Back from Tokyo

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Well, I have just got back from a crazy week in Tokyo. Just when I thought I could give my body the deprived TLC it needed, I was sucked into the whindwhirl of eating, eating, drinking, shopping, playing and drinking more, that Tokyo and family / friends you have not seen for a long time brings..

Needless to say, I had a great time, but am relieved to be back. Seriously, Tokyo is a CRAZY place and I could not have gone to a more opposite extreme! You take for granted how nice it is to be able to walk in a straight line and not feel like you are at the Easter Show 24/7 or stuck in a game of frogger. My last day there was the mose intense as I struggled to get my bags arcoss the 3 trains and 10 zillion staicases in peak hour. The last crazy moment I remember was seeing this mass of ppl in their black suits (not sure if they realise suits come in other colours or believe in patterns?) walking up (LHS) and down (RHS) this staircase at Sinagawa station. I just looked at them all and started laughing cause the first thing it reminded me of was that scene in Lord of the Rings where all those monster things are marching to fight whoever (yes, still have that bad habit of falling asleep in movies and not konwing 100% what happened) they looked EXACTLY the same!! it was just this never ending swarm of unexpressionless ppl that just kept maching on through. I wanted to stop and take a pic, but was sure that I would have just ended up under the feet of the ppl behind me...

The wedding in Tokyo was lots of fun, having a western style wedding is the big thing here, so really it was like an Aussie wedding, just with lots of Japanese ppl and a few ppl in kimonos. We decided a kimono was not the most ideal attire for me, and ended up wearing a dress, heels and make up and even carried a handbag for something close to the first time in 3 years which was strange, it was the first time any of them had seen me not in jeans, T and sneakers, and even few of my relatives did not even recognise me which was also strange...? My cousin Maya looked gorgeous and the wedding was lots of fun, but cemented the fact that if i ever get married, I would rather spend the money that goes into something like that (phenomenal) into investing in a heli-boarding trip or my place on the beach rather than to gather 100 ppl to watch me sign a certificate, cut a cake and then throw flowers on me. Ha ha..

The rest of my week was spent feeling like the ball in a pinball machine as I was bounced from relative to relative, firends to friend and place to place.... ironically enough, the day after the wedding, we had my uncles 'issyuki' which is a ceremony held on the first anniversary after someone passes away. They have ceremonies for the first year after, three years, seven years and then thirteen. Not sure why, and neither were half of the ppl there that I asked, so will have to keep researching that one.

Now back into Niseko, the snow is almost gone, but still plenty refusing to budge... getting back into running again which has been good, got lost in this crazy snow-wall maze in the forest, I swear everything looks the same!! If you really don't pay attention to the random turns you take you end up .... whever you end up! took me just over an hour to find my way out of one place, and ended popping out at a golf range which is at the next ski resort! wanted to cry. ..

Anyway, here are a few more pics of life in Japan lately....

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Photos

Modern Tokyo Wedding
Shintaro, Maya and my Aunt after the ceremony

Got any blacker?
Work, Weddings, Funeurals.. the penguin look sets the standard.

My cousin's
Maya and Hiro

Would you believe its spring?
The warm spring greeting I got when I jumped in my car last week.

Peaceful running
One of my random runs.. so quiet and chilled out.

Not so peaceful running
Lost, lost, lost... you try telling me that each direction does not look exactly the same..

Mt Yotei
Mushroom cloud covering Mt Yotei.

Comments

[Kathryn]

This Made My Day
Dear Dawn, I love the Frogger explanations and the idea of Easter Show crowds really makes me tremble already - give me downtown Washington any day!!! The mushroom cloud photo was amazing!! Thanks for the armchair cultural tour!!! Love Kathryn

[Rocky Stallone]

I want proof
Wheres the picture of you in a dress? I want proof to believe that you are actually a girl. Keep up the good work, maybe one day you will make it to the end of a movie and even get your directions right. Keep posting so I know you have not fallen off the planet.

[berylxoxox]

i dont believe a word of it
mez, you in a dress? high heels?make up? yeah and im a monkey's uncle. i'll believe that one when i see pigs flying overhead.

[The S of your M]

call me a pessimest
I would personally fly all the way to Japan to see you, karate girl in a dress, heels and make up! bring out the photos baby, I`m ready to be shocked!

[Atlanta Nihonjin jarimasen]

cho ukeru
cho ukeru! I just read a lot of your blog. You really are a riot. I am jealous you spent so much time snowboarding in Hokkaido!