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I have been a little lazy with the blog this week.Over the weekend it was 35 degrees and humid. A good excuse, I think, for me to do little but work and then pass out. Strangely enough it was colder than it has been for weeks this evening so I have no excuse for continued laziness.

I did discover a whole world of blogs out there written by people who are not only excellent photographers, but fantastic cooks as well. Where did they get all that talent? Not fair! Share it around a little!

Some of my favourites are listed in the links on my sidebar, and this picture is stolen from Dessert First.

I began a lovely little dream of becoming really good at baking when we move to China and I take up my housewife role, but Patrick put a swift end to that when he reminded me Chinese houses have no oven. Hmm.

I guess I’ll just have to buy an ice-cream maker or something to make up for the deficit.

Part of me is really looking forward to going back to Hefei and wants to leave immediately, another part of me can’t bear to leave Tokyo and the lovely little life we have built here. It seems every city we live just adds to the places we will miss when we leave…. but thats just a bit too negative.

Quite possibly by then end of the rainy season and when the summer hits, we will be more than ready to leave.

We went to Wang’s Shanghai dumpling restaurant again this evening. I always miss China more when we are there because it reminds me how friendly Chinese are, far more so than Tokyoites.

I had heard before we arrived in Japan how visitors here will always be considered visitors, no matter how long they have stayed. Now I can understand how true this is. I definately feel like a guest here, and not always a particularly welcome one at that.

I wonder how people feel upon coming to live in Melbourne?

Everything here is so convenient.Even the plants come in little tins. This little sprout’s tin looks just like my mints container I photographed last week.

I have been watching this tiny plant grow over the last few days on the desk at work.

I think I’ll get one for home.

The weather is perfect today. 

I have to work this evening, so never like going out far in case I am delayed and can’t get to work on time.  When the skies are blue I always feel obliged to be outside and enjoying the sunshine.

When the skies are grey and it rains all day, just like today, I have the perfect excuse to sit inside, do a little housework, and read the paper until it is time to go to work.  Perfect.

The rainy season is due to start here soon.  I think it rains for most of the month of June.  Hopefully we can think up some good rainy-day activities, or the month may be a long one.

I have been spending some time getting to know photopaint a bit better, as apparently it isn’t cheating to tweak ones photos just a little.  I uploaded a couple of shots to RedBubble and got TWO positive comments from other photgraphers.  Both far, far more talented than me.  What a lovely suprise! 

Definately have to quit my job and practice my photography now….

I really need to get out and do some good people watching with my camera in hand.

Most women who visit Japan make some sort of comment about how well presented Japanese women are.  Appearance definately has a high priority here.  Living and working in Shibuya, I seem to be in the fashion centre of Japan, so I really should be getting some photos and making the most of it.

Walking though Harajuku most days, we get to see the extremes of Tokyo fashion culture, where cosplay or ‘costume play’ is popular.  I  miss most of the action when I work on Sundays, which is when all the cosplayers gather and pose for photos.  I might have to take at least one Sunday off to go and see the spectacle for myself….

At least I get to see at least a few girls a day who get out and about in what looks like Little Bo Peep uniforms, with pink flowery dresses over thick petticoats and frilly socks. 

Patrick finds the gothic look cosplayers too scary and always gets a fright when he sees one. 

To get back to the more regular fashions, everyone seems to be wearing stockings with diamante decorations, or detailed embroidery. 

The best thing about the stocking popularity is one of the companies that is promoting this fashion.  F*ing brand stockings.  I’m not quite sure where the name came from.

Patrick saw a snake in Yoyogi Park this morning. A very large, black snake.

I am not sure if snakes are common around here, but I never expected to see one in central Tokyo.

We decided to have our lunch in Meiji Park instead, just in case…

I am loving our picnic lunches. The convenience stores here have the most amazing selection of fresh, packaged meals to choose from. It will be months before we run out of picnic menu options. This is one thing I will definitely miss when we leave, the simple, healthy and cheap meals from the convenience stores.

Today I had a silken tofu lunch box, which came with a little packet of silken tofu and numerous seasonings to mix in. It had tiny, tiny tempura fish, dried seaweed, pickled something-or-other and various other yummy things. If only we had this sort of snack option at every 7eleven in Melbourne, I think I would have eaten a much healthier quantity of Kettle chips and chocolate in the past.

Just as we finished our rather substantial lunch, an announcement rang out over the loudspeakers to remind us not to bring food or drink into the park, so as to keep it beautiful and free of rubbish. Oops.

A little embarrassing, but no so bad, as we weren’t aware beforehand, and are always careful to clean up after ourselves and make sure no litter is left behind.

Well… usually we are….

Not even a minute after the announcement, an ugly great crow appeared out of nowhere and flew off with our rubbish bag. Patrick leapt up and chased him off down the hill, much to the delight of all the other people sitting about in the park.

Unfortunately the crow casually flapped off across the lake and disappeared into the trees.

Now we understand the no-food-in-the-park rule.

After we had made a swift and quiet exit from Meiji Park, we headed off to Saitama to watch the Urawa Red Diamonds play Sydney FC. Patrick bought us Urawa fan tickets this time, so we were right in the middle of all the action.

I was enormously impressed by the singing ability of the Urawa fans; I don’t remember any Victory fans every singing so tunefully. A You Tube search of “Urawa Reds Supporters” brings up a few videos of these fans at work, they are pretty remarkable. I think Sydney FC did an excellent job of playing to that crowd.

La la la la Urawa red-suu…

We clapped along to the theme song of “The Great Escape” and to “We are Sailing”, and lots of other things I couldn’t quite recognise at the time.

I’ll have to learn the words for next time.