A couple funny ones

New Subway sign. These change monthly about what not to do on the train.

Last month's sign

Examples of extreme cleaning:

Guy with grilling tongs picking up leaves in the gutter outside of our apt.

Guy polishing bottom of pole in subway station
Random "toy" found in Kids section od a 100Yen shop (Dollar store)
It's literally a stick-on goose head. What!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am heading back to the states for the Christmas. Happy Hoilidays!

Trip to Kyoto

Kevin and I went to Kyoto a couple weekends back for 3 days. Kevin had a Monday off for Thanksgiving in Japan. Yeah, they have a Thanksgiving holiday too (copycats) It was the prime of the Autumn colors so we knew it would be busy. We had been to Kyoto during the Cherry Blossoms with our parents a couple years ago, so we figured we'd be fine. Plus this time we wanted to go to some different areas than what we saw last time-places we thought would be off the beaten path.

Here's the thing. If a tree is located in an area that is "famous" for leaf viewing then there will be aprox 800 people trying to take a picture of it. A beautiful tree just on a normal street will be ignored and scurried past to get to where everyone else is.

I would say it was about 2 times as crowded as when we were there last time. But we had a great time anyway. Kyoto is an amazing city with so many World Heritage Sites and temples still in tact. And the food is of course great.

The pictures are in no particular order but Kevin took most of the pictures with my camera!

Here is Kevin having an appetizer at a festival at a Shrine:

We saw several Zen style gardens. Please notice the line of people on both sides.

Seriously though can you imagine how long it takes to create and maintain this garden? Outstanding.

A course meal on Pontocho Street in Gion.

This is Pontocho Street. We ate on this street both nights. One night we exited a restaurant in the rain and right there in front of me was a geisha with a huge red parasol ducking into the place next door. So cool!!! We saw two other geisha in the area called Gion Corner. They knocked on a door and were welcomed into a place that was completely dark from the outside. You would never think it was open. So mysterious! I love it.
Kevin in his yukata at our Japanese style guesthouse. It was a very simple tatami mat room with futons in a very quiet area of Kyoto.

Pagoda at Kiyomizudera temple. This was one place we wanted to revisit after seeing it a couple years ago. It was too busy to really get much out of it but pretty.


Kiyomizudera dates back to the year 798! These buildings were built in 1633 (because everything in japan has either burned down at least once or has been destroyed in an earthquake)

The large deck was built in 1633 and the story goes if you throw yourself off of it and survive you will get your wish.
The approach to Kiyomizudera is a steep little street with souvenier shops on it. Here is a pic below from the perspective of the security guard with the bullhorn. Crowds as far as the eye can see.
The view ahead of us. This was just to get to Kiyomizuera. Some of the temples had to have ropes like at Disneyland to control the lines rather than the normal "just everyone push and cut in front of everyone else" gig. Many temples had the dudes with bullhorns. Not exactly a Zen Experience if you ask me, but we knew what we were getting ourselves into.

a peaceful place

Another Zen Garden. It rained the night before we saw this. I don't know how it stays together.
Beautiful Japanese Garden




Below is Fushimi Inari Shrine. We went there last time we were in Kyoto, but it was toward the end of the day and it was starting to rain. We always said we wanted to go back there because the Shrine is on the side of a hill and the path to the top is lined with Tori gates in the trees. It's just really cool looking.

So we attempted to find it our first day. We walked in a huge circle and didn't find it. We gave up when it started to rain. The next day we went to Arashiyama, an area in Western Kyoto that was beautiful on another hillside. At the end of the day we decided to go back to Fushimi Inari and do the walk as it was getting dark. (we knew it didn't close)

So OF COURSE it started to rain.

We didn't care that it rained. I think we were meant to do this little hike in the dark in the rain. It didn't stop us from whipping out the camera and tripod for a few minutes!
decisions decisions...
So to back up to earlier that day in Arashiyama- we visited several small temples on the hillside. The one below is known to be filled with approximately 8000 Buddhist statues, each representing an unknown or forgotten person


This statueof Buddha sat above them all.



bamboo forest


Soba and tofu. yum.
Kevin eating udon






A few favorite poses:
a cool stone lantern


I wanted to climb this
The way trees are taken care of in this country is so beautiful.





Pug in fur trim coat


View from inside a temple



Kevin and I on our way back to the station in a cab to catch the bullet train. You always know it's a cab because of the lace seat covers. It was a great trip!!!

New Fav Website

http://asianposes.com/

And here are a few of our favorite poses-taken on a random deserted street last weekend:

Doraemon!


our favorite ANPANMAN!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a blurb about him on Wikipedia:

He is the main character of the anime, whose head is a bun made by Jam Ojisan. His name comes from the fact that he is a man with a head made of bread (Japanese: pan, a loanword from the Spanish word meaning "bread") that is filled with bean jam (Japanese: an) called an anpan. His weakness is water or anything that makes his head dirty. He regains his health and strength when Jam Ojisan bakes him a new head and it is placed on his shoulders. Anpanman's damaged head, with Xs in his eyes, flies off his shoulders once a new baked head lands. He was created when a shooting star landed in Jam Ojisan's oven while he was baking.



My all time favorite pose I stole from a lady in Nikko who morphed into this pose in slow motion. It was amazing.

Thanksgiving in Tokyo - Take 2

We spent Thanksgiving at our place in Tokyo. It's not that exciting because Kevin has to work but I of course had to take my second stab at cooking Thanksgiving dinner A. without an oven and B. With crap for pots and pans (all of our grown up kitchen stuff we now have is in Utah for the moment) Two years ago I attempted this with some success and last year we were in Cambodia, so I was going for a personal best.
You might remember my commentary on how expensive celery is so for the stuffing I used.....Baby Bok Choy bitches!!! Yeah! Chop that up and call me a CLEVER BRIDE.
Instead of turkey we had cornish hens browned then roasted on the stovetop with herbs and white wine. I actually made homemade gravy too which, in my opinion, is the best part of Thanksgiving. The challenge there is finding the correct flour. When you are in a aisle full of packages that all look like this you just have to grab one.
And the mashed potatoes were easy. The fun part of that is just trying to figure out the kind of potatoes you are buying. They look like russets but they aren't. But they were delish because I rock the MP.

So it was a good Thanksgiving meal complete with Charlie Brown Thanksgiving playing on our computer...

A couple days later I knew Tokyo was turning on the Holiday Charm because several neighborhoods have lights up on the trees (called illumination here), Colonel Sanders has his Santa suit on,
and most importantly, I saw this....
If someone were to ask me what is the most "Japanese" thing you've seen lately this would be it. I just want to stare at it's scary creepy cuteness.

It's name is Echika chan, and it is the Ometosando subway station/underground shopping area mascot. It would be like if Michigan Ave in Chicago had a mascot...Ometosando is a posh shopping area here. This pic was taken in the subway station. Echika chan is often on billboards or posters in this station...but this display takes it to a new level of crazy. Of course everyone just bustles by this like it's normal... yet outside 100 people will be crowded around and elbowing each other to take a picture of a cat with their cell phones-get your priorities straight people!!!

After a couple google searches I've learned that the inspiration is the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Echika Chan is my new obsession

Christmas here is a date holiday. (Like Valentines in US) You don't get the day off work and there is nothing religious about it. But couples go out, buy gifts for each other and eat Christmas Cake.

Here is a portion of an article that describes Christmas here in Japan:

Many Western customs related to observing Christmas have been adopted by the Japanese. Christmas trees are placed at home and Christmas parties are held around Christmas Day. Although they are different from Christmas parties, many bonenkai (forget-the-year-parties) gatherings are held among co-workers and friends. You might see many drunk people in the streets on December nights.

The Japanese tend to find things of interest from abroad and transform them into something that is uniquely Japanese. It's a Japanese way to celebrate Christmas Eve by eating Christmas cake. Christmas Eve has also become a night for couples to go out and spend a romantic time together at fancy restaurants or hotels. It isn't easy to make reservations for such restaurants and hotels at the last minute on this day.

Pigret Purchase

I have been wondering all day if this has Tonjie beat???

The Path to Enlightenment...

I am still searching for it, but I can assure you it is not on one of the 7 trails leading up Mt.Takao in the autumn.

Last weekend we went to Takao, a little mountain town about an hour outside of Tokyo. It is famous to see fall leaves and a view of Mt Fuji. There is a temple on the side of the mountain on the way up which is very cool. The whole thing is sweet looking, but it's so so so crowded.

No. crowded is not the right word. Swarming masses of pushy, confused looking people (ie: Am I on the right trail?? Hmmm, I don't know-I should probably stop and look at the map for the 17th time because the other 20,000 people single file ahead of me aren't indication enough that I am indeed heading up the mountain) pretending they have blinders on and therefore they are innocent when they blatantly ram into you and practically push you off the trail to get one person ahead of you.

The start of the trail. seriously.
Switchbacks near the top. It's funny, they provide the different trail info in terms of time rather than distance. We figured out that it totally makes sense, because you can't go faster or slower if you try...you just go with the flow.
Yet as I witness a 20 year old guy with leather pants, perfectly spritzed hair and a prada handbag shove down an 80 year old woman dressed like she is ready to summit Everest, I can't get frustrated, because no one else is mad or frustrated-it's the way it is. Just be a part of the crowd and deal with it. Don't get angry and don't rock the boat.

You know how people say if you want to see the real America go to the DMV? Well this is the real Japan. Follow the tour guide up the mountain. I am getting closer and closer to really understanding it every day.

What I do know is this. If that many Americans were clustered that close together EVER, anywhere on the face of this earth, there would either be murders or tramplings. Probably both.It was a beautiful view-no denying that.
Some good Engrish shirts:
I feel happiness when I eat a potato too...

At the bottom snacks and entertainment...

Then, bliss. Hiking up the mountain was really secondary to the real reason we went to Takao. Kevin was taking me to Ukai Toriyama for my birthday. Ukai Toriyama is a restaurant I had heard about when we first moved here. The restaurant is made up of all these little Japanese houses tucked in the mountains along a stream. The food is seasonal traditional style kaiseki meals (course meals) in tatami rooms. The houses lit up as night fell and there were rice paper lanterns dotted all around the hills surrounding the restaurant. I loved it.






We just got back from a great weekend in Kyoto...stay tuned for that!

Standard bizarre stuff...

Looks normal...till you notice what she is suffocating in that pink bag.
Pretty Sunset

Justin and Annie, this is what I was trying to find to show you when you were here- F Cup cookies. Cookies to make girls an F cup...go big or go home.
Persimmon Tree. I am really loving persimmons this fall. When Holly visited she said they were good in yogurt, and I have been doing that quite often.

It got up to 70 degrees on this day. 70 degrees means not only time for fur but time for down suit.
Time for Mr Sanders to be dressed up like Santa!
These kids are healing drunks?

Just your average bowl of fish eggs at the grocery store-this is so normal to us now, but every once in a while I remember that they don't have this at Smiths (UT), Lunds (MN) Dominics (IL) or Food Emporium (NY) and I realize grocery shopping is going to someday be extremely boring compared to now.
Okay, this girl was officially the strangest looking, skinniest person I have ever seen up close...It turned out that one day I was sitting on one of my favorite corners taking fashion photography, and I happened to be sitting next to a "set" if you will for this photographer taking pictures of these "cute" girls with cell phone decorations...like swarovski crystal decorations that you stick on your phone...Anyway, a stream of models showed up one by one, signing their contracts and doing their shoot.

Here is another girl doing her shoot with other girls primping in the background.
These girls looked like anime girls. I can't tell you how weird it is up close! They have HUGE eyelash extensions and hair extensions and they put these contacts in their eyes to make their eyes sparkle...You see them in Ads everywhere, like literally driving behind us as the shoot was going on...but it's crazy to see up close. I don't want to say I think the pressures are more or less to be a certain way here vs America...but in my opinion, it's just more strange here. In the US people basic try to look like celebrities...IN Japan they try to look like a cartoon version of a human- with big sparkly purple eyes.
Cartoons which are often drawn by and obsessed over by anti-social Otaku (geeks) who are scared of real girls, lock themselves in their parents basement or small apts and never go outside except to pick up the latest edition of their comic book.

Hmmm, I am getting carried away with extremes here. This is definitely a sub group of people. But I have read a ton of articles now on men who say they don't want real girlfriends because they can hurt them, so they resort to comic books or lifesize dolls (don't even get me started on that) so it's just funny, that in turn, these girls are trying to look like the anime characters with the big eyes.
or school girls once they are too old to be school girls. Thats right, feed the fetish girls, feed the fetish...

Back to reality. Domo Kun.
So apparently Domo Kun is the mascot for 7-11 now (According to the Billy Ray Blog) and Hello Kitty has a Mac makeup line? Get ready for Japan to infiltrate your lives as it has mine!!! You can't escape the "Japanese Cute" It will have you squealing as they do here "Ka Why EEEEEEEE!!!!"

Fall Visitors

Alright I am back to the blog! I have so much to catch up on!

Since the wedding we have had 3 sets of visitors stay with us. All three sets were great fun and we were so glad they made it out to Japan...

First, Taylor, Holly and Hendrix chan came over from Utah. They actually beat me to Tokyo!
They were in town for a few weeks and did lots of traveling around to Mt Koya, Nagano, Hiroshima and Kyoto. While in Tokyo we hit some well known neighborhoods, kamakura, parks and plenty of restaurants.

Hendrix mastered knuckles while in Japan. At one point he was walking up to people on the subway doing it. Girls, old men, you name it. Really cute. Everyone loved him.

Hendrix and I trying to move this rock
Hendrix Chan was a little timid with the ladies...
guy walking around with a bunny on his shoulder
dog stroller-I just can't get enough of these
random guy blowing into shell

Hanging at Yoyogi
Greaser doing hair


ramen yum!
This is what I wish I could do with my shabu shabu dipping bowl.

out for sushi

We went out to Enoshima Island, the location of my Seahawk attack back when our parents visited. Here is a picture of Kevin eating EXACTLY what I was eating that day when a hawk landed on my head in the EXACT spot. Here are other people eathing too! Nothing! No attacks!


Taylor and Holly had a 1 year old with them. Can I just say they are bold travelers. They get my Bold Traveler stamp of approval. (I really think we have had enough visitors that I should be able to give out awards and stamps of approval at this point...and if I am giving out awards, Carl still wins for best purchases)

Anyway back to Holly and Tay. They already had with them things you need when you have a 1 year old. (Stroller, etc) They added to this 3 boxes of dishes (beautiful-wish I had a pic but they were packed by the guys at Kappabashi market) THEN they went off in a cab to Tokyo Station to catch a train to the airport to catch their flight on standby (they made it) . That, my friends, should be a challenge on Amazing Race. Here is a pic with the taxi full.
You can see two of the boxes in the background of this picture. Bold!

A few days later our friends John and Katie arrived. They hung with us on the weekends and went to Kyoto during the week. We know John and Katie from NY (John and Kevin work together) but they also lived in Chicago. They moved to Hong Kong at the same time we moved to Japan, so we had lots of common experiences to share and it was great catching up with them.

The one thing we do not have in common is that they now have a 6 month old Jake! They brought him along...He was a monster for Halloween.

He made friends with our favorite monster
New I heart shirt spotting!

This guy was just walking down the stairs...no big deal. I want to point out that this was an entire week before Halloween.
Great turnout in Harajuku








These people were not amused at all
We also went to Akihabara
There must have been some big video game release because it was a complete dorkfest. More hand held gaming devices than I have ever seen in one place.
and this kid...totally didn't mean to snap him!

A couple days later, Justin and Annie came out from Utah. I was looking forward to the stares a tall red-head would receive here. Justin learned quickly about old ladies (that cam up to about his hip) ramming their heads into the back of you in subway stations and other busy areas.


Justin and Annie took in the sights of Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura and Yokohama. Yokohama left us wondering what exactly we were supposed to see (I hadn't been anywhere except Chinatown) so I'll have to make that an adventure one of these days. I don't have a single picture to show we were there except maybe the meal I ate...

Anyway, here are some pictures of their trip...

Please do not disturb the display of ceramic "flogs"
Shibuya crosswalk
scoping out he liquor vending machines
a petite beer
We figured out how to use the Kawai! (cute!) photo booth in Shibuya...
cross dressing harajuku man dressed up like a school girl
boy at a wedding at a shrine in Kamakura
Hase Temple
Bad Boy in Nikko

Nikko leaves were beautiful!
Maids in Akiba

Justin eating tonkatsu
curry udon
Kevin and Justin feeling tall in front of the tiny door of the sweet little bar we stumbled into...right next to something called Strawberry Jam in the Love Hotel section of Shibuya

Love her


Justin doing his best to sit at this table.

It was too small so we moved to this one....Still too small, hysterical!

We had such a great time with everyone! Thanks for coming.

Two Years

October and the beginning of November was filled with visitors. We had a great time with all of them and I will post some pictures soon...

For now, here are a few randoms to celebrate TWO YEARS of living in Tokyo. We still aren't bored!!!carrot/apple flavored kit kat


Kevin gives it a thumbs down

carmel punkin sticks were okay
ginger ale kit kat was suspiciously addicting











This was one of the best pics ever NOT taken on halloween. I love the little kid flashing heart guy the peace sign...

2 Falls

I am so lucky to be getting 2 Fall seasons this year. I was able to see Utah in the fall and the leaves are just starting to change here in Japan now (Well at least in the Tokyo area)

Here are a few pictures of the Wasatch the day after the wedding. Can you tell I am learning how to use a polarizing lens?









Here are a couple after the snow 4 days later...it gave the colors such a muted look...these aren't edited to look like watercolors but they do!

Married Life

Kevin and I have been married 1 month today.

So far married life is going really well. That is to say things are going exactly. the. same. as before we were married. Oh, except that I put sprigs of parsley on the plate now when I cook dinner. I am a clever bride now damn it.

Anyway, We have decided to go to New Zealand on our honeymoon in February and can't wait!

The wedding was so so so fun for us. Really just an amazing weekend with lots of laughing, mountains and love.

I have pimped these pictures from too many people to name...who have either sent me pics or they are on FB...I can't put the professional pics on here right now because I won't get a disc till we are home for x mas...

Hiking Cecret Lake on Friday

Taking the tram up to get pics at the top of Hidden Peak:





The Ceremony:



The reception:




Our Mountain Climber cake topper was my favorite

Tarantella line dance to the cookie cake
If I am correct, and I think I am, they played 1 slow song other than our First dance, Dad's dance, Mom's dance and the last song. Lets just call the music a healthy mix of 80's hairband, James Brown, and a few like Apple Bottom Jeans type numbers to keep everybody honest.
And the life changing moment of the night (other than the life changing moment of getting married) was...wait for it... wait for it....

Mutti and Kevin dueling air guitars to Sweet Child O Mine!

Kevin triple fisting beers. We never had that, "We should watch what we drink tonight" talk.
It was a happy night. Although I said I am not feeling a whole lot different right now I can say it's pretty awesome to get to marry your best friend. I'm a lucky girl and will never take it for granted.

Here was one of my favorite things read during the ceremony. The Prophet is one of my all time favorite books:

On Marriage

BY: Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.


PS: If you are reading this and have pictures can you please burn me a cd? I would love them.

Meanwhile in Japan...

I will do a post on the wedding and Taylor and Holly's visit, but these images just appeared on my camera and I just have to immediately post them...

On the subway:
It says, "I and My Bite because I like it"
Everyone on the phone. And girl wearing fur...Because it's time for fur damnit. It doesn't matter that it's 70 degrees out. The fashion season can't wait for the weather.

more fur
Do they have these at McDonalds in the US?

Sticker shock over punkins. This is $41 USD

"sample ladies"
Hello Kitty goes emo?
No not really, I spotted this tour bus. These are the moments that stop me dead in my tracks. Sure it happens every day, but it's still great.
toilet at airport
Equipment for girls here that want a double eyelid...this is glue. Very common.



Place wear lolita girls shop
place wear salary men eat

Catching up -Summer in Utah

I was home in Utah for all of August and September. I took 16 gig of pictures, so I am just putting some favorites.Kevin and I went back for the beautiful wedding of his brother, (and my new Bro and Sis-in Law) Alan and Stephanie. I wish I had some pictures from that night at Tuscany restaurant. It was so much fun! They make a great couple. Our moments at Tokyo Disneyland cemented my thoughts on that :)

After that, it made no sense for me to come all the way back to Tokyo just to turn around and fly back for our own wedding, so I stayed in Utah. Before going back to Tokyo, Kevin and I went to Grand Mesa to the Moss Cabin with his parents and Brian. It was good fun. As always I tend to catch lots of fish and lose every time at the nightly game of Russian Rummy. I LOVE it up there- so beautiful.









chasing cows on our hike.


A week after that, I visited Ben in Santa Barbara where we immediately set off for Big Sur straight from the airport. It was so amazingly beautiful on that drive. I couldn't believe that there wasn't too much car traffic. It really was an open road...often times with ocean on one side and what looks like Montana on the other. Crazy!







The rest of the weekend we hung out in Santa Barbara, which I don't really have pics of but is a great city! We also went to wine country nearby and randomly drove right by Neverland Ranch.

A peaceful Sunday drive

This is beautiful countryside.
As we approached Neverland Ranch, neither of us knew what it was. I actually thought the groupp of people gathered ahead on the road and stopping was a garage sale. Why the hell would there be a garage sale in the middle of nowhere? When we realized what it was we turned around and got out. How can you not? So there was a group picnicing out front, a boy singing and several people crying, either at the singing boy or just in general. There was also a lady in stripper stilletos swaying to the sound of the singing.

Back from Cali, I was doing final wedding stuff and lots of hiking with Mutti. We hit Red Pine Lake, Lake Blanch and the Brighton Lakes.

In our groove rocks




Spotted 3 male moose up at Brighton Lakes with JP and Mutti. It was so hard to take pictures because they were in a shady spot. It was awesome to see them though. We are a family of moose lovers!





Also went wildflower watching earlier in August and was in Utah all the way through the first snow of the year!





I should clarify: We are a family of moose loving dorks with cameras.

with a dorky dog that loves dressing up. This year for Halloween he is going to be a lobster. He got his costume 2 months early so he can just wear it around.

Testing out the beer that JP and I home brewed last May...
Here is my maid of honor Megs and I at greek fest:

Here is Treena and I

And that was me after Treena forced an entire pastry in my mouth all at once. Lets be honest though, I didn't put up that much of a fight...

So the weekend before the big day JP, Jenny, a couple others and I went down to Escalante camping. We had the goal of going into the Slots down there. It was so freaking cool!

Here are Hand, Jenny and JP following the Cairns to the entrance of Spooky Slot canyon
Jenny standing at the entrance
View looking out the entrance from the inside

Then it starts to narrow....

a lot.





We also hiked to Calf Creek falls...beautiful as you can see...

Next post will be about the wedding and the fall leaves. Later!

Latest Favorite commercial in Japan

First, got to the link below. Once the page loads, click on the button that says "Merida PV" to see the commercial that just rocked my world.

Click Me

I would like to point out that they sell real diamonds. I am obviously going to this store right now and will report back.

Bite Me....or you

Now that I am 31 it's time to be a grown up, so I got a new shirt.

I don't think it needs much explanation, but I would like to dedicate this shirt to Playlist.com, who won't let me play my playlist in Japan anymore....beasts.

Dear James Brown, Axl Rose and Sebastian Bach:

Thank you for making sure that whenever I hear Hot Pants, Sweet Child O Mine and 18 and Life I will think of getting married. It was the best most beautiful day ever! And I will laugh out loud and have an ear to ear grin thinking about what a silly an fun night it was.

I would put those songs on my music player but apparently in the 6 weeks since I left Japan it became illegal for me to use playlist.com. I don't know if you can hear my playlist in the USA but there is nothing I can do to change it!

So I was gone for 6 weeks. I took a few trips and had such a nice time hanging out with my family. I went through a ton of pictures today and I hope to post some very very soon. I was killing time today going through 16 gigs of photos I took while a typhoon was supposedly blowing over.

That was the worst typhoon EVER, by the way. I thought there would be sideways rain, scary wind, a possible running scene similar to Godzilla. We got NOTHING. I think it hit somewhere else in Japan but the Tokyo segment was a total joke. To add insult to injury, as I am typing this I have CNN on, who is reporting that Tokyo is facing a ton of rain and that we are getting slammed. Ummm, yeeeeaaah. We are in Japan not another planet. (although it most definitely feels like another planet) You can't just straight up lie for news, can you? It is just super funny to be looking out my window at a cloudless blue sky and hear these news reports.

Glad to be blogging again. Stay tuned for pictures!

Japan's next first lady says she rode spaceship

Taken from MSNBC


Japan's 'Alien' official and abductee wife
Sept. 4: While the incoming Prime Minister of Japan is nicknamed "The Alien," for his eyes, it's his wife who claims her soul was abducted by aliens, and traveled to Venus. NBC's Dan Scheneman reports many Japanese consider the couple to be a "breath of fresh air".

Japan's 'Alien' official and abductee wife

"While my body was asleep, I think my soul rode on a triangular-shaped UFO and went to Venus," Miyuki Hatoyama, the wife of premier-in-waiting Yukio Hatoyama, wrote in a book published last year.

"It was a very beautiful place and it was really green."

Yukio Hatoyama is due to be voted in as premier on Sept. 16 following his party's crushing election victory over the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party Sunday.

Miyuki, 66, described the extraterrestrial experience, which she said took place some 20 years ago, in a book entitled "Very Strange Things I've Encountered."

Been to Venus
When she awoke, Japan's next first lady wrote, she told her now ex-husband that she had just been to Venus. He advised her that it was probably just a dream.

"My current husband has a different way of thinking," she wrote. "He would surely say 'Oh, that's great'."

Yukio Hatoyama, 62, the rich grandson of a former prime minister, was once nicknamed "the alien" for his prominent eyes.

Miyuki, also known for her culinary skills, spent six years acting in the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female musical theater group. She met the U.S.-educated Yukio while living in America.

A strong believer in spiritualism, Hatoyama said in a TV appearance earlier this year she met U.S. actor Tom Cruise — in a previous life.

"I have a dream that I still believe will come true, which is to make a film in Hollywood," she told a TV talk show in May. "The lead actor is Tom Cruise, of course. Why? Because I know he was Japanese in a previous life.

Cruise encounter
"I was with him then. So he would recognize me when I see him and say 'long time, no see!'" she said, though cautioned the program's young interviewer not to take her seriously.

Cruise starred in the 2003 film "The Last Samurai," which was set in Japan.

"I also eat the sun," Hatoyama said on the program, looking up with her eyes closed, raising her arms high as if she was tearing pieces off an imaginary sun. "Like this, hum, hum, hum. It gives me enormous energy."

She also has had a "Miracle Interview" column in the monthly spiritual magazine "Mu." Her columns were published last year in a book called "Most Bizarre Things I've Encountered," a compilation of interviews with 26 prominent people, including writers, scholars and culinary experts revealing their strange or spiritual experiences.

Cold Feet?

Hardly. It is only a couple weeks now until Kevin and I tie the knot. I am really excited for the wedding and I am happy to be marrying Kevin. There is one thing I don't like. Actually there are a bunch of things I don't like but I will keep this to one thing.

The word.....Bride.

ugh....BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE.

Yuck. Who knows why I have never liked it before, but lately I hear it over and over and I hate it. "Wedding" and "Marry" sound fine because I think of joining two people. Plus I like saying I'm going to marry someone. "Kevin. I'm going to marry you" It almost sounds like a threat which I think is funny.

But bride is a singualr term, a title, an identity, something you will always be from now on that you can't escape that has certain expectations tied to it. Yikes. Bride. Mrs. ewe.

So to COMPLETELY CEMENT AND VALIDATE my fear of this word guess what I stumbled upon? A glorious book on our bookshelf downstairs that I never knew we had. It's weird. I know EVERY book on that bookshelf. And I have never seen this book. I really think this just appeared out of thin air like a big fat "Are you sure?" sign.

Happy Living- A Guidebook for Brides
published 1965

I bet you know what I am going to say next.


Holy Shit.



With chapters like "cooking breakfast" and "setting a pleasing table" etc, I am reading about what it was like to be a Bride in 1965.

Here are some quotes that stood out:

"Feeding a husband successfully starts with feeding him the things he likes to eat, and a clever bride cooks to please her man"

stop right there. Did that just say CLEVER BRIDE?

"The wise young homemaker will use a touch of color on the serving plate-a sprig of parsely or water cress, a dash of paprika, a lemon slice, or a radish rose to make the dish attractive"

"You and only you stand between you and your husbands starvation- you make up your mind to follow a rewarding path. You decide to learn to cook well"

"Make sure your coffee pot is sparkling clean. That means it should be thouroughly scrubbed after each use"

"if he likes cereal or cream of wheat every morning that is undoubtedly what you will give him. If he is a ham n' eggs man, that is what you will cook for him"

"List in separate columns the jobs you do daily weekly and occasionaly"

Don't get me wrong I LOOOOVE to cook. And I am not completely against cleaning the coffee pot every once in a while. It's the tone. The tone that once you are a Bride your entire purpose and sense of self changes into a servant.

And that is why I hate the word bride and will refuse to consider myself one. Thank goodness I didn't see this book any earlier. Lucky for Kevin - I am still sure I want to marry him. ;)

A really Great article

about Japan

Email From Kevin

I haven't been back in Utah for more than 24 hours and got this e mail from Kevin about his day walking around Tokyo:

I heart pies
I heart spank
I heart bohemians heart hats??????

oh, and a store packed with 80s clothes play 2 live crew. I stopped just to listen to the words and wondered if anyone knew what they were saying. awesome.

I thought that was funny and so typical..

Well , thats all I had to say. Tokyo is the most overstimulating place on the face of this earth. I am convinced. Sometimes I think when I leave it stops. (not really but do you know what I mean?) I don't really think the world revolves around me, but it is sad to realize that someday we will leave there and that energy that I love so much will stay there...evolving into the latest fad or funny t-shirt and we won't be there to see it. But it's comforting to know there will always be a store playing uncensored 2 Live Crew.