dark star skies: tokyo winter adventures pt. 2 [departure/arrival, the spooky shrine visit, more nights out & new year's eve]

Oh, here am I back with one more entry because I actually do not have much to do besides recovering from my cold and I still have a lot of pictures.

First of all, I missed the departure pictures because they were in a different folder (the iOS camera seems to create them randomly...). So here is a quick outfit shot I managed to take before heading to the airport in the early morning (oh the weight you gain when being at your parents' place...) and some pictures from inside the plane~

I always praise Aeroflot and think they really have a bad reputation (a lot of people give Russia/Russian people a bad reputation but really f you, they can do a lot of think essentially right... never heard of any cancelled flight because of snow or people who want more money, unlike in uh, Germany!).  
But the food on the flight there was not too nice. Last time I had marvelous dinner that looked like out of a restaurant. Regret not taking pictures. However the food was better on the flight back. The service is A++, as good as JAL, if not better. Never late, never impolite. Just because they don't always give you that overly fake smile, doesn't mean people aren't nice!

Random impressions from my first days spent in Shinjuku. The guy who handed out the tissues to me was actually taking care to give them to younger girls only haha

But let's skip again to the night when I met my friend Kana. We first of all met at the station of the city where she lives (she said it's really inaka but it turns out it's still one of the bigger cities in Saitama!). Then we took purikura that actually turned out alright~

 

We actually wanted to do the shrine visit during daytime but since I had that appointment and my friend Kana is usually busy on other days, we only had time to meet in the evening. It seems like on usual days, no one really goes to shrines at night though. Especially not in the more country-sided places I suppose.

One of the ways to the shrine. You get why nobody goes there at night, right?

I was glad this area was a bit brighter. I actually threw in a 5-yen-coin and made a wish. Kana had to first tell me the order on how to do it properly.
I think I did it wrong anyway LMAO. If you insist on knowing what I remember, it was something like, throw in the coin .... spin around yourself five times, jump on one leg thrice, then somewhere inbetween ring that bell and clap your hands, close your eyes and make the wish. Then bow? And also bow before? Well I think I did things in the wrong order and maybe forgot some actions (like the bowing one million times). Maybe I didn't though, I don't remember. Anyhow! The wish I made sort of came true. I think. The Japanese Gods were like: We'll let that pass, it's okay, she's a foreigner lol

One very scary path (left) where Kana later told me something like a murder actually happened there a month ago at night. From what she told it seems it was just two people arguing and then it escalated. Well, then we saw someone coming through the gate and Kana somehow stopped talking because she got a little scared. So we actually decided to leave.

We left to the main gate and got out to a little side street, where we waited for the cab. You could actually see the stars out there. さすが Saitama haha

We went to an izakaya! Actually Kana's boyfriend works there (also worked there that night) and came to say hello. The atmosphere was really nice! One of Kana's friends came by and we drank until really late. When I had to leave for my last train, I ended up not leaving because talking was too much fun :<

We looked at that punch bowl in the menu and Kana was like: I am going to drink that all alone! (Though it said it was for three people). When they served it, everyone was like: ... . Then Kana looked at the waiter and was like: So huge! And he was like: Yeah, well, it's for three people! Me and the friend just stared at them while they were talking and then laughed haha.

I stayed at Kana's place that night and instead of sleeping we basically talked all night while sitting under the kotatsu (unfortunately it was still sort of cold haha). Her cats distacted us. Especially me! I am supposed to have a very mild cat allergy but never noticed it. This time I did though and I started sneezing a lot. Also the ginger cat (hime) was evil and hurt my finger when I held it out to her D:

I then went home in the morning. It was really damn cold and I was so happy to be back at my home where the heating in the common area is almost always on <3

Another day I met up with adorable Jasmin (blog) & adorable Ramona (blog) and their friends/boyfriend. We did not do too much but hang out at an izakaya and then at the game center. 

 

I did not take many pictures because I was somewhat tired that day. But actually there wasn't anything very exciting happening either.

Later I bought cigarettes at the conbini that were advertized all over. The brand I usually always smoke (Kool) released two special versions called Miami Breeze and Bali Sunset. Actually now they came out as regular versions it seems. With this brand you really can do nothing wrong! I am really in love with the Bali Sunset one, it tastes berry-ish but still contains menthol.

Theeeeen we met for clubbing on New Year's eve! The streets of Shibuya were really crowded and FULL of foreigners. I guess we are so used to going out on these days that it seems like Tokyo consists of foreigners only. We bought something at the crowded conbini like everyone else and then started drinking in front of it and later moved closer to the club and drank more before we got in. I only got one drink for myself because I usually get drunk easily but then asked around for more sips from others haha.
Then I got drunk really fast and started taking pictures! Hence the pictures above haha.

 I am glad we got inside before the countdown went down to 0!

Overall it was really fun and I enjoy myself so much when I can dance and let everything out, I calm down inwardly after that and forget all my stress! But... it was really crowded and there was quite a bunch of strange people. Getting to know interesting new people wasn't really what you could expect that night... still I am happy I was with my friends and could spent a great time!

On New year's day I just did some relaxing things at home since almost everything was closed anyway. The next day I went shopping and bought something at MA*RS (unfortunately something that was not on sale). I also bough those shoes I wear in the picture on sale for just 880yen!

Everyone being really tired of the last year... a whole family sleeping together on the train haha.

Theeeen Kana wanted to meet some of my friends so before the Ramona/Jasmin friends group went back, we met up all together for casual drinking/dining in Shinjuku and then also went for karaoke there.

It was very fun to meet up as bigger group on these days! Unfortunately that was rather rare for me later.

But that's all for now! I have some more adventures to tell you about the next time ☆

Since it's still cold outside, stay warm and healthy everyone~

and again happy new year~

Yes, happy new year again!

Haha, actually I never really care much about the lunar new year but this time I couldn't help but notice the start of it because I took chinese class last semester (I hated it though haha) and there was some sort of little festival about it too. Besides, it's the year of the horse ("my" year as I'd like to say)!

It's kind of funny because after the 31th of January things went a bit more easy going. Or maybe I just thought they were... I could not be bothered much about exams but still lately all I have been doing was studying and trying to eat healthy... more or less. I feel like all I am doing lately is peeling carrots, I am so tired of it!! But baby carrots are twice as expensive while a pack is much smaller... ugh.

I thought that if I kept eating just vegetables with hummus I will soon be too weak to cut carrots haha. But I also made rice pudding often! With whole full-fat milk (I hate skimmed milk so much omg) but sweetener instead of sugar. It tastes great, you should try it! The only problem is you have to make sure the milk does not burn ... that happened to me. It's not a nice thing to clean up later (TT)

Enough of my healthy (and not so healthy, that I don't show) eating habits. Also enough of exams even though I still have one to go (and am really crossing my fingers to pass all of them because I really didn't study much at all)...

Actually I wanted to show some of the pictures I took when I was at my friend's place! We agreed to spend new year's together (the western new year I mean haha) and it was great great great great! I went to Hannover, the city where he lives together with his girlfriend and where they work (as assistants in the University and on their PhD).

I haven't seen him for a while but we know each other since I was in high school and he is basically one of the very few close friends I have. All we did at their place was basically playing games (and they had tons of board games which are just really really fun with the right people) and eating. But we also went to a some sort of garden (I forgot the name... it was basically too cold for me to care about anything). Well, you can see shows of my coat here haha.

We made salsa!! (or rather they did, as they cooked for me the whole time ; A ;) Excuse the drawn on hearts, I have seriously no patience to download brushes for photoshop or put this on my iPod to put on filters or anything but I hope you get the impression of the wonderful time I had!

Besides, on the first we went to a steak house. I thought I can treat myself just once a year with a good steak. It was so expensive that my jaw almost dropped (about 30€), but I tried to keep composure and it was a set-menu so then I thought, come on. But my friends insisted to pay for me (TT) I felt so guilty but at the same time so happy and they told me I shouldn't look at the price and they just wanted me to enjoy the time while I am with them. I was so extremely happy. And I was so full with good food - with good meat actually, that I rarely get to eat lately.

I took this picture with my friend's girlfriend's iPhone camera that is why it turned out so good haha.
 Ahh and of course I started eating first and then remembered to take a picture. It just looked SO good I could not resist!!  And it was good, my god, I cannot remember when was the last time I ate meat that was this delicious (probably when I had kobe beef... I think they sometimes have it as an offer in this restaurant too!).

Then there is my friend's steak and his girlfriend had the same. I tried that one too and it was really really nice, too.
Since I had watched the whole Matrix triology over christmas like 3 times (because it was on TV during christmas), we kept remembering scenes from the Matrix and then I was trying out how much of the exact dialogues I know by heart... and I tried playing that scene when Cypher eats that steak when he meets the agent in the matrix and talks about how delicious it was. It was so fun haha.

(Yeah actually I must have watched the first part of the Matrix 10 or more times already, I used to be really crazy about this movie and still am!)

More food they cooked for me (the pasta sauce was so spicy and soooo delicious!) and then board games! This game was funny because we just kept making stupid jokes and basically my friend was sort of lying on the floor/carpet and when he had to give other players the cards they had earned (he sort of was 'the bank') he kept taking the cards from the bank and put them on the floor, behind the table (where only he could see them) first because it was easier to grab for him that way - but it looked like he was cheating, especially since he kept humming while doing that sort of thing happily hahaha. It was really amusing.

We played other games too, like Twister and Taboo, which I also filmed and when I watch it I just have to laugh because of the atmosphere haha. Though of course, the parts I did not film were way funnier haha.

Then, I already went home soon after. I just stayed three days over all and when my friend brought me to the station I was already getting a bit nostalgic. When I sat down in the IC train (so much warmer and way more quiet than regular trains, I was so surprised), I still felt really comfortable and tried to read a book for my studies but only got through 20 pages. 

But then, once I arrived home, I was feeling so down, I could almost not handle it. I am generally a slightly melancholic person and I like to be alone sometimes but that sadness crushed me. It was the kind of feeling that I get when I come back home from Japan most of the times. It was so disturbing, I could not even watch my favourite anime Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds because I just wanted to linger in the great memories.

I guess after all, your real home is where your friends are, the people who really really care about you, right?

What I enjoyed most about this trip is that I could have so many great talks with my friends and I forgot totally what it is like to first think about what you are going to say because I directly just said out loud what I was thinking and they listened to me and I listened to them and we could talk just like civilised people about all kind of things going on in the world (even though inbetween we were making fun of russian swearwords and how funny they sound haha).

I know this sounds like this is a rare thing but actually it is to me! I do not want to sound like a snob but what I mostly miss in my life is intellectual conversations. Not the kind that are on TV and in university (though sometimes!), just the pure thoughts, just people letting their thoughts wander and think about stuff and getting sad about thinking too much and letting it happen. I could enjoy that with my friends because I felt like they are so open-minded and think about new ideas and ah, this is just what made me happy at my heart.
Talking to people who are just on the same wavelength, as one of my acquaintances would put it.

I enjoyed this so much that of course I keep this as one of the greatest memories.

And if I don't end up in Japan after all, I might actually just ask my friends if they want to adopt me or something. I'll just be their puppy haha.

Yeah, this is the story I basically wanted to share before it is too late and I forget things. I think it is really important to treasure the people who stick with you after all, even if you become a completely different and maybe partly terrible person. I do hope everyone else has these kind of people in their life, too. Actually maybe this is the kind of people I always wanted to have in my life and that is why I adore(d) Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds so much, because they are stories about real friends.

Now this entry got so long again haha.

I will stop here but there is some more things ahead of him this month which means you will hear of me soon again.
Take care and have a good year of the horse! (read: enjoy 'my' year! haha)