Every year around the beginning of spring, Roppongi Hills, Midtown, and all the streets in between are taken over by an art explosion. I’ve gone two years in a row now, and I’m always underdressed (it’s so cold!) and impressed. This year’s theme was “Trip,” and featured huge sculptures of boats, colorful fishing nets, and intricate lanterns strung up along the blossoming cherry trees. Did you get a chance to go?

Did you catch the sakura blooming this year? It came so early, and was done so fast. Still, for the few days they were in full bloom, even everyday places looked beautiful.

ok, i need to bring gifts to brother and sister.

and my brother do not care about リラックマ、

but my sister loves the white bear.

and i want to get something with a BIG white bear for my sister’s SUPER CUTE baby,

so i went to this store, hoping to find something …

last time on my sister’s b-day, i sent a little pillow chicken.

but i think this chicken is AWESOME, cause it is super BIG and SOFT …

i want to take them something that i cannot usually send through mailing …

brown bear …

very soft and cute …

and this is from the same company, i do not feel いや、

just that it does not look persuasive enough to make me want to spend money or even have the thought to spend money to get this … but i do think this is cute, in some way …

this is GOOOOOOOD food!!!!!

yes, it is korean food here in japan, yes, in our infamous 新大久保, but the soup really is awesome, i wonder if it can be compared to the real korean food in korea.

but it sure fits our taste.

one more photo of the one i ordered!

since this program not seem able to accept the original sized down iphone photos, i went ahead and manually “trim down” the up and down and it can look “upright” here, how is THAT?

not bad, huh?

in that restaurant, there is a drawing on the wall that might … offend the Winnie the Pooh lovers …

a drunk and sort of “twisted” looking pooh?

after the great lunch, we passed by an interesting store with loads of people lining up …

so i was offered the chance to try this, and so i followed and got into the line!

this is also good, sticky and freshly made!

and pay attention to the SHAPE of the “bread” thing before it is cooked!

WHITE SHINY MOUNTAIN shape!!!!

very cute!!!

see them better?

tofu above.

i was brought to the korean restaurant, it was sooooooo good. especially the appetizer!!!

i dont know why, ever since i started using my iphone and downloaded the upgrades the end of last year, the photos resolutions seems gone way higher and this program no longer directly accepted them …

and this time, i had to わざわざ resize all of them, and when i saved them they are still UPRIGHT, but geez look at these photos … they are not right … ><

all of them should be turned right 45 degree …

these sprouts really taste good …

and of course in the infamous 新大久保 〜

this might look not “very attractive”, but actually this taste great!!!!!!!!!!!

btw, it is seaweed!!!

this 大根 also, i wish i can have that everyday, it will sure makes me feel good ~~~.

a lot was happening in march.

first i had to prepare trip go back to clear the FOREVER PAYING storage room.

and the main reason is still, my parents are threatening to not going back to the States forever …

and that means, the chance of “whole family” reunion is close to ZERO if they really meant what they said. therefore, even though i completely 100% did not want to go, due to 義務、i went …

and i brought along the above, a very cute little bag for one of the BBs, possibly the cutest baby now on earth.

this is supposed to be her b-day present, but since my day of visiting is so close to her b-day, i decided to bring it to her myself instead of mailing.

and this is one of the LAWSON wonder, you save enough stickers, you can get this for FREE.

for リラックマ fans, it should be a pretty ok good news.

i am not a first-time “buyer” of this, so i know, it is better for you to BUY directly from the リラックマ store rather than saving 25 stickers forcing yourself to eat the bread or dessert you do not want and get this definitely “made in china” 2nd rated products, … but anyway, with the help of many people, i happened to receive THREE of the above mug …

and actually, it is not as bad as one thinks, so i also brought one back to the States and gave to my sister.

An adorable flyer arrived in our mailbox, advertising a neighborhood “bazaar.” Fried foods and lots of clothing and other secondhand goods, it proclaimed! This time, this place, here’s a map.

So on Sunday morning I went over.

It was less “lots” and more like “three or four people with a handful of things.” No fried foods. But they were happy and smiling, so the general mood of the flyer was right. The bazaar was happening right outside this odd little building in the neighborhood, with a porch and a completely glass front like a shop or a restaurant, but with no visible goods for sale and just a few tables and chairs inside.

There were about ten people around, mostly older women and men. There was one young guy in a suit, and then me.

I started poking around, and the guy spoke to me.

Him: Hi! Do you speak Japanese?

Me: Hi! I do.

Him: Woooow. How about English?

Me: Yep, I’m fluent. XD

We switched to English and he introduced himself, explaining that he was half Japanese, half white, and that he traveled between Japan and the U.S. on business.

Me: Oh, what do you do?

Him: I work here actually!

Me: Really? Sorry, but what is this place? I pass it all the time.

Him: Have you heard of Scientology?

Me: ….I do believe I have.

Yep. So it turns out I found my friendly neighborhood Scientology center.

I bought a little plush Totoro doll from them, and everyone was super nice, but I think that’ll be the last time I drop by.

This winter, the week I got the flu happened to be the same week they were renovating my sharehouse bathroom. So, without a shower in the house, the other girls and I trudged up the street to the local sento. It wouldn’t have been so much a trudge for me, really, except for the flu. And when you’re sick like that, everything becomes a million times harder.

And, as it turns out, it’s not a great idea to soak in a hot tub when you’re as sick as I was.

When I got out of the bath, I immediately felt that something was off. Namely, I had no more sense of balance and everything was going wobbly and dark. I quickly sat back down, and my circulation improved enough that I guess my brain could function again, and the dizziness faded. But, not wanting to sit forever on the edge of the bath, I had to stand again.

It was as if there were miles between me, at the bath, and the door of the changing room, where my precious towel and clothes were stashed. I had to sit down a few times, the old lady regulars of the sento giving me the side-eye, to let my dizziness fade. When I finally made it out of the shower room and into the changing room, I had to sit again, on the carpet, my locker just out of arm’s reach. A little old lady asked me if I was okay, and I reassured her that no, really, I was fine, please pretend like I’m not here (it’d make me feel less silly, for sure).

A few more stops and starts and I managed to dry off, get dressed, and sit under the fan sipping some water until I felt like walking home wasn’t such an impossible task. I think I lost my cred forever at that sento, though. I will forever be the fainting girl.

A few fun (?) things you can do with Japanese ATMs:

– Pay rent

– Pay utility bills

– Pay for an online order

– Transfer money to other accounts

But, you say, why wouldn’t you do these things with online banking instead? Or a credit card? Wouldn’t that be easier?

Why yes, yes it would, but that’s not how we roll.

Besides, if I had to do all these things in a foreign country where I’m not fluent in the language online, where Google Translate and Rikai-kun could save me, then I would never feel that EPIC VICTORY when I go to pay for an Amazon order at the JP Post ATM for the first time… and I do it, successfully, within ten minutes, all by myself.

At least for now, that feeling of success is completely worth it.

Is it just me, or does warming weather and a desire to step outside always come with getting sick? Just as Tokyo’s frigid winter gave way to nice, crisp, bright winter-almost-spring, I got hit… with the flu. I’m normally a very healthy person, which means when I’m sick, I’m miserable beyond words. I hate feeling sick, and I hate that being sick stops me from doing anything BUT be sick! It’s like the clear blue sky and the bright sunlight are taunting me.

And now, of course, it’s hayfever season, and all those masks on the train aren’t being worn by the polite with a slight cold but by the polite with pollen allergies.

Still, it’s just too nice out. The sneezy season won’t keep me from enjoying spring.