From place to place

  

Sidi Kaouki, Marrakech, Istanbul, Rotterdam 

Adventures in Seoul

Food! Drink! Vintage shopping! Stationary! Adorable Korean children!

My holiday to South Korea was wonderful.  Seoul exceeded all expectations with lovely people, delicious food and most importantly, an abundance of 5 grain bread and cheese (which tends to be hard to find/expensive in Japan). I was the happiest girl ever. More pictures coming this way soon!

Road trippin'

A few snaps from recents road trips around northern Japan while the snow was falling hard and fast. There's nothing like hitting the road!

Hello stranger (s)

A cute wee father daughter moment I saw on the street.

Happy 2012! I'm back, after a rather long blogging break. I took off to Europe and saw London, Lisbon, Paris and Amsterdam. It was amazing, I ate my weight in croissants, snapped pictures, petted cats, fell off bicycles repeatedly, shopped at markets and wandered down many a cobblestoned street. I have lots of film to develop! One of the best things was arriving back in Japan. I realised I really missed it, and was so happy to be back. It feels like home. I hope you had an amazing start to the year! I can't wait to share inspiring things with you in 2012, and see all that inspires you. x

Goodbye Summer

The Japanese summer departed swiftly leaving me rather surprised and clutching at my winter coats. Unlike New Zealand where the weather dilly dallies between seasons Japan is all about the sharp and defined change of the seasons. I'm now dreading seeing Australian and New Zealand friends popping up in my news feed, bathed in light and leisurely sipping on wine. Ahh the envy. I'm a summer kid! That said, here are some snaps taken over the past few weeks.

Kyoto markets

Once a month the Nishiki markets are held in Kyoto. It's a good opportunity to rub shoulders (or elbows) with the locals in search of a bargain, and cast your eye over many a antique gem. I managed to score myself a beautiful soft vintage kimono that I intend to use as a dressing gown, and a bag of super tart mandarins - yum!  One of the best things about the market is the people watching. Above are some images my boyfriend captured as we wandered around. I love the guy in stripes!

Gomen!

Sorry about the recent lack of posts. I've been travelling around Japan with my dearest ma and pa, which has been a wonderful adventure. There have been typhoons, sumo wrestlers and old Japanese ladies to bargain with in the Kyoto markets. There were also mini deer that tried to take a bite out of us while travelling around Nara! Above are some pictures. The deer were so tiny and cute but also very assertive when it came to eating snacks. It was amazing to seem them wandering around completely uncaged and tamed. Hope you've all been well and enjoying the change of season, wherever you are in the world. xx

Holiday grinch

I found this scribbled in a notebook, dated two years ago. It was penned after my first visit to the Taj. It made me smile that sometimes I manage to sound like such a grump. It was written post food poisoning/ pre being stranded on the side of the road on the Agra-Delhi stretch. Travel brings out the best and worst in me. 

Sitting in the humid train carriage perched awkwardly upon a pleather bench I flipped through my counterfeit version of the god of small things and waited. Up the line protestors from Jaipur blocked the tracks, demanding higher wages and better conditions. They waved signs angrily, scowled and jumped from side to side. The train sat, waiting for them to tire like a patient mother and her petulant child. Inside the occupants remained completely unfazed. The chai wallah continued to sell tea, the flies buzzed lazily, the family opposite unwrapped banana leaf packed meals and I stared hungrily.

Finally the train began to move, lethargic after such a long break. Slowly but surely I was once again heading towards Agra. Being a typical tourist I was off to see the Taj Mahal. I couldn't not. But unlike others I was not expecting an experience of awe and wonder. It was a sight I had seen a million times over like the Mona Lisa or Eiffel tower, courtesy of Google image, coffee mugs, t-shirts, screen savers and book covers. 

Most of the time I feel like a terrible tourist. While crowds eagerly snap photos at precious landmarks, I feel like there is little point. Yes, I was there, but I didn't need to take a picture one million people had taken before. My reasoning lay in the assumption that wonder was better found in the unexpected moments. Birds swooping over power lines at day break, funny hats on serious old men and unexpected love letters in the post. Despite my grinch like views I got up at 4am and sleepily made my way through the darkness to the Taj.

The gates opened and the small group of tourists excitedly moved forward, passing surly security guards and the last of the merchandise vendors.They rushed forward, hands poised and ready on their camera shutters. Walking through an unassuming old arch suddenly the Taj came into view. It was huge. Surprisingly huge. And spectacular. As I stood gaping the sky broke into a bright shade of red, reflecting perfectly off the white marble monument. In that moment I saw architectural perfection, symmetry, romance, tragedy and beauty. My skin got goosebumps. The touristic grinch departed. I was moved. 

Finding a step to sit on I watched the sunrise and tried hard to commit the moment to memory, even pausing to take a photo. I knew it was a photo that had been taken one million times before but I couldn't not take it. I realised no day was quite like today and maybe those hoards of tourists were on to something. Each experience is individual. Each impression is unique. 

Even non believers can have their moments.

Ho-li-day

When I was back in New Zealand it felt like something of a holiday, but different from the ones I had been taking. It was a sleep deeply/don't wake me from my slumber no matter how important it is/ reading novels in my childhood bedroom while eating cameo cremes/ I'm taking a bubble bath and drinking red wine, kind of getaway. In between these times of recharge I saw my friends who I had been missing terribly and we danced furiously to Blondie and Santos Esmerelda, practiced air maracas, went to karaoke and pulled yoga moves while drunk. There were no laminated itineraries or sight seeing and it was nice. Now that I am rested, relaxed and back in the ever wonderful Japan I am dreaming about the next exotic location I want to travel to. 

Images from YouthQuakers. How good are old Vogues?