Day 107 - A Very Meguro Christmas

So I spent Christmas day working at the pub and it was nice to be somewhere festive. It was so strange catching the train in the morning and then popping into Starbucks for a coffee on a day where the streets are normally dead back home.  I opened my presents in the morning via skype with the family and after a little teary I headed off to work.  Quite a good day, it was booked out for both sessions.  But their was not enough xmas plates for staff so we ate curry from next door, but it was tasty! I finished up at about midnight and sat around debriefing, eating cheese and drinking beer, so it was good day all round.  

Had to teach on Sunday and then on Sunday night we had our xmas party at a tiny gyoza house in the middle of a market in Sangen-Jaya.  It is run by the ex manager of Meguro Tavern Kuni, and he makes the most delicious Gyoza in town.  I want to go back for his delicious chocolate gyoza. Mmmm, oishi!.  So after drinking in the middle of a closed market until 3am (maybe 4am), Edith, Kei and I head back to Meguro and ended up at Johnathons family restaurant for one final beer.  I got home a bit before 7am and then had to teach at 5 lessons at gaba and then at 5pm at the pub.  By the time I finished at the pub, I had the biggest bags under my eyes but it was all worth it, great couple of days celebrating Christmas with meguro family! 

Now my schedule is free for a whole entire week and I am getting out of Tokyo for the first time ever (unless Yokohama counts) I am off to meet Bridge, Jules and the Ongs in Kyoto for NYE, I am so super excited! xoxo

Day 101 - Bonenkai + All you can eat and drink = Fun

So it was our Gaba Akabane end of year party (bonenkai)  last night and we went to an izekaiya (japanese style bar) for nomihaido  (all you can eat) for 3000yen.  Including drinks.  Great night, way too much food.  Don't think I will eat today.  At all.

We went to a place called Amanato and it's near the west exit of Ikebukuro.  The food was not amazing but it was plentiful and we even 'longu pizza'.

http://www.hotpepper.jp/A_11100/smd0_svcSA11_macY050_grcG001_grf1.html

Feeling pretty indulgent today but I suppose it is the Christmas season!  

xoxo

Day 97 - Katajikennai

 

 

 

So I thought I had best report on the events of my birthday.  My first day off since I started working in Nippon back on September 22nd.  So I began the day at the doctor, never much fun, but it was straight across the road from Tokyo Tower so that was a bonus.  They were nice doctors at www.tmsc.jp/index.html  so I would recommend them if you need to go.  But it did cost me an arm and a leg.  I will claim it on travel insurance later. 

Anyways so after that i decided to treat myself and hit an onsen recommended by Marieluise.  It was amazing www.niwanoyu.jp.  I could have easily spent all day there and felt so relaxed after 3 hours.  I felt quite anxious being the only foreigner there and then the whole being naked thing.  But at this onsen it is separate male and female so its not a big deal at all.  They have a large hydrotherapy bath in the centre where you can wear your togs and it only cost 2250Yen to get get in.  This includes being able to sit upstairs and look out over the garden, have a sleep in the massive lazeboys in the nap room and read magazines.  They also have a restaurant, cafe and massage facilities which I will definately get next time.  And , its only a 12 minute ride from my house, sooo excited.

After that I went home for a nap and had arranged to meet Eloise for a drink in Shimokitazawa.  I love that area.  We went to two super cute tiny bars, kind of reminded me of Melbourne!  So after I headed to the meguro tavern to meet all work friends and we were going to a little bar across the road for drinks once they all finished.  I was such an amazing night.  They totally spoiled me.  At the bar we ate delicious snacks and drank beer and they had organised  cake with my name on it and bubbly wine.  They got me the most thoughtful gifts and I felt a bit teary that having only known these people for 3 months and they made such an effort to make my birthday special.  We sat and chatted and drank all night.  Literally all night.  I went to the bathroom and all of a sudden the sun was up and it was 7am! I had to start teaching 12 classes at 10am.  So I jumped  on the Yamanote line home, had a quick shower and then headed out to Akabane.  I was surprisingly feeling OK.  Primed myself with a coffee and a BLT and was ready to go.  It was actually OK.  Though my collegue did say that he could not see my eyes.  By 8:30pm on Saturday I was a mess.  I managed to make it through all my classes without yawning or spewing...Maybe this is bad positive reinforcement, because I will probably do it again!  We have already planned to go out on Christmas night after working at the pub!

So I just wanted to thank Edith, Mitchiko, Kei and Takeshi from the bottom of my heart for making my birthday so super special and one that I won't forget, katajikennai.
xoxo

Day 92 - Searching for a new diary....

So its been a while since I wrote about any daily life stuff and today I posted home Chrissie presents so the next thing consuming me is  the search for the perfect 2011 diary.  It has begun and being in Tokyo I am spoilt for choice.   Maybe too much choice.  I can't make a decision. 

I went shopping with Sophia the other day and we went to Loft in Shibuya.  There was four aisles of diaries, in different formats,  colors, sizes, shapes and fabrics.  We spent almost an hour looking at them.  I found one (nice format, weekly with notes) but it was a ittle too big.

It's such an important thing, probably the one thing that I will buy that I have to look at everyday of the year.  In the past I have always gone for moleskins, and I should just do the same this year.  They have got it right, a little tie to hold it together, simple colors, hardcover, little ribbon thing, weekly with notes.  But this year I want to be different, I don't know why, maybe its because I am inTokyo and I have choice. I was talking to a guy last night about this dilemma and he goes for moleskins (one red diary, one black notebook)  because they are good and reliable, why try something different?  But you know me and I have to at least search to see if there is something else out there...

So, then I went to Parco and I think I have almost decided on one, well at least I am down to two. It seems quite trendy this year for 'german, 1950's bookish style diaries' and given that I will be teaching next year, something like that seems fitting.  But I am afraid on me it will just look dorky and not some kind of hipster cool.

Anyways, I will let you know when I make a decision, I have two weeks.

Oh, and the guy I was talking about, he likes moleskins, scando design, and speaks English, French and Japanese, and he is super funny (in that dry English way).  He also has a 'back-up present drawer'.

I have asked him out.  I will keep you updated on that one too.

xoxo

Day 90 - Ninety Days in Nippon

For only 1,260en, you too can have the 'Diet Finger Cream'.  Fot that special day when he puts the ring on your finger....

I have fat fingers and was hoping that the tester diet finger cream would work...I am still waiting to see results.  Happy Anniversary for 90 days in Nippon. xoxo

Day 88 - Omiya, Omino

This is Omiya (pronounced O-me-ya).  They have these 'walkways' from the station to massive shopping centres and underneath is the bus terminal.  Who designed this stuff?
It reminds me of a transformer.  All the steps and extra walkways should fold up and be tucked away neatly.  They don't.

Day 81 - What a Way to Wake Up

Last night I went to the Marc Jocobs after party at Le Baron de Paris.  Cute Bar.  Very dark.  Free Drinks. 
This was the view I woke up to today.  Nice.  Shame I had a massive hangover to go with it.

Day 79 - Finally, A Bit of Beauty

photo courtesy of:  http://harajuku.saiten-report.com/

Well most of you know that I have a pretty bad track record with hairdressers.  Hair being lit on fire, being blond for all of 20 minutes (thanks god their is no photographic evidence) and then returning form Amsterdam with a pretty decent mullet that I have been trying to grow out.

So with my first pay packet, I decided to splurge and get my hair done.  I was tempted by the 1000Yen hair salons around town, but given my track record and my total non-ability to speak the language beyond yummy and good, I think it was a better idea to splurge and I am so glad I did.

I finally feel like i have found a hairdresser I love and its a shame I am not staying so long.  He was amazing - His name is Keizo and he is from Sozo in Harajuku.  First I arrived and had a chat and then one of the girls put a treatment on my hair using a machine.  It was more like a steam iron that you see in clothing stores.  It was a small machine with a hose and brush on the end, she ran it through my hair and then got me set up for the color.  Glad wrap on my neck, towel, bigger towel , cape/coat, blanket for my knees and then, wait for it...shower caps for my ears.  So super Japanese cute!

Then color, and I enjoyed reading some trashy magazines in english and then hit the tub for a wash and head massage. Amazing. I almost feel asleep in the chair.  Then back to the chair and I got a neck and shoulder massage and I am a mess at the moment so it was a real treat.

Anyways, it makes me want to go back every week just for a wash and blow dry.

Nothing drastic with the style, just a trim and a bit darker. the color is good and the selling point for going to this salon is the fact they use Western style color.  Japanese haid dyes can be very rough on your hair because its a different texture, so this was winner.

Really if you need a trim, cut, color or just want a blow wave then go to keizo at sozo.  Thanks to Sophia (fashimi.com) and Eloise (catkinandteasel.com) for letting me know about this place. 

It's changed me.

http://www.sozo-hairmake.com/index.html