japanese cupid

some of you may have noticed the recent 'sushi zume' make over and the addition of the google search and ads. go ahead have a click...but if you only have time for one click right now - can i strongly suggest you check out the japanese singles ad - JapanCupid.com - for a number of reasons a) you may really be searching for a 'japanese single' ?? b) you may just be curious like i was or c) you may be interested in checking out the competition and some of the do's and dont's when applying to an online dating service (this one is free i might add) can i just say...no.1 don't - DON'T select the female gallery option when you are quite obviously NOT of that gender! (check out the above photo taken from the female gallery - how does one recover from a disaster such as that?) i guess it's one way to ensure you are surrounded by pretty ladies ??

never ending list

the asakusa samba festival - another reason to keep my expectations low and my water intake high. not exactly the unbridled bacchanalia (i know bacchus was the roman god of wine and this is supposed to be all south american but anyway) i had my hopes up for...a little more like a mish mash carnivale on the ashphalt covered sahara without the cocaine and sexy trannies. typically my fault though, i rocked up late naively thinking i would get a good shot of the action - instead what i got for my laziness was a disk full of crappy photos, sweat wiped all over me and an impending urinary tract infection from all the poking and proding that i was recieving from the, slightly aggitated but trying not to show it, crowd.  regardless, i would still recommend it, get there early, better yet get yourself geared up and get amoungst the feathers and bedazzles.  inspirational enough to have me dusting off my lonely planet guide to brazil and pumping up the brazilian beats.

a stitch in time

with typhoon number, oh i don't know...three hundred and forty seven, sweeping through tokyo this weekend - i decided to batten down the hatches and feather my nest. these domesticated housey phases dont come round too often - think the last time i felt like this was in Feburary of 96, so i really took advantage of the home-loving rush and boy did i domicilate (pretty sure thats a word - atleast it fits with the image im trying to convey) i blew dust off the tops of things, i swished dirt away with my hand, i even scrubbed without rubber gloves got those suds right up under my nails...
and then things got a little crafty - as if the home making wasnt enough, i then scoured my freshly organised cupboards for something to transform. nah nothing much around so i braved the whistling wind for a few moments and landed in the 100 yen store and then my local olympic - and tadaa (my new favourite word) i transformed a plain pair of japanese school shoes into a less nasty model. although the gasp and look of terror recieved from zume when he caught sight of them, im not so sure they ARe less nasty - but relief and hugs when i mentioned that i made them for school and i am sure the kids would love them (zume is much too nice to always say what he means but his look said 'yest kuristo deanne you are not thinking of wearing them in public are you?')

no. 10 reason

why i love tokyo

this is the only beggar i have ever seen

no. 9 reason

why tokyo is the coolest

100 yen stores

like...  daiso
          can do
           watts
           shop 99 (technically not a 100 yen shop as everything costs 99 yen)
 

no. 8 reason

why tokyo is the coolest place to live

and then when it turns out that the fortune you chose really sucks and gives you a sick feeling in the gut - you just tie it up, let the wind blow the bad fortune away and wander off

no. 7 reason

why tokyo is the coolest and most interesting city in the world to live and a fun place to visit
the thrill you get when you shake the barrel to get the stick that holds the key to your fortune at the omikuji place at asakusa's sensoji temple

CHECK THIS OUT > cyber shrine - you can get your fortune online now dont even have to pay 100 yen for the all telling slip

no. 6 reason

why tokyo is the best place to live and the greatest place to visit...

the strip shopping in asakusa for all things cute and japanesey

no.5 reason

why tokyo is too much fun

 

green sequin fish helmets and attachable dog shit
the costume section of tokyu hands
5b chicks that stare at you like you are a freak with dog shit attached to your head (note the lady, arm crossed, in the background)

no. 4 reason

why tokyo is the coolest city

anything, anywhere, anytime
you can go to the 24hr drug store for dunny paper and wet tish and end up with blue streaks, some new diet candy that puffs up to 30 times its size when it reaches your gut so you never have to eat again, sesame soba sauce, two cans of beer, a miracle disinfectant and some fireworks...

no. 3 reason

why i love living in tokyo

it's totally acceptable to wear sparkley nail art ALL of the time

no.2 reason

why i love living in tokyo

there is an onigiri to suit everyones personality and taste

no.1 reason

why i love living in tokyo

summer festivals

all summer long

love from tokyo

i knew that having mum here to play with for a couple of weeks would seriously reignite my steamy lust for tokyo. hour after hour, day after day i was reminded why i love where i live and live where i love!

and having anna back in town - the queen of lists - i am inspired to create my very own lengthy list of why i love this city so...

im not sure how long it will be ??? but i'll post the reasons as they come to mind, in no particular order  over the next couple of days/weeks/months/years...

(funny photo of mum ironically holding in her own laughter because the slary men around her were acting up - i wonder how funny they thought she was??)

rising sun

i can now report about the climb with a happier and less exhausted frame of mind, a good 12 hours after leaving the site of the ordeal.  if i had of packed my ibook i may have whipped it out on the descent (by far the most painful part) and possibly began the report something like this...

I totally recommend climbing mt fuji - if you FRIGGIN HATE YOURSELF!

but now after a good hard kip on the bus ride back to shinjuku, a long and relaxing scrub and a near unconscious slumber - i have started to look through the photos - all 623 of them - and its clear why we did it and why most people tackle such a task!

it was spectacular - actually beyond words - as the mountain started to transform from a dark rugged hunk of rock into an overwhelming wonderland bathed in colour and warmth we sat speechless and just soaked it up

(mama soaking it up)

All in all it was a calm ordeal, without injury - physical or emotional. there were times when i thought i would piss my pants with laughter and times when i thought one of us were just going to stop and drop - but we made it! to the top? - no...but to a position that allowed us the most breathtaking sunrise ever!

fuji is 3776 m high - we got past the 8th station and to a rocky outcrop at 3250m and the sun just wouldnt wait any longer, so we stopped, photographed and totally chilled.

coincidentally we were at the ascending and descending route meeting point, so without too much hesitation we decided to start the slide down- i think there was a slight bit of disappointment in our hearts that we didnt keep going to the "top" - but hey one mans top of the mt is another mans heart failure...we came, we conquered, we saw the rising sun!

memorable quotes from the climb...

overheard two japanese shop staff in the 5th station store:

A: there are alot of foreigners here

B: of course - japanese wouldnt climb mt fuji

mama mia - certainly the most vocal and hilarious

'those bloody bells are giving me the shits'

'holy fuck'

'i'm fine its just my heart and lungs'

'fancy bringing a dog up here'

'i just bashed my brains out on the toilet door - wanna take a photo of my lump'

'if i didnt have this bloody back pack i would be right!'

'whose idea was this?"

 

the constant calls from zume kept me going

'gambarro' (do your best)

'zutto issho' (always together)

I PROMISE to make a photo album tomorrow - its almost 2am and we are going to friggin disneyland tomorrow - i better get my beauty sleep before mingling with the likes of cinderella and minni

you are gonna need proper shoes

just in case you are ever in the mood for a 360 degree view on top of a 3776m summit (mt fuji) this is what you are gonna need (according to the broucher we picked up at the shin okubo camping store)

- long sleeve shirt
- underwear

- socks
- pants

- jumper/sweater

- hat and beanie

- gloves

- tights
- good shoes ??

- spats

- stick

- back pack

- head lamp

- extra batteries

- maps

- water bottle

- watch

- towel

- plastic bags

- bag cover

- wet packs

- sunglasses
- tent ??

- tissues
- suncream

- first aid

- health insurance

- pen and paper

- camera

- food

- oxygen

happy hanabi

sumida hanabi

paint nails
muck around
pack a bag
muck around some more
finally have shower
put on yukata at last minute
realise dont know how to put on yukata
cant breathe
run out door already late
forget music
run back to apartment
cant get in locked out
grab ipod
run back down street
hurrying for station
old man with photo print tshirt stops us
told yukata is very wrong
say we are late and have to go
old man insists we must change
takes us to side alley beauty parlour
old man and hairdresser which he calls sensei talk at length
she rips of our yukatas and starts again
very late
still hot and sweaty
can breathe better
pay some money and give some lollies
rush for train
recount bizarre experience
finally meet friends
friend has yukata on wrong way
stopped many times
find toilet to change
sweating
wander the streets
sweating some more
no convenience store
chu hi for 500 yen - ridiculous
shewwed away by homeless  man
kick up some dirt
look for another spot
set up on side of path
think we are safe
eat peas drink beer
shewwed away by park ranger
yukata sticking to ankles
beautiful obis
dirty feet
pretty flowers
music not loud enough
find baseball stadium
no space
consider making friends
find a spot under a tree
find the busiest convenience store ever
buy as much chu hi as we can carry
paint nails
add sakura and glitter
talk to passers by
been there since 4am
eat onigiri
still 4 hours to go
time passes quickly with chu hi
baseball ground packed
people flowing in
get caught up in crowd
steal a space
boss sends worker over
they have been there for a week
thank god they like foreigners
big bang
sprayed with debris
more chu hi
busting
group photos
really busting
trying to think of other things
head for the porter loos
ahh the relief
forget to lock door
oblivious
mum says she saw my butt twice
so relieved dont care
bolt back to friends
pack up move towards station
1 million others do the same
too many photos
loose mum
wonder when i will everr see her again
hysterical woman launches from crowd
find mum crying
laughing too much
sick boy
good friends
vomitting boy
give some tish
get a tick
cram onto train
got a seat
eat musk sticks
make it home
blackened and exhausted

eve of the climb

you may realise by the expression on my face...
the day has come (well actually its the eve but we leave shinjuku at 7:50pm tomorrow)!

In preparation for climbing the rugged son of a bitch (n.b. prior to the climbing commitment i referred to fuji san as a glorious formation oozing with splendour and beauty - recently i have been thinking of it as one big fat mofo that needs to be whipped and conquered)

we have been sorting ourselves, making a list, checking it twice...

have also been making a few mental lists...

notes to self
-  wear and take best clean undies for the emergency rescue (please note i have not included the phrase 'in case of emergency'- a disaster on this trip is a given! not being a pessimist just a realist)
-  resist urge to over intoxicate oneself as previously done prior to other 'big nights' (although still not completely eliminating  the thought that i may have to heavily self medicate)
- prepare mentally for a calm ascent, remind self at all times that words/phrases such as the following will only hurt, alarm and disgruntle all members of the climbing team > "i fuckin hate you all and i cant keep going" "whose godforesaken fucked up idea was  this - i hate your guts" "you have got to be fuckin numbed in the skull if you think i am going any further!"


- crying is a waste of water and will also lead to the distress and disgruntlement of the team
- my ipod will probably be more useful than the earplugs i had planned on

on the 7th day

 

 

 

thank  you to  whoever created sundays. a day of rest giving us a chance to crawl up and out of the tokyo shopping fog! we have literally shopped til we dropped this week and boy did we purchase - buying everything from 100 yen crap  bargains and tokyo soveniers to saucey street shoes and sparkely numbers. 
if you are lucky i might give you a sneek peek into some of the fab tokyo shopping bags...

ps tokyo stores never shut down not even on a sunday