night.

this is what japan looks like for a local.


this is what japan looks like for a foreigner.

randoms.

appreciate.

while i wasn't able to find any pepsi ice cucumber, or some delicious f-cup cookies, i did manage to buy an array of toys, clothing, snacks and an assortment of oddities. japan, as mentioned in many previous posts, is amazing. every time i come here, i am impressed, intrigued and wide-eyed. the attention to detail. the randomness. the fashion. the simplicity. the elegance. there is so much to take in and so much to appreciate:

the hand towels given at restaurants before you eat. when they are hot, you feel as though your hands are being cleansed of all the dirt and germs you've collected from the day. when they are cold, you feel fantastically refreshed and rejuvenated, both your hands and your face.

the vending machines at virtually every corner offering everything from ice cold bottled water to an assortment of ice coffees, cafe au laits and milk teas to juices and sodas alike. pineapple juice? sure. grape juice? of course. apple? duh. grapefruit? yes. orange? uh-huh. coke? yep. pepsi? check. the point is, in japan, you will never die of thirst.

the welcome greetings you get when you walk into a restaurant or store may go unnoticed by most, but i hear it every time and appreciate it every time. what i appreciate even more are the thank you's you get when you leave. at a store, even if you haven't bought anything, they thank you for coming in. such nice manners.

speaking of manners, there's a general sense of friendliness all around. people are polite, kind and willing to help. i've read on many blogs about experiences with japanese people being cold and unwilling. my experience has always been the opposite. i'm always treated well and with constant smiles.

the transportation, from subways to trains, to buses and taxis, is seemingly flawless. the trains are on time. the taxi's are everywhere. the buses run like clockwork. it is so easy to get around. the array of public transportation allows for endless hours of exploration and fun.

the hidden streets that you stumble upon make tokyo exciting and mysterious. stores you'd never expect to find pop up on the most random streets. so many of the stores that i wanted to visit ended up being on tiny little streets, often hidden, seemingly purposefully to create a sense of mystery and intrigue. 1 week in tokyo is hardly enough if you expect to find the gems sprinkled throughout the sprawling metropolis.

lastly, for now, the fact that there are toilets EVERYWHERE, makes for a pleasant and mind-easing trip. having peace of mind, knowing you are seconds away from an often times state-of-the-art public restroom, is an awesome feeling. can i get an amen?

we fly out tomorrow, ready to get back to the real world and ready for some jet lag. again. pictures to come soon.

sayonara, for now.

it's a scorcher.

i am not down with this heat.

as you can read from the above article, yesterday was the hottest it's ever been. average august temperatures are usually in the high 80's. everyday that we've been here thus far has been between 101 and 105.

humid=sticky=tired=backaches=hungry=queasy=footaches=prolif=thirsty.

yet, despite the weather, we are having a wonderful time. how can you not when you are in such an amazing place.

hot hot heat.

record heat (104 degrees) and 5.3 earthquakes at 4 in the morning. oh my.

underground.

the last thing you might want to do when traveling to tokyo is visit the city's sewer system. but there's something surprisingly elegant, beautiful and science fiction-y about tokyo's underground as illustrated by the pictures below. and yes, if you want to actually take a tour of the world beneath the bustling streets, you can. just be sure to hold your breath.

greetings and more.

greetings from tokyo. a bit sleepy, but feeling okay. starting to get used to the 18 hour travel days (laxairport+airplane+tokyoairport+bus+taxi). considering the heat here (101 and humid), much of the trip may be spent trying to find the nearest air-conditioned shop/restaurant/taxi. looking forward, as always, to taking lots of pictures...

below, a cool dual music player that supports cd and mp3 files. use the mp3 player as you normally would, hang it around your neck, clip it on your jeans or place it in your pocket. otherwise open both sides and insert your favorite cd and you've got yourself a cd player. i don't know many people who still use cd players, but it's still blogworthy because of its design...

plug light.

22.

dinner in the sky.

care to dine high up in the sky? care to feast on visuals? well, you can, courtesy of dinner in the sky. you can dine anywhere you choose. a lift will transport you high above the ground and a chef, waiter and entertainer will accompany you to provide you with everything you need to have a good time. unusual is an understatment.




for more info, click here.

bookstore.

pretty rad kid's bookstore in beijing. lots of little nooks to curl up in and read.

macro fun.

f-cup.

Apparently, these cookies have a breast-enhancing herb called pueraria mirifica in them.

awesome.

dollhouse.

modernist dollhouse.

helmets.

i mentioned in a previous post about my affinity for everything daft punk. (i actually went to see them at the la sports arena last week. pretty awesome). the robot helmets that they wear are probably the coolest things. ever. what price would you have to pay to have your very own? try $64,000. and that's only if daft punk will give you the rights. assuming they do, you can have them made to order. so what's the lottery at now?

barca.

street art from barcelona.

better view.

better view is a roll-up black-out curtain by finnish designer elina aalto of fiasko design. the perforated city views currently available are shinjuku, tokyo, and kallio, helsinki. each piece is custom made by hand.


click here.

heart on sleeve pillow.

what time is it?

this might have to be added to the collection:



what makes it cool? well, instead of a traditional clock face, the Zihotch resembles a shrunken version of a rotary dial telephone. just dial 117 and the current time is announced through a speaker in the center of the dial. ring up a wrong number, however, and a frighteningly familiar voice from phone calls past drones "we are sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service. please check and call again...." apparently there are other messages should you dial different numbers. you can also program it for wake up calls. and, if you dial 107, you can hear a japanese train call (if you're ever in japan, the sounds and voices from train stations are uniquely cool).

you can buy the watches in japan. or you can get them here for about $52.

park planters.

"Drawing inspiration from the bonsai, park planters were created to elevate the common household plant to the status of full grown tree. The potted plant becomes the backdrop for an urban park scene. Ranging from dog walkers to flashers and muggers, no two scenes are alike ensuring the autonomy of each piece."

click here.