01.10.2012

1) Just letting everyone know I'm totally fine. The typhoon was honestly a non event, where I am there wasn't even really any debris in the street this morning. It was just rainy and windy.

2) happy October! It's obviously the very end of the first day of October for me, but for most of y'all it's just the beginning.

I spend most of my morning at Japanese class. Monday teacher is verrrry different from Friday teacher.
She's much more... teacher-y? she gave me homework! Which I have 2 weeks to do since there's no class next Monday. But yeah, was much more technical with pronunciation as well.

Then I spent some time sewing one of my Lunenburg Aikikai patches onto my gi. I need to do the other one too, but it was already packed for work and I didn't feel like rummaging through my bag for it.

please excuse what appears to be a disaster on my floor.
it's actually just my suitcases, a box, and yesterday's clothes.
which is, admittedly, untidy.

Went to work for a few hours, my group was pretty swell.

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Few exciting-ish things for the next little while.

On Thursday I'm going to Vegan Healing Cafe for dinner with my friend Maria.
Neither of us have ever been there, but apparently it's amazing vegan food with the really nice relaxed atmosphere. Which is what I like after work!

Plus this is on the front of their website, and even though it's obvious (since it's a vegan cafe) I still like it all spelled out for me!

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And I'm off next Sunday so I'm planning on going to the Shibuya Farmer's Market again for lunch, and then I'm not sure what I'll be doing. I actually have the following Wednesday and Thursday off too, so heaps of free time in the next couple of weeks.
I might look into places to go outside Tokyo on one of those days, like Kamakura. But not there.
Just a nice day trip to get me out of the city, I've been feeling very over crowds/the business of the city in the past week or so.
I'm still just not used to it, except really I am. I mean I think about how now taking the train as rush hour now is mildly not fun, versus when I got here it seemed like something I'd rather die and have to be involved with. So.

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Have a good day and a pleasant tomorrow, all!

29.09.2012 - I love Farmer's Markets!

On Thursday my highlight was Skyping with Da. We laughed, I cried, we yelled a bit.
It was awesome, not just Skype wise, but life conversation wise.

On Friday I went to Hombu only to realise I'd forgotten my pants and didn't have time to go back and get them before my Japanese Lesson. Boo.
Had Japanese lesson, I'm slowly, slowly, slowly, getting there.

Today I worked from 9 - 1.30 and then went to the Farmer's Market!
I've had some people tell me to stay away from them, because of radiation/where the produce is coming from.
But I guess my feeling is that I am being radiated constantly. Cell phones, planes, subways, cars, everything ever pretty much.
So to be pedantic about food just seems like too much, for me personally.
I obviously don't think it's wrong to be like that, plenty of people here are and they all have valid reasons and that is fine.
But given the length of time I'm here, the amount of other things I do that radiate me more…. I just feel fine going to stuff like that.

Anyway, it was amazing. One of the nicest things I've done since I got here.
I walked around and bought some pears & and smoothie, sat down for a bit.

Refresh Magenta, minus the tomatoes.

Got some vegan bagels and raw dehydrated granola bar thing.
Then a build your own salad for lunch (mine had lettuce, olives, onions, steamed pumpkin and potato, and a tahini/sesame dressing.), which I enjoyed next to an adorable hippie japanese family.

vegan bagels! well, except the chocolate ones unfortunately.

salads and vegan food and farmer's markets all make me so pleased.

cranberry and macadamia nut vegan bagel!

plus I tried some other fruit, ginger snacks, and smoothie stuff whilst walking about.

the most wonderful pears!

There was tons of van things (like my salad one) selling vegan and vegetarian hot food as well, I just wasn't feeling a massive meal. Even though I ended up eating heaps, it wasn't hot, so it felt like less!

Only had my mobile with me, so sorry for the photo quality. Next week I'll be sure to take my dSLR do document!
It's only a 10 minute or so walk from where I work on Saturdays, so I'll definitely be going most weeks, so exciting. For real.

Now I'm taking some time to relax, since I have nothing to do until I go to Hombu tonight.

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Typhoon Jelawat is hitting Tokyo sometime Sunday night/Monday morning.
So hopefully it turns out to be a non-event, since that's what I like all typhoons/hurricanes to be.

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I took a nap and then went to class. Suguwara Sensei was teaching, really like him too.
Good class, fast enough to get the blood moving but not killer. Great way to end the day!

Looks like Jelawat isn't exactly going to be a non event, but I'll be prepared. As always, yo.
After work tomorrow I'm acting in true Bermudian fashion and going to stock up on things at the grocery store.
Might even get some rum, just so I am really embracing my hurricane and hot toddy filled childhood.

I hope you all have a good day, and a pleasant tomorrow!