Friday, September 28, 2012

wishlist: booties

I only have one pair of booties that I left in the States, so I'm itching to buy a pair for autumn.

On the wishlist:


1. Belle by Sigerson Morrison 'Markell' Bootie $324
2. The Old Town Boot by Madewell $228
3. Michael Michael Kors Women's Adena Bootie on sale! $132
4. Rag & Bone Classic Newbury Booties $495

Can't afford any of them, but a girl can dream right?

Monday, September 24, 2012

shozo cafe


Nothing like scones and cookies to brighten up your day.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

in the heart of japan

That is, Kyoto. Once the capital of Japan, Kyoto has retained its status as a place where old, traditional Japan lives on. Geisha, temples, shrines, hot springs, ryokan (old Japanese style inns), matcha (green) tea abound.

I live quite far from Kyoto, but I love visiting. For me, it's like entering a new world.

 


This is a river in Arashiyama, the east district of Kyoto.


We had lunch next to the river that day! I had yudofu, which is boiled tofu in a light broth. So light and delicious!


Of course, we had to get dessert. Kyoto is famous for its matcha desserts--this was a matcha cake with fresh cream on top. Drooling just thinking about it.


This was a temple also in Arashiyama. It was huge! The gardens were beautiful.


Lastly, we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is in west/central Kyoto. It's famous for its red gates--they seriously go on forever! It takes about three hours to walk through them all.


We stopped by a cute cafe near the shrine. This is warabi mochi, a clear mochi with a chewy texture topped with soybean powder. Yum!

I want to go back!

Monday, September 17, 2012

of alpacas and cafes

Behold, the alpaca who spit on me today:












I went to an animal park today and it was really insane. Animals galore for you to touch, ride on, watch, play with...it went on and on and on. I even rode in a fox(?) bus.


After all that madness, my friends and I went to this cute cafe near the animal park. Japan is big on cafe culture; you can find them littered throughout even the most remote areas. They love "Western" decor, all kinds of flavored coffee and cakes, and random jazz music.






 They tend to get a little pricey, but most cafes will offer a cake/dessert set, which is what we did--it was ¥900 (roughly $12) for a dessert and a drink. I got a hot grapefruit green tea (that was really fragrant) and apple pie a la mode.

I really love pies and aside from apple pie, Japan is sorely lacking. As autumn is approaching, I'm thinking more and more about pumpkin pie, pecan pie, banana creme pie... I have to stop, because I'm getting hungry now.

Friday, September 14, 2012

i think i'm late to the party

But I really want a pair of animal flats. Mouse flats, cat loafers...I love them all!


Aren't they adorable? These are really expensive, but I've seen some DIYs floating around.

I was at Shimamura (this Japanese bargain clothing store) today and I saw the most adorable pig flats. They were less than  ¥2000, which is less than $20! Unfortunately they weren't in my size. I wish I had taken a picture so you could see how cute they were. They looked just like the Marc Jacobs ones, but imagine a pig instead.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

this is where i live


I live in a small studio complex next to a rice and soba wheat field (those are soba [buckwheat] flowers). On the other side is a house where an old couple live. They have a marvelous vegetable garden that I stare at in envy every morning.


It's not much, but I feel so lucky to be here. It's been a little over a year since I've moved here, and the wonderment has yet to wear off. Maybe it's knowing that I am only staying until the end of next July. I want to absorb not just this place but Japan as much as I can.

First posts are the hardest. You want it to be poignant, meaningful, without being cliche. It's near impossible, so I'm not going to try. I'm not sure what form this space will take, but for now, it's where I can write about being happy (or not happy).