Coconut on Ice

No, for once I'm not talking about food.

Today I tried to skate.
on ice.

It wasn't the first time, that was about almost exactly a year ago when Rette visited.
Lets just call it a disaster and leave it at that.
To call that one an attempt would be an understatement, clinging to the sides of the rink is not an attempt.
Especially when you look behind and realise you are holding up a line of 6-7 year olds. *cringe*
(I had to move my body away from the sides creating a bridge with my arms to let the kiddos pass... *giant cringe*)

Today though, I can very proudly declare, was different.
Although I was kind of tricked into it and didn't know I was going skating until I was out of the house and on my bike.
Backing out then would have taken too much effort. Laziness does wonders for me sometimes.

At the rink I did start off by clinging to the sides again. But Bright Eyes was a brilliant (and very patient) teacher.

I quickly realised that my fear of falling was directly related to my inability to move.
So I fell. (not much effort required there!)

And after the first fall (both on my derriere and then forward) things began to make more sense.
I slowly weaned off the sides and by the end of our two hours on the rink I was happily moving along,
sometimes clutching Bright Eyes hand like my life depended on it,
and other times slowly trotting along.

I also got lots of smiles from the other beginners on the ice too, who were still holding on to the sides.
I was the beginners' hero (self-proclaimed or otherwise).

So another thing I can cross off the "list". yay. fewf.

oh and, I did fall about 3 other times. But it was all part of the fun...
fall, LAUGH, get up and go.
I'm putting that down as my pro tem epitaph.

Some ramen afterwards to warm the insides and soothe the bumps.
 (and alas, I did end up talking about food!)

Penne, Jello Shots, Farofa and Joulupukki

Santas climbing the wall at newspaper delivery place next to my apartment building

By the title of this post you can tell that it was an ...er...interesting (and culturally mishmashed) Christmas.

Eve of Christmas-eve was spent baptizing the new Scrabble (pressie to myself!) while helping my newly-found neighbours (acquaintances from old dorm who I recently discovered living 5minutes away and have since become friends) make jello shots for their Christmas eve party.

Christmas-eve was a lovely lunch at an Italian place nearby with two friends. This place has a super lunch set deal for a three course meal+coffee, and serve authentic Italian food. To be able to afford authentic Italian food on a broke-student budget in this country is a rarity. The entree was penne in an amazing sauce and the dessert was a cheesecake drizzled with blueberry sauce. Then some evening Capoeira. And a rendezvous at the neighbourhood bar to shoot back the jello shots that were made the night before.

Christmas day started on a bit of a low with me missing home, the Christmastime warmth, friends, family and food and sulking over the toast I had to have for brunch. Some afternoon Capoeira and a call from parents helped raise the spirits.

Then came the Brazillian buffet Christmas dinner with Capoeira mates in Shibuya. To try to put it into words would not do it justice. I ate until I could not lift my fork anymore. There were men going around in cowboy hats with humongous skewers of meat, meat of all kinds cooked in all different ways. Glistening. Beckoning. Talk about the ultimate fantasy.

There were all sorts of other amazing Brazillian dishes, Farofa (dried cassava powder) etc. The entire lot of us then spent the next hour at an Irish pub clutching our stomachs in agony over having eaten too much. After 2 Christmases away from home it finally felt like Christmas (well in my stomach anyway)!!...third time really is a charm I tell you!!

Boxing Day

Getting ready for some afternoon Capoeira (more out of guilt from the overindulgence the day before) and I hear the postman at my neighbours door. Did I ever mention how Japanese apartments have paper-thin walls? Apparently the postman had the wrong address, I hear feet shuffling and my very own doorbell ring. Standing outside is the postman with a giant Christmassy shopping bag. The postal service in this country is amazingly reliable, people post things in department store shopping bags with the flimsiest of ties. Nothing gets lost.

The parcel was taken with some hesitation, I wasn't expecting anything, these days all I get is bills.

But the address had my name on it so I signed. Open the bag and inside is a big fluffy doggie, (somewhat freakishly) resembling my family dog that passed away about a month ago.

I go back to the bag to see who sent it and the return address reads:

Joulupukki,

Korvatunturi, Finland.

Yup! I have noooooo idea who sent it. Kiitos Joulupukki. Kiitos very very much!!

A very Merry (and very very belated) Christmas everyone!!

Toast for/to Christmas...

I had toast for Christmas brunch. 

Alone, in my cold apartment. 

(yeah ok, so the heater did rev up later but I'm trying to be a dramatic here ok).

And then I found this toast.

Thought the symbolism was very appropriate. 

Apparently its from a Grey Goose (Vodka) ad. Alcohol does set things right!

A toast
To nearest
To dearest
To the crew
To cahoots
To the ones who’ve been there
To the ones who’ll be there
To dropping everything
To saying anything
To no judgments
To no doubts
To loyalty
To trust
To favors
To lifelongs
To been too long
To nothing’s changed
To having history
To having your back
To moving away
To never too far
To growing up
To settling down
To your second family
To friends

year end panic cartwheels

Yikes! I haven't posted anything in 2months.
So here's what happened. About a month ago I realised, in somewhat of a panic,
that the year was coming to an end.
Panic! because I had slowed down in crossing things off my:
'Things I would love to do while I can still do things' list.
(item #5: find a shorter name for this list)
*for more information on list, scroll to the end of the post*

Item #something-or-the-other: Cartwheels!
Yes, cartwheels.
But, these aren't ordinary cartwheels, they have to be learnt through Capoeira.
Yes, Capoeira.
An obsession that stems from my first viewing of 'Only the Strong' as a child and then much button bashing in Tekken with Christie and Eddie.

And so after useless, anxious staring at the homepage of an Academy nearby (which i have had bookmarked for over a year!) I decided to embrace my fears, and inflexible body in tow went in for the first class. Then signed up for a month.

And what a fabulous, albeit painful month it has been. Masochism has never been THIS much fun! While I'm still working on the cartwheels, I have learnt so much else! Constantly amazed by the students in the academy and the two brilliantly brilliant sensei's. They are by far the most talented yet down-to-earth bunch I have met in Tokyo.

And with their help, encouragement and amazing patience, I'm slowly letting go of my own inhibitions. Quite in awe of it all, and loving every moment of it.
Now the aim is to land that perfect cartwheel.

Additional information:

• The end-of-the-year panic was uncalled for because the list carries off on to the next year, but I'm a procrastinator and need short term goals.
• The list is somewhat progressive and only has a few fixed items like: get a tatt, scuba/sky dive. The rest is mostly: do something and then add to the list. (No I don't have commitment issues!) 
• Item #something-or-the-other: Try Absinthe  (the Green Fairy didn't make an appearance though, perhaps I had been rather demanding when hoping specifically for the Green Fairy (Kylie Minogue) from Moulin Rouge)