Chapter 6 - Thursday 19th June 2008
Well what a day its been…………so much shopping and walking that I broke my shoe………(had to catch the bus home 3 stops) and it (the shoe)just missed making the front door by 10 metres before falling apart!!! But was it worth it!
Jack rang again and said ‘Hey I’m bored wanna do lunch?” We said “Yea, which country this time?” “Chieko and I wanna take you guys to our favourite ‘Turkish place”!!!(We get to travel the worrld through food here I tell you.) Jack and Chieko lived in Turkey for several years and love the food…………..We walked (you know that’s what we do a lot of here.) It was threatening rain so brollys are the order of the day……..Jack brought 3 with him -he has his name on them so we couldn’t nick them!!! Damm!
We had a great lunch with lots of authentic food as the owner cooks food his mother makes. It seems that lunch is the main meal of the day here in Japan and there are so many different places to choose from you can’t get bored with the choices and styles. They have musicians there and belly dancers so Brian is sourcing them to play at our World Fusion concert.
Us girls decided that the shops where calling and I had a few essential purchases that needed to be made (of course!). So the boys went home (Brian to work and have a massage) and Jack to have a nap (he reminds me that he is old) 68 going on 18 and needs a ‘nana nap’ in the afternoon- he walks me into the ground so I think he is telling me a ‘porky pie’!
Chieko and I went off down another street (I have NO IDEA where I am going) and rely on those around me to point me in the right direction. We passed this amazing set of buildings……..I thought I was back in Rome!!! See photo below! They have all sorts of funny buildings that look like ships or vines growing up them or Robots. Or lots of colour and movement………they like lots and lots of colour here……..gets your attention.
Brian is doing a singing lesson tomorrow and we decided that we are using our ‘spare room’ to do the lessons in. It was looking very bare. The single bed needed a cover and the window needed a curtain so I was on a mission. I have found that the Japanese are very very accommodating and if you ask or even mention on the side that you are interested in something all of a sudden it is happening. I have to be careful what I ask for!!! So Chieko very graciously took me to lots of wonderful shops to look for my stuff.
The most wonderful shop ‘in the world’ is a department store called ‘Yuzawaya’ floors and floors of craft stuff……….One floor for jewellery making stuff, beads beads and more beads. Next floor all paper, so pretty Origami designs and stick on bits another floor with lots of tables where they run classes of all descriptions from leadlight to sewing or beading or pottery (I got the class list and can't decide which class to attend first!) Another floor of – fabric (OH MY GOD) the most fantastic Japanese designs I was like a kid in a candy store running around……..Chieko lost our umbrellas(found them but) as I kept running from one spot to the other, one gorgeous fabric to the next. (I wanted a curtain and was going to make one tonight to be ready for the lesson tomorrow) I was all set to get all the fixings and fabric when I spied a BARGAIN BIN……..I have an eye like a hawk and a nose that can smell are bargain a mile away………even Chieko was impressed!!! $3 curtains…………yep!! Discarded samples……..and of course I found the exact right design and colour to go with the very tasteful (of course) cover and pillow I bought to cover the bed. I’M A LEGEND IN MY OWN SHOPPING HEAVEN!
Couldn’t wait to get home and ‘fix up’ the room before Brian got home……………he walked in and was very impressed. “Nice music room Nols!!!!”
Chieko also took me to some pretty small shops where they sell Kimonos etc…….So So So beautiful I can’t describe. You only occasionally see a woman walking around in a Kimono and usually later in the day. They are either leaving work (tea houses or cafes where they dress up) or they are going out to some special event like a wedding or celebration. It is a shame as they look so beautiful. I have not been quick enough to get a photo yet except for the one (below) of this pretty girl at a café. Mostly I see the older women in them. I will probably buy myself one before we leave just so I can look at it to remind me of our stay here.
Its ‘burnable’ rubbish night tonight…………you put it outside your front door and the cleaner comes and collects it. But you have to know which night is the right one for the right rubbish.
‘Plastic’ night, ‘Folded Paper’ night, ‘Bottle and Can’ night. We have lots of little bins and Brian asks me “Which bin do I have to throw this in, Nols?” Pity anyone who puts the wrong kind of rubbish in the wrong bin and on the wrong night………You need a university degree to work it out! At least they recycle!! But they do have a lot of packaging particularly food. The packaging is so pretty it’s a shame to throw it away Plastic only bin’! Get it right now!!!
Well its dinner time and we are off to try another little place down the road a ways…….What country shall we visit tonight?????
Until my next exciting instalment! Sayonara.
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