Lucas has Found Spring

It was Sunday.
Lucas went for a walk again!
Lucas took a train this time. (But he was in my bag).

"Today's destination is Gyoda park in Funabashi."
Lucas said to me.
Gyoda park is a 11.9ha local park near.....
Well, this park is not near the station.
Lucas walked(technically I walked) about 30 minutes from Higashi Kaijin station of Toyo Rapid Railway.
(If Lucas take this train, Lucas can go to Tokyo within an hour.)


He was so tired to walk, but  he found that ume(Japanese apricot) on bloom!

lucas found a blooming ume tree.

Lucas Goes for A Walk

Lucas is a small, white and cute teddy bear.
He came to my place last year as Christmas gift.

Lucas saw many pictures that people took their "Duffy" The Disney Bear to Tokyo Disney Sea on blog yesterday, and he thought...

"I'm teddy bear too!(Even though I'm so small bear....) I want to go out like Duffy...!
I want to go to a park!"

"it's sunday!
may I go with you?"

Well, OK!
Let's go for a walk!
Today is Sunday, it's fun to go out with Lucas.

Snowed Tokyo- 2

Snow accumulation reached 27 centimeters, the heaviest snow in the Japanese capital since March1969, the Asahi shimbun said.

" 都心４５年振り大雪、仙台でも史上３番目　東北なお警戒"（朝日新聞）

Finally Tokyo people was relieved.
It was fine weather this morning.

a train in snow!

Snowed Tokyo

This is unusual.
Tokyo has been covered snow since this morning.

It's winter in Japan, so you might be confused.
Why? Snow in Winter, it's not surprising.

Please read this,
"Japan snowfall disrupts air, rail and road transport"(BBC News)

The truth is, Tokyo barely has snow even in winter.

heavy snow wind blew my umbrella off.
a woman who was hurried to the station stopped and said,
"are you ok, miss?"

Funabashi Andersen Park

Andersen Park is a huge park that located in Funabashi city, 30 minutes from Tokyo by train.
The symbol of this park is a classic windmill.

a cute classic windmill

Funabashi Andersen Park(Japanese Page)
(English page)

Funabashi city is a sister city of Odense(Denmark) where Hans Christian Andersen was born, so this park was named famous writer of children's story.

Shy SAKURA Blossoms

Happy Easter!
I wish everyone had a happy holiday today..

So, spring has come here in Tokyo, but there is a little problem.
Cherry blossoms that people expect every year are slightly different this time.
They have really quickly bloomed while people haven't prepared Hanami yet!

sakura trees at the park near my apartment

GYOZA（餃子）- Japanese Style Jiaozi

When I was kid, I always used to help my mum to make gyoza, especially in a part of wrapping filling with dough. Because my mum made this China-oriented gyoza about 70 pieces for family, so she needed any help to prepare dinner. (She counted 10 pieces for each member of family).

A pack of dough which was bought in supermarket. Filling which consists ground meat(pork), garlic, ginger and leek was made by my mum. I wrapped filling with dough, and then my mum fried in a large chinese pan.

keirin(guilin) gyoza
gyoza 480yen, rice 200yen

Passions to Make A Room Lovely: malto@Koenji

Only 9 minutes from huge Shinjuku station by JR Train, that's Koenji.
Koenji is known for secondhand or vintage clothes stores, especially alongside of "Look Shopping Street". It is a small street but make me so excited, since I can find European vintage clothes, used books, kimono, hat stores and cozy small cafes and much more.

And here it is, "malto" which offers you lovely interior goods and antique.

woody entrance over an uniquely white alpaca smile.

A Snowed Town

Always be impressed and excited to see it like kids, that's snow for me.
Because we usually don't have much snow in winter. Mostly sunny and dry in Tokyo.

white snow decorated a town.

A Winter Day in the Park

Welcome to a new year, 2013!
New year holidays were over, I started to work on last friday.
It seemed like a rehabilitation for back to daily life, because after only a day work, I had work-free-weekend.

Well, I feel  really cold this winter in Tokyo. The outside temperature is around 6℃ now.

there was a frost in the park.

From an Attic

Every time when I enter my apartment room, I feel like as if I am "A Little Princess".
Do you remember Sara Crew in "A Little Princess"? I really loved that story when I was a little girl.

In that story, little Sarah lived in an attic because she didn't have any money after her father died in India.

My room is on the 5th floor and last floor of this apartment.

now princess sarah have a bed.

Thank You!

A few days ago, my friend sent me an e-mail, she said: "I read your blog. Oh, it's so funny, you really took a photo of your toilet!?".

Yes, yes.. because I was so impressed with my apartment's really small toilet!

Even the toilet is pretty-little-sized one, what I feel right now is.. gratitude.

Feel like someone helped me with an invisible hand. Maybe it's my father in haven or angels who always with me.. or.. whoever.

this was wednesday's sky.
near my work place, around 5 pm.
I took lunch 4:30 at that time.

First Step in my Apartment

It was Saturday, I came to my apartment with a pounding heart. Because there was no elevator?

Oh, No.

I had my lunch and hot tea in bottle, my bicycle in front of the building.. perfect.
Stairs to 5th floor.. it's ok.

I had my room key. It was the first day in my apartment room! That was the reason why my heart was pounding.

Well, let me open the door and introduce my place!

entrance from a corridor

IKEA on Saturday

I have signed for an apartment. Now technically I can say, my old-lovely small room with a view apartment. 2 weeks later, I will have a new room key in my hand.

Many things I must to do, such as a notification of change of address in many places, an application in many places and shopping!

Well, I went to IKEA Funabashi Store.

3 minutes from JR Minami-Funabashi station,
near huge shopping center, LaLaport Tokyo-Bay.

A Small Room with a View

Today I went to see an apartment room. 1 bed room, 1 tatami-room, kitchen and bathroom. About 15 minutes by walk from the nearest station, 5 minutes from a beautiful sakura park and a super market.

It was built in 60's. The rent is low and the room is on 5th floor, no elevator!

A very old apartment, but it has a nice view and environment.

Take it, or Not Take it?

I have one week...

from bedroom's window.
this apartment reminds me the apartment where I spent my childhood.

A Compass in Your Heart

Today I saw rainbows. It was long time ago since I saw a rainbow last time.

It was just so beautiful, then I called my mother  and brothers. We watched fantastic rainbows for a while.

yesterday, blue moon, today, two rainbows!

Today I decided to look for a new apartment. It seems take time until get it, but I never worry about it. Because I know I will get it.

You know, we all have our own compass in our minds. It means we know where we can find our happiness.

If you feel you are in confusion, just concentrate your mind and then ask to yourself.

"What make me happy?"

"What do I love in my life?"

I know many things make me happy, such as beautiful scenery, nature sounds, lemon glass and verbena scents, freshly camomile tea.. working, reading, traveling, painting...

Because I believe angels always with me, sometimes I feel angels say something to me.

They say, "Believe what you love and you know you should take which way".

A way which make you happy.

Last Sunday in August

Still hot in Tokyo....really hot this summer,  there is no sign autumn is coming.

I enjoyed this weekend, first, I went to see a dentist(oh no...),  second, went to see an angel therapist(oh yes!) and then went to my favorite Ginza.

On Sunday my brother made lunch, iced lemon tea(fantastic!) and garlic buttered toasts while I went to buy sushi for dinner.

summer, summer, summer!

Lunch In Odaiba

It was Friday. Since I got to work on Sunday, I had a day-off on Friday.
So, what should I do to make that day more lovely?

I decided to go to Odaiba for special lunch with my friend!

Odaiba is a small island on Tokyo Bay, it takes only 15 minutes by Yurikamome(monorail:Shimbashi to/from Toyosu). Yurikamome is one of my favorite transport in Tokyo. Feel like "walking on the sea",  I can enjoy exciting view from window! There are unique buildings in this area, such as Fuji TV Building, Telecom Center, National Museum of Emerging Science and so on. At evening, a night view from Odaiba is really beautiful.

shimbashi station for yurikamome

fuji tv building

lunch buffet at grand pacific le daiba.
5 star resort hotel in odaiba.
star road dining & bar(30F)
3,950yen for weekday,
4,750yen for weekend.
I booked via internet.

You have 2 hotel choices in Odaiba, Grand Pacific Le Daiba or Hotel Nikko Tokyo.
Both of them make sure for your special occasion.

a view from "star road".
rainbow bridge(center)
hotel nikko(near side building)

Ready For Travel!

Vacance on November.  I got to work during this really hot and humid week while most of people had summer holidays "Obon"... a Buddhist festival to recognize ancestor's or family's who had passed away spirits.

But I am still happy. Because I have time to imagine how to make my trip more wonderful and to prepare for it.

On Saturday last week I went to Ginza to survey a new suitcase and other travel goods. My favorite, MUJI Yurakucho is always good choice for me. 3 minutes walk from JR Yurakucho station or 7 minutes from Subway Ginza station, MUJI offer simple and good design clothes, stationery, furniture, kitchen goods, groceries, cosmetics, travel items, and much more!

muji yurakucho, really easy to access.
why I love muji? because they offer my favorite colours,
black, gray and brown for all of their products.

And don't miss Cafe MUJI.

ginger ale and custard pudding.
these are amazing!

3rd floor is for interior and furnitures.
I love to watch these silver stainless storage boxes from cafe.

cafe muji is a self-service cafeteria.

For reference, I also went to RIMOWA Ginza, they offered summer's limited colour, white!
So cute, so nice...

about 3 minutes from muji.
rimowa ginza.

I headed to Ginza station and met many people stopped ant take photos  LOUS VUITTON's show window!

louis vuitton offers collaborate products with artist, kusama yayoi.

imagine red polka dots louis vuitton bags!
it's so pretty!

Well, my plan is..
I will order via internet, MUJI's gray hard carry case before sold out, or I might buy it tomorrow after work!

While Watching Olympic Games

I have enjoyed watching Olympic games for 2 weeks! It's so amazing!
But the problem is, I also have been really busy at work, and I needed to watch olympic games at every midnight.

Well, for me, the most impressive game was female football final. The game between JAPAN and USA.

I just want to say thank you to all players, not only Japan team, but also USA team. Because it was amazingly clean game! The game less foul. They did their best. Good game. Even I hoped our Japan team.. Nadeshiko Japan would win.

I feel power if people do something they love. They don't care they will get something or loose, because they just do what they love. It's so simple. Because of it, even if they loose something, they never regret it or blame someone.

Since it's really fun if people do something they love.

You know, sometimes people do what they don't love in social life, because it's needed. So do I.

But my angel told me,

"Life is too short, Lia. You should do what you really love."

I think that's in their hearts, beautiful and brave girls at football game of final.