Ooh she’s doing one of those looking back posts. Super deep. As if I haven’t done enough of those already. Oh man.
Looking back on 2017, it’s just really weird. It feels like it didn’t really start until September, because I spent the first 8 months of the year waiting, and, thanks to UoB’s spectacular organisation skills (big up making me nearly miss the deadline to apply for Waseda!), panic crying at least 60% of the time. But it worked out okay. I ended up where I was supposed to be.
So of course, more than ever lately, I’ve come to believe that everything happens for a reason, and as such have attempted to snatch up every opportunity Tokyo life throws at me (well, within reason – if I went full Yes Man a quick stroll through Akihabara would quickly turn into a trip to 5 maid cafes, an owl cafe, and a tapas bar). I’m grateful that living this way has granted me some of the best friends I’ve ever known, some of the most fun I’ve ever had, and has robbed me of the shyness that plagued me all through high school. I’ll talk to anyone now!!! I don’t care!!!!!
It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds in store too! (Even if 2018 is looking pretty rubbish already. I mean, I’ll have to leave Japan. That’s terrible.)
That isn’t to say I have no idea what’s happening this year. Big plans lie ahead! After a January jam-packed with finals, I’m going to spend February travelling – 6th to 8th in Sapporo for the Snow Festival, 11th to 18th in Seoul, and finally 21st to 26th in Osaka, where I’ll travel to Kyoto and Nara, too. (Although I realised, when finalising my plans today, that when I impulse bought the tickets I accidentally booked both my departing and return flight to leave from Tokyo and arrive in Osaka. What an absolute basket case of a woman I am. Angery. It’s all good and re-booked now but what a TOOL)
Imagine this but with scary purikura eyes that’s gonna be March
March is busy too! The absolute boy, Alec, will be coming for three whole entire weeks, and when he leaves my mum, dad, and brother, will be coming for just over a week too. I’m so excited to see some familiar faces!
After that, it’s pretty unclear. I’ll end up in France eventually, then start my final year at Birmingham. I try not to think about it; the thought of my impending breakup with Old Joe breaks my heart. He’s a damn feisty clock.
Unfortunately, I don’t have terribly much to talk about concerning my Christmas holidays thus far – I’ve been given so much work to do that I’ve ended up just sitting in and working most of the time… But I do have stories! Do not fear!
A few days ago a friend showed me some new places in Shibuya. One was a little bar, tucked away up some stairs close to Bunkamura, called Whales of August.
Named after the movie, the bar is completely movie-themed. The stairway is adorned with posters of classic films, and the menu is decked out with cocktails each created to represent the film after which it is named. If they don’t have your favourite film, you can go off-menu and they’ll make one up for you on the spot. SO GORGEOUS BEST VIBES
Being the trash I am, I got Breathless. I wrote an essay on it in second year French so technically this cocktail was research for if I decide to further pursue French film in final year. Something like that. Maybe. The cocktail was cloudy and grey, like the film. Drinking it made me think about Jean Seberg’s awkward American accent in the film, and consequently I began to consider how awful my Japanese must sound, filtered through a Stafford accent. On the other hand, it had so much gin in it that I lacked the self-consciousness to care.
This was followed by a Moulin Rouge!, one of the films that played a part in my impulse decision to do a French degree (the others were Truffaut, so it wasn’t a completely classless decision maybe). This one was a rum one (they don’t give you much more detail about the contents of your drink than the main base, if it’s on the main menu). Bright pink, and surprisingly sweet for a rum cocktail.
Actually, I’m spending a whole bunch of time in Shibuya at the moment… I went there for New Year too! After a lovely potluck (as is now tradition apparently) with friends, we headed as close as we could get to scramble crossing for the countdown. Thousands were squashed together, wearing Coca-Cola hats. At the stroke of midnight, everyone was cheering and laughing together. Some people climbed up the lamp posts. Standard.
After that we ended up in a bar that was apparently dedicated to J-rock. I never knew that was what I needed. I didn’t know a lot of the songs, but drunk Tamsin took her limited knowledge of furitsuke (like wotagei, which I explained briefly in this post, but for bands) and did her best anyway. It was so much fun. I even requested An Cafe and the DJs giggled and played Smile Ichiban Ii Onna for me. Legends.
明けましておめでとう lads! Let’s make this one a good’un!
純潔CRUSH junketsu crush purity crush
Anli Pollicino
