Strawberry Patches

Last week, my mom went on a business trip to Japan so I asked her to buy me more film for my Instax. I was quite surprised to receive this along with my film when she got back! It's a normal Instax Mini 7S but it comes with these cute strawberry decal stickers that you can put on the camera. Since I don't plan on having two Instax cameras, I'll be looking for a new home for this one! 

Afternoon Treat

Perhaps the best jam I've ever had! I was browsing through a little store called St. Cousair while I was in Japan. I was so surprised and happy when I saw jars of jam labelled 'matcha milk' and 'strawberry milk'. Who knew such flavors existed? I couldn't resist buying them, of course. It was worth every yen.

Memories of Spring

Many months have passed but the memories of spring are etched in my mind.

Taken in Osaka, Japan during early April. Forgive me for posting almost five months later, ha ha!

A Little Reminder

I bought this cute keychain from a gift store in Hokkaido. It cost quite a lot, 800 yen to be exact.. Normally I wouldn't spend such a large amount for a keychain, but I have so many fond memories of Hokkaido that I really wanted to get something equally as wonderful to bring with me. And I absolutely love that it's made of wood (I looove wood). I guess it's kind of symbolic of Hokkaido? Lots of trees, amazing, and expensive, ha ha!

By the way I'm having some trouble uploading photos to Blogger. For some reason, my photos desaturate when I open them on my editor. Would anyone know how to fix this? :<

Osaka on Film

Here are some of the photos I took using my Fujifilm Instax while I was in Osaka! The photos on the first row were taken during a visit to Osaka Castle Park. The cherry blossoms were blooming and it was absolutely wonderful walking around the park, although the photos are a little overexposed because the sun was shining very brightly that day. The second row of pictures was taken during a walk back to the hotel, often stopping by Mos Burger for some grub. Lastly, the third row of photos was taken at the ever-popular Glico sign. The one in the middle was taken at a nearby shopping area. I think the couple in the picture was embarrassed that they were included in the picture, ha ha! 

Sadly, these are all the photos I was able to take in Japan. Next time I'll be sure to ignore my sister's orders and abuse my Instax more. I hope you enjoy them. :3

Good things come to those who wait

 I've been wanting a Fujifilm Instax ever since I was introduced to it by my Korean friend a few months ago, but I was never able to buy one for myself because it was just way too expensive. It would have cost me around 5,000 pesos (approximately $120), and that's not even including the extremely pricey film. So when I saw boxes of them stacked on a shelf in Don Quixote in Osaka, almost as if it were just a staple good, I knew it was my chance to finally get one for myself. I was ecstatic; Not only could I finally have my own Instax, but it sold for just a little more than 5,000 yen, almost half the price of getting one here in the Philippines or through eBay! And of course I bought some film for it, too. I got a pack of fifty sheets of film for around 2,500 yen. I was a very satisfied shopper, indeed.

Just Passing By

A simple yet picturesque suburb somewhere in Hokkaido which I, unfortunately, did not have the privilege of exploring.. I was only able to capture these pictures from inside the tour bus. Mounds of dirty snow, cute and colorful buildings, an occasional biker, and I was even able to see little Japanese kids on some sort of field trip! They were so adorable. And so tiny.

Cat eyes and all that jazz

wearing: top from WOMB (Japan), shorts from H&M, leggings from Forever 21, boots from Forever 21

This was one of the outfits I wore during my trip to Japan, when I had arrived in Osaka. I bought the top and shorts during that trip, and I couldn't resist attempting to dress up like the Japanese girls from the magazines I browse! I mean, when's the next time I'll be able to dress up like this in Japan? Ha ha. I am also wearing brown eyeliner (which can barely be seen) that I bought from a drug store for 300 yen. Note to self: never buy cheap make up, even if it's made in Japan. I believe my eyes transformed from cat to raccoon as the day went by.

A Written Oracle

Visiting a shrine in Japan is a must! It's really fun, especially if you read manga or watch anime because you are able to experience what you read or see. But before I was able to enter however, I had to cleanse myself by the well right outside the entrance of the shrine. It was basically just rinsing my hands and gargling the ice cold water from the well. After that, I was able to get myself omikuji for 100 yen, which is a 'written oracle' or fortune. People who receive bad luck or those who want to improve their luck can tie their omikuji on the racks. I got excellent fortune and had the option to keep it with me. But as much as I wanted to keep my fortune as memorabilia, I also really wanted to experience tying my fortune on the rack, and so I did.

There were also some racks filled with wooden boards and writing one them. I don't quite know how that works. I can only infer that people can buy those wooden boards from the shrine (the Rilakkuma sold for 500 yen per piece), write a wish on them and hang it on one of the racks. I should have just bought the Rilakkuma board and brought it home with me, ha ha. While I was there, I was also able to witness a little procession. Never did I expect to see shrine maidens, but I did and just look how pretty they are! Do shrines sell these costumes?

Oh, and some trivia: I learned from my tour guide that when entering a shrine or someone's home, it's common courtesy to not step on the line seperating the inside from the outside. If I remember correctly, he explained that the line is where the god flows. Something like that.. :3

Dear to my heart

It had been a long day of sight-seeing and touring. When nightfall had come, I had arrived at the final stop for the day: the hotel. And despite my fatigue and weariness, I could not resist snapping a few photos of the beautiful area that surrounded the hotel. Dark, isolated, and cold. Hands down, this was the most wonderful evening I had during my trip to Japan, and the best hotel I had stayed in as well, Hotel Fukuhara in Shikaribetsu, Hokkaido. The hotel is in the vicinity of Lake Shikaribetsu and the Daisetsuzan National Park.  There were even igloos across the hotel which had a bar inside, but unfortunately, it was no longer open for visitors because the ice was melting. Although I couldn't visit the lake because it was too dangerous to come when the lake is frozen over, nor could I visit the igloo-bar, there was still a lot to do.This was the first hotel during my trip that had an onsen, a Japanese bath. And aside from this, I enjoyed a buffet dinner --- all Japanese food! I enjoyed several plates of salmon sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi, and best of all, I ate slices of tender beef that I cooked on my own. With all that food in my stomach, I had enough energy to partake in a nighttime snow tour, and that's exactly what I did.

Please forgive my messed up face. But here is a photo of me before leaving for the snow tour, dressed up a pink snow suit that was rented out by the tour guide. I was actually wearing several more layers of clothes underneath it, preparing for the coldest of colds. The tour started with a trek from the hotel, following an icy path towards the forest which wasn't very far away. Our tour guide, Charlie, wanted my family and I to get our eyes accustomed to the dark, because after a certain point in the trek, there was no light whatsoever. Nothing but the stars, the snow, and the trees. I don't quite know how long that trek lasted, but I enjoyed every second of it. There were times Charlie would make us keep quiet for a few moments, as we listened to pure silence, and if we listened hard enough, our own heartbeat. He also told us about the owls in Hokkaido, and what sounds they made, which was sort of funny.. Buu buu, said the owl, ha ha! And after that, Charlie also surprised us with a delicious cup of hot chocolate that he had in his jug. He made us guess what color the cup of hot chocolate was in absolute darkness. I wasn't able to guess correctly when he took out his tiny flashlight, but I just continued to enjoy my cup of hot chocolate in the snow and darkness. On the way back to the hotel, my siblings and I started playing on the large mounds of snow nearby. During that moment, that night, we were all kids again. And finally, I went to sleep in our traditional, tatami room. What a night.

Forgive me if my posts have been longer than usual. I want to encapsulate every wonderful memory I had in Japan, every detail I can possibly remember. This day most especially.

Norwegian Wood

In my mind, the Norwegian Wood is a magical place, where there are trees that surround you from all directions, asleep as the days of winter pass. Where it is quiet. Where one's footsteps digging deep into the layers of uncompacted snow is the loudest sound that can be heard.Where a fox's trails can be found, but not followed. Where the remnants of a woodpecker's breakfast lay on the ground. Where the snow wafts softly and quietly, caught in one's eyelashes from time to time. Where the breath becomes visible for a fleeting moment. Where the trees are scarred by water that freezes inside them, releasing a loud cracking sound, if you are lucky enough to catch it. Where the wind is still and the branches are unmoving. Where one can make her first snow angel. Where the trunk of a fallen tree becomes something you can lean on to rest. Where taking a single step can send one's leg falling deep into the snow.Where the cry of an unknown bird can be heard from afar.Where the temperature in the atmosphere is -15°Celsius or lower. Where perfect snowflakes fall gently onto one's wool gloves. Where the tip of one's nose becomes red and numb. Where one can have a cup of warm coffee, no matter how bland or bitter. Where one could read a book.Where one could stay for hours, deep in thought in the Norwegian Wood.

These pictures were taken during my trip to Japan, in Hokkaido, but this is how I would imagine Norwegian Wood to be.

A Greenhouse in Farm Tomita

One of the places I visited in Hokkaido was a flower farm located in Nakafurano, called Farm Tomita. Early April probably isn't the best time to visit since the weather is still very cold and there is still so much snow. Normally, the vast fields of unadulterated snow are filled with streams of colorful flowers. But during the winter time, Farm Tomita keeps their flora inside a greenhouse, so anyone can visit at any time and still enjoy a beautiful array of flowers, including lavender, poppies, and marigolds.

Visiting the farm early in the morning was just amazing, The greenhouse was very cozy. I could have spent hours inside there, just looking at the flowers and sitting on a bench. It would have been absolutely amazing to sit there with a book and a cup of coffee, different from the usual coffee shop, ha ha! I was a little bit sad because I was expecting the room to smell like lavender, but the lavender was still in the process of blooming. So instead, the air was cool and crisp, and very fresh, as if the little greenhouse was a box of spring. There was also a little brick well covered in moss. I was taken aback when I read a sign that said "Do not feed the fish." There were fish in that well!