A few of my favourite things...

I've only been here for just over a week and already my shopping addiction is getting the better of me!

Made it to Sannomiya today in far better shape than my trip a few days ago to Himeji. Thankfully Taku took me and the punctured bike down to the bike hospital last night where I also scored a nice little basket, so I didn't have any drama peddling to the station today.

I did however, puncture my wallet after only a few minutes inside GAP. Have been hunting a blazer with silver buttons and striped cuffs for a while now and bloody GAP has to have the only bloody blazer that I absolutely love. Unfortunately it wasn't ridiculously slashed in price like most other Autumn items instore so I walked out of there with a gap in my wallet as well. Ah well, it is a fiercely fashionable crowd in Sannomiya so I am pretty chuffed with my purchase.

When I shop in Japan I get a feeling not unlike, I'm guessing, heroin addicts get when they watch the needle bubbling before their veins. Give me give me give me- or perhaps more like a pig in a trough. I dunno, anway I spied so many things today that I had to put myself on a train ASAP so I wouldn't try to justify throwing down too many ichimans and be left without a train fare.

I've come up with a list of some of my favourite things to buy in Japan:

(in no particular order)

UniQlo tights

UniQlo slimfit jeans

Hello Kitty paraphernalia

Astro Boy paraphernalia

(A new one) Care Bear paraphernalia

Shiseido oil blotting film

じゃがりこ　（チーズ）

Angel Heart Perfume

GRANIPH T-SHIRT DESIGN t-shirts

無印 pens from FAMILY MART

7ELEVEN ツナマヨ　おにぎり

UniQlo undies/camisoles

GAP blazers:)

+ much much more.

Stay tuned...

いなか！！

Well I certainly had it drilled into me yesterday that we aren't in Tokyo anymore Toto. Had the most epic trip to Himeji which left me a stinking shell of my former self!

Wanted to arrive at Himeji around 12pm so could swan about FORUS and sit back at Starbucks before work but my idle fantasies were quashed by bus timetables and punctured bicycle tires. Set off from home about 11:15 to catch the bus because the weather outside was frightful and the bus stop is only a 5 minute walk from the house. Felt quite satisfied I'd found the stop without incident until I scanned the timetable and saw the next bus wasn't untill 12:38! No drama, tottled back to the house to pick up the bike and made way for the station (a 20 minute ride), only to be on the bike for a mere 2 minutes before the back tyre burped itself a bloody hole and started hissing air. Consequently I had to peddle extra hard to make it to the station by which time my lovely straightened hair had gone afro on me and I was dripping sweat from my chin like a leaking tap! Tried to compose myself and popped into Family Mart where I mopped myself up with some powder sheets and avoided looking in any mirrors for fear that the afro would send me into hiding. After feeling slighty cleaned up headed on up to the station (by this time it was 12pm) and bought my ticket only to see that the next bloody train wasn't until 12:30pm! By that stage it was mother f****rs all round. Made it to Himeji by 12:45pm and although I couldn't sit back and hog a Starbucks couch for a good hour, I did get a cappucinno in before work.

I certainly haven't lost my cool yet but have definitely re-adjusted my thinking about how gorgeous the area is and oh what a nice change it is from when I lived in dirty, stinky Tokyo. I was spoilt in Tokes where the trains run virtually every couple of minutes. The upside though, is that Taku is going to let me wizz around in the Wagon R tonight for some practice. And when I get my confidence up will hopefully be able to either drive to Himeji or the factory by my big self!

Stay tuned...

p.s managed to hold off on the cute monochrome compact shopping bag at 100yen heaven the other day but did sneak away with a liberty print laquer box which I have no idea what I'll do with!

ただいま！

Well I'm finally here- after two weeks tying up things in Australia- living in Japan officially. Picked up my foreigners card on Monday, set up a bank account with Taku and Taku's mum and have moved into Eri's (sister's) room. All that's left to complete the masterpiece is get a phone...and health insurance!

So Tuesday was Takuya's festival. After two months in the making it was fantastic to finally see him in all his glory. Despite the fact I didn't want to make this a photo blog it's totally necessary to post these shots of Taku in his traditional garb:



That's Taku underneath the cloth manipulating the lions head.

Matsuri Takuya in his traditional dress. I love those shoes!!

I'd post more photos but I've just spent about 15 minutes trying to align these ones up! Ha, need to find out how this works. Perhaps it is better to upload images before I start writing? Anywho, went to Osaka on Wednesday for a job interview. Was 1o minutes late because I still haven't managed to get used to the constantly- changing- trains -at- every- second- station- just- to- get- somewhere nature of Kansai. Send me to Tokyo and I'm a gun on the trains but here I'm a real duffer. In short did the whole interview, demo lesson and psych test and left feeling happy but not really sure about things.

Managed to get myself to Shinsaibashi where I ever so coolly kicked back with a coffee frappacino and the 35th Anniversary book of HELLO KITTY (complete with tote) and watched the crowd on Dotonbori. On the walk back to the station put The Gossips's Heavy Cross on repeat and snaked through the crowds with a far more upbeat approach than if I was ipod-less. Felt good. Very good song to play if alone and faced with large Japanese crowds in narrow spaces.

But it was when I got home that things really got better. Mie called to let me know her plum job in Shinjuku's Park Hyatt building was paying off with massive discounts on Shu Uemura stuff (amongst other drool brands) and wanted to know what I'd like. Requested some oil cleanser at a fraction of the price and sat down to check emails. Have recently unsubcribed to a million mail lists and wasn't expecting anthying in the inbox. But 1 little message was waiting for me from the Osaka mob. And it wasn't a rejection letter! Have finally scored a job in the school system!! Hooray for moi! Starts next April. Very excited about the whole thing. Can't wait to be cutting and pasting stuff and eating school bento! But must be patient with my part-time job which starts this Sunday in Himeji. がんばります！

So today, am relaxing in the castle with the window open and gorgeous breeze coming in. Taku and I celebrated my new job with dinner at Gyu Kaku last night. It was good and kind of funny because if I had gone there 4 years ago with Miranda we'd have gushed about the smiles on all the staff's faces. Last night, however, I asked Taku what he thought about their super genkiness and he said "Fake". I had to agree with him. They do pride themselves on top-shelf service though- so much so that one of the staff popped off to the local conbini to get Taku some Mild 7's. Now that's service.

Put on Love Actually this morning and had a chat with mum on skype. Might ride down to 100yen heaven later and find something I didn't know I needed. Yesterday it was a mini bamboo tree!

Stay tuned...

My dum dum

Haven't really figured out how this blog is going to go but I'm not going to put too many photos up because I would like it exclusively to be about writing and not snapping. I think this photo, however, warrants posting because it is the most important reason I am relocating to Japan.

Here goes

Well here it begins. My first blog. I am shamelessly ripping off the idea from the movie Julie/Julia. I'd like to think though, that like Julie finding inspiration from Julia Child so shall I carry on the tradition of honoring women who inspire other women. This, however, is not intended to be a blog about cooking, but who knows.

I'm 28 and moving to Japan permanently in 5 days. My boyfriend, Takuya, who is 24, lives in a small town near Himeji in the western part of Japan known as Kansai. This is where I too will live and work.

Stay tuned...