This chair totally ROCKS!
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| From Giant rocking chair |
I need to get me one of these bad boys. It’s a huge arse rocking chair. Literally, a huge arse could fit in it! The rocking chair to the right is a regular/normal-sized rocking chair (for scale). Saw this at a furniture store in Tokyo. Soooo tempted to sit in it – Goldilocks style. This chair is much too big. This chair is just perfect! Shame this rocking chair has already been sold.
It’s that time of year again – the open water swimming season, that is.
I’ve been training hard, or at least training, for the last 6 months or so.
Miles make the champions, so they say.
This year will be the year of some long-distance swims for me, so stay tuned for some hopefully interesting swim race reports.
Swimming has been consuming much of 2014 so far.
First race of the season was last Sunday. Just a baby one of 1.5km. It was technically an aquathlon event, but they did also have a 1.5km swim only option which I signed up for, but only because I knew a couple of other people were going to be there as well. It was a long way to go for 1.5km. Down at Minami-Atami Nagahama beach. Took over 2 hours to get there. But I wanted do at least one open water swim in race conditions before this weekend’s big swim. I also need to practice swimming with gels in my cossies.
The day was warm and humid despite being a little overcast. The water was flat as.
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
Here is us testing out the water:
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
The water was surprisingly cold. A chill 19 degrees. I had gone to the beach the day before at Onjuku, and whilst it was refreshing, I was not prepared for how cold it would be down Atami way. Water felt a lot colder. I struggled with it at first.
Our little swimming posse:
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
I have an extremely high kick in this photo:
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
The 500m distance was up first, and then they moved the buoys out for the 1500m. It was supposedly a 750m course of which we were to do two laps.
Number 502 is ready to race!
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
I felt strong and fast through the swim. Everyone went hard out to the first bouy and it felt like I was back of the pack, but come the second buoy I was lapping everyone. And kept lapping more people as did the second lap. I felt fast. But the course also felt short. Really short. It must have been less judging by our times. For a supposed “1.5km”, I got a time of 16min and 39 seconds. My guess is that it was only about a 1km or so. I had a gel pack with me (not that I was going to drink it) and I lost it before I even got to the
first buoy. Must tuck it fully into my cossie. Lesson learnt.
Lisa and I were the only two females in the swim event. She took out 1st place and I took second. She had beaten me by a minute. Such a shame that it was not a proper 1.5km course. How do they even measure these distances? They were basically just riding out jet skis and moving the buoys. But how do they measure the course?
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| From Minami-Atami OWS 2014 |
I got a second place female medal. And came 5th place overall (male and female) for the 1.5km swim race.
The year is flying by. Turned another year older last week. Kept it pretty lowkey and had a birthday dinner on the day of my birthday even though it was a school/work night.
Had a nice birthday lunch courtesy of my boss with a few colleagues. Went to Nobu which is a really nice (and pricey) restaurant. I really enjoy the food there. Have been there a few times now.
The Chef’s Lunch Box: A little bit of everything.
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XSWr1Ksn7ThrI1oi-v1zStmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6Ia91PThqy0/U3oj0m2FZrI/AAAAAAACp7A/02p5tlaq-aw/s640/IMG_8816.jpg” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lmv4k6Dleu1DKwJTOqIwd9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1UK09X6_e2g/U3ojxQGo_pI/AAAAAAACp1k/zcUtII4pAY8/s640/IMG_8810.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mG1IeKjSuCDTYNhlLc3fYdmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_PEiB7aSnAU/U3ojxvt9CaI/AAAAAAACp1Q/VHZOhjkrEWo/s640/IMG_8811.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jiUtQKScazTrnFc8d-6A-tmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r1FBIb3Ku8o/U3ojyQaLOjI/AAAAAAACp1Y/zxM7RdfuXqk/s640/IMG_8812.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WjYwr6IIme-__9FaVFmUMdmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dOm3fqRKi1o/U3ojzGucoII/AAAAAAACp1s/WEsAeGl_RbA/s640/IMG_8813.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4DPQj74lJz7D9-RahnM6X9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YHbW4S7IUS8/U3ojzcC4tbI/AAAAAAACp1o/r9JpcysL34w/s640/IMG_8814.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PTNHh7Ehw5Jzq-9Ve761zNmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-84b1AzPw7H8/U3ojz-40ReI/AAAAAAACp14/SofLELe2ZsA/s640/IMG_8815.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Amazing chocolate souffle:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PLNjub6Uwxv6014YPHikwNmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gS-nTWp2DHk/U3oj9yEzfEI/AAAAAAACp4Q/RTR8u-2ccXY/s640/IMG_8974.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
And then my birthday dinner was at a casual retro Mexican restaurant in Nakameguro – Junkadelic. A place that has been on my bucketlist for a while now. Finally got to tick that off. I highly recommend the fajitas there and there frozen mango margaritas.
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mWQFk98S-_yWP2XU-iytgNmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mLU_wWY0z74/U3okA1D4TQI/AAAAAAACp4g/CqgH-My_jE8/s640/DSCN3435.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Got two Mexican jokes for ya courtesy of my best friend:
Why are Mexican houses so hot?
… coz they have fajitas (four heaters)!
And why are Mexicans so good at laying carpet?
Because they really know their underlay, underlay!
Chimmichanga time:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/roHSb7jZn1H-YBX-G_0Zx9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XrQuS4qoFf4/U3okJWqItXI/AAAAAAACp48/Kf__UG33668/s640/DSCN3444.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLKd54_FlaPenwE&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Good friend. And good friends:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O6aq-t1Kz1r393TkAT1IANmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VUqDj8zRHK8/U3okN2moIHI/AAAAAAACp5I/D8Ucts8ddP8/s640/DSCN3445.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
And surprise birthday cakes. Yes, plural. Two cakes!
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J6jPja8dRQfixwx-lzKFZ9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-k3QXEyAlu28/U3okYVyAZNI/AAAAAAACp5s/GhFWEiZ2RSE/s640/DSCN3449.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IHI8dOFkDZrQcSRCDgGdT9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WqfeUpb1Vhk/U3oke6LLATI/AAAAAAACp6E/6eOPQbgpCb4/s400/DSCN3454.JPG” height=”300″ width=”400″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6TpEdpOmZ3Fiy1pc6IYrmNmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zmFQKfRMNQg/U3oj9-I49EI/AAAAAAACp4Y/bw5CUjXuWzs/s640/IMG_8973.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Got some nice flowers which was sweet:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DAASDf-6l29R1oBwfyTqb9mlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tZEUv4M80EI/U3oj9j99PEI/AAAAAAACp4M/MLoemZnNszI/s640/IMG_8919.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
And when I got home later that night, I found my bedroom filled with balloons, courtesy of my housemate!
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s-0pNghVoHKpU3wquaABTNmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4KPos6_Y18s/U3oj77oPikI/AAAAAAACp4I/ZaLM8MLZT8Y/s640/IMG_8831.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Some of them even glowed in the dark!
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DqakYs-xh4NGWbzTA25j-NmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wp8g8BihfjQ/U3oj5FiYEzI/AAAAAAACp3E/74wehGGdnrA/s640/IMG_8825.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0R93iRt4EXkIE2_vR-ncVtmlF_Hgg1WgE844Oxhxuns?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wED5ALU4puc/U3oj4vyRCOI/AAAAAAACp24/Ia72dVceoRM/s640/IMG_8824.JPG” height=”480″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Birthday201402?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Birthday 2014</a></td></tr></table>
Cheers to that!
The year is flying by. Turned another year older last week. Kept it pretty lowkey and had a birthday dinner on the day of my birthday even though it was a school/work night. Had a nice birthday lunch courtesy of my boss with a few colleagues. Went to Nobu which is a really nice (and pricey) restaurant. I really enjoy the food there. Have been there a few times now. The Chef’s Lunch Box: A little bit of everything.
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Amazing chocolate souffle:
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| From Birthday 2014 |
And then my birthday dinner was at a casual retro Mexican restaurant in Nakameguro – Junkadelic. A place that has been on my bucketlist for a while now. Finally got to tick that off. I highly recommend the fajitas there and there frozen mango margaritas.
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Got two Mexican jokes for ya courtesy of my best friend: Why are Mexican houses so hot? … coz they have fajitas (four heaters)! And why are Mexicans so good at laying carpet? Because they really know their underlay, underlay! Chimmichanga time:
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Good friend. And good friends:
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| From Birthday 2014 |
And surprise birthday cakes. Yes, plural. Two cakes!
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Got some nice flowers which was sweet:
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| From Birthday 2014 |
And when I got home later that night, I found my bedroom filled with balloons, courtesy of my housemate!
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Some of them even glowed in the dark!
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| From Birthday 2014 |
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| From Birthday 2014 |
Cheers to that!
Braved the cold waters again for a pre-summer swim training session. Headed down to Hayama Isshiki beach (more like a bay) with a couple of other brave souls.
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| From Hayama April swim |
It was another early start to the weekend. Why do I find myself getting up earlier on weekends than I do on weekdays (work days). It’s almost as if I look forward to Mondays purely for the sleep in (the luxury of getting up between 7:30-8am).
After the Polar bear dip on New Year’s Day and nearly dying, I donned the wetsuit this time. A summer wetsuit (sleeveless and short legs) but a wetsuit nonetheless. Air temperature was 10 degrees. I’m guess water temperature between 13-15 degrees. Stung like ice and your chest constricts making it hard to breathe. Legs are numb and your arms feel like lead pushing through the water. It takes a good long while (about half an hour) to warm up and not feel numb. Makes breathing really difficult. We managed a loop around the bay and swam about 1.2km all up which is not bad for my first open water swim training session, considering it’s still only April.
Perfect conditions for it though. Flat as. Just the way I like it. Was a bit hard to get into a good stroke and breathing pattern and my sighting was terrible. There were quite a few people out there on SUP boards and in dragon boat boats.
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
Perfect conditions to SUP:
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
Am soo looking forward to SUPing again this summer.
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
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| From Hayama April swim |
It was a struggle getting down there early in the cold temperature, but it was totally worth it. Will be needing to get in a few more open water training sessions.
Last night, I did a really good solid training session in the pool. I’ll share my set with you – good for building endurance and speed and kills the boredom of a straight 5.5km swim:
1km warm up (1km). No rest
10 x 100m sprints (1km). 2min turnaround (ie 100m sprint + 10-15 second rest + start the next set all within 2min)
5 x 200m sprints (1km). 10-15 second rest between sets.
10 x 100m slow/easy (continuous 1km alternating between sprint down 50m, recover 50m swim back). No breaks.
1 x 500m sprint
1km cool down/recovery swim
Total Distance = 5.5km
That time of year where the cherryblossoms bloom. It’s oh so wabisabi.
They were only out for about 2 weeks this year and peak hanami viewing was hampered by rain.
Nevertheless, snapped a few shots of the cherryblossoms.
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OSndNRjT75uk0NrO-KgONl1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v3nqpgXankc/U0QA0smytUI/AAAAAAACiaQ/XRjyAPzrGPo/s640/sakura.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/njyu-MEFdjCwmOmpN8s-Ol1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JsPTRJLyFa0/U0QA4HLjyNI/AAAAAAACiaY/OFVDvhMbtj0/s640/yoyogi%2520hanami.JPG” height=”640″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
Here are some taken around my workplace:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WdsIZObYtZakq3AYeW2uPl1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HoQKtOybcBQ/Uzq200KqASI/AAAAAAACiEQ/E1kVAIlbTjM/s640/DSC_0498.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yyWAkQq2-1KwJ2ZSY6-fZF1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xYZXQMBFl54/Uzq218DIzMI/AAAAAAACiEM/O4cpFOwXyas/s640/DSC_0503.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/L82aUVBL1nnHdOwDFAfjvl1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LGOLlNI0QnA/Uzq23MvrwbI/AAAAAAACiEs/6dG5obi8Q0I/s640/DSC_0504.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7mJT5rVh0nUg9ZwQ2HnHcF1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L17LN_DTjt4/Uzq2-acxhRI/AAAAAAACiGc/4jwK8CJ7tbo/s640/DSC_0522.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/b61W6jkizsDZEtrmNTY3yV1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5gebEziOGmg/Uzq3AZ4EumI/AAAAAAACiG4/i76p8BrzMt4/s640/DSC_0528.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HcO-EdJ3zgQEa6Lws0kdNF1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LrhWMvea_Ik/Uzq2_riHt6I/AAAAAAACiGw/X-gQt12UIQ8/s640/DSC_0527.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NVgi-bcfMTtwc32t2n4NBl1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Um5ZNQjqlls/Uzq3BEGVtPI/AAAAAAACiHU/JmI7n9Etp3Y/s640/DSC_0532.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/V3_yVzt9NhojWLGCaaic2l1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9AzlV09Gwnw/Uzq2wwjl54I/AAAAAAACiDE/hSwkbs29QcA/s640/DSC_0487.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/y1FYzfp8d-lghJBbMNM6GV1Dt6afYLMC_5J_ERPEVds?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tVIE7hE0m2M/Uzq2z-lDw-I/AAAAAAACiDw/YthwqOvFZ-Y/s640/DSC_0494.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/Cherryblossoms02?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Cherryblossoms</a></td></tr></table>
Here are some taken around my neighbourhood during an early morning walk:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Lio5lS0h4bOGWnno50Bz1BBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WM7Bnc1sCxs/UztK-qrrG7I/AAAAAAACiKI/p4fUd-zE0gw/s640/DSC_0003.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I3CM5ieCAPBzRFBDLbG0RBBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ulL3Z26vvts/UztLAxrgLEI/AAAAAAACiKk/UA4boJyD2dQ/s640/DSC_0008.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RTPH28ckV5ejglh2BtvAJhBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e2DD7zNhr60/UztLEgLQLII/AAAAAAACiLw/BX6riJKOSCM/s640/DSC_0015.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ce8-LcT9j7YEY4hOerjYvBBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u6GP602xFOk/UztLFd52ZuI/AAAAAAACiLk/YXI-Hs8NSwo/s640/DSC_0016.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-Q9bb2L15q0ggwrIoHE9mRBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ikGCDs0Jnsk/UztLIQZA7oI/AAAAAAACiMc/OsAZxhQKuFk/s640/DSC_0022.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GVdcDzQqqanCnuHw5EYsjhBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NvmWdy0Xr6k/UztLItRE7lI/AAAAAAACiMg/Ttq8v_yAH04/s640/DSC_0023.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VzxkRdzaV2HKPPE1HBCsNhBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NmNFyJQ6dxQ/UztLJfR9MVI/AAAAAAACiM0/skJvVfJviB4/s640/DSC_0024.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/K0HEdjg9fDBR9vuwfcDRDRBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yItpBKAI558/UztLJYYcThI/AAAAAAACiM8/PbhUn9Rzbro/s640/DSC_0025.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sG6S5LvQukK5VqsbzQzMwxBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rdwk5faAJXs/UztLNqUw0sI/AAAAAAACiOQ/_K1aqSeF_3A/s640/DSC_0034.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
And here are a few unexpected snaps during the above said walk.
Someone collecting beer cans and lining them up on the sidewalk:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zGKUa80ZJT-a8Odz-ywIxhBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0DHU_h68YBc/UztLL8HaUMI/AAAAAAACiNc/yWcIjctGMoQ/s640/DSC_0030.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOa5-PWWiOWIPQ&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
And a dinosaur playground:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bR8HsEOI3I0knc0IYRvxeRBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lqy4XWMX4D8/UztLOnnVdPI/AAAAAAACiOM/HN9Mg878PSY/s640/DSC_0036.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
A dinosaur lizard slippery dip:
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kelSFbRwkGDdNDrrIp2KXBBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-logH0uAg5K0/UztLO1Lpj4I/AAAAAAACiOU/CUtyceJZ3xw/s640/DSC_0037.JPG” height=”425″ width=”640″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
<table style=”width:auto”><tr><td><a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sUcgBShhe_3G3ZjW0vQWXBBrg7ZMpatMx_wgTAbOWXo?feat=embedwebsite”><img src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cBddfxG0_bE/UztLSXqmAMI/AAAAAAACiOs/fCWlDAtmmMU/s640/DSC_0040.jpg” height=”640″ width=”425″ /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=”font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right”>From <a href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/116032719585350311356/NeighbourhoodSakura?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite”>Neighbourhood sakura</a></td></tr></table>
Boy, do I have a treat for you.
A video! Yes, a video!!!
A compilation of winter snowboarding trips taken over the last couple of months.
Video footage and photography by me. Starring my friends and, of course, yours truly.
Video editing and production by my friend and housemate. He spent the whole day working on it. Big props to him.
One of these days, I’ll get around to learning how to edit a video myself, but for now, enjoy his work.
Enjoy!
It’s been an eternitea since I’ve done an afternoon tea in Tokyo, and this one didn’t disappoint.
Caught up with my doppelganger from my Niseko/Hirafu days. People think we are the one and the same person, much to her chagrin.
My friend was in Tokyo visiting from Hokkaido over the long weekend just gone.
Being British, she enjoys a good afternoon tea just as much as I do and it had been about 6 months since we last saw each other.
Time to get our tea on!
So it was off to the Imperial Hotel’s Aqua Lounge on the 17th Floor. Apparently, their lobby lounge also offers a more basic afternoon tea. Might have to go back and try that one too.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
Beautiful Spring Saturday afternoon with views that overlook the Imperial Palace Gardens. Cherryblossoms not quite in bloom yet.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
Had made reservations in advance and scored ourselves a window seat:
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
Afternoon tea here consists of an amuse bouche, plus your usual 3-tier stand AND it also includes unlimited tea sampling. Try as many different teas as you like: don’t mind if I do.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
This was the amuse bouche + soup:
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
The afternoon tea stand:
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
I actually, really thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon tea. It was simple, but delicious. And can’t complain about endless pots of tea variety.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
I enjoyed the savoury bites: crab sandwich, chicken sandwich, quiche and gherkins. I love me some gherkins/pickles.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
The sweets were very, very petite. But also really good.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
But the highlight were the scones. These were probably the closest thing I’ve come to proper real Aussie scones in Japan. They were soft, and not like hard American-style biscuit scones.
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
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| From Imperial Palace Tea |
And I got through 3 pots of tea. There was probably about 10 different hot beverages (teas/coffees) you could choose from.
This is a standard, simple, good value afternoon tea in Tokyo.
Whilst not too fancy, I would highly recommend.
I fear I am running out of places in Tokyo for afternoon tea. I think I have been to nearly every afternoon tea-offering venue there is.
About a week or so ago, I came home to find my futon (Japanese-style mattress) on top of the Lawson sign!
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| From Flying Futon |
I had done laundry that day, hung out the linen and aired out the futon over the balcony.
Came home later that night to make my bed with my newly-washed sheets, to find that my futon was missing. I assumed it had slipped and fallen down onto the balcony below, so at about 10pm on a Sunday night, I am running around my apartment building, knocking on the lower two apartments to ask my neighbours if my futon had fallen onto their balconies. Futon was not to be found. Where could it have gone? Quick check of the streets below, still nowhere.
Went and stood back on my fourth floor balcony, wondering where the hell it could have gone. I scanned high and low.
Lo and behold, my futon was on top of the Lawson sign! (Lawson being a chain convenience store, very much like a 7-11).
There was no way I was going to be able to get that down. How the hell it even got there in the first place is beyond me!
Had a most uncomfortable sleep that night with no mattress! And of ALL days that I had no mattress to sleep on, was the day I decide to swim 7km. Yes, 7km! That was a personal best distance for me. I have never swum 7km in my life but am doing some intensive swimming training at the moment. My shoulders were sore and I could have done with a good night’s sleep on a mattress.
In the morning I was able to take proper photos in daylight:
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| From Flying Futon |
Air BnB anyone? Great views, great location, close to shops. Will even throw ya a free pillow!
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| From Flying Futon |
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| From Flying Futon |
My futon has seen bedder days.
Maybe it has an identity crisis, and thinks that it is an air mattress and not a futon.
It must have been a damn windy day for the wind to have lifted my futon up there.
I really do find it hard to believe how it could have gotten up there, and at no point having dropped to the ground. Gravity yo.
The yellow towel is my balcony. And the yellow towel is the exact spot where I had hung my futon over.
I thought that if anything, the futon would have slid and fell down. But somehow, it lifted up and got carried sideways and landed in the one most irretrievable spot, without ever falling and dropping to the ground at any point. I mean, that’s pretty amazing.Who was aiding and abedding this scheme?
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| From Flying Futon |
I mean, seriously, it should have dropped and fallen to the ground at any point in time. Of all places, it had to land ON the sign.
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| From Flying Futon |
My main concern was that one day, when – I don’t know, but one day, the futon was going to fall from the Lawson sign. Some unsuspecting person was one day going to be hit by a #flyingfuton. I kept imagining a poor pedestrian, or worse, someone on a bike, getting hit by a falling futon.
On the Monday night, it was still up there, so I went and bought a new futon.
And, of course, as luck would have it, my futon must have fallen down at some point on the Tuesday. Had I endured one more night without a mattress, I would have saved myself from buying a new one.
My housemate had messaged me during the day on Tuesday, telling me how windy it was over there. (Not sure if joking or serious. My #flyingfuton was the the butt of many a joke). I was at work on the other side of town. When I got back to my apartment on Tuesday night, someone had laid out my futon nicely outside the front fence of the apartment building. It must have fallen from the sign at some point during the day. And bless, Japan, someone has laid it out nicely outside the apartment building. Now my dilemma was how to take the futon without looking like some crazy homeless woman trying to steal a futon.
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| From Flying Futon |
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| From Flying Futon |
Yes, clearly winning at life these days.
I honestly do not know how these kinds of ridiculous things happen to me.
Thus ends the adventures of Aleisha’s #flying futon.
Somewhat belated.
I finally decided on a challenge for February. A simple one, but nevertheless, still a challenge for me.
The challenge: a haircut.
I visit the hairdresser as often as I visit the dentist. That is to say, not often. Not often at all.
Fitting in February’s challenge was very giri giri (cutting it fine).
The only time I have to visit a hairdresser is on the weekend, and most of my weekends have been taken up by snowboarding trips which involve leaving on a Friday night and returning Sunday night.
I was able to make the February challenge deadline by booking an appointment for Feb 28.
It turns out the last time I had been to the hairdresser was back in October 2012. Nearly 1.5 years ago!
Didn’t get a drastic change. Same style, but just a little shorter. Boring but safe. I didn’t walk away with a mullet so win-win. And the haircut was only about 35-40 bucks which is a bargain for a lady with super long hair (as it was without having had a haircut for so long).
February challenge done. Here’s the proof (although I am loathe to post up a selfie):
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| From haircut |
Memoirs of Aleisha 
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