End of Japan trip

The last two days have been pretty un-photo worthy.  I had a very nice 2 days walking around, seeing Japanese stuff and being too relaxed to care about carrying my camera the whole time.  I did get a very funny picture of a box of Japanese condoms though.  They look just like cigarette boxes and they all say “For sex to which it can relieve it” on them.  Which is possibly the most euphemistic euphemism that ever euphemed.

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Homeward bound (with a quick stop over in LA to see Lillian and Kelli for dinner)!

 

Day 3 gallery

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Tokyo Day 3 – Worlds collide!

When I woke up at 6am today (after staying up til 1am in an attempt at overcoming my jetlag) I decided to spare dear Cori and take a walk to the local shopping center.  I saw lots of odd beverages and I’m a little concerned about how similar Japanese and Hebrew are starting to look to me.

Does this bother anyone else?  Is this Hebrew?  Is it Japanese?  I honestly can’t tell anymore!

I also ran into dear friend, TSwifty.

Saw a lot of cooking chopsticks (not to be confused with knitting needles).

And some MORE tiny hats.  So many tiny hats!

Then I came back to the apartment to meet up with Katharine for our venture into Asakusa to shop the bazaar and see the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple which is covered in swastikas.

I know the meaning of the symbol predates Nazi-ism but it’s just slightly off putting in person.  Then Katharine and I caught the coolest boat ever to Odiba for dinner and ice cream.

I felt like I was in an episode of Doctor Who.

To be honest I’ve felt like that a lot this week.

But seriously, the floor and ceiling lit up different colors and the whole outside was glass!  So cool!

Then we ate at the most colorful bazaar/fair/indoor mish mash of things.  I don’t even know words to describe this establishment/collection of establishments all on top of one another.

And we got Italian gelato in a french restaurant that looked like this

While in Tokyo.  What is this life?!

 

Day 1 and 2 photo gallery

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Day 2 – New friends!

Long day today.  Today, like the terrible friend I am, I woke Cori up before noon.  Then we met up with her co-worker Katherine and went to the Tokyo Tower.

It’s really tall.

Like really tall.

Then we went to this other area called Asakusa to see this temple thing but we ended up getting distracted by our hunger and the bazaar we stumbled on so instead we just ate and got really lost on the way back to the train station where Cori found this wonderful 4 ft tall cutout.

We made it back to the apartment just in time to change dresses and hop in a cab to a party the local performer threw for the entering and leaving foreign performers.  I’m calling it the “The king is dead, long live the king” party.  But you probably shouldn’t tell the locals that as they would be extremely confused.

Conversely, I was extremely confused for the entire party.  First Spiderman showed up and gave a toast.

Then a very colorful tap-dancing, magic-doing mime.

Then this guy.

Then the exiting cast performed the dinner show routine but with the men and women both playing the women.

And I almost hit my head on the top of the bathroom door.

Because people here are short.

And then we took a ridiculous number of group shots.  I’m in most of them which means that in a few years everyone is going to look at these pictures and ask each other “who is that extra white girl?”  That extra white girl is me!

 

LAX-NRT (Narita, Tokyo) and Day 1

You probably can’t see it but those are Muslim prayer leaflets just as you enter the plane. Awesome. Also, the flight attendants on Malaysia Airlines have the prettiest uniforms. Floor length floral skirts that look really comfy and flattering.
Also, instead of doing a live demonstration of the seat belt they have a video of an adorable little girl teaching her brother how to buckle up.

So, the flight was long but fine.  I watched a few movies (The Five Year Engagement is so freaking funny, everyone should watch it right now!) and landed in Narita where the fun really began.

It turns out I was a little unprepared for the ordeal that is buying a train ticket. Oy.  Finally I arrived at Tokyo station and I cannot begin to tell you my relief when Cori called my name across the station.  I shot my hand straight up in the air like a student and spun around to find the voice.  She got us back to her apartment where I met a few of her friends and then we ate some sushi from 7/11 (seriously delish) and crashed.

In the morning I took a walk down to Tokyo Bay while Cori slept and then we caught the train to two of the more modern and colorful shopping districs, Shibuya

Where we bought fabrics and some really great soba noodle dish from a vending machine and ate it at really low tables.

And Harajuku, where we walked down Takeshita street

And saw (among lots of other crazy and bright things) some tights with questionable English)

And some pants with a face on them.

We then came home and crashed like you wouldn’t believe.  So much walking.

Thus endeth Day 1.

Next: Day 2!

 

To Japan, part 1

Guess who got bumped up to first class for the JFK-LAX leg of her trip. The chairs go so far back and they give you a tablet to play with and amazing noise canceling headphones! And then I had my TV interview which went really well. Day 1 is going pretty well so far. And it’s only 2 in the afternoon!

 

Pigpen Theatre Co.

Today I interrupt our normally scheduled programming to bring you something very close to my heart.

Some extremely talented friends and classmates of mine are trying to make an album and they need YOUR help to make it a reality.

If you haven’t heard of Pigpen Theatre Co. they are a group of 7 brilliant young men who… well just watch the video and you’ll get it.

If you haven’t heard of kickstarter.com:

On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.

If real people like you and me don’t pledge enough money to fund their project then no money exchanges hands and nothing gets made.  That’s why they need your help!  As of today there are only 57 days left for them to raise over $6,000!

Please help my friends and be part of something truly beautiful.  If they can make such beauty on a shoestring budget just imagine what they can do with your help.

Thank you.

 

San Diego and Santa Maria

So this weekend I visited Cousins Micah and Heather Kasdan in San Diego.  I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.  They have the sweetest poodles and an adorable little house with lots of orange.  This doesn’t sound very important but it was huge to me as there is no orange in my house back home.

They took me to the neighborhood they used to live in and we had fish and drinks and drinks and a walk and some drinks.  That was pretty much the theme of the weekend.  Stuff, drinks, more stuff, more drinks.

I don’t have much specific to say about the weekend other than that I love Heather.  She’s the cousin I’ve always wanted and I’m so glad Micah tricked her into being related to me.  I hope they move closer to me in the long run so I can hang out with them and their orange stuff and their dogs.

When I got back from San Diego Brisa and I took a trip to visit her grandmother in Santa Maria.  I learned to make enchiladas and strawberry shortcake and to play Mexican Train.  This is the best game ever.  If you’re wondering what I want for my birthday the answer is mexican train.  I want a set and I want to play it with you for 5 hours.

Yes, we played that game for 5 hours and we had such a good time that it felt like 5 minutes.  Honestly.  We also, played a few minutes of Uno, during which Brisa completely spazzed out and looked at a bunch of cards that weren’t hers inducing an extreme laughing fit where we both almost fell off our chairs.  We also visited Brisas Aunt Delia and her three beautiful sons and I fell in love with Nana.  She’s awesome.  I hope I’m half the grandmother she is one day.

Tomorrow I go back up to LA and join the company.  I’m excited to see everyone and for Bryan to set up my work email on my phone.  Planning for the first few weeks away from everyone has been stressful but I think that when I am reminded that this is all going towards a show everything will be better.

More later,

E

 

Glendora, CA

Sunday morning to Tuesday morning I went to LA to spend time with Lillian and Kelli who I miss very much from school.

We didn’t do a whole hell of a lot except the following:

We saw The Lion King in 3D!  Which was the best idea ever!!!!!!!!  Really.  Friggin awesome.

And I bought a fancy phone!  This fancyphone to be exact.  I like it lots.  I’m figuring out how to put my calendar and email into it.  I’m still having a hard time putting my work email on the phone but I think I’ll just wait til Bryan gets back from Australia and ask him to do it.

And we sat in bed and watched Doctor Who and Disney movies.  It was very exciting.  And we had amazing pastries.  Really amazing isn’t a strong enough word to describe these pastries.

And then I came back to Fallbrook.

More later!