j-pop: Tina, etc.

Tina on Internet Radio インタネットラジオ: http://www.tina-ladysoul.com/special/ for a month or so.

I'm looking forward to lots of concerts over the next month or so! 青山テルマ、小柳ゆき、Jay'd, 三浦大知。クリスタルケイの切符も買えるといいね。

Nov. Sweet Magazine

Fashionmag (Japanese with pictures) has good reviews for the Paul & Joe "vanity" bag and pouch included in Sweet's November issue.

I'm not a big fan of Sweet, and the Paul & Joe pattern is not exactly my taste, but according to Fashionmag the quality is really good and is recommended.

The last magazine I picked up was probably Oggi (the models are so boring! although the clothes are okay) for the Kate Spade book cover. Very nice book cover. The Anteprima mook looks quite lovely and elegant, but I really don't need another lunch box bag. Maybe I'll get it later, if it's still available. I already have bags from Tsumori Chisato, Sequoia, Paul & Joe Sister, Miffy, and Anna Sui. The Anna Sui and Sequoia bags are the nicest.

thinking about racism

I've come across some interesting blog posts lately that are forcing me to reconsider how I deal with racism and homophobia; reconsider how I think in general.


http://www.racialicious.com/2007/06/22/denial-and-delusion-why-public-conversations-about-race-fail-before-they-begin/

http://twowomenblogging.blogspot.com/2010/05/echo-by-jay.html

http://twowomenblogging.blogspot.com/2010/10/national-coming-out-day-by-jay.html

http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/denial-a-river-wider-than-charles-racism-and-implicit-bias-cambridge

http://ciderpress.livejournal.com/193790.html

my ultimate skin care set

Cosmetic Candy is holding a series of giveaways, which prompted me to think about my ideal skin care set:
1. shu uemura cleansing oil (although honestly, fancl cleansing oil/dhc deep cleansing oil are perfectly fine for me)
2. Shiseido &Face Art Method Clearing Water
3. Jurlique day care face lotion
4. La Roche Posay Anthelios 40
5. Shiseido Haku Masks

Current favorites:
1. FANCL cleansing oil
2. Shiseido Senka 専科 water
3. Beauty Credit Double Moist Pomegranate Collagen Cream
4. Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunscreen 50+
5. Kanebo Kracie Hadabisei Face Sheet Masks (the blue box)

breakfast

As my first step towards eating more healthily, I've been focusing on eating breakfast everyday. So far, so good. It's not too difficult.
Eating breakfast at home is a more difficult step, but anyway, I'm getting breakfast.

It used to be easy to get breakfast when a bunch of convenience stores were on my way to work. Now, I need to get up earlier or fall prey to the lure of McDonalds.

variety

Familiarity is comfortable, but variety is a great spice.

By the way, if you're looking for a place to visit in Japan, Takayama/Shirakawa-go is a fantastic place to go.
I've been all over Japan, but I loved the scenery and the sights. It's a rustic, picturesque place.

For a sight closer to Tokyo, Nikko is a great place to visit; in some ways the main temple is rather gaudier/more elaborate than Kyoto.

In contrast, Kamakura is a nice day/weekend trip from Tokyo, but if you're going to Kyoto it's not necessary to include on the same itinerary.

some anime and manga

I've been enjoying some manga and anime recently.

I read the few translated chapters of 精霊の守人 Guardian of the Sacred Spirit and now I'm going through the anime episodes. Quite fun! I want to pick up the manga but haven't found it in bookstores yet.

I've also been reading 光と共に With the Light; quite interesting. Well worth the time to read it. It's educational and entertaining at the same time. They just came out with 文庫 for it - I think only the first 2 are out (15 total) - so I started collecting that.

I'm also on the 8th book of 魔法使いの娘 The Magic User's Daughter (The Magician's Daughter? The Wizard's Daughter?). I think this may be the last book. Very satisfying. Yukie Nasu 那須雪絵 is great at writing interesting, well-characterized stories. I don't know how she does it but she's totally consistent with everyone's characterizations; it's really a delight to re-read when I think about it. But of course, I don't notice this at first because the plot usually sweeps me along.

I finally read a "dark fantasy" one-shot of Yukie Nasu called 嵐が原　Lex Talionis. Apparently she wrote it in the middle of writing Here is Greenwood. It was really well done. Melancholy but realistic.
I should go through a bunch of the other books that I've collected. You can tell when her books are not going to be lighthearted so I've rather avoided some of them.
The volume contains a couple short stories that are also good; delightfully creepy but touching. She likes exploring the dark side of human emotions without making it a tragedy.