Hokkaido Brie

I am utterly speechless.

Oops!

We are fairly convinced that Japan has more 'hair & make' salons than any other city in the world. People in Japan obviously love to get a tonsorial fix -- who wouldn't when every shampoo comes with a head massage? I think it is probably one of those little luxuries that off set the hardships of daily life in the rabbit hutch. For a couple of months, I have been collecting hair salon signs around town to share with you. Here is a round up of the best of the best. I hope that you find them as amusing as we do. None are photoshopped. All were taken with my trusty little iphone. I kid you not.


Self-explanatory.



Confidence-instilling.



Kinda catchy!



Maybe it's a guy thing.



Say w h a a a t ???



And, my personal favorite, NIX! Lice or no lice, they simply hack it all off.

Pippi's Omimai

Very regrettably, Pippi had a bad encounter with a pair of rather aggressive beagles about ten days ago in Arisugawa Park. While Pippi was greeting a friendly labradoodle that she knows, two beagles on a double leash lunged at her. In turn, Pippi lunged back and a bit of a tussle ensued. By the time we could pull the dogs apart, Pippi's ear was dripping with blood. The opposing dogs were completely unscathed. Pippi's injury resulted in stitches, a snood-like bandage to keep the ear in place and, the crowning blow, an erizabesu cora (aka Elizabeth collar). Despite her regalia, Pippi has still managed to play fetch with her friends, Humphrey and Scout, every morning in the batting cage not far from home.



Yesterday, when we showed up , a most remarkable thing occurred. One of the older, Japanese women who lives right near the batting cage, appeared at the fence with a small, red and white bag. I had seen her before but we had never actually spoken to one another, just the usual slight head bow of acknowledgement. This time, she addressed me full on and offered me the bag as an omimai or sympathy gift for Pippi. Cognizant of Pippi's love of apples, she had kindly placed one red and one yellow in the bag for her. Only in Japan.

Lovely Arches

I drive regularly under a pair of bridges, one for the Chuo Expressway and the other for the JR train line, not too far from my home. As you can see in the photos, they are made of iron or steel and painted green. I imagine they were built in the 60s or 70s but I could be wrong about this. Not much to write home about. Unless you are me.





I have always had a thing for feats of structural engineering. There is something so beautiful about a form that is so efficient. Yet for years, I barely batted an eye at these bridges. That is, until I walked beneath them. How differently we see when on foot. I had never noticed the care or craft embodied in their metalwork. Just look at those rivets! And what lovely arches. They are text book perfect.

The Tee Shirt Says It All

I shudder to think.

In Monet's Garden

As summer slides into autumn, I find myself thinking wistful thoughts about our lovely trip to France. One of the early and many high points of the trip was our visit to Monet's home and garden in Giverny, a destination we had been hankering after since the girls were very little. From a young age, the girls enjoyed reading about Linnea and her Giverny expedition. Plus we are regulars at the Impressionist galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Color is clearly the dominant theme of the artist's homestead. The sunken living room with its tall windows and expansive wall space for paintings was very evocative. However, we loved the yellow room and the blue kitchen most of all. Using architectural means, these spaces bring Monet's feeling for color inside. Even the more sedate rooms have windows that look out over the garden. Edged with wood, each one frames the view like a picture. A wild contrast to the closely cropped landscapes we are accustomed to in Japan, Monet's property was an overgrown, exuberant outburst of growth. Laced with paths, the garden has some small lawns but it is the flowers that draw the eye. The management explains that this profusion may not have existed during Monet's time yet the slightly untamed nature of his property is probably pretty true to form.

Monet's famous foot bridge looked just as it does in his paintings but it did not really seem Japanese to us. Also, today the pond is separated from the rest of the garden by a road that was not extant during Monet's time. A tasteful underground passage connects the two halves but this is certainly not the way the artist experienced his domain.

After exploring the tiny town, we got back on the train and went to Rouen per a good friend's suggestion. What a charming spot with its half-timber buildings and medieval clock tower. We bought a small bag of caramel pearls at one of the local confectioners. Truly the best chocolates I have ever eaten in my life. Bar none. Hollow chocolate balls filled with creamy caramel inside and dusted with crunchy sugar granules on the outside. Regrettably, we did not discover their goodness until a day or two later when we were already back in Paris and those luscious taste treats were miles away. We did investigate the possibility of ordering but have yet to confirm whether they ship internationally. Sadly I do not even have a picture to show you. But I can take you on a tour of flowers from Monet's garden.

September's Manner Poster

I covet this poster. September's Subway Manner Poster, it reminds riders not to fall asleep on their neighbor's shoulder. Who cares if it is 100% photo shopped? It's cute! And it makes its point in such an appealing way. The other night, just as September was on the cusp of turning into October, Abby and I popped our heads into not one but two subway station offices to inquire after the parrots. In her best Japanese, Abby asked what the officials were planning to do with the poster at the end of the month, i.e. the next day, and whether they would be willing to give the poster to her. Needless to say, we were quite disappointed when we were dinged both times! Apparently, Manner Posters have been showing up on Internet commerce sites and Tokyo Metro doesn't like that. Do we really look like the types who sell stuff on the web? I think not. But rules are rules. And in Japan that means they are seldom excepted. After all these years, I still think like an American. Thank goodness.


This is October's offering. It is not quite as good but still grabs my attention. It depicts a kitty gazing at herself in a mirror.


This message is don't put make-up on while riding the subway.