23.10.2012 - things I enjoy Tuesday

this Steve Zissou tattoo

this illustration by Gemma Correll

this brother of mine

 this drawing which mixes my two favourite things.

these famous movie scenes in real life

this wallpaper roller

this candy patterned dress by Yumi

these photographs by Laura Makabreska

the recipes on this website.

this song and the fact it's suddenly popular in Japan so I hear it all the time.

this Kanye West/Wes Anderson blog. 

happy tiet, to one and all.

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I'll be posting all about my trip to Nikko when I get back on Friday night. 

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

22.10.2012 - 2 months in japan.

 Hello all!

let's start off today with one, single, gratuitous self portrait since I felt pretty today.

And now, for something completely different...

the larch.

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I've lived in Japan for 2 months! What!

Madness, honestly, it's mental. I can't even believe it somehow.
Things I've learned
- my family is the best family
- japanese is the hardest language
- I need to own more things with cats on them
- japanese food is amazing
- living on your own is hard as shit
- it's also scary as shit
- I will never live in a house without an oven again as long as I live


yeah, there's more I'm sure but that's what sprung to mind!


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Woke up to go to my Japanese lesson, but when I got there no one was there.
Spoke briefly to a man who spoke no English and although he was clear on the fact that there were no lessons, I have no idea why. It's not a national holiday, no one mentioned anything last week… bit odd.
Also I'm not sure how to go about telling them I can't come on Friday because I won't be here (more on that in a paragraph or so!) which is a shame since I'm meant to inform them. Huh.

I skyped with Magnus for a while, he's the coolest.
Jesus I love my family.

Did some laundry like the grown up I apparently am.

Went to Hiro Station to make sure I could get there, it's where I'm meeting my boss on Wednesday for the demonstration the company's doing.

From there I went to Minato to go to Nissin for some stuff. Successful trip, got everything I needed and even stuck to my list!
I feel so mature when I made a grocery list and then actually pay attention to it.
ha.

I took my camera with me on the aforementioned trip, didn't take anything special until I was literally a block from my house, but here are some photos of some things and... stuff.

shinjuku station

roppongi station

roppongi station

yotsuya station

yotsuya station

anyway, I came back right as the sun was setting over my alley and took a few photos I really like.
I love golden hour/sunset, though I doubt there are many photographers who don't!

Sadly I can't go to the dojo tonight because I washed all my gis this morning because it was sunny and beautiful but apparently while I was out it poured here, briefly, but briefly was enough to soak them through again and they won't be dry until tomorrow midmorning I don't think.
They' certainly won't be dry by 6.20 this evening, which is when I have to leave my house to make the latest class.
Boo.

I'm planning on going to the afternoon class tomorrow, which I haven't been to at all since I got here. I've heard it's often the smallest classes as well, so that'll be nice, if it's true!

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Made vegan cookies using only flour, sugar, applesauce, vegan chocolate chips, an avocado, and a toaster oven. Boom.

Also boiled up a bunch of pumpkin some of which I ate for dinner and some of which I plan on making Black Bean & Pumpkin burgers out of for dinner tomorrow night.





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Now, about not being here.
On Thursday morning I'm going to be taking the train to Nikko, where I will spend the night and then be coming home on Friday evening.
My sort of plan is to spend Thursday in Nikko exploring and looking at the shrines and then on Friday going to the Lake Chūzenji area to hike and see the changing leaves.
People come from all over Japan to see the fall colours there, it's terribly famous.
One of the things I have a really hard time with living in Tokyo is the lack of nature in general. Yes, the parks are lovely here and there are a few where you can really just feel calm but I lived on a farm/in the woods in NS!
I never though I'd think this, let alone write it for all to see, but I miss hiking and being in the forest.
So I'm really really really excited for that!
I'll be taking my camera (of course!) so I will come back with heaps of lovely photos for you.

I hope you all have a good day and a pleasant tomorrow.

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.

14.10.2012 - night walk in kagurazaka + the rest of my weekend

Saturday

was working from 7.45 - 1.30.
I went to the Farmer's Market and managed to make myself eat a salad & bagel.
I think perhaps I've just had a little bug for the past few days, I've felt fine mostly, but a little gross and I lost my appetite, so.

Came back, showered, drank some vitamin C anti-cold stuff, also drank some tea, and watched a movie.

I also bought a tripod last night! Very excited, tried to use it for a few minutes this morning but didn't get anything especially good, didn't really have time to get properly into it.

Tonight I'm going to a Night Photography Meetup, so yet another chance to meet some other foreigners! I very rarely go out on photo walks, I also rarely take photos with other people, so it ought to be an experience regardless.

Right now I'm going to take a nap for an hour or so, I'm so tired lately, I definitely need to go to bed earlier. Or maybe I'm sleeping too much since I'm going to be at like 9.30? Hm.

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Photo walk was was pretty disappointing.
Like 70 people instead of the expected 20 showed up, mostly in pairs or small groups, so everyone just sort of broke up and walked around and no one really talked to me. I mean loads of people introduced themselves/I introduced myself to them but then that was the end of it.
So I walked around for about 45 minutes and then just left because I can walk around alone anywhere.
I am pleased enough with some of these, but yeah, I'd have liked to walk around with someone and get to know them a little.

I don't have to leave for work until 10 tomorrow, so I get a bit of a sleep in which is awesome! I'm excited, little things make me so happy haha.

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Sunday

Sleeping in felt awesome, seriously. So restful, as sleeping in is wont to be.




Took a few self portraits and while I don't think any of them are the best work I've ever done, it feels really good to do something I like well enough. First time using my new tripod too, it's pretty good except it doesn't go up at high as my one in Canada, which is a shame. But for the amount that I paid I am fine with it, ha.

Went to work for a while, pretty good.

After I went and met Meredith! She's a friend of my uncle's and I'm sure I'd met her when I was little, but haven't seen her in at least 10 years. If ever?
Anyway, we went for lunch at Eat More Greens and it was delightfully lovely, she's really nice and it was just awesome to just chat with someone for a few hours.

Only got these photos, one for my camera and one where we're looking at hers.
Such photographers, jeez.

Now I'm listening to ABBA and waiting for my father to skype me.


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have a good day and a pleasant tomorrow, all!