From our house to yours...

Yoi otoshi o - Happy New Year!

(Not our house, but cute anyway!)

It's been a wonderful year...

One year of blogging down...

If you haven't remembered to buy a present...

...feel free to just leave me a comment!

The Simple Pleasures...

One of the many things I love about living in Japan is making new discoveries. This is just a simple Tokyo neighbourhood with a nondescript ferro-concrete house with barred windows and some overgrown azalea bushes...yet it also has one of my favourite things...a stone lantern ! Granted it's not the most gorgeous example of a stone lantern...but it's a stone lantern nonetheless - and they always make me smile!




And then I walk further down the street and I spy a giant red paper lantern. Yes, it may be looking a little worse for wear...but look at the love bestowed upon it. It's covered with a plastic sheet to help protect it from the elements. These red paper lanterns are used to advertise drinking establishments - especially hole-in-the-wall izakayas like this one...At night time they are usually lit up and look even more spectacular! This lantern has been hung quite high as it's over a footpath, usually they hang quite low to the ground. I found these lanterns on our walk to Mukojima Hyakkaen...but the beauty of Tokyo is that you can see these kinds of objects...everywhere!

Is it real?

Has the Thames ever actually looked this blue?

Tower Bridge at Tobu World Square.

The Answers...

It seems that 50% of my musical tastes are too obscure for my regular readers so here are the rest of the answers...

• It was all just a dream, Oh no (15 Minutes - The Strokes)
• What's wrong? What are you afraid of? (She Lives in my Lap - Outkast - the spoken introduction done by Rosario Dawson)
• Camera got them images, Camera got them all (Ted, Just Admit It - Jane's Addiction)
• Well you can give me all your love, And anything else you got too (Baby I Don't Care - Transvision Vamp)
• Freak out, give in (Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins)

A special mention must go to Amy for identifying 3 of the tunes...Applause!

Thanks for playing...