Lady Oscar

I'm sure we all have heroines, whether they are real people or fantasy. My heroine is Lady Oscar, from Rose of Versailles.

So when I saw Rose of Versailles stamps at the post office today, I had to get them!


Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes was a woman, raised as a man in order to succeed her father to the Royal Guard. After years of training in fencing, horseback, etcetera, she comes to serve beside Marie Antoinette. The story is much more dramatic and complicated than that, and I recommend watching it for yourself... 

Lady Oscar is selfless, perseverant, loyal and just. As her comrade Andre said, "You seem so cold, but inside you are burning with passion." 

I was thinking the other day, that it's easy to fall into a hedonistic and selfish lifestyle, much like some of the aristocrats in Rose of Versailles. The noble women become so deluded by jewels and fine dresses that they literally lie, scheme and kill their peers to attain more wealth and status.

But I'd rather be like Lady Oscar, and keep myself grounded, so I can focus on things that are truly important... like the future, truth, and fairness.

I want to be a strong heroine like Oscar.

But it'd be nice to have Marie Antoinette's looks too. 

So in a hedonistic moment, I bought "Heroine" mascara by the Japanese brand Kiss-Me, which features characters from Rose of Versailles on the packaging. 

They sell several types of mascara and eyeliner, in bold black and soft brown.


 I tried this "long curl" mascara, and it is good stuff! It defines all my lashes without making them clumpy. But be warned, once it's on, it's staying on! Even a warm wash cloth won't get it all off, you'll need to use makeup remover wipes. 

The good news is, you can cry while watching Rose of Versailles, and your mascara won't run. 

Thanks to my readers who wished me well in my last post! As it turns out, my ankle was sprained, but no bones were broken. It feels much better all ready! 

By the way, for an 'Emergency Room' visit, X-ray, rigid support and ointment to help the pain, the cost was only 4,000 yen in cash. And I was out in an hour! I love the medical system!

What Dads Do.


I just saw this on Deka Wanko and wanted to share. 

Better in Japan? Karaoke and Purikura

Two of my favorite pass-times in Hawaii were of Japanese origin: Karaoke and Purikura.

In Waikiki there are a lot-- and I do mean, a lot of Japanese tourists, and in Hawaii in general, there are many people of Japanese heritage. Maybe for this reason, it's easy to find Japanese entertainment on Oahu.

My favorite places were GS Studios for karaoke, and a Purikura parlor called Fun Pix, both in Waikiki. Since I got hooked on these things at home, I needed to do them here in Japan to see what the 'real version' was like.

You'd never think that the "same things" could be so different!


Let's start with Purikura. "Print Club" is a large photo booth you enter with your friends, taking spontaneous photos based on chosen backgrounds. After the shoot, you choose your favorite shots and decorate them with "ryugaki" (stickers/decorations) on a touch screen. Each booth has unique options, such as special stamp features, seasonal backgrounds, and different touch-screen games.

In Hawaii, some of the booths were in English to accommodate non-Japanese speakers. The cost of one photo session was $6-8, a little expensive unless you split with friends. Fun Pix offered a frequent buyer stamp card, and when it was filled you got one free Purikura session.

After the photo shoot was over and your stickers were printed, you had to cut them by hand. (Purikura are usually cut into strips so each participant gets the same number of photos.)

Fun Pix was run by a husband and wife team. The woman had a lot of experience as a nail tech, so one part of the parlor was set aside as a place for her to do nails. Since they had a daughter, many of the puri on the walls were of her. It made the shop personal, and I liked bringing my business to them.

As for Purikura in Japan, it is hard to begin differentiating because there are so many. But in my latest trip to Ohsu I tried a Purikura booth with a friend, and it was substantially different. For starters, it was only 400 yen. The experience taking photos was about the same, aside from cute backgrounds unique to that machine, like Magazine cover styles and postal stamp frames.

The differences began when we exited for ryugaki. First, the machine asked for our "team name". We put in our names, and when we started to decorate, all the stamps were customized with our names on it. The "magazine cover" background was edited to have our names on it too.

When we printed our photos, the machine asked us for our choice of present: makeup or cotton swabs. A small pink package was dispensed with our photos, and inside there were heart-shaped blotting papers, a pink and white band-aid, and hot pink Q-tips. Perfect for makeup touchups before the next machine!


Also, there was no need to cut the strips. They were printed with serrated edges, so all we had to do was tear, and we each got an even number of photos.

GS Studios was probably the closest experience you would get to the Japanese karaoke box. The rooms were sound proof, nicely furnished, with climate controls, a disco ball, and an astounding music library. They had just begun phasing out the paper song books and replacing them with touch screen controls, when I moved. 

Karaoke is incredibly popular in Japan, but I doubt I needed to tell you that. So far I've been to a venue in Sakae called "Big Echo" twice. 


It's the building on the right. (I took this photo from the top of the Sky Boat, a larger than life Ferris Wheel across the street.)

One of the coolest things about Big Echo is that every floor has a different theme. The first time I came, we were on the 9th floor, which was totally modern and neon green. Last night, I went back with a friend expecting the same. We were given a room on the 5th floor this time, but instead of a room number, there was a kanji on our card: 'Fuji'. 

We were confused, but decided we'd figure it out when we got there. Imagine our surprise when the elevator doors opened, and we found ourselves in the genkan of a traditional Japanese styled hallway?

We stepped into the carpeted entry way, where a tenant asked us to remove our shoes. Then, we stepped up onto the polished wood platform, and were lead to our room.




The Fuji room had platform seating around the table.

In GS Studios and Big Echo, you can order food to your room if you don't mind paying a little more than usual. GS Studios had typical grill food, and local favorites like ahi poke and musubi. Of course Big Echo had a much wider selection of foods, from pizza to onigiri.


When you check into Big Echo, you are charged per 30 minutes, depending on the time of the day and your choice of drinks. 

You pay a flat rate which includes one drink, or if you pay slightly more, you have unlimited drinks from the soft drink bar. (The soft drink bar includes frosties, tea, coffee, melon soda, Kalpis, and other favorites.) 

The downside is, if you want to sing a long time it can rack up. At GS Studios, you could purchase an Early Bird Special and keep the room for eight hours, for about $12 each person. GS Studios usually gives you one free soft drink to start, too.

For the experience, I prefer Big Echo. The microphones are cleaned and covered before you enter the room, so you know your mic is sterile. The atmosphere, service and decor are top notch. 

For song selection, GS Studios and Big Echo rank about the same, surprisingly. In both venues, song selection would vary depending on the room you had and when that library was last updated. In general, there are literally thousands of artists to choose from, whether they are Japanese, English, French or otherwise.  

Also, both venues have touch screen remotes, which is much more convenient than flipping through cumbersome song books.


GS Studios' old song book.


GS Studios' touch screen system.


Big Echo's touch screen system.

Big Echo's has some sort of member card function. You can take photos with this touch screen system some how, and probably have them sent to an online album for a fee.

In Hawaii, it seems you get intimacy with smaller venues. Since the establishments are smaller, employees tend to remember you, which could be a pro or a con. In Japan, you certainly get the best experience, and the most entertainment for your money. 

These are generalizations of course, since I can't speak for every Purikura booth and Karaoke box. From my observations, I haven't concluded whether one is 'better' than the other. They both have different qualities based on their unique locations that set them apart. 

No matter what it is you like to do, I hope that you get the chance to travel and experience it in another culture. Purikura and Karaoke are just two pastimes; there's a whole world of activities out there and people to meet through them. 

At my university, I'm planning to join at least the International Communication Club, for foreign students as well as Japanese students. The committee organizes social events such as Pizza Parties, Barbecues and weekend trips, all for the purpose of intercultural and bilingual communication. 

Hopefully, we'll all get to do fun things like this! I'd love to take them to karaoke and see what they like to sing, or make memories with Purikura strips they helped decorate. 

Ah, sorry, is this too sappy yet? 

Stormy Blues, Sunny Coords

Today was NOT the first day of school. Classes were cancelled due to the typhoon, which luckily, didn't hit Nisshin as hard as it impacted other areas. We were 'grounded' to our apartment building for the day. Well, I've been waiting almost a month to start language classes, one more day won't kill me, right?

I ran out to the Supermarket this morning, which was a quest in itself. First I tried to hit up Book-Off in Nagakute, to return the GazettE dvd I bought yesterday.

It is so heavily copyright protected, it won't even play on an American Macbook. We ran it through so many programs just trying to get the content but the region coding refuses to let it play. (It's really weird, because my official Dir en grey dvds play on computers all the time.)

Well either I headed out too early, or they were closed for the typhoon, but I couldn't check that off my list today...

Then I walked back to Nisshin for groceries. The rain and wind had picked up so I settled for Aoki, the nearest super market. I don't usually like Aoki because it's more crowded, and the customers stare at me more for some reason. The ladies are especially sassy there, haha. They like to check me out and mutter, "Sei ga takai desu ne" and roll away with their little carts. Right lady, totally didn't catch that.

Aoki wasn't open at 9:30, so I walked the extra distance to Kanesue. I prefer that super anyway. 

Since I got there earlier than I usually do, I learned something new: Kanesue sells pre-cut fresh goods which are perfect for smaller portions, such as a quarter of kabocha, half of a daikon, or a quarter of cabbage. I all ready knew that, BUT! If you get there early enough, then all of yesterday's fresh produce is marked down 10-30%. Perfect! 

Then I came home, saw the notice we were grounded until the storm passed, and apparently missed my RA check-in since I was roaming the streets in a typhoon again. I am a miscreant. 

Character flaws aside. Here are some outfits I came up with to combat the nasty weather and dreary mood, using my last Lolita Purchase. (which is Day 15 of the meme.)

Last Lolita Purchase: AP bolero and Sugar Pansy set


This first outfit is light and perfect for Nagoya heat.
Head bow: Angelic Pretty
Bolero: Angelic Pretty
Jsk: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Offbrand (g.u.)
Boots: Offbrand (American)


This second outfit is more casual, and great for school or an outing. I picked up this cut sew at Apita, because the design looked just like a Lolita. I would wear this with white or light pink sandals if I had any.
Head bow: Angelic Pretty
Cut sew: Offbrand
Skirt: Angelic Pretty

Things to Brave a Typhoon for

I'm actually pretty excited to write this entry, because I rarely get to talk about my interest in Visual Kei. It tends to take a back seat to Lolita.

I know I have too many 'collections', and one of them is band discographies; specifically for Dir en grey and the GazettE. I have a big chunk of Dir en grey, missing only singles and some DVDs, so I get really excited when I find a missing piece. My GazettE collection is relatively puny, but since their media is newer, I don't stress too much about hunting it down.

Another typhoon is coming through Nisshin, bringing with it an onslaught of rain. I made a plan with my friend to walk to the local Book-Off this morning- I wanted to go and see the used CDs, and she wanted a new volume of manga to translate.

We left the lobby without realizing how bad the rain really was. We stepped out of our apartment building and realized the rain flooded the sidewalk up to the steps.


Did that stop us? No siree, we were all ready out of bed and dressed.

We were soaked to the bone. I felt like a giant sponge with goldfish tanks for shoes, with water sloshing around inside. Many cars went by and hit us with a wall of spray. We stopped under the cover of a 7-11 to empty our shoes, literally. The water poured right out of them.

We finally got to Book-Off, not to be disappointed. My friend found the manga she wanted and I found tons of great CDs and DVDs. I all ready had most of their Dir en grey selection, but found "Jealous" tucked on the shelf too, one of their oldest singles. They also had their Gauze DVD, but it was almost 6,000 yen, so I decided to pass.

Moving down the aisle, I found The GazettE. They had many Limited edition sets of DIM and Stacked Rubbish, but since those are newer releases (and there were many multiples) I didn't jump for them. Instead I went for an old single, and "Film Bug II", a compilation of some of my favorite PVs. Everything was about 900-1,000 yen each piece, a fraction of the sticker price for mint condition stuff.

Upstairs from Book-Off is a store called B-Life, something I can only describe as a "Japanese Goodwill".


Readers in the states probably know Goodwill well; it's a chain of thrift stores, usually the butt of jokes, but none the less a store I was raised on. They have used clothing, usually out of date, but sometimes you strike gold and find something awesome.

Admittedly, B-life is like Goodwill with added perks. For example, they have a "Burando" section where pieces from Liz Lisa, Jill Stuart, Hysteric Glamor and others were sold.


The rest of the store had housewares, tops for 200 yen, you get the idea. 

I found a Union Jack blouse with an asymmetrical collar for 200 yen. It was perfect, because ever since I saw Kyo's Ba-tsu tie in Violet Blue, I had been wishing for something to wear it with. Now I have an excuse to go back for it!


Eventually, this top would look cool with an h.Naoto skirt or Deorart pants. But in the meantime, I'll wear it with my distressed jeans tucked into some black boots. 

And yep, that was my day today. :P I hear the rain will actually get worse tonight, so I'm staying in. Maybe I'll forge an alliance with a friend who has a DVD player, and we'll have a Vkei party. 

I'm really embarrassed, it seems like I go out shopping every day. I just really want school to start all ready, because otherwise, we just sit in our rooms. Or go out and shop to pass time, like so. Or if you're like my stupid neighbors, go out and buy copious amounts of booze and keep everyone in the building up until 2 AM.

Luckily, tomorrow is supposed to be IT! The official BIG DAY, when we start language classes. THANK GACKT!

So anyway, I haven't updated the Lolita Meme in a while...

Day Fourteen
... a picture of your dream item.


A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Alice and the Pirates. Blue Morphos (the blue species of butterfly) have a lot of personal significance to me, so it's something a little more than just a pretty print.

FOR EXAMPLE! Did you know that the other side of a Blue Morpho's wings are dusty brown? It's so they blend into their environment, naturally. Then when prey attacks them, they flutter their wings, and the flash of light and color temporarily stuns them!

As soon as a Blue Morpho is born, it has to fight for its life. The mother will attach her eggs to the underside of a leaf, and then leave them to fend for themselves. The eggs must hatch into larvae and mature, before they are eaten alive by their cannibal brothers and sisters!

Mature Blue Morpho butterflies are able to adapt to their cruel environment easily. They feed on the nectars of fruit that fall to the rainforest floor, but they also drink the fluids from decomposing animals.

In summary, if I could be a type of animal, I would take the caste of 'insect' and become the Blue Morpho. They adapt in any way they can to survive, without destroying or killing everything around them. They are graceful and beautiful but clever and resilient. I find that highly admirable.

... Not to mention, the cut of this dress seems so flattering doesn't it?!


Oh My Oosu: A Quest

Today started with a simple game plan: Head to Sakae, check out the Novelty Fairs on the Lolita floor, come home in time for Fireworks at Nisshin's Yume Matsuri. Well one of my friends from my apartment building joined me too, and our plan became more and more intricate. Our day trip turned into an excursion into Nagoya's Ohsu district.

I will say this to start- I should have gone to Ohsu a long time ago. This was one of the best days I've had so far.

We arrived at Sakae around 11, finding an abundance of girls in head-to-toe AP and a lack of arousing deals. You couldn't even get to the accessories table at AP since ladies were crowded around it- not that I could blame them, there were new Wonder Cookie goodies up for grabs.

The deal at AP was, spend just shy of 16,000 yen and you score a free Tokimeki ribbon necklace in either pink or red. I browsed, caroused, and really tried to find something I wanted, but nothing was enough to bait me.

Though I fell hard for the Petit Patisserie Jsk in mint, once I saw it person...


... it was significantly more than I set out to spend today. Slightly disappointed, we left the Nova building- but not without checking out AATP's new Witch, Cat and Apple print. They had the OP on display with those gorgeous gold boots.


Read on after the cut for the rest of my quest!

Visiting the Gassho-zukuri

NUFS' latest excursion sent us blazing across three hours of open highway, to Shirakawa-go and Gokoyama. 

We spent the day visiting Gassho-zukuri, Japanese farmhouses which are at least 250 years old. They are made of wood from the tatami mats to the thatched roof, and completely sustainable. 


The best part is, you were able to walk inside some of them (removing your shoes first, of course). Some of them had exhibits and artifacts from every day life. To see the second level, you had to ascend a thin wooden ladder with steep steps. 


Shirakawa-go was mostly cheesy omiyage shops and cafes. On the map there was a lot to do, such as a nearby onsen, and a famous manor you could enter for an additional fee. However on our student cash and time limit, we barely had enough time for lunch.


My friend and I popped into this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The dining room was small, with service for about twenty people. Since the tables were full, my friend and I sat at the bar, next to an older man who was smoking a cigarette nonchalantly. There were just two tenants running the entire shop, including a window for ice-cream and kaki koori (shaved ice). 

My friend opted for the soba set, and I chose 'wild vegetable' udon.


Delicious! I am getting spoiled with this home-made Japanese food. 

I really want to return to the Gassho-zukuri houses on my own, so I can explore, observe and take the time to see it. I especially want to come in the winter, so I can see them covered in snow. I have seen photos, and they're so beautiful!

Wouldn't that be great to see such a sight? Then you could visit the onsen, and I here some of the Gassho-zukuri are run as simple inns where you can stay one night. Ahh, that sounds so cool, but also a little scary! 


To find out more about these amazing houses, visit this link! It explains their structure a lot better than I can.

And now, to move on with the lolita meme. Something I was craving during our sunny field trip!

Day Thirteen
... a picture of your favorite sweets.

photo source

Dango! I never had one until I came to Japan. Now, they are my favorite treat!

Oh, and in my last post, my friend Patrick asked about something on the Sakae Nova shop directory sign. There was something called 古いのコレクト on there, which I couldn't remember seeing. But I went back this week, and found a booth set up behind a curtain. A gothic lolita sat at a table, giving palm and tarot readings for a reasonable rate. There were diagrams of palms tacked on the walls, it was pretty cool! And so, that is what 古いのコレクト referred to.


I'd really like to have my fortune told! But maybe next semester, after my Japanese improves...

SWIMMER headphones and cafe cravings


I got to take my new headphones for a spin today, while walking to class. (Today was the first day of Placement Tests!) 

I've owned SWIMMER headphones before, which were neither sturdy nor impressive in the sound department. 

This new model is an improvement though. They're more comfortable, the chord is thicker, and the sound is clearer. We'll see if that quality holds up, or if it deteriorates like the old models. 

The metal sliders on the side are adjustable for size, and again, sturdier than the old plastic sliders. I was able to throw these in my messenger bag during testing and not worry about their condition. 

Speaking of the placement tests, it was about what I expected. We started with kanji, no surprises there. It was a mix of reading and writing, much to my relief; I thought the entire exam would be writing from memory. Half the test was just writing furigana readings.

The second half of the day included computer based testing, on everything from particles to basic grammar.  On both sections, the difficulty increased as you finished the test, and there was some material I didn't know. However, I'd rather admit I don't know it and be placed in a lower level, than guess and be placed over my ability later. 

Tomorrow results will be posted, so please cross your fingers for me. Tomorrow, I'll know if I have to take more exams or not... but I'm hoping not, because I've been wanting to eat breakfast at a certain cafe for days now!


All week, my friend and I have trying to go this a place called Mother's Onigiri Cafe.

On the lower level, they sell supplies for tea making and baked goods. Your nose is filled with the rich, salty aroma of baking bread and matcha tea as soon as you walk in. The second story is an open dining room with huge windows, whicker chairs and glass tables, where you can enjoy the company of a friend or enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. 

We went there a few days ago, but they were sold out of onigiri by the time we got there. Turns out, they only serve certain dishes at certain times of the day- which means we missed their traditional breakfasts of miso soup, onigiri, vegetables and curry rice. Heavily disappointed, my friend and I made a pact to wake up early one morning, just to try their breakfast.

We tried again last Sunday, but turns out, they were closed on Sundays! Foiled again.


Last time, I ended up getting their iced tea. At 380 yen, I thought it was steep at first; but it was not just iced tea! It was the best iced tea I've ever been served. 

It was crisp, cool, and just a bit minty. It was served with dark sweetener syrup (I'm not sure what it was; molasses?) and nuts in a light candy shell. 

The staff at Mother's is sweet and helpful. They gave us a coupon for our next visit, if we ever get there!

A Lolita's Day in Nagoya

Well yesterday, I suggested doing a photo dump to share some of the things I've seen in Japan so far. But as it turns out, today's Lolita Meme theme serves that purpose very well.

Day Eleven
... a day of your Lolita life in pictures.


It all started here, at Hongo station on our way to Sakae. 


We had lunch at Sakae station, where I had udon for the first time ever! It was really delicious! My friend recommended that I order wakame udon, if I wasn't very hungry. But I couldn't even finish this big bowl! I wish I could though! 

The order came with pickled vegetables and furikake rice. Furikake rice is one of my favorites from my home in Hawaii, so it was really nice! :)


It was sooo hot out yesterday. I stopped at the Ghibli store to pick up this cute handkerchief.

After lunch, we went to Nagoya Castle.

It was hot.

Really hot.

But at least the inside of the castle had air conditioning. I know they say the Japanese are advanced in their technology, but man... the Feudal Lords were geniuses...





The view from the top!


I got my BTSSB planner stamped. 


We found the Swimmer store at Sakae station! I wanted to look more, but it was pretty crowded. I picked up some Melty Chocolate headphones and Black Cat, Red Ribbon, and Gold Crown earrings.

The staff was super helpful, and helped direct us to the Nova building, where the Lolita shops are on the 5th floor.


I literally ran down the escalator when I saw Angelic Pretty's pink lobby. I have never been in Lolita shop in the four years since I started. It was like walking in a dream. 

The staff at Angelic Pretty were lovely! The shop tenant had peachy pink hair in pig tails, and wore the Chocolate Chess salopette with a cut sew underneath. It was a super cute coordinate for the sticky Nagoya heat we've had.

When I came in, I asked if they had the brown Honey Cake head bow, but they were out. Instead, I picked up a plain ivory side bow and continued browsing. The shop tenant came up to me with a much bigger, more elaborate head bow with ribbons, lace, and pearls, and said, 'I think this one suits you, and the pearls are really cute!' I was so surprised that she took the time to find me a head bow. I actually love pearls, and can't believe I missed that bow on the table!

After, I decided to get a purse too. I couldn't choose between the last Honey Cake shoulder bag and the new Alice in Wonderland story book purse. I asked the shop tenant, and she recommended getting the Honey Cake purse, since it was their last one and it would be really cute with my Honey Cake series. 

(And as it turns out, both the bow and the purse are PERFECT with my Honey Cake Jsk.)


After paying, she gave me a stamp card, and hand-drawn information sheets for upcoming reservations. She packed everything, even my other shopping bags, into one large, convenient Angelic Pretty bag. Then, she carried it out of the store for me, bowing many times and saying "Arigatou gozaimasu".

The Putumayo staff were all so nice! They had about three tenants working, but they were all so friendly. When I chose a parasol I liked, they opened it for me so I could see the design. Then, they cut the tags so I could use it right away, and put them in a sealed Putumayo envelope. I asked for a little bag to hold my old travel umbrella, and they packed it for me!

On the way out, I spotted an adorable beret with bunny ears- berets and bunny ears, two things I'm a sucker for. After admiring it, one of the tenants said I could try it on if I wanted! They took it out of the packaging for me and let me try it on in front of the floor-length mirror. Ugh, it was too cute! It was almost 8,000 yen though, so I think closer to Winter, I'll go back for it. It will be perfect for cold days, and maybe, they'll have a sale by that time. Hehe. 

Things I was disappointed in- Alice and the Pirates and Baby the Stars Shine Bright. At Baby, the shop tenant was nice, but the store itself was pretty bare. I think it's because they just had a big Summer Sale, didn't they? At Alice and the Pirates, it wasn't as bare, but the tenants didn't even say "Welcome". They kept to themselves at the front desk, one tenant with their back to us. To me it felt like they didn't want my business.

Innocent World was the most cramped store, in a corner of the 5th floor. But the goods were amazing. They had some Autumn outerwear out on the racks, and lots of adorable socks. I saw the new Stained Glass print in blue in person, and it's stunning! I really want it for myself. 

Unfortunately time doesn't stand still in Lolita Land, and we had to leave. I felt like I was floating down the stairs and out to the train station.


Of course, that floaty feeling wore off fast, and as soon as I walked in the door of my apartment I wanted to crash.



My haul for the day.

But the best thing I received?

In my mail box, I received my first card from my mom. It was just the thing I needed to wrap up a perfect day. 

Field Trip Today!

Ohayou Gozaimasu folks! This morning is our first NUFS excursion, out to Nagoya Castle and Nagoya City.

It's pretty hot and humid, but I'm braving it out in Lolita, so please wish me luck!

Today's theme is "bears".


Since it is so hot, I put my hair up in two "bear ear" buns using bobby pins. With the matching British Bear headband, it is pretty cute I think! ^^

One of the highlights of this week was the Entrance Ceremony at NUFS. The really fun part was the reception afterwards, where clubs from the school put on presentations and acts. There are so many talented students here, from Harmonics to Jazz! 

Did I mention there was free food? Haha, I always took that for granted until I started buying my own groceries!


The best part of the reception was getting to meet the Japanese students! I made so many new friends. We laughed and talked about our interests, which as it turns out, are quite similar. (Go figure.) 

There's so much more I want to talk about, but so little time! And I don't really want to throw a jumble of text up here. 

So, today's Lolita Meme Theme is...


Day Ten
... What's in your Lolita bag?


You can click to make it a bit bigger if you like.

Contents:

  • Rilakkuma wrist watch
  • Nanette Lepore rollerball perfume
  • Sephora mini lip gloss in light pink
  • Bath and Body Works Lemon Blueberry chap stick
  • Betsey Johnson glasses and case
  • Floral Coin purse
  • Last year's BTSSB planner (I keep business cards and receipts in it now)
  • Little Twin Stars compact mirror
  • Ruki! An amigurumi bunny my friend gave to me. I love to take him with me on outings and take blog-style photos.

Well, till next time! :) I have so many cool photos I want to share, maybe a photo dump is appropriate...?