Hanging out in 渋谷Shibuya

Shibuya is one of the most famous places in Tokyo for youths to shop and hangout. When I was younger I dabbled in my fair share of Shojo manga (girly comics) and one of the places I remember seeing drawn was Shibuya 109. I actually did not realize until I went there last January that it was a real place! 笑

Of course, 109 is a must visit. There are many great deals on the latest fashion crazes, but since the place usually caters to the more extreme types of fashion, you might find that diamond-studded fur and heeled booties are not quite the conventional sort of thing you were looking for (or maybe they are?). Still, it's both inspiring and entertaining to see what fad will be flooding the streets of Tokyo next. 

Being a nerd and being cool overlaps quite often in Japan. :D

And of course, no trip to any kind of shopping center is complete without Purikura (Japanese sticker pictures). The picture  above is the outside of the machine with Ayumi Hamasaki endorsing the amazing amount of photoshop filters that are put on your face so that you too can look like a Japanese pop-star. This includes an automatic enlarging of the eyes, high contrasting, and makeup applications in the decorating options. It's oodles of fun.

Honey toast and a strawberry calipco cocktail. Even the ice was made of calpico! Mmm.

The five-year-old girl in had to stop by the Disney store in Shibuya (which is pretty impressive and puts a cute spin on all your favorite Disney products), and I also gave in and bought Hello Kitty socks for winter and some room slippers. 

新大久保 Shin-Okubo

So the other day my friend and I went to Shin-Okubo, a town one station away from my current residence in Shinjuku. Shin-Okubo is known as the local Korea town and there were many interesting things to see, do, and ( of course) eat. All week long I had been intensely craving some bibimbap - a dish that oddly enough I frequented back in my hometown -  so I finally set aside some time to stop on by.

 

My friends had been talking about a Coffee Prince Cafe in Shin-Okubo that was constructed to look like and imitate a Korean drama entitled Coffee Prince in which there is a cafe where only good-looking men work. The staff was certainly fashionable and easy on the eyes and the food (mostly consisting of girly-themed  yogurts, sweets, teas, toast, and coffee) was delicious although a little pricey. Having never seen the drama I can't make many comparisons, but my friends vouched for the place's authenticity.

One disconcerting point concerns the fact that this place was chock full of middle-aged (and quite possibly older) women who unabashedly croon over the employees. Korean dramas have become increasingly popular amongst this age demographic and I couldn't help but feel a distinct vibe of disillusionment from them.

There are cute little drawings on the windows, both inside and outside.

Afterwards we stopped by an incredibly amusing "fangirl" shop, which was two stories of shelves and walls plastered with Korean boy paraphernalia. 

Two Months Later

So I've been in Japan for about two months now. It feels kind of hard to believe that it's been that long already, although in retrospect I have done quite a bit. I find myself studying a lot less than I did back in the US, an occurrence that leaves me feeling a little jaded. I am supposed to be going to school here to learn Japanese, but instead I find myself meandering about, drinking way more than I ever have before in my life, and eating too many snacks and fooling around with my friends (both Japanese and foreign).

It's been a lot of fun, but I think I need to make the conscious decision to a) stop eating so much crap and drinking (I'm developing quite the excessive gut :X) and b) speak in Japanese and crack down on my studies. Not that my grades are bad or anything, but I really need to absorb what I'm supposed to be learning.

In other news, it's Fall in Japan! Coming from a part of California where seasons are nearly nonexistent, I have never experienced more beautiful leaves in my entire life. I spent a few days in the mountains last week, and the leaves were really rich in oranges, yellows and reds. The weather is also colder than I'm used to, so I'm learning how to layer and bundle up appropriately.

I keep wondering when I'll have to bear through waves homesickness. I had a bit of anxiety at the beginning of my stay, but I'm pretty accustomed to my life here already. It may sound kind of strange, but I find myself having a hard time remembering what my daily life was like back home. The idea seems foreign, disconnected as if it was a really long time ago. My heart aches for certain things from home, events or people that induce feelings of longing... but I never ponder too long on them. I know I'll be home again before I know it, or that we'll be in contact soon (thank god for the Internet, really).

From my desk I look out my window at night and twelve stories below there's the dull roar of Shinjuku (students cheering, cars trolling on down the road, salesmen shouting to buy their wares), that Tokyo cacophony adorned with resplendent lights glittering out in the distance below. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I am where I am, that somehow I managed to uproot and chuck myself on a plane bound for the other side of the world without a backwards glance. But hey, I'm here aren't I? And I'm doing just fine.

Anyway, I'm not really sure what this post was about... but there you have it - an update! C:

下北沢 Shimokitazawa

While Shimokitazawa is not a widely known name to tourists and newcomers to Japan, it is a fantastic neighborhood full of unique music, stores, cafes, independent galleries and stage theaters. It's a very homey little place, and if you're looking for vintage stores or a more artistic style then it's definitely a place to swing by. Aside from those reasons, it is unbearably cute to simply walk around in.

Coffee Zerii

One of my favorite things to do is try Starbucks in other countries. In what traveling I have done in Asia, it seems that I can rely on Starbucks to spring up in the major cities and deliver me a consistently adequate-tasting latte or frappuccino. Aside from the usual beverages on the menu, each country also tends to have a spin on the coffee classics.

Take for example the creme brulee-flavored frappuccino equipped with not only whip-cream on top, but bits of toasty coffee flavored jelly at the bottom. Yum! 

I have also seen Azuki (read bean) and Matcha (green tea powder) flavored items there as well. In the Philippines, Ube (taro) and Pandan (leafy plant) and Mango flavors were popular. In China, Passionfruit and Muscat flavored beverages were introduced during the summertime.

Also, as much as I would dislike to admit to being a subject of corporate brainwashing, being inside Starbucks ales any feeling of homesickness I might have. The other day I was eating a gingerbread Christmas tree and drinking lattes to the sound of Frank Sinatra’s holiday ridden voice and I could not help but feel at home.