Monday, April 19, 2010

Make You Work Work Make you Work

OMG. I have never worked so many hours in my life. 10-12 hour average since two Fridays ago... What is this corporate life? I am NOT a fan and being a Stepford wife sounds like an AMAZING way to retire after I make it to the top, sit there for about two years and QUIT! Hahaha. Just kidding.... But am I? ;) Thank god I get overtime ... Ka-ching! But like I tell myself always... This is the life I wanted, and I got it. So despite my need to complain, I'm still thankful. I'm learning a ton and it's really a small sacrifice to reap the benefits, I guess. Soon 12 hour days may just be the norm...
In other news, I rewarded myself after a SATURDAY of work (yes I worked on a weekend) and went shopping! - Got this adorable nautical tube top jump suit from La Foret and as always did some damage at my favorite cheap n chic store, Forever21. Ahh.. Natsukashii (nostalgic)... Felt like I was home there for a second digging through all that fun jewelry!
And I love my new friend Rie- She is gorgeous and sooo much fun! My first real nihonjin friend though she speaks pretty great English.
Can't wait to see my Mommy in almost one week!!! Woooo! And can't wait for Golden Week VACAY!!!
No pics tonight but I do have some. Just needed to vent a bit! TG my submission needs to be in by tomorrow - Maybe things will slow down a little... But really, who am I kidding, wishful thinking...
Love blasting MGMT and Santogold on my iTouch after a looooong dayyyyy....

Monday, April 5, 2010

Virtual Golf, Karaoke, Sakura Chuudoku (Addiction) and Platinum Street

On Friday there were some Hawaiians in town... Coincidentally Jeff had a mutual friend Koa who knew Mitzi and Lea... So we all went to go play virtual golf (which I misleadingly thought was mini golf). Umm I could not be more wrong. I used the driver instead of the seven iron every time because it was lighter haha! And I was still horrible! My arms and back were even quite sore from all that swinging! Even though it was a lot of fun the competitive side of me was a bit perturbed that I was so awful... So now I really want to try and take up golf which will make Dad happy!

We told the ladies who worked there that they were all pro-surfers! Well we told about 1/4 of the truth...

Virtual golf group!!!

Next stop... Karaoke!!!

Under my Umbrella-ella-ella...

Guess that whole superstition of opening an umbrella indoors went out the window... Eeek.

Iolani Sandwich!!! Who would've thought ;)

I was impressed with these boys...

Post karaoke-shenanigans.

Lea: "I can't believe he was still standing!"

Saturday - Sakura in Nakameguro - Meguro River!
Picture this: A river lined by rows of cherry blossom trees. Two paths on each side of the river lined with impromptu vendors selling all sorts of goodies- clothing/snacks/drinks... From NY hot dogs, Turkish kebabs, yakitori, fried chicken, yaki-imo (grilled sweet potato), tacos, beer, hot wine, shochu, hot sake, caipirinhas, champagne, mochi, curry and rice, oden, Chinese dimsum, you name it they probably had it! A food and drink lover's paradise. So bring your A-game (appetite game)!

And oh did I have sooo much to eat. Surprise, surprise, right?! :) If I recall correctly... I started off with two sticks of yakitori, a shrimp taco, a chicken kebab, one piece of mochi dipped in shoyu-sugar wrapped in nori, one piece of grilled mochi sprinkled with kinako powder, a cup of spicy Chinese soup, a cup of tonjiru soup (a Japanese soup with konnyaku, vegetables and meat)... WOW. Then afterwards this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home... To pass out... Kanak attack! :)





Congrats boys! After looking for your hot sake for most of the day you finally found it.

Pop them bottles! Look how many they went through!

I wanted one but the line was just wayyy too long...

At dusk the lanterns illuminated...

So pretty.

The blossoms grow on the trunk too!


Sunday I walked around Shirokanedai (Platinum Street). Oh I'm so in love with it! It's the cutest area with lots of bakeries, chocolate shops, cafes and a bunch of cute boutiques! While I shopped around I found a pretty jewelry stand from an Italian-speciality boutique. My sales associate offered for me to sit down, and have a cappuccino on the "house" (or "saabisu=service" is what they say here) while she rang me up! So I sat there as she meticulously wrapped my stand, sipped my cappuccino, nibbled on a cookie and browsed through some magazines... I found this in the Italian Vogue and just loved it:
Also in love with this store called Pinceau Rope there... Oh so much fun! Can't wait to take my mommy when she comes at the end of the month!!!

Signing out now... Let's see if I can keep this blog-thing going in April...

Sakura, Maiko, Daidaikichi, and Little Buddha Heads

Love this picture... May be my best piece of amateur work :)


Omikuji @ Fushimi Inari! DAI DAI KICHI... Who gets that!?!? None of my coworkers even heard of this before and they are native Japanese born and raised in Japan! Lucky lucky. I loooove omikuji...

I love Fushimi Inari and the rows of red gates!!! Reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha! I wanted to race through them!

If you lift the stone and it's light your wish will come true... Needless to say my wish will definitely not be coming true...

The arrangement of the rocks symbolize Buddhist priests and their disciples... The big rocks are priests and the little ones are students... All of the rocks are facing the larger rocks in the back on the grass... Notice the smaller rocks are in the back (cause they're less influential)... So much thought going into this one garden! Amazing and very zen...

Picture window...

College graduation... Girls dressed in their best kimonos...

First Hanami in 2010 as a resident of Japan!




Lunch... Unagi-don and a small glass of beer overlooking Arashimaya town. Life is good!

Just loved this...

Arashimaya River

The Bamboo Groves... I looove Arashimaya...


Wooooo jump!

Walking all day/that jump got me tired especially in my high-heel boots...

Hello Mr. Fat Kewpie... He he he.

Sakura by the river...

GION! (Where the maikos and geishas play) - This is the spot in Memoirs of a Geisha where Sayuri runs into The Chairman... I am slightly enamored with the book/movie as you can see...

Cute little Buddha heads in the ground!

Kawaiiiiiii... So fat and happy!


Weird puppets...

The coils on the tree trunk just blew my mind... Easily amused I guess...

Moss Garden...

MAIKO!!!!


Maiko drinking champagne and playing drinking games! They were sweet enough to teach me as well!


I asked if the Maiko would dance... And probably should have just kept my big ole mouth shut as it was very sloooow... Kind of like a very very slow hula with Japanese guitars...

Best part about temple visits: Matcha and wagashi (Japanese sweets)