And then I realized, I'm just slutty.

I only took off a centimetre or so in the front but then went quite short in the back because it's going to be hella hot soon. My stylist said I look really good with straight hair as well as curly. He thinned it out a bit so he's not so heavy and blah. I like it. :) We also traded numbers so hopefully I'll have a new drinking friend.

I'm going to Enoshima with Akira and his friends on the 27th. Bryan will be there as well. See, I don't know what his angle is, but at least it feels like he's interested in me. Maybe he'll have a cute friend.

Now it's time to cook. Baked salmon, salad and bruchetta. :D

I got my nails done! I was a little bit thrown because it's in this swanky apartment over a Mos Burger. I called to make sure they were open because I was so confused and she was like "Oh, what time is good?" She wasn't busy so I didn't have to wait long but she's rented out a 1K apartment that she turned into her salon. It's very... gyaru. There's Laura Ashley and flowers and girly shit everywhere but she was really nice. I only had to pay 3800 or so and she said they'd last 2-3 weeks and then I should come back to get them filled or I can take them off. I'll see what they look like when they grow out a bit. They are subtle and girly and pink!


So I was trying to take a picture of my hair to document what it looks like right now and what I can do to make it better and whatever. And I went a bit mental... You can see the progression into retardation. I didn't end up taking a decent picture to see what my hair really looks like but... oh well.

( Shutterbug )

I went to buy a hair magazine to see what styles are trendy now and what I want to get done next time and was looking for Freecell with Sho making soba in it. I couldn't find it (probably have to go to Kinokuniya for that) but I did pick up Wink Up. I don't usually bother with the idol magazines because I don't read them and the photo shoots are shit and boring. BUT. The June issue has Sho-chan on the cover and an individual photo shoot. WITH CHILDREN! It's so worth it. Even if he does look so totally airbrushed.

Toma is looking super buff in his clothes, even though I totally did not recognize him with his new hair. Is anyone watching his drama this season?

( Pic Spam )
So that was my trip to Iwatsuki.  It's only 50 minutes away on the Tobu Noda line, and is famous for it's doll makers.  The last couple pictures are from the display on the train platform.  It was a bit too late to go look in many shops when I was leaving, but most of them made the samurai armour ones.  I didn't see many dolls for girls, but I didn't honestly look that hard.

I thought there would be a plaque or something in the park that said "This is where Itwatsuki-jo used to be" but if there was, I couldn't find it.  There were two gates still standing, however and quite a few signs.  I haven't deciphered them yet.  I also went to some of the temples and shrines around the castle because they would have been there since the Edo period when the castle was built. :)  I will definitely go back and make changes to Equilibrium to build up the town now. 

I was going to caption all the pictures, but I can't be bothered. :P  The 4th picture is of the old Han office (before Ken [prefectures] there were Han) which used to be a samurai school.  I went in and saw the rooms and talked to the attendant who told me about it all.  They learned reading and kendo but not writing, apparently.  And it was the kids jobs to do chores like keep stuff clean and pull out the storm shutters.  The area where the castle used to be--the Hon Maru, Ni no Maru, and San no Maru and the most of the moat--are now all residential areas.  They still have the same names though!  There were only two gates, the Otemon and another at the back, but now there's a paved road going right through the middle.  Only a little portion of the old castle grounds is the park, the Shin Guruwa (新曲輪).  And as I thought, no valley.

I loved going around the temples though.  I remember reading about Japanese funeral/burial rites when I was writing Nagase's death and read about how the funeral industry in Japan is such a cash cow.  Obviously but the size of some of those tombs!  It's cheaper to just put the spouse's (or entire family's) names on the tomb at the same time so they paint the living relatives' names with red paint until they die.  There was even a pet tomb.  I think the ones with bubble wrap still on are new?

New hair cut. :D  Not really so new because I've had it before but it's lookin' good now.  I'm sad my usual guy wasn't there, but I asked them to pass on the kimchi to him.  It's the first time he wasn't there!  Usually he is on Saturdays.  Maybe he switched with someone.  I'll go back at the beginning of next month and get my bangs trimmed for Yuka's wedding.  UGH I'm SO WHITE.  I took like 5 pictures to get one that didn't look gross.  I'm still having trouble finding foundation to buy. :/  Maybe I should take what I've got to the store and ask them to give me the closest thing.

Went and got my hair did today. I won't be doing anything but a cut for a long time. I went in for a cut and colour today since the blonde had to go. They told me it was an hour wait (I got there just after 11) so I came back at 12:15 but it wasn't til nearly 1pm that I got into a chair. No problem. I've waited that long before. So I told him I wanted a trim - 1-2cm off since I haven't cut it since August; to which he replied, "Why?!" - and colour and he said cool, thought about what to do and then said let's rock. He said that when the colour fades in a few weeks, there would be a difference because half of my hair was bleached and the other was natural. Anyway, after the girl dried my hair... the top was a nice golden brown but the bottom was.. like black. Really dark brown. It would have faded out to the same in about 2 weeks he said but he wanted to dye it again. So they did and this time I had 2 people working on me and then in the end it came out nice. A polished up tone of my natural colour. By the time I got out of there, it was 5pm. Holy fuck.

The upside of getting coloured at the salon: if it looks shitty, they'll do it again on the spot for free.

I'm 75$ poorer, but I look like new hotness. :D  Now with picture:


Now all I want to do is sleep. Or play Nintendo. I have to wrap this gift for tomorrow but couldn't find fucking wine wrapping anywhere. Found proper fabric paint so I can start on Andrew's shirt; I now need a ruler and tape to put the design on. Then paint, iron, wash. Luckily I have 2 days left.

Wrapping is done.  Man, wrapping bottles is a pain in the fucking ass.  I feel like a bit of a cheap ass for just buying a bottle of Canadian Club but it was supposed to be 1000 yen present and dude, I would fucking love to get this present.  I was going to go for shochu but I don't know about sake.  But I do know that CC&G is awesome.  Also wrapped it in my new furoshiki for transport!

So, you may or may not know that I have tattoos.  Two of them to be exact.  And seven piercings, all in my ears.  I had eight but one never healed properly so I let it close up.  I want one of my targus pierced but am hesitant to do it, especially in Japan.  The hygiene standards are high here and it's going to be pricey whereever I go (but at least there's only 5% tax in Japan and you don't tip) but Amanda's had some problems with hers.  Which is more likely her own fault for not caring for it properly than the fault of the piercer but still.  

Piercings don't appeal to me much anymore... or I wonder if they ever really did.  I don't have any desire to get any other part of my body done, though I have had fleeting thoughts about a navel ring, but the aftercare puts me off.  It's the least painful place to get it done I've heard, it's just skin, but also the most likely for infection afterwards.  And I'm not that slim so no one would ever see it.  Not that anyone sees my tattoos either.   Piercings hurt like a beast for weeks -- possibly up to a year -- but tattoos really only hurt during.  Afterwards, it's just tender and itchy when it's healing.  And they are addictive...  when I get back to Canada, I will get another cherry blossom on my shoulder as rememberence of my time in Japan. 


I wanted to get my zodiac on the back of my neck -- a kind of hybrid cross between pisces and aquarius because my birthday is on the cusp but I never got it done.  I also want script somewhere in a crisp gothic style but I don't know what I want it to say or where I would put it.  I saw the trailer for... I don't know the name of it but Angelina's new movie and there's a scene where you see her bare back and all her tattoos and it got me thinking.  I have coloured ones but plain black just looks so classy... Even if they aren't the same style or theme, they fit together when they are black. 

It never seems like I get to accomplish as much procrastination on the weekends as I used to.  Probably because the level of shit that I find the need to do has risen to appalling extremes not that I have made it my mission to watch Dの嵐.  I thought about writing the next part of Equilibrium because I got the perfect idea for this chapter but I didn't get around to it, or couldn't find the right start (as is becoming the norm for me these days). 

Saturday when to Hiroo and had my 3rd treatment and met Justin for dinner.  I had a really fun conversation with the nurse for like half an hour about Japan and pop culture.  And you bet JE came up. X3  She's asked me who my favourite actor was and I said Nino and she was like "What?  Why!"  Ahaha... he is a great actor and cute (even if he looks like he's 13).  Went back to the restaurant Andrew and I found when I was there last and while it was good... the オススメ menu wasn't a great as the last time.  I was a bit disappointed but had some really great mushroom risotto.  Met up with Andrew and went back to his place and studied and watched some Star Trek before bed.  I fucked up and thought that Rie had planned Taka's birthday party for Sunday night but actually it was Saturday so I missed it.  I was probably going to bail anyway if it had been Sunday... I don't feel so bad blaming it on my sheer retardedness rather than just being too tired/cheap to go.

The test was great.  I got off at the wrong station and had a little freak out but the officer at the koban was very nice and helpful.  It was only another 10 minute walk to where I needed to go in the first place and once I got to the right route, I just had to follow all the people.  I thought the test was at 11:30 but actually it was 11:50 so I had lots of time to spare.  Went to the wrong room at first; I read the sign where all the test numbers were posted correctly but for some reason thought that 1102 was on the 2nd floor... another blonde moment.  I've been really bad for those this weekend.  But the woman beside me said I was in the wrong place and another took me down and showed me where I should go.  When I walked in all the kids were like "Eehh?  Sensei?" (They must have ALT's too)  It was a bit awkward because I knew all eyes were on me as they showed me to my seat.  I was expecting it, since I wrote the test for 2nd grade kanji but it's different when you are experiencing it in real life.

It was easy!  There weren't any questions I didn't know but I did make one mistake for sure.  I'm confident that I passed and maybe in the high 90's!  I just have to wait patiently for the results to come.  It was really irritating because the kids were whispering to each other and asking to go to the bathroom through the whole test.  Why didn't you go before?  It's 40 minutes!  Can't you sit still and hold it until it's over?  I know it's a test for kanji at a low elementary level and they were all 7-8 years old, but it really took away from the seriousness of the test.  I was so tempted to look over to the kid beside me and shush him but I refrained. 

Came home and caught up on my fic reading and watched a Hanadan special on TV... Just was lazy.  I wanted to get a load of laundry done but it was rainy and shitty so I couldn't.  I went to bed at 10pm and woke up on my own at 5:30 this morning.  I could have gotten up but decided I liked sleep better.  I'm expecting a pretty relaxing week at school.  Midterm exams are on Thursday and Friday so I anticipate having more than a few classes cancelled for self-study, especially for 2nd and 3rd years.  Fine by me.  With this plot bunny in my head, I'll have my own thing to work on.  I could be ambitious and take my Japanese textbooks to school and keep on doing some studying.  I want to write the level 8 test in October and unlike 2nd year where I could already read half of them, the 3rd year words are pretty new to me.