Love

♥ Girly girl ♥ in Japan (Nagoya) ♥ 30-something ♥ from Texas ♥ tea ♥ lip gloss ♥ skirts ♥ fashion ♥ ribbons & bows ♥

[that-trish]

46: Reset! Restart! Resume!!

46: Reset! Restart! Resume!!

Hey guys!

I wonder if anyone still passes by here? It’s been about two years since I’ve written or posted anything, so I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone stopped reading! That being said, it’s time for a fresh start and a new lease on blog-life.

Let me see if I can summarize the past two years: It’s been wild!

View On WordPress

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

Happy Valentine’s Day!! <3 I hope you all received/made/gave/whatever’d chocolate today! :)

I love that the loveliest holiday of all totally set today’s topic for me! Like most holidays we celebrate in western cultures, of course Valentine’s Day is different over here. Let’s take a look at the day of looooove in Japan!

Well for starters, only women give chocolate on Valentine’s Day. (wut)

Typically, chocolate is given by a woman to a man to show: 1) She looooves him (本命チョコ, honmei chocolate) 2) She appreciates his friendship (ouch) 3) He’s her boss or coworker and she kinda had to. (both 2 and 3 are called 義理チョコ, giri  chocolate)

Don’t worry! The man will generally return the chocolate-y favor on March 14, which is called White Day. (You guessed it, I’ll do a post on that closer to the time! ;) ) If you are given chocolate by a guy on February 14th, it’s called 逆チョコ (gyaku chocolate). This just means ‘reverse order’ chocolate.

Oh! It’s also normal to give chocolate to your girl friends, if you want. These are called 友チョコ (tomo chocolate).

There’s etiquette and everything on the different levels of chocolate giving. For example, you would want to use the best ingredients or buy really expensive chocolate if it was given as honmei chocolate. Giri chocolate can be cheaper, but obviously try to not make it look cheap. (LOL) Oh! There’s also differences in tomo chocolate and giri chocolate, and little things you can do to differentiate the two.

The differences (kind of) explained in wrapping:

Different ways to give chocolate

Before I forget

There’s not really any ‘other’ types of candy given. Like where I’m from in the states, you can look forward to an entire aisle of Valentine’s Day candy at the supermarket with everything from chocolate to seasonal versions of popular candy. Pretty much the entire aisle is themed red, white and pink and covered in hearts or flowers. Not so much here. You may run into cookies or the occasional seasonal candy in Japan, but for the most part it’s straight up chocolate.

Also, they aren’t big on saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.’ Without going into a grammar lesson, I’ll just say that it translates weird. I still teach my kids, though.

I think that just about covers it!

What do you think? Is it better to hand-make your Valentine’s valentine? Would you rather buy a fancy box chocolate set? Would you have the patience to wait for White Day?

Let’s talk about it! Share, share!

xo,

    46: Culture: Valentine’s Day in Japan Hey guys! Happy Valentine's Day!! <3 I hope you all received/made/gave/whatever'd chocolate today! :) I love that the loveliest holiday of all totally set today's topic for me!

[that-trish]

44: Little Loves: Valentine's Chocolate

44: Little Loves: Valentine’s Chocolate

Hey guys! Sorry about Monday’s post. It’s the end of the school year over here and saying goodbye/planning lessons/CRYING my eyes out, coupled with a wicked bout of allergies kinda took all I had. D: Sooo, let’s pick up with our weekly series with today’s Little Loves and Valentine’s Day chocolate! <3 <3 I mean, even if you don’t have anyone to give chocolate to or receive it from- Valentine’s…

View On WordPress

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

This month, I’m planning to use Sunday’s post to talk not only about culture, but also introduce some awesome places to you!

To kick us off, I’d like to introduce one of my very favorite restaurants~! :)

In Shizuoka-ken (the neighbor to where I live in Aichi-ken), there is a chain of steak restaurants called ‘Sawayaka.’ Okay, so I’m from Texas and I can literally count on one hand the ‘steak’ and ‘hamburger’ places I like in Japan. I’m glad to say that this place ranks in the top 3.

Why? See for yourself!

Juicy 100% BEEF that comes out piping hot and sizzling! I mean, the steaks or hamburger patties come out on a giant COW griddle and continue to cook for a bit before you cut into them. Also, there is a big piece of paper (like a menu or something like that) that you use as sort of a shield to keep grease from splattering on to your clothes. I guess they don’t do the bib-things we have at BBQ restaurants in Texas, lol.

I always end up getting the hamburger steak (where I’m from, we call this a hamburger patty haha). It’s a 200 gram (or 250 gram) ball of hamburger served with veggies and your choice of either bread or rice. That’s it, up there ↑↑. It’s about ¥1,000 ($10 USD), so that’s pretty dang reasonable. :D

The only downside to this place is that it’s like a three hour drive from where I live, so I can’t go more often! XD

Other than that, I can literally think of no complaints! If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop in and check it out! <3

xo,

  43: Places: Sawayaka Hey guys! This month, I'm planning to use Sunday's post to talk not only about culture, but also introduce some awesome places to you!

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

TGIF! That means it’s Fashion Friday again! ✨✨ Today, I want us to take a look at a few different trends that are showing up all over the place in Japanese fashion for the spring.

It looks like the 90s and early 2000s had a baby and it was called Spring 2016.

Left: GU ¥1,990  Center:  Lowrys Farm ¥5,292  Right:  Misch Masch ¥10,260

Call me old fashioned, but these seriously make me recall rolling out of bed and heading to class in college. I’m pretty sure we were crazy about ‘gaucho’ pants in the early 2000s, no? That being said, I’m not ready to jump back on this train just yet. Maybe I’ll warm up to them? The problem is, the way these are cut you literally have to be a toothpick for them to hang right. I just kinda look dumpy. :<

Okay, so I confess that really like the lacy ones from Misch Masch, though. (lol)

Left: GU ¥2,490  Center: Lowrys Farm ¥8,100  Right: Lowrys Farm ¥8,100

I should know better than to say that things won’t ever come back into style. Obviously fashion, much like history, tends to repeat itself. That being said, how stinkin’ cute are these overalls?? I have a pair of boot cut GAP overalls from high school that I promise are still in my closet at my mom’s house.

Left: Lowrys Farm ¥4,860  Center: Misch Masch ¥19,224  Right: Lowrys Farm ¥4,212

You can’t really have spring without flower patterns, right? Personally, as much as I love pink (which is like the essence of spring, lol), I’m totally gravitating toward blues this year!

Left: Lowrys Farm ¥7,020  Right: Lowrys Farm ¥9,180

In my humble opinion, the only outerwear a girl needs in the spring is a good denim jacket and a trench coat that can double as something to be worn over a suit or business clothes. Obviously, Lowrys never disappoints me. <3 (I push it on y’all enough, lol)

Top (L-R): E hyphen world gallery ¥5,389  Lowrys Farm ¥4,860  nano･universe ¥8,000 Bottom (L-R): WEGO ¥2149 X-Girl ¥10,800

Am I imagining things, or is some version of these button down denim skirts literally popping up everywhere? Definitely not complaining, though! I really like the ones from nano universe and X-Girl the best, I think.

Okay, okay…so I know I said I wasn’t too big a fan of the wide ‘gaucho’ pants thing, but I do absolutely love the way they pull them off with this pair from Misch Masch.

Heeeeee!! It’s an overall skirt-thing! I love you, Lowrys Farm! <3 This will be in my closet very, very soon.

Again, I keep gravitating towards light blue! Aren’t these lace shorts from Misch Masch lovely?

What are some trends you’re noticing where you live? If you could pick one item to have in your closet this spring, what would it be? (I just might pick those lace pants, lol) Share, share!

xo,

42: Fashion: Spring 2016 Hey guys! TGIF! That means it's Fashion Friday again! ✨✨ Today, I want us to take a look at a few different trends that are showing up all over the place in Japanese fashion for the spring.

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

Okay, so I have a problem. I am straight up addicted to office supplies. Like, even typing the title up there made me giddy! XD

While I am super bummed that I don’t live near an Office Max (HEAVEN), I am super pumped that I live in Japan and trust me when I say that they do office supplies RIGHT! I mean, it is the Land of All Things Cute, right? That totally applies to stationery and office supplies as well!

Mildliners

Zebra Mildliner ¥100

No really, I can’t stop buying them! I have one for basically every activity in my planner! I literally have no more room for anymore highlighters/markers/pens, but they are a freaking dollar! XD I can’t stop! Help!

Sarasa Clip Pens

Zebra Clip Pens ¥100

See above item for my addictive nature. I am SO PICKY about pens that write well. Like, I give up writing if I don’t like the way it feels, lol. These are amazing! (and cute) ((and again, a dollar))

Memo Pads

I’ve mentioned more than once that my life is a series of lists and post-it notes. (LOL) It goes without saying that I have about a million different note pads/memo pads for like every occasion ever. So handy. <3

Stamps

Stamps range from ¥300 to ¥500 and are sold at most bookstores.

I’m a teacher. (that should explain it haha) I like to rotate my stamps, but this is the usual selection. My kids call me ‘Tori-tori,’ which is a play on my name written in katakana (トリッシュ torisshu). Thus I have bird stamps! 鳥　(トリ tori) means bird in Japanese. Sorry for the ink-stained picture. XD I basically use these every day.

Clearfiles

These files can range from about ¥400 to ¥800, depending on where you buy them.

Some of these are tourist-y and some have different characters and idol singers on them. They are A4-size, so pretty much perfect for carrying printouts to class. I like to surprise my kids with a different one each time. (I have like at least six times the amount shown in the pic, lol)

Where are my office supply lovers? I know you’re out there! <3

xo,

41: Little Loves: Stationery Hey guys! Okay, so I have a problem. I am straight up addicted to office supplies. Like, even typing the title up there made me giddy!

[that-trish]

40: Pretty Things: Deep Conditioning

40: Pretty Things: Deep Conditioning

Hey guys! Happy February! <3 This month is all about love and romance and it’s so freaking much fun to be a girl in February! I wanna kick off the month with a post about pampering our hair, because how girly is that? 😘 So basically, my hair turns to straw in the dry winter months if I don’t take matters into my own hands and condition the heck out of it. I know I don’t help the issue much by…

View On WordPress

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

One of the things I try really hard to do with this blog is keep the positive vibes flowing. I don’t really want to bring negative energy into the mix, because eww.

That being said, I feel I should warn you that today’s culture post is pretty heavy. It’s not negative really, but it’s something I feel you should all be aware of in the event that you travel to Japan or decide to live here. Unfortunately, when I first arrived I didn’t really have any idea that it would happen and I kinda wish I’d done a little more research.

This post is all about racism.

What do you mean?

I think this post will get pretty lengthy, so bare with me.

I grew up in the southern part of the US. What this means is that I’ve seen people be really ugly to one another simply because of the color of their skin. Japan doesn’t usually go that far, for the most part it’s more covert. Still, I’ve had people be flat out racist and rude to my face more than a few times.

The best way to explain all of this is to break it down into two parts, I think. We’ll take a look at some of the blatant ways people have expressed racism and then we’ll take a look at some of the subtleties.

Flat-out Racism

Sometimes knowing what the people around you are saying is a blessing, as well as a curse. I suppose if you had no clue what people were going on about, you could feign blissful ignorance, even if you did feel the conversation was about you. It doesn’t bother me when they talk about my ‘high nose’ or say things like ‘I’d love to be blonde, too’ (I’m not blonde, but I suppose compared to black hair it looks it). What does bother me is when people say things about ‘外人’ (gaijin, a rude way to say foreigner).

I suppose being called ‘外人’ doesn’t really bother some people. It does bother me. Quite a lot. The correct way to say the word is ‘外国人’ (gaikokujin) and the main difference is in that middle kanji. It means country. Leave it out of the word and you’re saying very bluntly that I do not belong here. I’m an outsider. I’m part of the ‘other’ that you can lump together in one group because they’re not ‘you.’

One time, I was in the supermarket buying vegetables and an old man pointed a shaky finger in my face and YELLED “外人!” Ok, supermarkets are generally noisy, but this was LOUD and literally everyone stopped to look. All I wanted to do was buy my eggplants in peace. I was mortified. He was angry, but I have no idea why.

Another time, I was jogging in my neighborhood when I hear (but don’t see) another old man yell, “外人帰れー!” (a really forceful way to say GO HOME FOREIGNER). I stopped and looked around, but I couldn’t see where he was and luckily there wasn’t anyone else around to hear him.

Still, the older generation thinking the way they do won’t change, so there’s really nothing to be done about that. What can be changed though, are the children. At least with my students, I try to explain to them why that word is ugly by getting one of them to write the kanji on the chalkboard and then asking what the difference is. They get it pretty quick, but say that ‘gaijin‘ is easier to say. My reply is that a lot of ugly words are easier to say, but it doesn’t make it ok to say them.

Other Examples

There is a nightclub in Nagoya that doesn’t allow foreigners inside. It’s for Japanese only. I asked one of the people that I drink with a lot what he thought about that and his response was, “Japanese people can’t relax around a lot of foreigners.” WHAT THE LITERAL HELL. I asked him what he thought I was and he said “you are you, that’s different.” I just left the bar. He didn’t understand why I was so upset. They usually don’t.

If you move to Japan and decide to live in your own apartment instead of company housing, you will find that it is a little difficult to find a place that will rent to foreigners. I wish I were kidding, but a lot of landlords have it in writing that they will only rent to Japanese people. Oh, but if you pay extra money to a guarantor company (sometimes over $300 US), they might let you rent. The catch is you have to pay that guarantor company every time you renew your contract.

Subtle Racism – Microaggressions

There is a wonderful article here that really hits home for a lot of non-Japanese living in Japan. I definitely suggest giving it a read.

I guess I’ve talked so much on racism up to this point, if I were being honest, I don’t really want to go much into microaggressions. I don’t want it to seem like I hate living here or that I don’t like Japan at all. Far from it!

That being said, let’s just look at a couple of things that non-Japanese regularly experience, then call it a day! :)

This is something that every non-Japanese commuter experiences pretty much every single day they use public transportation: the seat gap. What I mean by that is even on a super packed morning train, a person would rather stand than sit next to a foreigner. I’ve had people flat out GLARE at me while standing in front of me, even though there was a perfectly good seat next to me, but they didn’t want to sit in it. I seriously don’t understand the logic behind it, lol. More space for me!

Then there are tons of little questions or sayings that seem polite, but are actually quite rude. For example, “you can use chopsticks really well” to which I want to reply “you are a freaking fork master(!!1!1)” but still manage to keep my mouth shut. Ah, there’s also “your Japanese is so good” after only saying one word. This sounds like a compliment, but how can it be after only hearing the speaker utter a single word? Last is my favorite, “Japanese OK?” when asking me if I speak Japanese. I can’t even wrap my mind around how fast an American would twist that into a lawsuit if they were ever asked “English OK?” in the States. XD

Those last questions have an opposite too, though. It’s like some people’s minds kind of short-circuit when they see my face and all they can hear is FOREIGNER TALKING instead of Japanese. That’s pretty frustrating, honestly.

This video sums it up pretty comically:

Oh, and people stare. Like a lot. You cannot walk down the street without being stared at. Own it. XD

Closing

I love living here. I really do. I’ve made wonderful friends, have a great job and an awesome life in Nagoya. In no way to I want to sound like living here isn’t a dream come true, because it really is. <3

The thing is, racism is everywhere. It’s in every corner of the globe. It’s ugly, it’s something to be embarrassed of and it’s something everyone denies; but it’s still present in every culture on this planet.

I was almost afraid to post this. Is it too ‘white privilege’-y? I don’t mean for it to be.

I just want us all to act like decent humans. We don’t have to all like each other, but we should all damn well respect each other. No matter what color, class or creed we are- we’re all humans. Let’s treat people how we would want to be treated, yea?

xo,

  39: Culture: Racism in Japan Hey guys! One of the things I try really hard to do with this blog is keep the positive vibes flowing.

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

Last Friday, I introduced you to the lovely brand Misch Masch. In that post, I mentioned that if you were really wanting something from that store, but didn’t want to fork over the cash to buy it, you could most likely find a store with a dupe (or something close enough). That’s the store we’re going to look at today! ✨

Let’s take a look at the budget-friendly Honeys.

  What’s Honeys?

According to the company’s mission statement (paraphrased):

Honeys will spare no effort to win a customer. We will always be evolving and changing in order to attract new customers. Honeys will always keep quality, and reasonable prices in mind. In order to keep customer satisfaction at a high level, we will spare no effort to win and keep the trust of our customers.

So basically, the style changes from season to season and it won’t break the bank.

In my opinion, the store is like a mix of a couple of brands I really like- Earth, Music & Ecology and Misch Masch. Some of what they carry is targeted to younger women (mid to late teens↓↓), and the big selling point is definitely the price.

But seriously, you’ll probably find something you like anyway.

The bigger stores also have a good selection of bags, hats and shoes. I’m not kidding when I say that if you shop smart, you can walk out with an entire outfit for around ¥7,000 ($70 US).

That’s a winning situation in my book.

Side Note In the summer, it gets really hot and humid where I live in Nagoya. This means I don’t want to spend a whole lot on work clothes, because as gross as it sounds- they will get washed to death. So, I pick up a lot of work tops from Honey’s because: 1) they’re about ¥2000 a piece 2) I can buy more to rotate so they won’t wear as fast.

Yukata

Also in the summer, Honeys is a great place to buy a yukata set. If you wait until the end of the summer season, they will most likely be on sale and you can buy a set (obi, yukata and geta) for about ¥4,500. (SUPER CHEAP)

If you can’t wait, it’ll cost you about ¥7,000, which still isn’t that bad.

Not bad, eh? <3

Left: Floral Dress ￥3,980 Top Right: Tie-Waist Dress ￥3,480 Bottom: Lace Dress ￥3,980

Tips:

– Sizes are all over the place. Before you buy something because it looks like it’ll fit, try it on!

– Honeys stores are in almost every single Aeon Mall in the country, so that’s super convenient!

– Don’t be afraid to dig! The store gets a little jumbled during the day and the staff are sometimes not very bothered by it. You might miss something awesome!

What do you think? Did you check out the website? Find something you liked? Share share!

xo,

38: Fashion: Honeys Hey guys! Last Friday, I introduced you to the lovely brand Misch Masch. In that post, I mentioned that if you were really wanting something from that store, but didn't want to fork over the cash to buy it, you could most likely find a store with a dupe (or something close enough).

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

So, I’m a little obsessed with keeping my apartment, my clothes, heck even ME clean and girly-smelling. (LOL) Like, it’s so important to me that my surroundings (including me) smell nice. Recently, I’ve noticed a trend in that most of the things I use are pink- shampoo, body wash, heck even Febreze. I seriously have a pink problem! 🎀

This week’s Little Loves series, I want to share 5 things that I use on a regular basis to achieve my happy (girly smell) place. To add to the list of awesome things about Japan- it is SO EASY to smell nice over here! Like, so easy.

Floral Bouquet Febreze ￥429 Okay, so if you live in Japan you know that Febreze is absolutely essential. Not only should you keep some by the shoe cabinet in your 玄関 (genkan, entryway) but it also helps to have some on hand for after 飲み会 (nomikai, drinking parties) ’cause your coat/bag/YOU are gonna smell like a combination of ashtray and fried chicken. Trust me. This one smells like flowers and I absolutely love it.

Dreamy Girl 8×4 Deodorant ￥698 I will totally go on record as saying that Japanese deodorant is sometimes NOT an antiperspirant, so if you have to use it (if you live here, you don’t really have a choice), use this PLUS a lovely smelling deodorant! The link is for an antiperspirant. You’re welcome! ❤

Rose Garden Fabric Softener ￥429 I may do a post on laundry in Japan sometime in the future, so I won’t go into much detail now. I do want to say that we don’t normally have a washer/dryer at home. It’s usually a washer, then you hang your clothes out to dry. Yes, it’s a pain. Yes, it sometimes rains a lot, but you still have to wash clothes, right? That means hanging them in your room, so you want to make sure you get a fabric softener that will hold fragrance and not sour. This brand is amazing AND it holds it’s fragrance for at least 24 hours. You’ll smell like a flower! 🌸🌷🌺

Mellsavon Floral Herb Body Wash ￥864 Hands down the best smelling body wash I’ve found! I love the fresh, clean floral scent. It’s strong enough to still smell through the day, but not overpowering. Also, this brand is all natural and good for people with sensitive skin.

St. Orient Hair Mist in Marriage ￥1575 Wait, this isn’t pink! 😆 I couldn’t get a good shot, so I found a stock pic. (lol) This wonderful spray is like perfume for your hair. It totally smells like Chloe and costs a fraction of the price! (see above Febreze section for why you may need it)

What are your go-to scents? Do you have a preference? Share, share!!

xo,

  37: Little Loves: Girly Smells❤ Hey guys! So, I'm a little obsessed with keeping my apartment, my clothes, heck even ME clean and girly-smelling.

[that-trish]

36: Pretty Things: Adventures in Hair Color

36: Pretty Things: Adventures in Hair Color

Hey guys! So basically I decided a long time ago that instead of paying a zillion dollars at the salon to have my hair colored, I would just buy a box and do it myself. Smart? Probably not (LOL), but it saves me quite a bit of money. Don’t worry, I still go for regular trims and to have my hair straightened (soooo recommend if you’re a flat iron girl! Saves time AND hair damage!!), and that hits…

View On WordPress

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

From the title of today’s post, you’re probably wondering why on earth someone would choose to write a culture post on dollar stores. 😆

The thing is, in Japan, they’re not even close to what we call ‘dollar’ stores back in the States. I mean sure, sometimes the quality of what you purchased isn’t the best, but it was a dollar, right?

Today I want to introduce three different ¥100 shops: Daiso, Seria and Lawson 100.

Daiso

Many of you may already have heard of Daiso. I’d say it’s the most known Japanese dollar store abroad, because according to Wikipedia:

Daiso has 2,500 stores in Japan, 975 in South Korea, and 522 stores overseas in Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Vietnam. I don’t really want to talk so much about logistics or numbers, though, I kinda wanna just tell you why Daiso is awesome.

Why Daiso is Awesome

If I had to pick just one reason why Daiso is awesome, it would be for the fact that you could stock your kitchen, bathroom, heck your entire apartment with one trip to the store. For most people, moving to a new country take a LOT of money. You have to start your entire life (possessions-wise) pretty much from scratch.

Personally, I had a pretty bad image of dollar stores from the US, so I was hesitant to even go inside and look around at first. After funds ran low, (and I still needed pots and pans…and stuff to eat on…) swallowing a huge piece of humble pie, I went and had a look.

I ended up with an entire set of very chic ceramic white bowls, plates and serving ware for little over ¥1,200 ($12). You can always go the colorful route ↑↑, but I was very impressed with the white set I bought (and still use 5 years later).

I couldn’t help myself with the strawberry glasses, lol. If you’ve seen or read Nana, you know why. 😉

Other than plates and kitchen stuff, Daiso is a good spot to pick up omiyage to take back home when you go. Also, some of the beauty products sold at Daiso have sort of a cult-following.

Daiso literally has everything. Also, since I felt as if I discovered the Holy Grail of stores in the form of ¥100 shops, I was on a quest to find other similar stores.

This brings us to the next store on the list: Seria.

Seria

This store doesn’t have as much to choose from, but in my opinion the products are a little cuter (?) or they look like they’re a little better quality. Okay, so I can’t explain it well so I’ll just show you, lol.

In my opinion, Seria took a little more care with products and instead of a ‘we have everything’ kind of sales pitch, it’s more of a ‘look at the cute stuff you can get for ¥100.’ Anyway, I super recommend this store for paper goods like stationary and gift wrap.

They also have really cute seasonal decorations and items. Ah, they also have really cute mug cups and kitchen stuff. Okay, so if you get the chance, just go have a look, lol. I dare you to walk out empty-handed!

Lawson 100

Last up is my absolute true love, Lawson’s 100 store. Lawson is a chain of convenience stores, so it’s like a 100 yen convenience store, complete with fresh fruits and veggies!

That means you can buy ¥100 produce, guys. It probably only has a few days until expiration, but –¥100 produce-! I also like to buy chicken cuts here because they are neatly separated into 100g and since I live alone, it’ll just be a waste if I buy more than that. Like any other convenience store over here, they also have cup ramen and different toiletries as well.

There is a Lawson 100 store right by my home station, so sometimes it’s more convenient to go here than trek down to the supermarket. Plus it’s cheaper! That’s pretty much a win-win situation. Like, you can’t beat this if you’re on a budget.

In short…

Do not be too proud to swallow your pride and check out a ¥100 store, you definitely won’t regret it. Living cost in Japan is quite high, so knowing little ways to cut corners here and there is literally a lifesaver! Besides, Japan does dollar stores like none other.

xo,

    35: Culture: ¥100 Shops (The Dollar Store) Hey guys! From the title of today's post, you're probably wondering why on earth someone would choose to write a culture post on dollar stores.

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

I hope y’all had an amazing week! TGIF for sure! ✨✨

It seems, for me anyway, that I dress even girlier in the winter months. (if that’s even possible LOL) Like, skirts and dresses with pretty sweaters and of course 160 denier tights are my go-to cold weather choices.

Today, for the weekly Fashion Friday post, I want to introduce you to a brand that just gets it. I’m talking about Misch Masch, of course!

What’s Misch Masch?

Pronounced Mishu-Mashu (ミッシュマッシュ), is a ladies clothing brand aimed at women in their 20s. I couldn’t find much about the brand’s history, but they are owned by Tamaya and have several sister brands.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Concept

Loosely translated from here, the brand’s concept is:

【Beauty power up 120%, fall in love style】 Cute, elegant casual style for adults. Today when you’re thinking about making a change to enjoy your lifestyle,  spend quality time with MISCH MASCH. Just wearing (the clothes) will up your beauty power! Now is the time to feel the softness of feminine style.* — In other words- feminine and elegant.

They have a marketing contract with the magazine CanCam and the main model for the brand is CanCam model Mizuki Yamamoto. ↓↓

Autumn/Winter 2015

As you can see, they went for a more ‘elegant’ feel this winter as opposed to a ‘cute’ look. They haven’t published anything for Spring/Summer yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it! Like I said, they just get being girly, but not too cutesy. 😍

Shaggy-check mini skirt  5,972円 (SALE!)

Comfort Pumps 8,532円

Flower A-Line Dress 8,165円 (SALE!)

Embellished Bottle Neck Ribbed Sweater 4,234円 (SALE!)

Tips

– Unfortunately, this is a brand made for smaller people. I tend to steer clear of anything fitted at the bust (LOL) or waist if it has no room for stretch. Sometimes, even if the item ‘fits’ you, it’s too short in either the arms or legs. (I’m 164 cm, or about 5’5 and I guess I have long arms? 😆)

– A good rule of thumb is, if Misch Masch has it in their store, there is a more cost-effective dupe at a different store. I promise, if you like something in this store, but don’t want to for over the cash for it, you can find almost the same thing at a different store for a fraction of the cost. (I’m posting on that store next Friday, so stay tuned! ✨)

What do you think? Did you check out the look book? What are some of your faves? Share, share!

xo,

*Translating from Japanese to English is tricky. They are really big on poetic nuance and it is really difficult to carry that across to English without sounding ridiculous. I don’t want to give you all a Japanese lesson, but honestly some things just don’t translate at all. (or we just don’t use a phrase like it in English) Maybe I’m forgetting English, idk. 😆

34: Fashion: Misch Masch Hey guys! I hope y'all had an amazing week! TGIF for sure! ✨✨ It seems, for me anyway, that I dress even girlier in the winter months.

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

When it comes to movies, books and even music, my taste is a little…eclectic? I guess what I mean by that is my mood swings from super-girly love story to science fiction badassery. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a sweeping romance just as much as a swashbuckling space drama? (HAH)

Just me?

Let’s take a look at my 5 favorite movies from 2015 and I think you’ll see what I mean.

5. Brooklyn

I almost literally can’t with how beautiful this movie is. The clothes, the makeup, an cinematography were all absolutely gorgeous! Also, it’s a love story. It was a little slow at times, but it was so pretty that it totally made up for it.

4. The Martian

“In the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option: I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.”- Mark Watney Let’s just say I’d have been screwed. HAH, who am I kidding? I’d never even have made it to Mars.

3. Cinderella

Again, so pretty I could almost eat it. If a macaron were a movie, it would be Cinderella. Oh goodness, of course there were critics. We don’t have to all like it, or the message (girl was kind of a doormat), but I did and I do. It was gorgeous.

2. The Age of Adaline

I don’t think Blake Lively has ever looked bad a day in her life. Goodness knows Adaline didn’t! Hot guys, nifty sci-fi plot with romance (and Harrison Ford and the young guy who played him AND ((one of)) the hot guys from Game of Thrones).

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Be still, my fangirl heart. I have loved Star Wars since I was old enough to know what  a movie was. In my humble opinion, this movie lived up to the legend of the original trilogy. Actually, this movie is paving the way to APOLOGIZE for the straight up crap that the prequel trilogy was. (apologizes if you liked it, but…D:) I’m going to stop myself before I show too much of my inner nerd, but hands down my favorite movie of the year.

Favorite Book Series of 2015

Technically, this book came out in 2014, but the second book of the series came out in 2015. You can read about it here at Goodreads. Princess: Check. Love triangle: Check. Secrets, assassins and intrigue: Check, check, check. There’s one more book to complete the trilogy and I’m ready like 4 months ago! (um, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did because of the ‘YA’ label. I’m so glad I ignored my gut and gave it a chance!)

Favorite Song

Blank Space by Taylor Swift.

The accuracy, though. Also, she has amazing style. But seriously, the accuracy that is this song. AKA- the story of my life for the past few years.

See what I mean? I literally rotate between love stories, sci-fi and then back to love stories. 😆 What about you guys? What are some of your favorite movies? Books? Share, share!

xo,

33: Little Loves: Favorite Movies of 2015 Hey guys! When it comes to movies, books and even music, my taste is a little...eclectic? I guess what I mean by that is my mood swings from super-girly love story to science fiction badassery.

[that-trish]

32: Pretty Things: Night Time Routine

32: Pretty Things: Night Time Routine

Hey guys! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a really hard time falling asleep at night. It’s almost like my brain just won’t shut down and wants to have heart-to-heart discussions on every single aspect of life RIGHT NOW. It really sucks when you have to wake up early for work or classes. (or both if you’re a teacher :P ) Last week, I wrote about my morning routine so this week I…

View On WordPress

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

It’s finally starting to get a little colder outside! Despite being the middle of January, we’ve had a pretty mild winter over here so far. That being said, my first year here was a bit of a shock to my Texas-born-system— it was super freaking cold.

I seriously thought I was going to freeze, because it was unlike any winter I’ve ever lived through! Soooo, I want to share some survival tips I’ve picked up along the way to keep warm and well through the Japanese winter!

  Is it really that bad?

No, it’s not really that bad. The temperature hovers, on average, around 9° C (48.2° F) for the high and around 1° C (33° F) for the low where I live in Nagoya. What really was so different for me when I first came to Japan was that I couldn’t drive. In Texas, even though the temperatures are sometimes extreme, I didn’t notice it because the only time I was really outside was for trips to and from parking lots.

I walk so much more in Japan. It’s normal to take trains/walk/ride bicycles over here, as opposed to drive short distances. Like, it’s nothing for me to walk up to an hour to go somewhere. (oh it sucked at first, but now I don’t mind at all) S0 naturally, it feels colder or hotter because I’m actually experiencing the weather. (LOL)

The biggest difference

Even more than not having a car or being able to drive is the fact that most Japanese houses and apartments do not have central heating or insulation like I was used to back home. It was like I couldn’t get warm, no matter what I did. Or if it did get warm, my AC unit (which also functions as a heater) was set to a three hour timer and there isn’t any way to hack it (tried), so I would literally wake up from the cold (or in the summer, the heat).

Through trial and error, talking to lots of people and really observing the people around me, I discovered a few little ways to lessen the OMGIMGONNAFREEZE feeling that was literally the theme song of my first winter in Japan.

Handy Stuff

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

カイロ (kairo) are little packets of metal powder that function as hand warmers. There are several different types: sticky-type (you can stick them on your stomach or back), regular-type (no sticky, they typically just go in your pockets) and then there are ones specifically made to go inside your socks or tights to keep your feet warm. The heat usually lasts a few hours. These can be purchased at any drug store and sometimes even the conbini for pretty cheap.

湯たんぽ (yutanpo) are hot water bottles. This was such a lifesaver when I still lived at the place where the heater shut off after three hours! It kept my bed nice and toasty, even if the heater was off. I used my hot water kettle to heat up the water and it stays warm all night.

Electric space heater and Power Drop humidifier. The heater kind of explains itself, right? 😆 The apartment I live in now is two rooms, and of course the big heater/AC unit is in the living room. This means the bedroom gets freaking cold. It is a waste of energy and electric bill to run the big heater all night when it hardly makes a difference, so I shut my bedroom door and use this little guy. The humidifier is totally optional, but keeps the air/you from completely drying out.

160 デニール タイツ (160 denier tights) just may be warmer than actually wearing pants. I’m a skirt girl and with these on, it feels like I’m wearing fleece on my legs. They are so warm! These tights are really thick, with a fleece/sweater-type lining on the inside. I’ve actually even seen up to 400 denier tights, which is awesome!  Nagoya isn’t quite that cold.

Wrapping up

Of course, if you were raised in a colder climate, I’m sure the winter in Japan won’t really be much of a surprise to you. Like I said, where in live in Nagoya isn’t even really that cold, it just feels that way when you have to be outside in it. I wasn’t prepared AT ALL my first year here and it was miserable. 😖 If any of you ever visit, I wouldn’t want you to go through that! ✨☃✨

Are you from a cold climate? How do you keep warm? Share, share!

xo,

  31: Culture: Winter in Nagoya Hey guys! It's finally starting to get a little colder outside! Despite being the middle of January, we've had a pretty mild winter over here so far.

[that-trish]

Hey guys!

I hope every one has had an amazing week! TGIF, right? ✨

I want to start doing a fashion magazine review once a month or so in lieu of the regular fashion/trend watch post I normally do on Friday. I figure that it would be a great opportunity to take a look at a lot of different trends/brands at once and maybe introduce Japanese fashion magazines all at once! ❤

This month, I want to introduce you to the ever fashionable, ever girly CanCam!

What’s CanCam?

CanCam is a monthly fashion magazine aimed at women in the last years of university and the first years of entering a company; so basically early to mid-20s. Okay, so I am none of those things, but still find a lot of the styles and advice columns to be awesome! Also, it is a very brand-driven magazine and most of the things advertised are on the expensive side. That being said, I am a sorority alum and still didn’t know of any university students who dressed like/could afford a lot of the clothes or accessories advertised. ANYWAY- Let’s take a look at the February issue and you can see for yourself what I am talking about!

February 2016 Run-down

  This month’s cover features one of my favorite bands, Kanjani 8. The theme this month is ‘real’- showing real trends among female office workers (OLs or Office Ladies), the regularly featured models and Kanjani members. (that’s my favorite member on the right, Shingo Murakami ❤)

We start off with one of the most popular coats of the season, a super cute Chester coat from a brand called “INGNI” (pronounced ‘ing‘). I picked one similar to obsess over this winter. This one retails for ¥12,000 (about $120.00 US) and I am really digging the light blue look with the tights and ankle boots and WANT.

Next we start to get into ‘real’ trends from OLs. Starting with the left page, we get casual pants looks. Tailored capri pants are really in style over here (and have been for a few years). Office workers like them because they are easy to take from business casual to after-hours without looking like you’re wearing a suit. Then on the right, we have “this winter’s trend color- both elegant and cute: camel.”

L: “Everyone loves knit! The loose silhouette of a knit dress and knit sweater make this the number one most popular look of the weekend!”  R: How to wear floral patterns and check patterns without looking too childish. (I am NUTS over that black sweater and floral skirt! Like,  I am literally trying to talk myself out of buying both of them 😆)

L: “Zoom in on the pictures (different outfit snapshots) and you’ll see that mostly large pearl accessories are worn.” (totally got in on that trend here) R: “Obviously, pretty, short boots are a necessity.” The bottom of the page suggests wearing loafers with denim and heels with straps.

Really the only reason I scanned this page was to show the “beautiful-type university student” spread. Um. I wore Ugs and my letters a lot? I mean, we did have to dress up on Monday…maybe college in Texas and college in Japan are different? (OBVS) Anyway, this magazine has me questioning my style on a regular basis because (again) I’m not a college student, or in my 20s and I totally dress like the middle shot.

The last section I want to look at is advertising a new(ish) store called Color. You can literally just search for the color of clothing you want. Cool thing is, they’re not over-priced. Down side- it’s net shopping (or app shopping) and from the looks of it, most likely runs super small. They picked 6 popular colors for winter to highlight the different looks from the brand. It’s all very on-trend, of course.

    Keep in mind

I hate to be a bubble-burster, but fashion in Japan is NOT all crazy and wild. There is totally a sub-culture for that and it is a thing, probably in Tokyo, but for the most part everyone is pretty subdued. Personally, I tend to gravitate toward very feminine styles, so that’s mostly what I’ll talk about because those are the styles/brands I’m most familiar with.

As far as translations go, I’m not going to translate every single bubble on every single page. The pictures speak volumes, so I’ll more or less just summarize. (unless I put it in quotations, then it’s probably a direct translation) If you would like to have a page translated, feel free to ask! If I have time (I might or might not) I would be glad to translate it for you.

Last thing, these are my scans. I’m probably not supposed to scan the magazine and post pictures, so I’m not going to get all picky about people taking them. Just don’t say where you got them! ;)

Next month, I’ll do a review of CanCam’s ‘older sister’ magazine, AneCam!

What do you think? Spot something you liked? Let’s talk about it! <3

xo,

30: Fashion: CanCam February 2016 Hey guys! I hope every one has had an amazing week! TGIF, right? ✨ I want to start doing a fashion magazine review once a month or so in lieu of the regular fashion/trend watch post I normally do on Friday.