A yen for Japan

(L): Sushi set dinner on my second night in Tokyo, (R): Little tablets found on the temple grounds in Gion, Kyoto

Much as I love a beach holiday, I also adore a holiday in a big city. I'm a city girl at heart, and I love looking at tall skyscrapers, twinkling lights, people-watching and poking down little alleyways.

So in that sense, Tokyo was the perfect city to pick. I am totally in love with Tokyo. The city is filled with interesting architecture, beautiful friendly people, safe streets, a bustling nightlife and all the best eating and shopping a girl could ask for. I went there with only the loosest of plans - to explore and wander around all the popular areas like Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesando, Daikanyama, Akihabara and Asakusa - and also to take a trip to Kyoto to see the old cultural heart of Japan. And of course, to eat as much sushi and sashimi as my stomach could take.

And I am very pleased to report that the mission was pretty much accomplished. There were a few things that I didn't get to do, like visit Animate or the Ghibli museum, but I kept telling myself not to stress over what I didn't get to do, but to just enjoy everything that I did do, like watch a kabuki performance, visit the Tsukiji fish market, master the Tokyo subway system, and watch some Japanese festival performances. Anyhoo, there's always another time to visit the place. The city is large and there is yet much more to be explored.

Sam Swoon

I think I have found Korean drama #2 to replace Jewel in the Palace. I caught about one and a half episodes of My Lovely Sam Soon and already I'm hooked. True, the main plotline of chubby girl getting her man is quite cliched, but the main character is adorable, and there are some truly hilarious situations and gags in each episode. Also, any series that uses a Clazziquai song as its theme song is way cool in my book.

This does not bode well for my social life on week nights.

Little socks

It's funny how that I was so taken by those darling little lace sockettes a couple of weeks ago, and hey presto, today Daily Candy delivers in my mailbox a link to minisock.com. These socks come in a dizzying array of colours (red and yellow and pink and green, purple...you get the drift), three types of fabric, and multiple styles. Ok, I'll admit these socks serve no function other than to make your feet look pretty, but since when did we need justification to buy anything that just looked good? :)

Lace and cupcakes

If you could just tear your eyes away from those yummy cupcakes on the right, you would see that the model is wearing what looks like white lace sockettes with a pair of pink shoes.

Normally, I'd say sockettes like that are just downright silly, but I have to say this is a very clever way of wearing them. It just makes me want to go out and look for a similar pair to wear with my flatties.

PS If you want to order those divine cupcakes, you can get them from c-cup.

Holiday fun fun fun!

After a few weeks of hmming and hawing, I finally got my act together and picked a holiday destination - Tokyo & Kyoto! I'm quite pleased that everything managed to fall into place very quickly, despite the almost last minute bookings. I managed to a get a flight at the dates I wanted, a recommended hotel in a good area at a reasonable price, and an overnight stay at this cute ryokan in Kyoto.

And I also consider this to be the perfect excuse to watch even more anime to try and pick up useful phrases*.

* Admittedly, all I've picked up from anime is to say Shut up!, How are you, and I'm OK. Oh, and how to bankai. Yep, that'll come in useful.

This August, I am into...

All from Target's Go International Paul & Joe range

...yong tau foo from the Amara Hotel food court, waiting for my purchases from Target to arrive (I think I got a little too click-happy...oops), planning a holiday to somewhere (choices are Toronto, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo & Kyoto), resisting from making anymore online purchases this month, Shu Uemura UV Under Base, hip-hop classes at California Fitness, National Day bbq with friends.

How about you?