow, all!

06.10.2012 - seeing Mishka!

Friday

Went to Japanese class, exhausting as always.
It's the most goddamn complicated language, it kills me.

Went to work, snapped these while waiting for my train at Shibuya Station.

Rushed right from work to go see my cousin Mishka play a concert in Yokohama.
Bit of a stressful commute to me, I was horribly rushed. And only like, 60% knew where I was going.
But it was absolutely delightful to see him!
The venue was cool, I got there early enough to get to chat with him/the tour manager (I think?) and a few other people on the roof before he played.

roof, whaaaat.

set list.

Mid way through the show I got chips with the best salsa I have ever eaten in my entire life, I am considering going all the way back to the place to see if they'll give me the recipe.

It was lovely to see Mish, everyone was really nice, all in all it was a great way to spend a Friday night.

I didn't get home until about quarter to 1 though, since where he was playing is about an hour and a half away from where I live.
I had to ride the Yamanote Line right before it stopped though, which was horrible.
So many people, I can't even begin to describe the evil.

We were meant to see each other again today, so I didn't actually get a photo of the two of us, but here are a bunch from the night.

the venue, way out in Yokohama.

just hanging out behind the bar, because I could.

yeah drinks

messing about with my camera got me these, I'm quiet pleased.

ricky and someone who's name I've forgotten doing a few Bob Marley covers with Mishka.

I have a video of him singing 'Give You All The Love" which is currently being uploaded to Youtube, I'll link to it in my next blog post.

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Saturday

Only got a few hours sleep, was commuting/working from 7.30 until 1.30, then Mishka and I realised we weren't going to be able to meet up, I went to the Farmer's Market and got some vegan bagels & a really delicious curry with naan.
Walked around a bit, went to Ragtag which is a high end second hand store.
Heaps of Vivienne Westwood & Comme des Garçons for crazy cheap, I didn't find anything perfect today, but I will definitely be checking regularly!

Came back, napped for a bit, went to the dojo only to realise I'd gotten the time wrong (I got there for 6) and there was class from 5.30 to 6.30 and then from 7-8, so I just couldn't deal with waiting for an hour doing nothing so I just left.
It seems like such daft mistake, but I never go to the earlier class, I'm a 1 class in the evening kind of girl, mostly!
Yuck.

Stopped at two different grocery stores on the way back, made myself a really nice pasta dinner, and now I'm watching a Saturday Night Live, eating oreos (vegan comfort cookies, fo rizzle), and  waiting for mum to be ready to Skype me.


I got a letter from Magnus today, one of the things he sent me was this awesome handdrawn/made sticker for my hombu card. Because at the end of class they lay them all out, it's advised to put stickers or tape or a charm on yours so you can pick it out of sometimes as many as 80+ cards.
I'd been holding out for this, it's even got cats on it!

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Skyped with my family, all such lovely people.
Magnus was making waffles with cinnamon and whipped cream, which made me sad.
I want that! But with coconut whipped cream.

I even got to speak to Jason briefly, I miss my dojo & it's members. Such lovely people.

I have tomorrow off and I'm planning on doing absolutely nothing, in the best way! Just relax and enjoy some quiet time.

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Have a good day and a pleasant tomorrow, all!