Visitors

I've been a bit busy lately with getting through visits from M's kids of varying ages and families, which quite frankly is exhausting.

Im loving where we live though and am thrilled by visits from so many other visitors that come into the garden - including the goanna that was sitting on a rock in the front garden when we passed through the other day. There are many species of birds too, from the noisy and hilariously ungainly galahs that wake us at 5am to the pretty little '28s' with their bright colours and sweet voices that sit just off the deck in the mornings, hoping for a bit of toast.

Night vision

With nothing in the house and high tide outside our window, we went out for thai last night. This involved a 15 minute boat trip to the end of the creek and then across Pittwater to Bayview, where we borrowed a friend's mooring. As we turned the corner, our journey became interesting. The evening sun was fading and the landscape around pittwater was alive with an electric storm. Aside from fear of being in a little metal boat, we marvelled at its beauty and commented that somebody would be taking photos of it.... And here, thanks to Uge, are they.

Our first trip back in the dark, extroadinarily, we managed to remember the light signals to avoid crashes and courtesy on the water. M also managed to navigate our shallow creek with no lights so we're almost professional. Not in every case though - I picked up the 16' trailer this morning from the shop, and whilst I managed to get it home without incident - the broken fence is a dead giveaway that my 3 point turn with trailer needs a bit of practice!

PART 3 - MCCARRS CREEK

We moved yesterday. By boat! Our new house is away from the hustle and bustle of Pittwater, up at the end of McCarrs Creek. As it sits on a sandbank, we had to get up early to get in whilst the tide is high. Now our little boat which we have named 'Oshi' which means 'delicious' in Japanese, is sitting in about half a meter of water, moored off the front of our deck.

The house is AMAZING. I cannot believe how lucky we have been and it all feels like something out of a film. Its a lot more modern than the house at Elvina Bay and has a road up behind it so its a lot easier to get about. We have 173 steps down from the garage which contributes to my 30 minutes aerobic exercise a day and does make you plan what you are going to carry, when you come down! The steps were covered in dirt this morning from bush turkey diggings during the night and judging by the bangs and bumps, its a popular spot for wild life. The doors have little sausages which is apparently a prevention for funnel web access, which is something that does scare me but for a city girl, Im not doing badly, moving spiders and cockroaches outside, when I see them.

Putting the rubbish out

Back from Melbourne after a lovely week with my great friend Nics who managed to calm me down and feel a little bit more at home. Arrived in Sydney to 38 degree temperatures, which lasted a day, then plummeted to 20.

Down to practicalities. M having been left on his own, the mountain of debris had piled up in the house and I pondered about rubbish collection. It sits with water on one side and the national park on the other and with no roads anywhere near, I thought it might be interesting. I googled it and found the answer under ‘the world’s strangest garbage collections’. And here it is – every Tuesday and Friday morning, debris must be left in bags on the jetty and it will be collected by truck sitting atop a barge. It cannot be left out before because it will be opened by the other residents – so far, I’ve seen a guano, two wallabies, a possum on our terrace, not to mention the galas which wake us every morning or the kukuaburra which sits outside the kitchen window. And there are spiders. Big fat ones which crawl onto the windows at night and look like crabs. I itch constantly and keep socks in shoes. Nics swiped a handsized huntsman so professionally and I wonder if I will ever be able to do that – I doubt it!

PART 2 - Elvina Bay

On Saturday night, I went to sleep on a plane leaving Narita, and woke up on Sunday morning in Sydney. Sunday was all about getting here to Elvina Bay which is water access only – car hire, Woolworths then water taxi. Finally to the house up the inclinator (cliff lift to the rest of us!) Then, later in the afternoon, M arrived with his two youngest children who will be staying here a week. Since then it’s been jobs and its good to sit down. The first meeting went well I think, although to be honest, I’m exhausted – mostly from the build-up both to the move and the meeting. They think I’m funny apparently, which is good. His daughter (12) is hugely into fashion and labels and seemingly very unimpressed by the second hand Audi we bought yesterday and the rented house, which has ‘old people furniture’. His son (7) is just so happy to see his dad and thanked me for keeping him company in Japan. He asked if I could be his stepmother, which was very sweet, but felt like a test so I said I would like to be friends if that was ok to start off.

After a day’s skiving, they went back to school today, which meant a 6.30 taxi to the main wharf and sandwiches packed last night. I’m feeling slightly shell shocked by the whole overnight lifestyle transformation but keeping a very open mind – easier to do when I’m sitting in on the jetty with my feet in the water as I write this! I’m on my own today so had a big walk in the national park behind the house and cleaned the house. I’m slightly obsessed with spiders, having found s funnel-nest right next to the front door on the first day and a black wiggly thing in my bed the same day. I’m sure Ill get over it. Either that or permanent gloves!

Next challenge is to find a boat to get practising as we’re going for our boat-driving license next week. Before that, a few days in Melbourne with my dear friend Nic and her three boys. Hopefully I’ll feel a bit more settled when I get back.

Lunch with the girls

How I miss that! Had a bit of a taste of it though today with Yuka and Emi from M's office. A special for me as it was to an amazing fish restaurant. Yes most restaurants here are amazing, and with a set lunch at around 1,200 yen (about 8 quid) a person, it makes it very affordable to eat out during the day.

This fish restaurant was particularly special. Like most restaurants, it had a simple offering - marinated fish cooked over hot coals, although there was a choice of fish, marinated in different ways. I had haka from Hokkaido which was delicious.

The restaurant is in Evisu, opposite the statue at the front of the station, opposite Family Mart and sandwiched between Soft Bank and a dentist. There is a door going downstairs, usually with a queue on it (go at 1130 or after 1330 to avoid the rush). There is no English menu and nobody speaks English but don't be put off - have anything!

From there you can wander to Daikenyama for more shopping!

Alphabet Foundation

I've been a bit lapse of late and the reason is that I've been lending a hand to M's charity, the Alphabet Foundation, which he set up with his long term friend Peter. Peter spent some time in the refugee camps on the Thai/ Burmese border and came back vowing to do something about the lack of educational support for kids in camps throughout SE Asia.

To mark the official opening, the Alphabet Foundation have teamed up with a number of Australian big name artists, sports and television personalities who have created individual art pieces based on the letters of the alphabet. These will be sold at a silent auction which will be held at Art Sydney next weekend.

Some of the paintings are political, and reference the regimes under which the refugees live. Others, like the sculpture by 'V' by Vince Frost or 'F is for Frog' by Cash Brown, were based on the artists own childhood. There are a couple of newsworthy paintings too - including 'X marks the spot', a collaboration between artist Adam Cullen and a Roger Rogerson, where the latter has pretty much admitted a crime he was held responsible for in the court of public opinion but let off in the early '80's. M has also done a painting and has got lots of press for it too.

One of the artists, the now NSW Minister for Arts, Peter Garrett, was the lead singer in the brilliant band 'Midnight Oil'. He hasn't changed a bit... wish I could say the same!

In hot water

This place is a bit of a secret. So secret in fact that since visiting back in October last year, I haven't been able to find even its website. I'm mentioning it now because my dear friend R is visiting next Spring and this is exactly the kind of place she would love.

There are gazillions of onsen (hot springs) throughout Japan which make the most of the country's volcanic activity. Onsen are baths, many of which are public areas but are often run as part of a traditional hotel or ryokan.

We've visited a few onsen since living here, but none have lived up to my first experience. I came to Japan for a long weekend and spent 2 nights at Senjyuan in the Gunma Prefecture, about 3 hours from Tokyo. Its set in a river valley, and designed by an award winning architect, although the website makes no mention of it. Rather unusually, each bedroom has its own outdoor onsen, where you can sit and watch monkeys and snow capped mountains and experience what it must have been like way back when. You are given a yukata to wander about in and eat a traditional ryokan meal in your own private dining room. The food was gobsmackingly amazing and afterwards, with all that hot water, I slept for 12 hours. It is expensive (they all are, but seriously worth it).

Shawn

'I'm a simple girl, easy going' I said once to M when we first got (back) together. He repeats this to me now with a snigger in his voice and I realise that whilst he's referring to a different kind of maintenance, the fact is that I do need regular upkeep. In London, a six week trim with Michael and highlights (you mean that it wasn't natural?!) with Hong, and regular visits to the gorgeous Kristy, kept me mowed and sanded, despite my Birkenstock and lack of slap. Six months down the line, the breakdown in my maintenance programme is beginning to show around the edges.

Tokyo has more hairdressers than any place on earth. I don't know if this is a fact but I cannot imagine anywhere having more - they are there on every corner, on every floor, at any time of day or night. Tokyo-ites flick gleaming locks and I am the only one I know who doesn't blow dry or who scrunches her hair up in a knot permanently. Kate Moss may sport the dirty blonde lock-chick roots, but she ain't here and I'm single handedly doing it for her. I have no excuse other than fear. Fear of bleach in the hands of a raven haired nation. And the fear is strong and has rendered me to a look that M described as 'Camilla Parker Bowles'.

There is something about being a foreigner that makes you feel immune, like your not part of society and therefore doesn't really matter what you look like. Rightly or wrongly, despite being in the most polished nation on earth, my standards had fallen and I was looking a right old state!

Last weekend I met Mo, a friend of M's from Sydney and she gave me the courage, and the phone number, to book an appointment at Gold. This morning I met Vladimir who, having just got back from a night long karaoke session, sliced through my tresses with gay abandon (in more ways than one). Surprisingly, I didn't wince when large chunks of hair fell about my feet, repairing the damage of a summer of swimming and sunshine. The installing of layers has given me a new bounce. I left the salon looking in shop windows at a girl wearing boots and jeans and for once, I felt I looked like I fitted. I have bouncy, flicky, short hair like a Japanese girl.

Bendy like Bikram

I'm a big sports fiend and in London, a regular at the infamous Rikki BB's wonderful aerobics classes. I also love yoga and have tried, not always successfully, to do some every day. On arrival in Tokyo, I found classes and schools in bikram and hatha, but found that instruction in another language, as well as being double the size and less than half as bendy as the rest of the class, is slightly off putting. I finally found a school called Yogajaya which has great classes in English, with guest teachers. The level is high and I have been challenged which I have really enjoyed. It isn't cheap, although there are discounts for bulk purchases, and its slightly annoying to pay a hire fee for a mat (bring your own, Japanese mats are shorter) but I have also supplemented a couple of weekly classes by downloading classes from the Internet site MyYoga, which has a monthly subscription.

Nothing yet beats my Rikki fix so its no wonder people struggle to leave London.

Inspired presumably by Carrie's wearing of one in the SATC movie, so many friends have asked me to pick them up a kimono. I have so far failed but not without trying. On weekends and holidays, girls are wear traditional dress frequently - it always makes me laugh when their gabbing on a mobile or smoking a fag whilst wearing one! The beautiful formal dresses with all the accessories, including the little wooden platform shoes, are worn for ceremonies and I think are purchased made to measure, rather than in the Japanese equivalent of M&S.

Yukatas however, are sported by men and women as lounge wear, in the same way westerners wear tracksuits. When visiting an onsen, one is usually provided, complete with sash and overjacket for warmth, to hang about in within the hotel and wear to the traditional dinner that is usually eaten. There are loads of tourist shops selling these but I've never been tempted, and at home, I prefer to wear my own traditional dress of leggings and t shirt. If I were to change my mind however, I'd go directly to Hirocoledge. Their designs are funky and they use chusen, which is a dyeing method originating from the Meiji Period (1868-1912), which makes the patterns reversible.

They also have some other cool stuff too, like bags and cushions in the same big, bold graphic patterns. Bear in mind the right wear to wear it (right over left), otherwise its funereal (a bit like leaving chopsticks stuck into rice). You wouldn't want to get that wrong!

Gizmos for Clare

Few quick ones, especially for Clare, because I know she likes a gadget at the moment!

Firstly, a watch that gives you train information. The Yamanote watch is supplied with up to date info on the Yamanote line (a bit like the circle). Trains ALWAYS run on time though so not really sure why you’d need one.

Next we have the car park under the Tokyo Hands store. Here is our lovely Audi which is about to go through what looks like a single garage door but is in fact a carosel. It will sit there and be moved up and down as people come and go. When we are ready, its number will be called and it will appear behind the doors. We’ll then use the turntable to get it out of the tiny entrance.

Finally, if you don’t make it home, get yourself one of these table top pillows. These are sold seriously for people to get 40 winks at the office which is extremely common. Sometimes working men don't make it home during the week.

I said typhoo not typhoon!

Excuse my absence. We were in Sydney finding a lovely place to live. We did, although it's not quite in Sydney, but more on that later... As I write, the trees on both sides of the kitchen are whipping about. Japan and right now, Tokyo is experiencing a cyclone - the first typhoon to hit land in decades. After bucket loads of rain during the night (50cm apparently), the skies have cleared to beautiful blue and we have just the wind with which to contend.

As you would expect, Japan braced itself for the onslaught with military precision. Warnings were issued and instructions to fill baths with water, and stock up on goods that didn't need cooking. Naturally we got whipped up with the excitement and lashed down the roof terrace, brought the bikes inside (including the motorbike) and moved the car right under the porch. We also watched the extended news last night for information on what we might expect. Always rather amusing - I think I've mentioned previously about the English voice over news which can never quite match the sex of the newsreader to the voice, despite having a selection of both from which to choose.

At the time, the storm was over Osaka in the South West. The bulletin cut to the eye of the storm where a reporter was standing with an umbrella. "Nearly took it out my hand" he said... "the leaves are moving and when the wind blows, the boats in the harbour rock"... and "there is nobody around". This appeared to be the biggest news, although there had been some damage - cut to 3 chimney bricks fallen down.. and some people have 'voluntarily' evacuated their homes ... cut to shot of about 20 people neatly lying under yellow blankets asleep in a hall (why were they asleep at 7pm? Im not sure, maybe exhaustion!) Back to the studio....

In true Japanese style, we plan for the worst. We are shown some colourful footage of what might happen - footage of natural disasters around the world, the floods in India where people are being airlifted, some large waves in the UK, mud slides etc. Over all this, the voice over says "be careful of mud slides... be careful of flooding". We end with a shot of a woman in a wind tunnel experiencing 100 mph. I have no idea why, given the winds are only forecast to reach 70 mph.

Anyway, when I woke up this morning, I was alive and was able to let out the bathwater I had saved from last night, just in case. Apparently there are a couple of trees down and some trains are not running but that's about it. The big gusts are still here but there's nothing like wind to push away stagnant energy so I'm off again - along with my neighbours who are obsessive leaf sweepers - seems a bit pointless right now though but it's not stopping them.

New home

Quick blog to say that I'm going to Sydney tomorrow for a spot of house hunting. Will be back in a week, hopefully with somewhere new to live. Have a good week!

My lovely blue car was such a large part of my life for so long and I found it one of the hardest things to say goodbye to when I left. I generally quite green and I'd love to pretend I'm not a car person, but when its raining or stinking hot, I'd far rather be listening to the radio. I'm not remotely interested in expensive cars or gizmos. I find automatic dull and I believe that 4WDs should be kept for fields. Cars like clothing, say so much about you so there have been some very interesting discussions about what car we will be purchasing on arrival in Australia (M having just given up an 5 series BMW and cannot believe I kept a car for 13 years).

Like pretty much everything else, cars here are different. Toyota and Honda, lead by a long shot but aside from the badge, very little is recognisable. There are a zillion variations and a lot resemble other cars - theres a Toyota mini lookalike and one that could be mistaken for a corsa. On the whole they are box like and absolutely nothing grabs me in the same way it did when I fell in love with my previous vehicle.

Recently we've been using M's white Honda concept bike, which looks like it should be in Starwars. I love shifting through Tokyo without getting caught in traffic and there's a whole biker behavioural thing that happens at traffic lights about which I'm learning fast. There are secret parking spaces and checking out of other bikes and a whole hip thing that goes on. Bikers are cool - even the delivery guys with their noodle carriers on the back. There are one group though that stand out for me and that is the drivers of the Honda Fusion bikes. Big wide bikes with wide seats like sofas, slung low. Usually ridden by guys with girlfriends on the back. I want one!

We're shipping M's Honda and I now am the proud owner of a helmet to go with my Belstaff which is for once being used properly. I'm going to start small with a 50 cc and get my license. Then I'm going to come back and get one to take back. A blue one. Just don't tell my grandma!

Opening Ceremony

I think we all know that I'm quite keen on shopping. I love it... everything from the smell, the displays and the whole wrapping/purchase experience. I loved it in London and I have grown to love it in Tokyo, and have even now got used to the slow speed and precision at which the goods are packaged, and then the ceremonious way in which they are handed to the purchaser at the door of the store.

I could blog for ever about the shops I have found here. There are so many curious places to part with your cash. Whatever you seek, you will no doubt find it here. Stores such as the 8- storey manga art shop in Akihabara, where the cute manga dolls on the lower floors morph into pornographic versions the higher you go. There are specialist areas, Akihabara for things with plugs, Nippori for fabric, and bizarrely Fukusawa in Shibuya ku, where I live, for dog fashion. There is a wide range of shopping areas like Ometesando (Knightsbridge), Ginza (Bond Street), Shibuya (Oxford Street slash Soho). Daikenyama (NHG) and Shimokitazawa (Portobello Road slash Camden). There are a couple of other little areas where I am fond of releasing a few moths, such as Naka Meguro, where in Spring you can walk along the blossom covered canal, wandering in and out of galleries, little boutiques and cafes. Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi is pretty good too, particularly if you're into designer bean curd cakes or high fashion bespoke kimonos. There is an amazing bookshop in Roppongi, if you are like me and word-starved. Although I think its just plain wrong to be browsing books with a heavy base pop beat banging in your ear, so I wouldn't recommend it.

All in all, I think its fair to say that I have done my homework in Tokyo, as far as shopping is concerned. Bearing this in mind, it would be very easy for me to endlessly blog about this and that great shop but there are guide books and sometimes its just stumble across stuff on your own. If you're coming and you want something, just email me.

What I love most of all about shopping is the whole experience. I love the way the shops are laid out, I love the thinking behind the layout, the lighting, the smells. I am fascinated about why music is programmed to encourage spending at different times of the day and how supermarkets only bake bread in store, so you can smell it. I think Mary Portas is a genius and I am gutted I can't get her shows on iPlayer here. Before I came, I had heard about Japanese window design being outstanding which to be honest, isn't entirely the truth. I am also amazed at how a shop will put its new stock outside, so you can check it and then pass by but not be tempted by anything else.

The shopping experience is at its best in the new Shibuya branch of the American fashion store, 'Opening Ceremony' which opened at the end of August. I have long ago learnt to bypass clothing, which is always XS or S only. Frankly it looked perfect for glamorous Tokyo fashionistas who spend a fortune and are the only nation I have known to actually wear catwalk fashion in the street. We did try and buy a cool compass but discovered it was for display only. I was far more interested in the shop styling than anything else. Each floor is different, with a running theme of animals shlepping glass cases on their backs. There are automated running men wearing horses heads, brick walls with elephant shapes cut out, and school rooms with a shifted perspective. It felt like an art project and I loved it. I wonder though how well it will do as a shop.

Sneaker Freaker promotion

Autumn is here.

I say that, not because there is a decided nip in the air, but rather that because its past 1 September, the official start date and the Tokyo-ites have moved from their summer to their winter wardrobes. So, despite the fact that its gorgeously sunny, with perfect blue skies, and I saw a few red (Western) faces today, the Japanese were clad in warm bobble hats, leggings, corduroy and jumpers. It was the same when Spring moved into Summer. I was feeling uncomfortable showing my arms in May in a vest, but arrived back from my trip to be the only one not showing the tops of my thighs. Today, I was pretty much the only one still in shorts.

Autumn equinox is on Wednesday this week, and with 'respect for the aged' day tomorrow, this period is known as 'Silver Week' and offices are closed until Thursday. We expected Tokyo to empty in the same way London does at Easter. We couldn't have been more wrong - its packed! Traffic is unusually terrible and most areas are busy with a shopping frenzy. M's team have a promotion in Harajuku, one of the main shopping areas aimed at the younger crowd and we went in to check it out.

The campaign is for 'Sneaker Freaker', the definitive guide to trainers. There were a number of dummies positioned hanging off walkways, peering over the edge to see the passers by's shoes. They had also taken an escalator, and placed faces on the up risers, thereby appearing to look at the shoes being worn. It was a great idea and worked well, however at times, the area was so busy, it was impossible to see. I think it would work much better on a longer escalator ride - like Selfridges.

It seemed to be the day for promotions to encourage more spending - if that were possible. There were many, along with a lot of shop openings, causing great bottlenecks along the roads. A man in an orange mask hung from the signage of a spectacle shop, apparently by one hand. I felt sorry for him as it was boiling hot and he must have been melting. I'm not sure if it actually brought much additional custom because the crowd below meant it would have been hard to gain access. Design T'shirts next door were certainly benefitting. Maybe it was their promotion! Would be very shrewd move it it were.

More jingle jangle

I'm not sure why I've developed my recent fascination for jewellery. I have loads of course, a lot with sentimental value, some with financial value and also a lot of cheap tat that has allowed me the shopping experience, to be closely followed by the 'what was I thinking' experience when I got home. But I am not known for my jewellery. For my birthday a year or so back, my dear friend Billie took me to have my ears pierced. Rather surprising to discover that they had already been done some years ago and forgotten about.

After 8 months of knowing that the clothes and shoes won't fit, I think my lustful shopping eye has moved elsewhere. And here it landed, at the rather un-Japanese but still beautiful Tribu, who have a store in Tokyo, but also sell online in London. Tribu's stock is described as 'tribal body adornment' which isn't something I normally go for, and many of the pieces I have no idea of their purpose. But the fat black, green and cream designs, fixed with rope and silver or copper are gorgeous and really unusual. They have a hint of modern Maori about them and I loved the slithery snake that, in black, looked it might move.

More Shimokitazawa shopping

I'm still talking about it, I know, but there were 2 shops I particularly wanted to mention for their gorgeousness. The first was 'Dorobou-Nikki' whose designs were eversoslightly American Indian stylee but with a utility twist. It is predominantly a man's shop but frankly, I'd have walked out with half of the stock, including furry desert boots, utility bags and sweatshirt-style cardigans with big fat butterflies all over them.

The second shop was Shuhari, a tiny handmade jewellery shop, down by the railway line. A simple washing line hung outside with a handful of landscape pictures of blue skies. On the side walls were box frames containing the jewellery. Inside the simple white and wooden interior, the stock was shown on old wooden ironing boards, mangles and old knitting bobins.

Finger on the pulse

Beautiful Sunday morning so we went over to an area called Shimokitazawa, recommended by one of M's creative department. Turns out this is THE new area in Tokyo and I loved it. Not a whiff of English anywhere and we were the only gyges to be seen. The town is about 2km square, not far from Shinjuku. There were few chains, and mostly great clothing and design shops as well as cafes and galleries. There was also a market which reminded me of Camden. There were also an extraordinary number of opticians, I have no idea why! Many of the shops had an American Indian vibe which I couldn't work out was just because its cool here or something to do with the area.

Second House, a cafe (pictured) sold big fat slabs of proper cake, including Victoria sandwich, avoiding the normal use of beancurd with everything. We'll be coming back to eat at 'Sunday Brunch' with bacon and eggs on the menu. There were also hundreds of isakayas (bars with food) and I washed down fried fish and Camembert and beans wrapped in filo with a welcome beer in one on the main street with a open area at the front. We loved 'Flower Bar' which, rather obviously, sold flowers too. M bought t'shirts at Cune with the funny bunny logo in another shop come bar and added to his collection of ugly Sonny Angel baby dolls. We found a galleries showing student work and a great bead shop called 'Toodleoo Kangaroo'. Best of all I found 'Andes', a food shop, which, having spent time in South America this year, allowed me to lust over dolce de leche and buy a pile of freshly ground coffee that tastes like the real thing. I loved their huge display of Spam but couldn't help think it was slightly out of place!