Tokyo nights

Tokyo rocks!

When I first came to Tokyo I admit I was only thinking about living somewhere exciting. I wanted to be able to go party until the wee hours if I wanted to, visit strange theme bars and clubs, have a higher salary job, etc. I never really thought about how incredibly convenient and metropolitan the city is, and how I could benefit from it.

I'm thankful for the variety of cultures represented here. Having dozens of different embassies, cultural events and schools is so wonderful. If it weren't for Tokyo, I probably wouldn't have the chance to learn Kathak. I certainly wouldn't have learned it sitting back in my hometown! How many other places outside India can I learn an authentic nothern Indian dance?

Below is the video for one of my fave dances with Gopi Krishna (best male Kathak dancer!!!). The movie is Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje. The day I got it in the mail I was beyond happy! The singing takes some getting used to for people who aren't used to it. Watch the fast footwork. Amazing!

Today was my first lesson (finally!). My teacher learned from one of the great dancers in India, Guru Birju Maharaj (he did the choreography for Devdas!!!), and I was excited to learn the Lucknow style. Happily, she is as kind and patient as she is graceful; because I can't dance. I think it was well established today that not only can I not dance, but my body isn't that flexible either. My teacher and the other student present were bending into contortions I could only dream of while I sweated and strained to make it even halfway. I need a lot of work!

We started with a lot of warm up stretches (painful ones) and then moved on to Tatkar, the basic footwork of Kathak dance. I didn't have much trouble keeping the rhythm because of all the years I spent learning music (and tapping my foot to the beat). Since I was so good at this, I thought I was IT. This lasted about 5 minutes, until my teacher said "Okay, let's start working in the arm movements!" From there is was all downhill. I cannot keep my arms and legs moving separately for long. Sooner or later (usually sooner) my arm movements will stop or I"ll lose the beat with my feet. I felt like a total idiot. I still can't get the overhead circular movement down.

My teacher was ever encouraging and said I could probably advance to the next level class (I'm in the beginner, beginner class) in a few weeks or so. I'm content to stay in a low level class until I know what I'm doing. I can see that it's going to take a LOT of work to get even the basics down pat.

I can't wait for my next lesson because we'll be doing more chakkars (I suck suck suck at spinning)!

My cool new ghungroos!

Taste beyond my means

Living in Tokyo has it's many hazards. For example; it's polluted, expensive, the train system is like an impenetrable maze, and the residence taxes will impoverish you. It will also turn you into a fashion whore. I kid you not.

I used to be the baggy t-shirt, jeans and running shoes kind of dresser. I wasn't a tomboy, because they are usually good at sports and other traditionally "guy" activities, and I'm a failure at those things. I didn't have a clue how to dress myself and, I cringe at this, often let my mother dress me for "special occasions."

When I moved to Japan, I started to notice Louis Vuitton bags everywhere. You can see Vuitton bags on the subways, in trains, on buses, you name it. I can probably see at least 15 to 20 bags a day, if not more. In Canada, I had never even seen one in real life. My exposure to Vuitton and other big name designer bags was limited to T.V. and magazines (and frankly my dear, I just didn't give a damn).

My first real home in Japan was in Fukushima. Since we were in the countryside, people weren't walking around like living fashion plates. While Koriyama has some shopping, it's nowhere near what Tokyo has. I didn't even have the fortune of living in Koriyama, and had to make do with the poorly fitting bargain clothes I could scrounge in Fukushima City. If a lady in Fukushima doesn't want to spend 18,000 yen to run down to Tokyo for a shopping spree, her choices are limited. Sendai (in the neighboring prefecture; also the boonies) has the lone Louis Vuitton store in the north, and they think they are IT. All the women worth their fashion salt carry a Vuitton purse. It's the height of taste and envy to a Tohoku woman. As it was, I felt that while I lacked a Vuitton bag, my clothing didn't really stick out in bad taste.

A year later I moved from Fukushima (a.k.a. the hicks of Tohoku) to Tokyo. Suddenly it was designer overload. I felt like a poorly dressed country cousin when I walked down the streets. Everywhere I went there were department stores touting Manolos, Jimmy Choos, and Chloe. I got a crash course in materialism. Women in Louboutin stilettos with Gucci Jockey bags (in Python!) were sashaying past me to their dates in fancy restaurants. Boyfriends were buying Chopard watches for their girlfriend's birthdays, and I was wearing no name jeans and a t-shirt with tomato stains. It was not a good feeling.

All that exposure to fashion started to rub off on me. I began to notice styles and brands that I liked. Slowly I began to  assimilate those items into my wardrobe. A Gaultier bag here, a D&G watch there, and those only lit the fire for more. Now I have reached the point where my taste is far beyond my means. Little by little my standard of what is reasonable has gone up. I stand in front of the windows of brand shops and sigh over their $4000 bags, or think $700 for a pair of Louboutins is a steal. The next stage (from my careful observations of Japanese women) is to begin scrimping on the other expenses in your life so you can afford those designer goodies. This is why you see Japanese women wearing a $10 dress with a $3000 bag. It's all about the designer goods.

While I could never afford half the stuff I lust after without starving or going homeless, I can do something about it. Namely, make the stuff I like myself. This will never extend to shoes (or maybe it will. I'm investigating that now), but everything from the ankles up I can make myself. All it takes is practice.

Currently I'm working on a cardigan based on the style Cameron Diaz wore in The Holiday. Any woman who has seen that movie most likely wants the majority of Cameron's wardrobe. Since I will never have a few thousand bucks to throw away on a Dior shearling coat or a TSE cashmere sweater, I"m working on my own versions. So far I'm half done the first sleeve. It's a complicated pattern, so it takes a lot longer (and more wool) to get done. Can't afford to do it in cashmere, so I'm doing it in a mohair/acrylic blend that is soft and fluffy. 

Behold the half a sleeve I have finished (with an unimpressed Mochi!)!

 I'm also working on the sewing skills and have half the lining done on a coat I'm making for the winter. After that I have two pencil skirts, a silk blouse, sweater top and several outer wear projects lined up. Hopefully some of them will actually be made in time for the winter season! The sweater is taking a long time... I knit on the train each day, on the bus, at work if I can sneak some free time, and while I watch Project Runway and True Blood (was that not a disappointing season finale?!?). Fashion has taken over my life. This is what Tokyo does to you.

Reason #5 I love Japan

It's been a long time since I made a post on this series! With all the negativity I spout here (what can I say, if bitching were an Olympic sport I could represent Canada!), I often forget to look at the positives of my adopted country. This post will be a short one because my intestines and I are having a battle of wills right now.

The number 5 reason I love Japan is: Hiroo!

For anyone who has gotten out at Hiroo station in Tokyo, they will understand immediately my love for this area. When you get to the surface (off the subway), you enter a place that seems somehow European, with sidewalk cafes, wonderful restaurants, small boutiques and an astonishing amount of foreigners.

Now, I know I bitch a lot about other foreigners in Japan (like my post here) BUT, sometimes when you get overwhelmed by all the Japaneseness, or you need a break from Japanese people in general, it's nice to be back amongst your own people (i.e. anyone who isn't Japanese).

Another great thing about Hiroo besides the atmosphere, is the foreign food market! It might be outrageously overpriced, but some of the stuff you can find there comes right outta your local supermarket (Hellmann's mayonnaise anyone?). When I need a taste of home, that's where I head. It doesn't hurt that they have an English language bookstore and stock a large selection of magazines either. You can kill two birds with one stone (or three birds, if you hit up the Baskin Robbins right outside on your way back).

While I could never afford to buy property there (at least not in the forseeable future), it is my dream to live there someday. It's in a great location (near all the best places to eat, party and shop) and has a lovely cosmopolitan air that makes me fiercely happy I live in tokyo.

If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?

The number one reason I love living in Tokyo

So, to try out the blog, I'm going to talk about the number one reason I'm SO happy I moved here. Why? Because posting the 1000 reasons I hate Tokyo takes too long!

So the number one reason is......Kabukicho (歌舞伎町)!!! Why? Because at any time you may run into a few little hosts on their way to work (or hustling in the streets). There's nothing that gets my blood moving faster than a shortie-long back hairstyle and a pair of razor thin pointed boots! The lamé suits also amuse me to no end.

Often host clubs do not encourage foreign women to enter. This may be due to racism, or it could be that the hosts are just terrified of having to practice a language they haven't used since they graduated from high school. Whatever the reason, I usually don't get many fliers when I'm walking down the street (please do not ascribe this to the fact that I'm SO unattractive that no host will give me one...because that will only confirm my greatest fear).

Being curious about host clubs and what REALLY goes on there (they can't all be like the tv dramas, can they?) I started asking around. Turns out one club, Acqua is VERY friendly to foreigners. They also have their own band (made up of the staff, of course) and give out a video to loyal customers (which you can youtube search as "club acqua"). Please note, the videos are NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Naked men, showers, need I say more?

Now, having knowledge of a club in Kabukicho (my favorite place) that accepts the western ladies, I am determined to go. My pal D wants to go for her birthday in January and I needed no promting to agree. So I am saving my pennies to splurge on the (educational) experience of a host club.

For those of you in Tokyo who are interested (or the curious outside of Japan) take a gander at the official site of Acqua here.

A little eye candy for you. Click on the picture to enlarge: