Lollia hand cream

I am a believer that good things should be shared..unless they are in limited supply (like my last serving of almonds I hid behind the self raising flour this morning..).

So I must SHOUT out to all those who care that I am in love with Lollia by Margot Elena handcreme. The love affair started when mum bought herself a tube at the Chelsea Markets in New York last year (name drop). She then bought me one online for my birthday, another one for herself and then discovered the perfume range!

Mum did a lot of hunting into where it could be bought in Australia with a little luck. Now just last Sunday while window shopping in downtown Osaka, I happened to walk straight up to it in a bath and body boutique! I don't know whether it was the memory of that gentle coconut, jasmin and mandarine creme pictured above, the sweet and innocent floral tube design, or just the fact that I had found a piece of mum in Japan, but I had to buy one.

I chose BELIEVE - cabbage rose & citrus. Mostly because it reminded me of Anne Shirley asking if a rose could smell as sweet if it was called a 'skunk cabbage':p BuSeriosuly thought, this one smells so summery and scrumptious! I wish I could just put in on a vanilla muffin and eat it! 

That is all. If anyone is into online shopping (I havn't tried yet) and looking for a nice end-of-exams treat for themselves, this is it! Enjoy:)

PURIKURA

 Ahh PURIKURA. A weird and wonderful slice of modern Japanese culture.

On the weekend I met up with a friend for a spot of shopping and she took me to a seven story building full of these photo booths. SEVEN floors!!! SEVEN!! I couldn't figure out why there needed to be over one hundred different photo booths? They all did the same thing- widen eyes, lengthen eyelashes, smooth out skin etc.

Once the photo's been taken, then starts the agonising process of working out what to write all over it. The Japanese are so fast and creative...while I take ages just trying to work out how to change the pen colour and font. Also, adding some kind of english to the edit seems to be a must..it's hilarious.

So what do they do with all these photos you ask? Once printed, they can be cut up and given out to friends, or stuck on notebooks and backs of calculators! Some girl's even make special notebooks to stick all their photos in. How awesome!!-- If you were seven. Yet strangely this is still a loved past time of Japanese girls well into their 20's. 

 I often receive little 2x1cm photos of girl's own purikura when meeting for the first time. Why I would want them? I'm not sure, but I put on the "For me?! Oh wow you're so cute! Here have one of me!" routine and the friendship can officially begin.

For the Brisbane readers, Elizabeth Street Arcade is home to a few of these Purikua photo booths, but will set you back $12 a turn as opposed to the 400yen ($5) here in Japan...saying letting you know:)

Guy's handbags

I could go on and on with how Japanese and Australian fashion styles differ. I've already mentioned the need here to wear MORE clothes the HOTTER it gets, but another little thing that has caught my eye this week is the bags boys have been carrying around uni campus. They are pretty much what I would call women's handbags.

It brought me back to a memory of browsing through MYERS with Scott for an appropriate bag for uni. He was wanting something a nicer looking than a back pack, but made it clear he didn't want anything that said he was one of those 'new-age sensitive metrosexual guys' or into manicures and chick flicks. For a guy who only every carries around a phone, keys and wallet, he was stepping into the unknown territory of the MAN BAG. This is a bit of a tricky task for a lot of Australian guys I think- wanting to try the over the shoulder bag while maintaining their masculinity.

When I first started noticing the women's handbag look in Japan I found it hard to get used to, and well I still do I suppose. But I'm begining to feel sorry for Aussie guys who all stress out about trying not to look homosexual when choosing to adopt some kind of bag in their daily attire. What if all Aussie men embrace the handbag! Off the shoulder for easy acces, and great for keeping those little things you might need across the day like pen and notepad, water bottle, face towel, chapstick for those dry lips, and an afternoon snack if your out all day etc. Plus new studies are saying carrying mobiles around in pant pockets is bad for fertility!

So what do we think? Is this a look Australians could ever embrace for their men? Personally, I still prefer the long strap statchel style bag for guys (if they had to stray from the trusty backpack). But perhaps that is just because this is all we know in Australia. Maybe I should bring home Scott one of these little black handbags and see if it starts a brand new craze...

Weekly Photo Challenge (1)

As sad as it sounds, I've been doing a lot of internet surfing lately, perhaps procrastinating from kanji study, report writing and speech practice..ugh. I stumbled across a digital photography website as I am wanting to start using my NikonD3100 more while I am over here. A blogger on this website has organised a weekly photo challenge where every week there is a technique or theme that you would have to use in your photo somehow. Check it out at Digital Photography School- weekly photo challenge.

I thought this would be a good way of making me take the camera out a little more often and motivate me to take it off auto and play around with the settings a little more. So here goes.

This weeks topic: YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Could be anything, a person, food, laptop etc...I chose little Kenneth. My faithful teddy that is also there for a cuddle when I need it.

My mini aim was to only use natural light.

Was going for the 'sitting and waiting for their return' kinda look;)

^^I think this says it best. Sitting inside on a gloomy rainy day.

Bit of blur in the foreground and background. Do I get any points?

Anyway, that's my first effort. I know it's probably only meant to be one photo but I guess I can do whatever I please (actually I'm just not decisive enough..next time I'll try sticking to one shot!)



Family fun in Japan

BBQ on the roof-top for father's day! These are always special times for the Mino family.

Papa works in another town so only comes home on Saturday or Sunday and heads back again Monday mornings. He is a quiet man, but after the night came up to me and said how special it was to him.

'Yakitori' is pretty much chicken skewers. We cooked up capsicum, mushrooms, carrot, beans, cabbage (severely underated in Australia) and had sides of salad, cream cheese and chilly sauce (my influence) and flour tortillas for wrapping the food in (also my influence:p).

Trying to be healthy I stuck to a lot of salad and vegies. The skewers tend to be layered with fat..the Japanese love it, but it freaks me out haha. Spanish wine mama bought from an international store. Was fruity but not too sweet:)

We were all high on fun family times and started taking sill photos.

Photo below is titled "looking out into the future". Mama said it was like a poster for North Korea.

We took so many and all laughed until we cried!!

Below titled "Let's pretend we are having fun for facebook"

Below title "Quick everybody pose like the cover of a LOST dvd"

Mama and papa were able to drink together, gossip and joke, and spend time with their kids that didn't involve homework, driving to sports or dragging them out of bed. A night well spent.

food glorious food

I have made the realisation that I use food as a coping mechanism for dealing with the discomforts and trials of student exchange.

Last time I was here on exchange food was often a highlight of the day. It was hard making friends and some experiences with host families were a little uncomfortable. Chocolate, glutenous rice balls and crusty melon bread however never let me down. An instant mimi hit of happiness. I found myself eating my hot packed lunch as soon as I got to school..just because it was at times the only comfort to me in the sea of small, look-alike, rowdy school girls. Even worse, I would sometimes wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and sit down in the kitchen with a small bowel of rice or cereal. It was so nice to be able to just sit in peace and enjoy some food without needing to talk to anyone, which often required a lot of energy and disappointment when I was unable to get my message across in Japanese. I always told people I put on weight because of all the sweet treats my host-grandmother bought me, but really now I think about it, it was my own doing :p!

THIS TIME however, I have come back aware and prepared of this dangerous habit of mine. Over the last few weeks I have been getting really into nutrition and healthy eating. At first this was to cut back those few kilos I had gained since my arrival, but over time it has become my new coping mechanism to stress, boredom, homesickness etc. Now when in need of a distraction from daily stress, instead of taking that walk to the corner shop to buy some icecream, I spend my time researching recipes for breakfast smoothies or easy vegetarian lunches etc. I get excited about all the options for healthy eating that's out there and get comfort and pleasure out of researching, planing and trying them.

I pretty much look forward to waking up now so I can try out my new natural muesli for breakfast, and make that delicious tuna and sald pita I'd planned. Now while at the supermarket I'm not stocking up on 'emergency chocolate' but on herbal teas and chickpeas and wholegrain breads and probiotic yoghurts and carrots and capsicums etc etc. I was getting really excited about the benefits and meal options of the whole grain Quinoa but couldn't find it ANYWHERE in Japan. Tried buying it online but could only get it in little 200g sachets. But today, while on the way home from the gym I thought I'd check out an international store for some cottage cheese, and ran straight into a big tub of quinoa. I literally squeeled! I smiled all the way to the register and even told the cashier how happy I was she sold it and thanked her (yes a bit over the top but I was really wanted to try it). Now I want to share my joy with all of you:)

also found some scrumptious looking crackers for the afternoon munchies.

Ok so I do realise I am still obsessed with food and use it for coping with homesickness and stress etc, but at least it's healthy now right? I am learning so much about nutrition, portion control, healthy snack ideas etc, while also gaining more energy in my day, more control over what goes into my mouth and have finally got the bowels working properly again (thankyou AllBran!). Photos of my Quinoa creations to come!

PALE vs TAN

Ok so I'm starting to realise that the Japanese are EXTREMEMLY conscious about the sun damaging their skin and turning them brown. You often see women on bicycles with  pull-on sleeves to protect their forearms, big plastic face protection and light scarves to protect their necks and chests. On the train yesterday, I sat next to two women who were both doning this sun-smart 'arm protection', discussing where they bought them and for how much (Osakanites love to compare bargains!).



Sleeves, face-shield and scarf



It seems so strange to me coming from the land of singlets, shorts and thongs, to see the Japanese ADD layers to their outfits as the temperature rises. Even on 28deg+ days, the guys at uni are getting around in jeans, lace up shoes and long sleeve button-up shirts and vests. While that might have more to do with fashion than sun protection, I feel faint looking at them!

There seems to be this idea amognst young western people that a golden tan is healthy and beautiful as opposed to pale skin which is seen as a little daggy and/or sickly. In Japan however, to be called white and pale is actually a compliment.

Where Australian girls would be out on the sand praying for a tan, the Japanese are lathering up on suncrean, in long sleeves and taking light umbrellas with them whereever they go.

girls at my university- a common sight

 There are endless products out on the market with bleach components that supposedly whiten the skin. While I was shocked when I first learnt this, my Japanese friends call me crazy when I ask where I can get a good gradual tanning moisturizer:p

What I would like to know is why Japanese sunscreen is spf50+, and yet in Australia, the land of suncancer, you would struggle to find much more than 30+. Is it because once over 30 it doesn't make a difference? A manager at a cosmectic store at the Goldcoast told me that we can't even import spf50+ products. Fascinating.

Anyway, one sun-safety item which isn't big in Japan are sunglasses. I always feel like I'm the only one wearing them. When I put them on around my friends they squeel "Ahh Anna! you're so cool! haha like a movie star!!" etc. When asked, my friends claim that sunnies don't suit the typically flat Japanese face so aren't worn by many people, but that they are mostly worn by the high-fashion girls as big loud accessory pieces.

Don't feel like coming up with some profound thought-proving conclusion this morning, just some food for thought:P

Breakfast time!

Ok so basically I woke up  this morning undecided between my favourite porridge and banana, or getting a little more protein with something like an omelette…So I mixed them together!!!

Well, not really. I basically made oatmeal pancakes with egg whites. I didn’t have my grandpa’s recipe on hand so made it up as I went, expecting to fail as all my pancakes do. But it was actually pretty yummy served with ricotta cheese, honey and pecans!

Okay so just re-stating that this isn’t a proper recipe as all the one’s on the internet wanted buttermilk or oat flour etc…and I wasn’t really in the mood for replacing it with white flour this morning. But basically this is what I did-

3/4 cup traditional rolled oats

3 egg whites (could be nice to keep one or two yolks in next time)

½ tsp baking powder

Splash of milk (in hindsight I didn’t need the milk as the mixture was pretty thin without the white flour)

And that’s it.

I combined the ingredients, gave them a good mixing and tipped it out onto a hot non-stick frying pan. After 2 or so minutes I sliced some banana across the top, closed my eyes and flipped. It felt heavier and firmer than your conventional pancake due to the oats and banana so I couldn’t really tell when it was cooked through, but after a few minutes the aroma of caramelised banana was too much to handle and it was time to plate up!

Next came decorating the pancake with delicious fresh ricotta cheese, crushed pecans and honey. My host mother has Earl Grey flavoured honey which is AMAZING. I also sprinkled some ‘kinako’ powder on top which is basically just blended soy beans -very yummy on porridge too! Oh and of course a little cinnamon to give it that homey taste;)

All in all I was pretty impressed with myself. It tasted so naughty but was really just a natural, high protein and high fibre start to the day.

I think I could make this my regular Saturday morning breaky! I do believe this recipe however has a lot of room for improvement! I want them to be fluffier and lighter…perhaps blending the oats into a flour, or cooking them into porridge before-hand could work. Suggestions welcome!

I also have some ideas brewing for future topping options…how do we feel about mashed baked cinnamon-apple or a sweet pumpkin puree? Possibilities people!

Communal bathing for personal enlightenment

At 9.30pm last night I found myself soaking up to my neck in beautiful hot water in the public baths of the local gym, after an invigorating 45min Vinyasa yoga class. Now for those who are not aware of the Japanese 'Onsen' (hot spring) or 'Ofuro' (bath) culture, it basically involves a whole lot of naked people showering on tiny stools before getting into large baths of really hot water. Of course there are different sections for men and women (but I have been asked to join someone to a unisex one before. No thank you!! --called ‘Konyoku’ for those keen).

From what I hear, the onsen is not a highly sought-after experience by many Australian and other western exchange students. In fact, when I came to Japan on a school trip in grade 10 I openly refused the offer to go with my host family. It sounded terrifying! Just to imagine all these people seeing me naked, staring at my pale body, lack of breasts and…well...everyone has pubic hair right? But is it the same in Japan? It was an easy ‘no I'm fine thanks!’.  My host family didn't understand what my problem was but just laughed it off and took me to Universal Studios instead.

Two years later while on exchange here I had decided that I had to try it. I promised myself I would fully immerse myself in the Japanese. Walking into the large bath house to discover a sea of naked bodies was actually a very enlightening experience. There I was, worrying about sticking out, while here was a room filled with bodies of which not ONE was similar to the other. There were big-bottom girls, no-bottom girls, big/droopy/pointy/non-existent breasts, saggy tummies, back fat, bony hips, and plenty of cellulite! And mind you, I was probably the only person having a look! Everyone was busy shampooing hair or resting their eyes in the baths.

Anyway, the point of my blab is that so many women walked in and out of the gym’s bath house last night and I couldn’t help notice that not ONE of them had a body anything like those constantly flashed across the media. What blind person had decided the ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ body shape is 180cm tall and a size 6?

Upon this realisation, I felt so liberated walking around completely starkers without the slightest concern for my flat chest and jiggly butt, and was able to just appreciate the diversity and beauty of the female body. (Having said that, I did still get a bit of a shock when in the sauna the lady next to me sprung up into a very revealing downward facing dog. Yoga and public bath time is perhaps best left separate.)

And yet this morning before school as I sat at my laptop watching uploaded videos of  the ‘Sunrise’ morning show, on came pop star Ricky-Lee Coulter who received endless praise and glorification over how beautiful and happy she now looked after her recent weight-loss, going from a size 14 to 10. Her legs looked so long and tanned, and waist so flat and tiny. 

"Ricki-Lee Coulter unveils at
the WHO 'Sexiest people' awards 2011"



photo taken from:
http://www.last.fm/group/Ricki-Lee





The liberated and body-confident “I’m perfect the way I am” Anna from last night went out the window as I told myself if I work a little harder, I too could be ‘beautiful and happy’ like Ricky-Lee Coulter.

What a joke! Time for another trip to the onsen I think Anna:p



The power of smell and long distance love

What are your thoughts on aromatherapy? I don't know much about it apart from that different oils are meant to help relieve anxiety, clear the mind, and encourage relaxation etc. I've even read the benifits of aromatherapy on hair loss and weight gain...again perhaps stress related? Throughout highschool I often went through phases of using incense when studying or smelly bath bombs when stressed out. However, often the whole concept tends to be seen by many as a mere placebo, or even a pseudoscientific scam.

I don't have the slightest scientific knowledge on the matter, but am a strong believer in the positive affects certain smells can have on our emotional and mental state. My grandma had a spiced apple candle set in a square clay container. I remember when we would visit as little children I would often pick it up and have a whiff. For some reason it made me feel all warm and sparkly inside. One christmas, then 18 yrs old, I noticed all the wax had melted away, and Grandma obliged when I asked if I could keep it. She thought it was a funny thing for me to ask for, but years later it still sits on my bedside table where I can hold it to my nose and get that warm, sparkly feeling again. It really works!

 What does this have to do with long distance love? Well a few weeks ago I got the most amazing and thoughtful parcel in the mail. Scott had found these little glass bottles with cork stoppers, filled them each with his different colognes and labelled them. He sent me about 6 little bottles in total. When I really miss him and need to feel him close, I just pop open one of the cork stoppers, and let the smell fill me completely with his love and our good memories. Haha kinda corny but it turns my homesickness right around! The perfumes have actually started to evaporate out through the cork or something but its always a treat coming home after a long, Japanese-filled day, to open my bed room door and be greeted with a great big whiff of Scott! Makes me feel like he had just been in my room getting ready for a night out or something.

One more thing that gets me through the nights alone is my teddy bear Kenneth that Scott bought for me at a speciality TeddyBear store in Melbourne just before I left. I had sprayed Kenneth with my favourite of Scott's colognes, Acqua di Gio by Georgio Armani, and now cuddle him everynight and pretend Scott is right there with us.  



Poor Scott gets sent a lot of
selfies of Kenneth and I.



Kenneth on the plane with me
 leaving Coolangatta airport.


I find it so fascinating how we can have what I call a 'smell bank' in our heads, storing all sorts of memories attached to particular scents. If anyone reading (even if it's just my own mother) has any particular smell that always brings back a certain memory or feeling, I'd love to hear them!

A bit of background..

 

Looking studious?



Hi my name is Anna, and I am a 20 year-old Australian girl, currently completing my third year of university studies in Osaka, Japan. I live with a fantastic host-family who I've been close friends with since a previous 10 month exchange here back in 2009.

I know from experience the roller coaster ride being on exchange can be. One minute I'm thanking my stars for this chance to learn about another culture first hand and experience so many strange and wonderful things, and then the next, I'm frustrated and confused at how different two culture's ways of thinking can be, why I can't seem to beat the emotional snacking, and pining over all the 21^st birthday parties I’m missing out on back home!


Another element to my story is that I was only seven months into my first real relationship (ooooo!)before jetting off to Japan for the next year. This has brought with it a new element to studying abroad that I didn’t have back in 2009.   

Scott and I at Big Day Out in Jan



What I do remember from that last exchange is the 8 kilos I put on that year, and consequently not being able to fit any of my clothes or any of the clothes sold here! It wasn't too great for the self esteem and confidence, so is something I am actively trying to avoid this time around!

With so much running through my head lately with uni, hostfamily and other commitments, I was starting to get a little stressed out. My boyfriend (Scott) hates me not knowing exactly why I am stressed or down, so spoke with me on the phone last night until we came up with that writing a blog could be a good outlet and a chance for me to get creative and do some writing again. So basically I am starting this blog to somehow make sense of all the things I love and hate about being on exchange, and to share my thoughts and discoveries on culture, people, food, health, spirituality, and long distance relationships. I haven’t quite worked out why I so desperately needed to go on exchange again, but I am hoping that through the process I might also discover something about myself.

Host mother, father, grandmother, uncle and sister. Heading out to a picnic.