The Time Is Flying

It's hard to believe it's already the middle of May. Somehow I completely missed writing about the sakura this year, and my sister visiting during her spring break. The cold weather has left, and warm sunny days are coming back, at least for a little while. Rainy season only about three weeks away!

But in the meantime I've been enjoying as much time as I can outdoors. I bought a picnic blanket, and have already put it to use a number of times. A few weeks ago Raku and I went on an overnight to Yokohama, just for an adventure. And while we didn't go anywhere for Golden Week, John and I made a point of going somewhere fun everyday so that it actually felt like a vacation.

Cherry blossoms with a friend

It's the best time of year

Yokohama

The flowers were fantastic

And so was the company!

Cherry Pie Frappuccino - surprisingly delicious

Apple galette for Raku's birthday

Pretty enough for a restaurant, but made by Raku

Coffee Set at the Hotel Chinzanso

The Return of Rainy Season

We've been getting away with some really mild weather this rainy season. Right at the beginning there were a bunch of rainy days but then it was sunny and warm but not too hot, but today the rain is back. Raku and I have staked out the only covered seats on the terrace at Starbucks in Azabu Juban and are enjoying our work while we listen to the thunder and watch the rain drip down on all the other tables around us.

In preparation for all the heat and humidity I cut my hair even shorter, and Miyuki at Shinka did a really wonderful job this time. Speaking of coping with the weather, Raku also showed me a Japanese moisturizer that is perfect for rainy season and summer. I never would have bought it in a million years if she hadn't told me what it was because Biore "Watery Mousse Water Base" doesn't make any sense or sound the least bit appealing. But it's actually a very nice water based moisturizer that doesn't feel heavy or sticky the way the Khiel's I like to use in the winter does around this time of year. The finish is dry and powdery which is such a relief in this weather and as a bonus it's SPF 50. I've been using it for over a week now and haven't had any breakouts from it so I'd definitely recommend it as a great Japanese summer skincare product.

Rainy Writing Terrace

Summer Haircut

Biore Watery Mousse Water Base Moisturizer.  Use it!

Starbucks Coffee Jelly Frappuccino

I spend a lot of time at Starbucks. It's one of the few places you can reliably get free wifi, there's always enough space that I can stay and work all afternoon without feeling guilty, and it keeps me away from all the distractions inside my house while providing just enough distraction when I need a short break from writing.  

I've become so familiar with their menu that sometimes it seems like I mark the passing of time by their seasonal offerings. I usually stick to unsweetened tea because it's healthier (and it costs less) but every once in a while I splurge on a fun seasonal drink (and let's be honest, I drank Cool Lime Refreshers every day last summer, but those only had 50 calories anyways so who's counting?)

I hadn't been interested in the past few seasonal drinks, but at the beginning of June they introduced the Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. Jelly is just what they call jello over here.  It sounds weird, right? Except I was immediately intrigued. With the super intensive week of editing Raku and I have been having we decided to treat ourselves this afternoon to keep our spirits and our energy up, and OMG they are delicious! It's really cubes of black coffee jello with a frappuccino on top, almost like a milkshake with gummy bears in the bottom or maybe more like bubble tea. Yum! They're certainly a splurge, and the tall size was plenty, but if you have the chance to try one you won't regret it.

Around Akasaka

It's warmed up just the tiniest bit, and most of the snow has melted off, but there are still some cute snowmen hanging around.  I ran across this cute little guy wearing an instant ramen bowl as a hat. They're predicting more snow this weekend, so maybe there will be even more snowmen next week. I'm so excited to be on the beach in just a couple weeks!

Life is good in spite of the cold.  Today I saw a couple walking a ton of poodles, and one was being carried in a bag. Maybe he's got a hurt paw?  It's impossible not to smile though when a horde of little dogs goes running past you. Raku and I also got samples of the newest drink that Starbucks will be rolling out on February 15 - the Sakura Latte.  Sakura season is always big at Starbucks, they have limited edition tumblers and drinks that sell out quickly each year.  Last year I tried the sakura white hot chocolate and my eyes almost popped out from a sugar overdose. The sakura latte is a lot more enjoyable, but I suspect a full cup might still be too sweet.  It has the same sakura sprinkles/flakes on top that are really pretty, but they're where a lot of the super sweet flavor comes from.

In other news I made ribs in my slow cooker over the weekend and they were delicious!  It's not easy to find that cut of meat here, but Costco came to the rescue - a whole rack for only 1200 yen!  It easily fed 4 people! I also got some really great chipotle bbq sauce there too.  Honestly, it can be a pain to get there, but having a membership is soooo worth it!  Especially now that I know you can takkyubin (mail) the stuff home.  They'll ship anything that isn't perishable.  Raku and I normally split a huge box, and it only costs about 1000 yen.  Then we can haul more fresh fruit and cheese home with us on the train.

The dog on the right is wearing a sweater with floppy bunny ears on it. 

So pretty, but soooo sweet.

Feeling at Home

I can't believe it's already a week into December.  It's hitting me more now than at our anniversary that we've actually lived here for a whole year.  This will be the first time since starting college that John or I have lived in the same house/apartment/dorm room for more than a year.  It's nice to feel settled, but it's also sort of strange.  I'm feeling more settled and even alright about being here for the holidays this year, but there's still a sense of impermanence.

This week I've been doing a lot of Christmas shopping, getting packages ready to send back to the US. It's been fun to buy some of the traditional Japanese crafts for people that I normally just admire.  I also bought a Starbucks Christmas ornament.  It might be a little silly, but I've spent so much time writing in them this year that it seemed appropriate.  And it's really cute.

Milestones

Yesterday John and I were watching the final game of the Japan Series (the Tohoku Eagles beat the Tokyo Giants) and I understood all of the dialogue during one of the commercials.  It was a great feeling.  A week ago John and I were out having dinner and we had an entire conversation in Japanese. Granted it was very short, but it was just us joking around in a completely natural way.  It's so exciting to have these moments when I can really recognize the progress I'm making.

I've recently started studying again, and I can already tell the difference it's making.  I quit studying almost immediately after we arrived, and looking back it was definitely a defense mechanism.  I was so overwhelmed and intimidated when we got here.  By refusing to try there was no way I could fail - this way at least I was in control of my inability to speak or read.  While it was probably something that I needed to do in the beginning I'm feeling my more settled and secure in my life and I'm ready to start learning again.  It's not easy and it's usually frustrating, but I think it will be worth it.  Otherwise it's been a good week.

Watch out for perverts on the train!

Healthy homemade lunch with Raku

Holiday cups arrived November 1