Not dead. On vacay!

Typhoon Ma-On Heading for Southern Japan!

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp201108_5day.html#a_topad

Big Earthquake this morning

There was a 7.3 this morning up off the coast of Miyagi (same place as the Big One) just before 10am local time.

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/90813.php

Felt it in Tokyo as a 4.0.  Still not enough to get me out of bed on a Sunday morning, but almost.  Don't worry, the Fukushima plant has not been affected.

I volunteered for clean up work in Iwate prefecture this summer, but apparently all the slots were filled.  Not sure what to do now.  :/

Proud New Owner of a Second-Hand Guitar

もともと、このギターは質屋で買った。今、帰る留学生は私に　伝わる。ここでは。。。

Originally bought in a pawn shop for about $30, this guitar has been handed down to me from an exhange student going home in a few days.  I have been wanting a guitar for ages, so this achieves multiple levels of awesome.

A Runner original.　ラナーの原型。

Thanks, Jake!

Tanabata and The 109 Sale

OMG.  omg.  I LOVE clothes in Japan.  Really didn't care much in America.  Maybe because nothing really fit me like it was supposed to.  Since American clothes are designed for size 8 to 10, and scaled accordingly for other sizes, nothing was every proportioned right.  I mean, something that looks good on a 5'6" average American might not on a shrimp like me.  Which kept me from really ever getting interested in clothes and probably saved me a lot of money. 

Cue Shibuya 109.


A.k.a "ichi-maru-kyu" ("one-oh-nine"), the 109 Tower is ground zero for fashion.  AND EVERYTHING COMES IN MY SIZE.  I'm sure this is all very fascinating...but get this.  From July 1 - 7, Shibz 109 has 30%-80% OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING.  OMG.   It was kid-in-a-candy-store glee!  I still held it together...but barely.  I have subsequently forbade myself from going back until the sale is over.  I got entire outfits for less than $50.  And nice ones, too!  Oh ichi-maru-kyu, why do you taunt me so?!



Uh huh huh.



And...distracted.  TBC.