Is February Over Yet?

Japan is experiencing a colder winter than usual it seems, but it's the end of it and I'm counting the days until I get sit under the cherry blossom trees and have a picnic... a few more weeks to go! In the meantime, I'm slowly settling in my new home and getting connected to the rest of the world via the internet is a good way to fight the winter boredom.

If you're moving house or new to Japan, I highly recommend applying for the internet via this service, which tells you what kinds of internet connections and providers are available in your house or apartment. It's all in English and the friendly owner does all the work for you. I've used his services three times already (Shikoku, Osaka, Tokyo) and everything has been set up efficiently and smoothly. Another thing that I'm thankful for is the Apple Air Port Express router, which I set up in less than five minutes, and it looks pretty sleek. A bit more expensive than most routers, but oh-so-simple to use. I guess my days writing at Starbucks are over for now, I won't miss the soundtrack and crying toddlers, but I'll miss the friendly staff.

February is my least favourite month, but I kept myself busy. I made my own caramel chocolates, some chocolate chip muffins, and banana bread. I listened to the new Depeche Mode song "Heaven" over and over, I painted my nails in a shimmery purple called Tokaido Express by Nars, I read two books, and had girlie nights in with curry and wine.

Here are some things I liked:

Gorgeous Valentines Day flowers.
In Japan, girls usually give chocolates to boys.

Not the books, not the flowers, but this sleek little router

The best ramen in Japan is found in dingy little shops where people write
how many bowls they consumed on the wall

I was recently told I look like a small animal. I don't know?