Gaining weight

I ought to refrain from potato chips and the fresh choco mint ice cream at my favorite cafe.

Bummer, apparently sending Japanese from my phone doesn't get interpreted properly by Blogger.

Don't read below if at work.
being on vacation rocks.

rainy days

Sometimes I feel really good on rainy days. There's something oddly nostalgic about today. I also got a delightful amount of sleep, so that probably helps my good mood. Plus, I got messages from my friend who's in town, so I at least know that I've been leaving messages at the right hotel. I was worried for a bit.

Now, to research for an hour and then go wait for her call.

moths

my black woolen coat appears to have been sampled by moths. I now understand why my mother smothers her closet with those chemical mothballs. Considering how infrequently she wears most of her clothing, it really makes sense. I shall have to do it to protect my suits and new coat.

I would be more upset about my old black coat, but the style is pretty outdated, and it was too long anyway, plus I just bought a lovely new coat that I adore, so I'm not too upset. Also, I wore the black coat a lot last winter, when it was freezing. Still, it's a bit of a waste. I hope the clothes I put in storage in CA are sufficiently protected by that box of chemical mothballs I put with them. I really like that blue ballgown, although I've only worn it once. Maybe I'll wear it on Halloween sometime.

chewing gum, clothes vs. tv

Is great for getting rid of the aftertaste of garlic and onions.

Bought a new coat and pair of shoes. Arguably didn't need a new coat, but have been wanting one for a while. It's lovely and really soft.

maintaining perspective

And not getting locked into one's own little world is vital to a healthy state of mind.

That's one reason that contact with a variety of people, and having multiple interests, is good.

losing grammar skills

Today I typed "I listening to an argument about who the smartest people ever where."

I meant to write, "I listened to an argument about who the smartest people ever were." Wow, I'm really losing my English skills. Also, I'm very tired this Monday morning.

gifts

So, my friend shamed me with his blithe lifestyle without a washer or a microwave. Come to think of it, my neighbor lives fine without a microwave either.

So, I don't need anything else for my apt. or my wardrobe.

So, my only guilt-free purchases now are presents. However, I seem to have this bad habit of buying stuff that isn't quite appropriate for anyone. I might have someone in mind when I buy a gift, but after thinking it over, it doesn't seem to fit them anymore.

The other problem is that after meeting a nasty staffer at the Shinjuku post office, I am reluctant to send things anymore. This is a problem, as I bought a couple books for Jackie, but now don't have any way to get them to her. Hehe. Actually, most people at the post office are really nice, so I just have to avoid that nasty person. He wasn't really that unpleasant, but I found it disturbing. The Shimokitazawa and Sasazuka post office staff are very helpful though.

REAL calendar

There's a REAL calendar by Inoue Takehiko (creator of Slam Dunk) that I can order from Young Jump. I'm trying to decide whether to only get one or be greedy and get 2. I don't need more than 1, but I think somewhere there must be a fan who would like one also.

tm revolution

Some days, I just feel like chattering.

I think TM Revolution is so-so. He's got some catchy music, and he seems to be quite a performer, but it's all just fluffy entertainment in the end.

Gackt is really cute, but I find his persona strange. I guess it's funny, and it's cretainly unique. As far as I can tell, his persona is supposed to be really really stupid. I thought he was just trying to be blase and cool. I hear differing accounts about whether he's just acting or he really is extremely stupid. I think he's just acting though.

In terms of real musicians, so far I can only think of UA.

Ayumi Hamasaki seems a little too plastic to me. She's a Japanese Barbie doll. You know? Ever striving to be cool and have all the latest fashions. Her music isn't terribly exciting either, although it's not bad.

Amuro Namie seems to be the hip hop flavored Japanese Barbie doll. No message in her music either.

Is it me, or is the black-haired Kinki Kid dressing really nasty these days? His hair and clothes are absolutely horrific? That's the one thing I like about Gackt - he looks sharp in those suits.

Fumiya Fuji is a little weird. I think he's trying a little hard to be hip too. That long hair is a bit jarring. It's like Jackie Chan and his long hair. ぜんぜん似合わないよ。 Doesn't suit them at all.

studio ghibli merchandise

Anyone want any?

Or anything from Japan really. Frankly, I'm itching to spend money on the cool things I see, and since I can't spend any of my own money at the moment (my last phone bill was fearsome), someone else's money is almost as good.

There are all these cool Studio Ghibli calendars for sale at Lawson - apparently all pre-order only.

I got one for Richard, but I want to buy more, haha. At least one more. I debated buying one for myself, but I need to abstain from a lot of things to make up for my phone bills.

Anyone want anything? Anything at all? You can request birthday gifts and holiday presents too. No guarantees, of course.

random question about shirt

So, I have a cotton button down shirt where the color has faded from a spot on the collar. I was wondering if I should just throw it away? I wear it with my suits, but it's about 1.25 cm x .5 cm in size, so it's somewhat noticeable. And there's a smaller spot nearby. I have the feeling I dropped bleach on it once by accident.

india.arie

Is way cool.

She's much cooler than Joss Stone and Beyonce.

I should buy her cd. I'd like it more if it were a little edgier. It's too smooth for me.

common sense

I enjoyed this column by Miss Manners.

i used to write letters

But hardly anyone replied.

So I stopped.

I really want to go shopping

Specifically, I would really like to buy some new winter tops.

However, I have plenty of winter clothing. I'm just bored of it. This is not an acceptable reason to go shopping. Especially considering how much I've been spending on food lately.

I can go shopping for some casual shoes though. For whatever reason I haven't made it out the door to actually go look.

That's probably a good thing.

Whew, overslept today, but reached work at the normal time. Thank goodness.

words of the week

暮れ（くれ ）：nightfall; dusk; twilight.the end; the close; the year-end; the end of the year

帰省（きせい）： return home.

激しい（はげしい）: violent; strong; fierce.

渋滞（じゅうたい）：delay; congestion.

復帰（ふっき）: return/comeback.

cushions

I bought 1 座椅子(zaisu, this kind of upright chair without legs) and 2 cushions. Now I have somewhat proper seating for guests. Woohoo!

Next, a radio, and organization for my closet.

I finally delivered 2 gifts. Now, I just have to send Helen's wedding gift and some magazines to Jackie, and I'm all done! Yay!

I'm happy, my cousin and my friend liked their gifts! Woohoo! Feedback makes me happy.

I was reminiscing about some not so happy times in college. Sometimes, errors in judgement really don't make any sense after the fact, but at the time, they seemed reasonable. It is interesting how easy it is to push away reality. I ought to read some philosophy books.

fair weather is gone

How sad that the lovely fall weather has turned back to rain. Apparently another typhoon is in town.

In other weather news, there was a rather strong earthquake a few days ago. They've all been about the same. Maybe 1 a month? Apparently a bunch of the train lines stopped.

air filter

Ugh, cleaned the filter to my air conditioner/heater. Will have to clean with soap and water and bleach tonight. I will have to clean the outside unit too. I probably need to go buy a screwdriver.

Then I'm going to clean the sink.

i love Lawson

They have a relationship with Studio Ghibli (home of Hayao Miyazaki and "My Neighbor Totoro"), so they have a large assortment of Ghibli 2005 calendars. I can't decide which to get, but I'm leaning towards the "ハウルの動く城(Howl's Moving Castle)" calendar.

What's even cooler is they have these big promotional flyers for the movie. I think I'll get 3 pristine copies and frame them. Hehe.

size 9 1/2 shoes (us)

So, I have 3 pairs of shoes all roughly size 9 1/2. I don't wear any of them, as they're not the most comfortable shoes. They're pretty nice though. I really like the red ones, which I didn't have any problem with in the U.S. I guess I walk a lot more here.

Anyone want them?

swimsuits

I have a sudden desire to go shopping for a new swimsuit. There are the new types which look like workout clothes - shorts and tops. I want a set. They look rather expensive though, ranging from $100 to 130. Time to look for outlets.

I also need a haircut. A low maintenance hair cut.

Apt. things

All of a sudden, I have this desire to buy all of these things for my apartment.

- A laundry drying rack so that I can hang things up inside my apt. when it rains.
- A compact set of dustbins which fit between my sink and my refrigerator. Alternatively, a rolling little cabinet for trash, with 2 drawers and space on top to use as extra counter space (direly needed). I can't decide which would be better. I really need both. I'm leaning towards the rolling cabinet, since I really need more counter space. I will use the space next to the fridge for my rice cooker and storing laundry stuff.
- I want a laundry rack so that I can keep stuff above my washer (like clothes basket, detergent, and bleach).
- I'd like a little hanging rack for my umbrellas. Something I can hang from the door.
- Carpet to cover kitchen
- Carpet to cover living room. Problem is that I already have 1 carpet, but it's not big enough. 2 carpets might look a little weird. I want to protect the floors from water damage though. A little late, but might as well do what I can. I think wood floors beneath 2 inches of acrylic is probably my perfect wood floor. Laf. They won't ever get destroyed!
- I should get hooks to hang up my mirror.
- Portable speakers

Wanted but not as immediately useful:
- Little upright seats
- A nicer toilet mat. Mine was 100 yen and fits perfectly, but it's really not that attractive. Orangish stripes on white. I have a small toilet room though. 33cm between the toilet base and the door.
- A nice lamp.
- A little rolling night stand/toiletry stand (called a cosmetics wagon in katakana), as my stuff is taking over my table. No space for my computer.

portable speakers

Pioneerhas some nice looking portable speakers. None of them are quite what I'm looking for, but they're all compact and stylish.

Some days

I just feel like slouching over my plate.

Seen on Shirt

"Play with the sea dynamically"

allie sunblock

By Kanebo. It's apparently not for actual swimming, although it's labeled as waterproof. I'm rather disappointed, as it was ludicrously expensive at 1500 yen, and didn't seem to work at all.

Perhaps it's only meant for ladies who sweat delicately.

I don't like the Kanebo hand lotion I bought either. The scent is too strong, and it's quite greasy. I guess it's meant to be a strong moisturizer, which I don't like.

I really should have brought my No-Ad sunblock. Although slightly greasy, it's really effective. Damn. I think I should just wear a short wetsuit when swimming. I always burn my shoulders.

When swimming, I spent half the time thinking that I really want to buy some comfy flip flops. And a beach bag, for carrying towels and wet swimsuits and things. Laf. Total materialism.

Fineboys

The name of a magazine here. laf, looks like a fashion mag., but did not investigate.

want to buy mp3s

But the Island Music site is styming me.

I want to buy "Hole in the Head" by The Sugababes (pure pop fluff, but really catchy). However, it doesn't look like the Island site has implemented https properly. Of course, even implemented properly, there is no guarantee of security, but that's an easy first level check.

Other songs I want to buy:
Melody's "Believe me" (again, fluffy pop)

Albums:
Jamelia's 2004 re-release. "See It In a Boys Eyes" is ludicrously addictive.
Olivia's (Olivia Lufkin) most recent album. Some really pretty songs on it. And rock is always good.

This song rocks: Mousse T feat. Emma Lanford - "Is It Cos I'm Cool"

nails

I wonder when I got a little obsessed about my nails. It's not like they are well-groomed or anything, but I seem to obsess about the shape of my nails. If a bit breaks off, it really bothers me if I can't file the edge smooth. If they're too long, it drives me crazy. I've been this way since High School. Odd, eh? I blame that teen magazine I used to read.

Did you know that Tiffany Amber Thiessen(sp?) and Denise Richards were both models in it? Thiessen looks much better now, but I always thought Richards was pretty. Her hair was always really nice. Her acting seems really subpar though. Guess that's not a requirement for Bond movies. I think the movie with Michelle Yeoh was probably the best for women characters. I've seen all of maybe 3 Bond movies though, so perhaps there's a better one.

household items

I was suddenly hit with a desire to buy household furnings. It came out of the blue Sunday night.

I've wanted to buy a clock/radio/cd player for a while. However, I haven't actually gone and looked for one. Part of the reason is that I'll get my cd player when I visit SF, and I already have an alarm clock. So, I guess I just need a radio. Radios ought to be cheap. An MD/radio player/recorder would be cool though, so that I can tape music and such. Hrm... digital recordings. Where are digital recordings?

I also discovered that a little rolling cabinet/trash receptacle (11000 yen) would be perfect for my little kitchen, to give me some more counter space. One with a little slide out table would be great. There are also these vertical trashcans (4000 yen?) that would fit between my fridge and my sink, but it's not as much of a priority as the rolling table.

I'd like a rack to go above my washer. I can store my laundry basket and supplies there. A rack appears to be about 8000 yen.

I'd also like a drying rack strong enough to hold a rug. About 7000 yen for that. Then I can dry towels inside my apt. when it's raining outside. At the moment, I don't have anywhere to hang more than one towel.

I need a good household furnishings site.

Should I bring my tennis racquet from CA? Hrm.

Droolworthy bag

Saw a guy wearing a very cool bag; leather belt like strap that goes down both the sides. nice rectangular shape; interesting concave zip top - folds over as a shallow flap so the overall shape is still rectangular.
I stared hard at the bag but couldn't read the brand. probably looked a bit odd staring at this guy's bag. (-.-;)

Shirt of the day

Work 8 hours
Surf 8 hours
Sleep 8 hours

nice eh?
too bad it doesn't leave time for eating or showering.

Sumida River Hanabi

I wore a yukata for the first time. It's quite complicated to put on. It was very fun though. Tsuneko arranged it all, borrowing it from a friend. She did a lovely job helping me put it on. she took pictures too.

The sumida river fireworks were lovely. they had very pretty twirly glittery ones that end up in little fan shapes.

Long Vacation

This famous Japanese drama is probably 10 years old by now. At least 8 years old.

I watched the first episode. It was really good! Higher quality than a lot of the stuff on TV right now. The main actress Yamaguchi is really cute, I like her character a lot. She's quite a good actress. The episode seemed an hour and a half long though.

I watched it all in Japanese, as it was faster than reading the Chinese subtitles.

Anyone ever slam into train doors trying to catch one?

Random tidbits: my kenneth cole wallet was fashionable but didn't last that long.

There was a McDonalds deal: chicken mcnuggets 5 for 100 yen, yum!

On July 23, it smelled like scallion pancakes. Scallion pancakes are good.

sunkus drinks

Sunkus (convenience store), has a really boring selection of drinks. The one at 中野坂上 near work doesn't even have the lemon tea flavor of "Afternoon Tea". They only have the darker, more bitter version, and probably the milk tea flavor.

They have a nice selection of おにぎり (rice balls) though. I tried the anago one today. The unagi (freshwater grilled eel) one is also pretty good.

I am banned from buying any new non-necessities for myself. I lose stuff too easily. I stopped carrying around my dictionary as I am afraid that I will lose it. I'll just bring it when I study Japanese. Maybe it would be good to put everything on long chains attached to my purse or whatever. Then it would be much harder to lose. I think I'll do that. Laf.

wedding etiquette

The more I read about wedding etiquette, the more unwitting breaches I discover I have committed.

So sad.

what to wear at weddings

According to Miss Manners, it is short but dressy clothing during the daytime, with a hat if you like. For women, that is. Long, narrow, and sleeved dresses in the evening (for dinner parties). Poufy dresses for dances. The only evening dresses I have are sleeveless. Oh well.

She didn't mention if black dresses are inappropriate.

buddha bank

This is the coolest!

Perhaps it is sacriligious. Actually looks like those laughing Chinese statues to me, rather than a Buddha.

nametags for dignitaries

Dear Miss Manners:

Which side of your body is the proper place to wear name tags and/or jewelry? We have heard that it is "proper" to wear them on the right side, and yet any time we see anyone of importance, i.e., the Queen, Laura Bush and others who should know, they always have their jewelry on the left side. Can you clarify this for us?

Also, can you instruct us on when executives should and should not wear name tags?

Nametags on the right, jewelry on the left. Miss Manners is disappointed that you neglected to take up the question of whether the Queen and Mrs. Bush should wear name tags, and if so, what they should say.

"HELLO! I'M/ Your Majesty"?

"MY NAME IS/ Laura (not Barbara)"?

Miss Manners cracks me up.

Thanks Jackie!

I was reflecting on last year and how much time I spend on Japanese. At the high point I was taking 2 Japanese classes and tutoring 3 Japanese families in English. I'd attend all the free tutor sessions held after my 4 times a week 10 am class. I also went to the Stanford Language Exchange occasionally Thursday nights, and really fun J Club tutorials held Friday night by one of my tutors.

Pretty crazy how much I was studying Japanese. And how did I start? Jackie encouraged me to take a Mandarin Chinese class with her at Foothill College. That was a lot of fun - took it for 2 terms, I think. Then I realized that I was still mor interested in learning Japanese, so I started taking Japanese classes too. And here I am, in Tokyo. Crazy, huh?

Thanks Jackie! I really like it here.

where are you from?

New acquaintance: "Where are you from?"
Me: "San Francisco/U.S."
New acquaintance: "Where are you from originally?"
Me: "Maryland."
New acquaintance: "No, where are you really from? Where were your parents from?"
...

Ever have that happen? I've had that kind of conversation in multiple countries, not just the U.S. I guess I just don't look "American" to some people. Some people won't give up until I've explained my parents' entire emigration history. I enjoy baffling them with my "Maryland" response.

While a this kind of inquiry is a little annoying at times, I never realized that it is a violation of etiquette.

I'd like to know a polite response to stem inquiry beyond my reply of "San Francisco."

2610 yen shirt

A simple brown top for work. Light and iron-free! I think it's rather elegant too. I'm on a roll. 1 more work shirt and I don't have to wear suit jackets at all during the week.

Of course, I have a nice white top in a backpack in CA. Laf. Anyone feel like shipping it to me?

if you were the opposite gender...

What would you do? (if you woke up one day and were the opposite gender)

I might get an earring. Learn to ride a motorcycle? I'd buy a lot of mens clothes. I really like guys' clothes. It looks very comfortable. Except for ties.

I'd still shave my armpits. I'd work out more. I'd learn all the Japanese slang that I'm not supposed to use now. I'd trek through China by myself.

On a completely separate note, I think it's time to get highlights. I'm a bit bored of my hair. I like it, but it's a bit boring. I'll go to Shampoo in Shibuya 109. Highlights are cheap there!

CD review: HAJIME Chitose "wadatsumi no ki"

Artist: HAJIME Chitose
CD title: ワダツミの木
Country: Japan

It's not a full album, with only 3 songs but quite good. Mellow stuff, but pretty. She's an Okinawan singer apparently. I'll have to buy more of her stuff.

CD review: Globe "Cruise Record, 1995-2000"

Artist: Globe
CD title: Cruise Record, 1995-2000
Country: Japan

A 2 disc set I got for cheap at Disk Union. I like it a lot, especially the songs "Still Growing Up" and another one whose title I forgot. Quite worth the 500 yen or so. I think I may have all the older Globe hits now. Still don't like MARC's rapping.

inoue takehiko lithograph

Other than the comic books, Inoue merchandise seems to be out of my price range. First the limited edition anime dvd set runs for about $800. Now Jump comics is offering limited edition Inoue lithographs of the manga REAL for a mere $300 each. They're signed, but that's still a lot of money. 1 onsen trip. I'd rather go on the onsen, although an Inoue lithograph would be nice. Still, I like the subjects in his artbook better, which I got for a relatively cheap $16 or $20.

Anyway, since they're only offering 100 lithographs of the Inoue poster, it's unlikely that I'd even be able to buy it. I was unclear on the Japanese text, but the order form seemed to imply that they'd randomly pick 100 people from among the postcards sent in.

I wonder how much one would go for on auction.

blog discretion

A singularly pertinent column from Miss Manners about discretion and web logs. I have a really difficult time not writing about people I know, including myself. I guess that means I should get a diary. It's easier to type though.

1000 yen shirt

I bought a simple tan shirt. I love v-necked shirts. It's quite plain, with the Head logo on the side. I like it though.

All my summer stuff is in CA.

Still looking for summer work tops. It's hard to find something that I don't have to iron.

long day

Looks like I'll be at work late. I feel bad about wasting half the day floundering. Adding the check information and the db table names is rather interesting, but a bit slow at the moment, as I'm not quite sure what I'm doing. I should probably confirm with someone.

This blog is my online diary now. Heh.

souvenir snacks

I bought a box of cookies as souvenirs for the office, but debated whether to actually give them or not. My friend never buys souvenirs for the office, because he's cheap, he says.

Apparently it's more common for women to buy souvenirs, than men. Higher up people always do though.

I think I'll be cheap like my coworker and stop buying souvenirs. Once in a while is fine though.

who knew this wasn't true?

I was surprised to find that it is not a rule that the following are not rules according to Miss Manners:

・That the monetary value of a wedding present must equal the amount spent on the guest's entertainment at the wedding reception.

・That a bride has a year in which to thank people for sending wedding presents. Or that she cannot begin to thank people until after the wedding.

i don't love uniqlo as much

This weekend, Uniqlo had a big sale, cutting 700 yen from the price of each of the 2 shirts that I bought last weekend. Oh well. It's too bad that I hate ironing. Then I wouldn't be buying any tops.

I wanted to go shopping this past weekend, but wanted to sleep more.

advice

I will try really hard to give advice only when it is asked for.

I will also work on being gracious at accepting gifts. Sometimes I'm not very gracious at all, at the moment. Surprising. It's not as if I receive gifts all the time, that I should have expectations for those gifts I do receive!

Having manners is really quite difficult. Heck, I struggle at following my words with actions.

parents, rsvps

While perusing Miss Manners' column, I came across one which reminded me of my parents.  The second item; not the one about hot tubbing.  And no, the situation isn't similar to my parents, but that attitudes seem alike.

I'm guilty of the almost RSVP sometimes. I know some other people who swear by it.

summer suit, purses

I should wear my summer suit a lot, since I can't wear it in the winter. Right now it's languishing at the dry cleaner's. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning.

Randomly obsessed with finding the perfect shoulder bag.

Requirements:
* black
* can wear slung across opposite shoulder.
* 14" wide
* 12" high
* 3" deep.
* $30 price target
* zipper top (can have flap over it)
* fun!

This corduroy purse is rather nice... It's a little too designer to be "bohemian" though.

This purse is totally cute, but I don't need it at all.

Hair gel is very effective.

i luv uniqlo

Revelling in my new polyester shirt. A pale green that goes nicely with my pale yellow suit. Laf. Very springtime. I may buy the same shirt in a light gray color. Wasn't so crazy about the grey, but for all I know, this green doesn't even suit me.

Uniqlo is great for work clothing. I retired 2 of my dress shirts, because 1 is impossible to iron, and 1 is too tight. Of my other 3 tops, 2 have had sad encounters with bleach, and the third is a bit short, so I can't take my suit jacket off when I wear them. That really makes summer days painful. I guess I need another 3 tops, but the other uniqlo colors weren't very nice. Have to find other work shirts! I have long sleeved shirts I could wear, but they're kind of thick. The silk one would work though. So I need another 2 tops. I saw a nice knit top in a shimokitazawa store, but it was $60. I could buy 3 uniqlo tops at that price.

12:00pm note: I just looked at my shirt again in the mirror, and it actually looks a bit cheap. I guess I have to muck around the department stores for some nice shirts.

manga

I've been a bit sad since my relatives left, so I bought a bunch of manga.

Nakamura Yoshiki's "スキップビート" is my favorite so far. The art and story are highly enjoyable. It's all about revenge, and self-discovery. Not revenge in a "I must revenge my parents' death" kind of way though. It's more of a "You asshole, I'm going to become a greater star than you since you crushed my heart" type of revenge. So not too sappy, and the character is pretty smart and resilient.

"赤ずきんチャチャ" is pretty funny, but I actually like the little author's notes even better. That author is hilarious! She has this one note about cutting her hair short, and how it made every day an adventure. Her alarm woke her up, and she fell back to sleep automatically. The second time she woke up, her hair was sticking up like Vegita from Dragonball (this guy who's hair sticks up like a candle flame, coming to a point in the back). She has a mirror at the foot of her bed, and she looked at herself and woke up instantly. Then she ran through the house to show someone her hair, so that it wouldn't go to waste. Hilarious. Having trouble finding volume 4 on the used book stores. Chacha's kind of stupid though. I'd rather read about a smart heroine.

"やまとなでしこ七変化" is pretty darn funny, but the female character is weirder than she is strong.

I also picked up "パンプアップ" by UEDA Rinko. It was cute and I enjoyed it. The female characters were ok - the first one was pretty strong. I really like the way she draws guys.

I bought "Blue Wars", also by Nakamura Yoshiki, which is kind of funny because the protagonist is a gay muscleman of a high school kid, who loves gardening. It's interesting, but more funny than deep.

I checked out a manga by the author of "ネバギバ！". While nice, "愛っていうのは" (or something like that), especially the cute second story, the female characters again aren't that strong. Persistent though. Persistence is good.

I bought a NASU Yuki book "天使とダイアモンド”which I bought mostly because it's NASU Yuki, the author of "Here is Greenwood". It looks like a bit of mystery and supernatural stuff, which she really seems to like. It's a 2 volume series. Haven't read it yet.

summer shirts

I can't stand putting on long sleeved shirts when it's humid, so I'm going to look for some nice summer tops tonight. I don't care that I don't need any more shirts.

print a book from digital photos

My photos aren't high quality enough to be printed, but this service looks pretty cool.

can't find anything at the drug store

The organization baffles me. I walked all around 2 stores looking for wet tissues, and couldn't find them in either. Oh well, it's not exactly a pressing need.

I'm a little appalled at how long my shopping list is, and how little is actual necessities, like daily sustenance. In fact, none of it is necessities.

Somewhere, a capitalist is laughing at me.

What a fascinating world we live in.

limiting purchases

I came up with a long shopping list of things, but I wonder how much of it I really need. It occurred to me that my dress shoes aren't quite the shape which would benefit from shoe trees, since the leather over the toes and front of the foot is pretty horizontal. So I can cross that off my shopping list.

I think leather cleaner, conditioner, and waterproofer would still be beneficial, and I can use those on all my leather shoes. That's 3 pairs of shoes with me.

Rationalization is a powerful thing.

I give up on making charcoal water filters by hand. I need an activated carbon/charcoal, which looks a little difficult to obtain. According to Consumer Reports, Brita is 400% as expensive as Innova but only 5% more effective. It's 300% as expensive as Glacier Pure but only 10% more effective. Time for a Chinese factory startup? Let's make some higher quality activated charcoal and package it nicely, and charge less!


I strolled into work with a white streak of sunblock under my
eye, and clean hair that just looked bad. A pity, because my head was feeling very refreshed. I have to look in the mirror before I go to work.

resoled, shoe trees

I got my shoes reheeled for the first time ever. 1890yen. One web site recommended attaching a thin sole - it apparently doubles the life of the shoe. Aside from the heel, the sole of my shoe is holding up very well though, so I don't think I need it.

I'm now shopping for a set of shoe trees (I only have one pair of shoes that might actually benefit from it), leather cleaner, leather conditioner, and waterproofer. I have a bottle somewhere in MD or CA, but I won't be finding it anytime soon.

I bet my mother never conditioned her leather couch. Funny how nice things require maintenance. I don't think she ever polished the wood furniture either. I polished it once, but after 20 years of no care, I don't know how much of a difference it makes.

shoes

I was investigating proper leather shoe care, and eventually started looking at Franco Sarto shoes. I found these sandals which look really cute. Of course, I would want to get the black sandals, and of course, I don't need black sandals. I was actually looking for another pair of dress shoes for work, but couldn't find any which would be wearable year-round and look good with skirts. Not that I wear skirts often, but I've only got sandals to go with my skirts at the moment, which doesn't work so well in the winter. I could just buy another pair of the same shoes I have, but on one hand, that's boring. On the other hand, they're really comfortable. Very iffy. I'll have to shop around. No real hurry though. But those 'Dynamo' sandals I linked above are really cute. The heel might be 2 inches and under. Hard to tell, although I have a feeling that they're 2 3/4". Oh well. 2 inches is the highest I'm willing to go.

frivolity

It'd be pretty cool to look this good.

E!online has some pretty interesting celebrity photos in their fashion police feature. Kind of fascinating how much money you can spend to look bad.

I bought a "Makeup Manual" from the bookstore today. It's in Japanese but has many pictures. It's kind of interesting.

shaving, fixing my suit

I just noticed that my favorite suit (from Ann Taylor, mentioned in my last post) has come apart slightly at one of the sleeve hems. I'll have to get it mended. I need to find a good seamstress/tailor, as I can't sew straight. I can get my pants and skirts altered if they do a good job. I think there was a shop in Shimokitazawa, but I don't know their hours.

Has anyone used that Australian product Nads? I've seen the infomercials, but being wary of infomercials, I'm only partially convinced that the product works. Laf, I shouldn't be convinced at all, since it is an infomercial. Anyway, if you've tried it, let me know. I've decided that getting cut by my shaver sucks and I'm never going to risk it again. Also, daily maintenance is impossible, but once every 6 weeks is doable. So waxing/sugaring/etc. are all open for consideration. Bleach would work but I'd rather stay away from strong chemicals. Don't need to increase the junk going into my drinking water.

Ooh, I love the web. I found a forum discussing Nads. Rather funny quote:

I'm not fond of regular wax. Sugaring I like, generally. Though I've given up using it on my legs because I'm not flexible enough, and I'm on the verge of ditching my underarms because *GEEZ*, the pain... but it works well elsewhere. ;) Sugaring cleans up fast and generally works well.

But yeah, it's definitely overpriced. And I'm not entirely sure how they got away with claiming that the hair eventually wouldn't come back... I still haven't ever met anyone for whom that was true.

Totally sympathize regarding the pain. Haha. I never even thought of waxing my underarms. Hrm.. nope, still can't conceive of it.

Sounds like waxing is the cheapest solution. Doubt I can find salons which can do sugaring or threading here. But maybe I can.

ann taylor, clothes

I love this silk shirt I got from Ann Taylor. Probably worth the $70.

Too bad the $50 cotton shirt I got from there hasn't been holding up so well - the dye faded from a spot on the collar, and it's impossible to iron smooth. The black pants turned out too be too long, and I don't like unlined dress pants that much. Next time I'll stick to lined pants.

Still, the black pinstriped suit I got is brilliant - lined, comfortable and fits perfectly. I wear the jeans the time. Overall, I like Ann Taylor.

My Benetton suit has its good points and bad points. Bad points being that the waist is too big for me, although it fits elsewhere. I need to get the waist altered. Also, the skirt got caught on something and a thread was pulled out, which I'm not sure how to fix. I'll have to check ehow. The material is great, though, and I don't have to worry about staining it.

My A.V.V. suit fits wonderfully and is lovely for the summer, but the color is a light beige which is really easy to mark up. I'll stick to dark colors from now on. It was quite a bargain though - my cheapest suit at $130 or so total.

My Franco Sarto loafers are great dress shoes. I walk around a lot all day and they're always comfortable. Sure, my New Balance sneakers are more comfortable, but I can't really wear them with a suit. I need some waterproof dress shoes for the rainy season though.

I love buying undershirts from Uniqlo. They have these nice fast-drying v-necked shirts for 1000 yen (about $10). I think I'll go buy another one. This one is really comfortable. Hard to beat! They fit nicely and are well made. Old Navy is such a joke.