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Many of you may have heard of those “shopping haul” videos on YouTube, where people post videos of their latest shopping spree purchases. Well, here is my version of it…sort of. OK, I just want to put a disclaimer out there that I’m NOT posting this to brag/show off. I’m merely showing you a little glimpse of some of the interesting things offered in this ever-changing city, & also showing you some things that relate to my hobbies & interests.
Two of my favorite “staple” stores that I always must visit whenever I come to Japan are LoFT and Tokyu Hands. These two are my absolute “go to” stores for any type of stationery, home goods or souvenirs/gifts that either not available or are too expensive in the U.S. For those of you who have been reading my blog since the beginning, you will probably know by now that I’m a huge stationery (i.e. pens, stickers, office supplies) fanatic. In one of my previous entries, I posted a photo of my hobby box overflowing with colored pens & stickers galore. Whenever I travel to Japan, I always make it a habit to stop by these two places. While I’m there, I try to stock up on a lot of my essential hobby items, since I know I’ll be paying the regular posted price, & will not have to deal with those pesky markups & import prices. Yes, I understand that quite a lot of the items I purchase here in Japan can also be bought in the U.S., but these items are so much more expensive back in my hometown…so I try to stock up as much as I can (& stick to the items that are not sold overseas).
Here’s what I got from LoFT:
1. sticker sets, 2. UV resistant & waterproof decals
decorative border stickers in gold & pink glitter
Here’s what I got from Tokyu Hands:
1. miscellaneous greeting cards, 2. decorative paper tape, 3. pen refills, 4. Pilot FriXion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pens, 5. various sticker sets
1. schedule diary for my sister, 2. my schedule diary, 3. schedule diary for my mom
Woo-Hoo! I’m back to writing regular entries on this blog again.
I just recently arrived in Tokyo, Japan (yesterday) with my husband. My traveling companion & I will be in Tokyo for one week before we jet off to China for another week. We had originally planned to use this vacation time as our fun time…but alas…we have some serious family matters to take care of while we are traveling, so this is going to be one heck of a ride folks!
The first thing I want to say is: HOW COME I’VE NEVER FLOWN ON ANA EVERY SINGLE TIME BEFORE NOW??! Every other time we have traveled to Tokyo, we’ve always flown via United Airlines. It’s not the worst airline we’ve ever flown on, but it’s at least the most basic to get us to our destination. Then, when we flew on ANA this time around, we were so blown away by how awesome the airline was! The service was great, our seats were comfortable & (with the help of our own noise-cancelling headphones) we had a relatively no-screaming-kids flight.
1. The seats were very comfortable with plenty of leg room, even for a 6 foot tall person. When the seats recline, only the bottom seat-cushion and back cushion slide down & forward…so the back rest doesn’t push backwards & obstruct the space of the person sitting behind you. Also, the headrest adjusts up & down for comfort.
2. There is a foot-rest for each seat! This really is a huge comfort plus…
3. Each seat has its own interactive TV screen, which you can watch various videos, movies &/or listen to music. There is also a USB connector, so you can plug in your MP3 player & listen to your own music. Also, the movie selection was really good. There were about 12 or so movies to choose from, so you don’t have to watch the same Disney channel kids movie on repeat while on a long flight. The only downside is you can’t adjust/swivel the TV screen, so if you want to prop your head to the side, you will get an annoying glare from the screen’s privacy coating.
4. Our in-flight meals didn’t taste like cardboard or mush. They actually tasted pretty decent. My husband was pleasantly surprised to find that ANA serves Suntory the Premium Malts beer on the flight…not just the usual Asahi or Sapporo. Also, did I mention there was a handy cup holder for your drinks?
5. One of the best moments of our flight…right after they served the first (& the main) meal, the flight attendants came around & served Häagen Dazs ice cream to all of us. As some of you may or may not know, Häagen Dazs is my all-time favorite brand of ice cream. Like. Ever.
That pretty much sums up our awesome in-flight experience. I’d love to post a blog entry each day about my goings-on in Tokyo while I’m here, but I think I’ll just stick to posting just the highlights… maybe a few highlights of each day. Until then, I’ll leave you with 2 random pictures for now.
Can you guess what brand of soda this is?? If you guessed SPRITE, then you’re correct!
The legendary vending machine(s) of Japan. This one dispenses both hot & cold drinks. Yes, I said HOT & COLD. The drinks marked in blue are cold. The drinks marked in red are hot…& yes, they do come out HOT, not lukewarm. Perfect for the chilly morning weather!
Rabbits & Foxes 
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