tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36032905897877542832024-03-13T00:44:13.839-05:00BOX RABBITA blog about my travels, personal style, food and experiences.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-14557369729710043782013-12-21T00:35:00.001-06:002013-12-21T00:35:19.978-06:00Le Petit Prince Stationary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever since reading Le Petit Prince in high school French Class, I've been obsessed with the whimsical art style of the book. I recently bought these Christmas cards for my close friend since they took French with me.<br />
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They're pop-up cards and even come with a rubber seal sticker.<br />
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I also bought the matching stamp set too as part of a DIY kit.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-85066565006277350752013-12-02T16:44:00.004-06:002013-12-02T16:44:52.519-06:00Matching Bracelets by Iconic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bought matching/coordinating bracelets with my boyfriend! M<a href="http://www.mochithings.com/" target="_blank">ochiThings</a> was having an event on their website and these really caught my eye. They're made of light leather-like material and go well with all outfits.<br />
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<br />Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-73923437362753250042013-08-13T13:15:00.002-05:002013-08-13T14:02:27.411-05:00Otaku to Chic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, I haven't posted in a while since I've been busy with my advertising internship. BUT, I thought I'd post some mundane pictures of things I've recently bought, ranging from otaku to chic. </div>
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The art books are from ANIMATE in Tokyo and the mangas are from Barnes & Noble. I couldn't help but splurge after seeing these cute covers!</div>
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Inside of the PIXIV 2011 art book. I use this for inspiration!</div>
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These were on sale for $20 and going by what the reviews said, they're better than iPod headphones which is what I currently use. Cute colors too!<br />
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Doc Martens I snagged up for $15 at a local flea market. SCORE. My 75 year old grandma says they're too heavy and look like they're from 1950s China.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-70880455529641599332013-06-14T13:43:00.000-05:002013-08-13T14:05:21.827-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 10)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tokyo Fish Market | Cat Cafe</div>
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During our last day in Tokyo (sad face), a couple of us woke up bright and early to look at dead fish. Ok, more excitingly, we went to the famous Tokyo Fish Market where fisherman prepare their catch at around 3 in the morning to sell to chefs in the city. By the time we got there, the market was open to normal consumers.<br />
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Stalls upon stalls of dead fish carcasses. Definitely not for the feint of heart or seafood haters.<br />
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This was just too cool looking. The man selling the octopi was also able to speak English. I was quite impressed.<br />
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We were told by one of my friend's brother that we had to try the sushi around the fish market. "Life-changing" was what he called it. The shop we went to was pretty touristy...We weren't allowed to take pictures of the chef (like that would stop me) and everyone had to buy over $5 worth of food.<br />
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And I blew about $20 - Yikes. It was good though and I finally tried sea urchin. I still prefer the super cheap good sushi in the city.<br />
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At noon, we checked out of our hotel in Shinjuku and made our way to a little island that was still a part of Tokyo where we had lunch in a huge mall. This was the scenery outside our restaurant - so modern!<br />
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I don't even know exactly what this is but it sure is hi-tech!<br />
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My friend, TC, with his newly acquired tongue shirt from Harajuku. He can use it to scare American children and adults alike.<br />
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More karaage!<br />
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As our final hours in Japan, we visited a cat cafe.<br />
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For $10, we got a tiny cup of tea and one hour access to about 30 cats in a cute enclosed area.<br />
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Though one of the cutest experiences ever, I wish these cats weren't all asleep...</div>
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Outside the cat area was a cute cat souvenir and pet supply shop. This was truly a fuzzy and fitting way to end our 10 day trip in Japan.</div>
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USA-bound after a truly amazing experience! (You know I'm traveling somewhere because I took a picture of an airplane wing superimposed on some pretty landscape.)Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-45536478407020023712013-06-13T00:30:00.000-05:002013-07-03T12:21:21.409-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 9) Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Emperor's Palace | Mitsubishi Corporation | Shibuya</b></div>
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Continuing off the last post, we headed to the Emperor's Palace after lunch in Harajuku. Simultaneously a bunch of middle schoolers were visiting at the same time, so we grabbed a quick photo with them after noticing how curiously they were look at us. </div>
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In front of the emperor's palace. We weren't allowed inside but the koi pond moat background was majestic enough for us!<br />
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Before visiting Japan, I had no idea that Mitsubishi did more than just cars. I've come to discover that they're a huge player in a multitude of industries including fashion! It really piqued my interest and I'll be adding the company to my job application list.</div>
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Herb & black vanilla ice cream.</div>
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Shabu Shabu - Japanese hot pot for dinner.</div>
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A music video shoot was going on in Harajuku. I could tell it was a girl group, but had no idea who they were - if only I could ask the busy managers trying to shoo the crowd away. They've used these stairs for so many music videos, including one by will.i.am.<br />
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After much protest from the guys I was with, I finally convinced them to walk from Harajuku to Shibuya's scramble crossing. After recently playing World Ends with You, an RPG that takes place all over Shibuya, I had to check it out before leaving Japan. Since it's nighttime and not rush hour, we didn't really feel the iconic "crowded-ness" of the streets. 109, a young people's department store, was closed as well. We were about to head back to Shinjuku, when my group ran into Sally, another girl from Kagehashi. She was out with her Japanese friends drinking so we decided to join them, ironically at an English pub (which are very popular in Tokyo). Nevertheless, I'm glad to have experienced Shibuya's young nightlife atmosphere!<br />
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Hachiko's statue.</div>
Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-286185199669688032013-06-12T15:32:00.002-05:002013-06-12T15:32:47.732-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 9) Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Meiji Shrine | Harajuku | Okonomiyaki</b></div>
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A scenic route to the Meiji Shrine is where Kagehashi begins its 9th day in Japan, specifically Tokyo. In the middle of the busy city, one can find sanctuary from the bright Eastern sun under the lush canopies near the Shrine. Visitors at the main entrance are greeted with caskets of alcohol on both sides of the walk: Japanese sake on the right and fine French wines fit for an emperor on the left.<br />
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Pictured here is the main entrance to the shrine. These gateways are meant to look like the word "kai" in Japanese/Chinese which means open. My tour guide told me that people aren't actually supposed to walk through the big gateway as it's meant to be a door for gods, but even most Japanese people aren't aware of that fact.<br />
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Entrance to the inner shrine. I assume the procession of people walking are priests of some sort?<br />
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Before going into the shrine, we washed our hands using this fountain and the ladles. Perhaps this is symbolic of cleansing ourselves of impurities before entering a holy place? Either way, it was refreshing on this hot and humid day.<br />
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A traditional wedding photoshoot was taking place when we arrived.<br />
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These girls in beautiful red kimonos were part of the wedding. </div>
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In front of the inner temple where we made wishes by tossing coins into a box.<br />
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For 5 yen, you can write a fortune placard and place it among the others. People usually wish for good luck, love, health, peace and fortune.<br />
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Speaking of fortune, I bought myself a little charm that promises job security. I especially need this as a senior next year. Oh joy, interviews.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During
the LNY show, I explored different subcultures of Japanese pop fashion (mori
kei, lolita, decora). On my trip this summer, I finally got to experience one
of my fashion dream places – Takeshita Street in Harajuku!</span></span></div>
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Takeshita street! They had so many small clothing stores and intricate crepe stands. All the fashion here that wasn't a brand name were all reasonably priced around $20 and so-so quality. Many of the shops sold the same types of shoes and tops - probably the same supplier.<br />
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One of the first clothing stores we passed! As you can tell, Takeshita street is a place for girls to get relatively cheap and trendy clothes.<br />
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A "decora" style store. You can tell by the bright kitschy styles of the clothing.<br />
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I loved this place! It had so many "kawaii" merchandise from Hello Kitty to Rillakuma to...<br />
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BANAO! I bought My Melody and Moomin stickers from this store, but they had a ton of other mascot trinkets like keychains, stationary, plushies, jewelry.<br />
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Harajuku is known for its crepes! These stands have such a cute feminine appeal that's hard to pass up. All crepes are around $4, which is much cheaper than in the US! And you can walk around with it since it's considered street food.<br />
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Banana caramel custard crepe - a staple favorite of mine. I think I have 3 crepe pictures on my blog now...<br />
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The Bodyline shop, a lolita clothing store! I even have a blue sailor dress by them!<br />
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Liz Lisa, a gyaru clothing store, featuring feminine and innocent summer clothing perfect for picnic tea parties. I bought a floral sweater at Makuchari that was Liz Lisa and I'm so happy I got it there because this store wasn't cheap!<br />
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On our way to lunch, we passed by a funky design gallery. I really need to go back and check it out!<br />
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Graffiti lined walls covering the outside of the restaurant. I'm pretty sure we were in the artsy fartsy part of Harajuku.<br />
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A creepy, yet interesting mural inside our restaurant that features pregnant school girls... I wonder what message the owners were trying to convey to its customers. Perhaps a cautionary tale?<br />
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D.I.Y. okonomiyaki - a savory pancake with cabbage and meat topped with laver, mayo and special sauce. They had toppings such as mushroom, pork, egg and beef. My favorite was the kimchi one and I loved flipping the pancake with the little spatulas!<br />
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I could spend a whole day in Harajuku just shopping and looking at art galleries but alas, we had to move on to our next destination. I snapped this photo from the bus and it turned out just like this - no filter added!<br />
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Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-46809557161959116532013-06-10T21:46:00.000-05:002013-06-10T21:46:27.925-05:00Pastel Garden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blouse - H&M | Shoes - Honey's | Shorts - Premium | Purse - Thrifted</td></tr>
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I haven't had an outfit post in a while! Here I am featuring some of my newest summer clothes! I bought the shoes at Honey's in Japan. Honey's has so many cute staple clothing at Forever 21 prices. The purse is from Buffalo Exchange after we sold a bunch of my friend's stylist roommates' clothing. I fell in love when i first saw it - I'm a sucker for mint and gold plated things.<br />
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<br />Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-46339103993682479462013-06-09T15:39:00.002-05:002013-06-10T09:32:23.820-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 8)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Japanese Cultural Dance | Akihabara | Ramen Cart</b></div>
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The first destination of the day was back to the Japan Foundation for a Japanese dance presentation. The professional performing showed us an example of a male, female and girl dance. He was surprisingly very good as a bouncy teenage girl.</div>
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The audience then got to learn one of the dances from him. I volunteered for the "flower blooming along the riverside" dance. The other one had something to do with a love letter and a girl confessing.<br />
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After going through a couple museums in Roppangi, we went to Akihabara, the electric and anime city! I was so excited to go there after hearing stories of multistory anime stores and maid cafes! In the above picture, you can see a maid peddling for business. I couldn't take an actual picture with her - I would have to pay oodles for that...</div>
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A Miku mural covering an electronic store.</div>
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Inside the Animate! store - a 6 story anime store that's very well-known. I felt like I was in Disneyland with the walls of manga, art books and merchandise. I bought a Pixiv and Madoka Magica artbook. I wanted the Psycho Pass one too but it was apparently sold out.</div>
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Psycho Pass, Persona 4 and Madoka Magica merchandise sections.</div>
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Capsule Machines, a cheap alternative to the store anime merchandise. I couldn't pass up a Yotsuba figurine for Luis. </div>
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TC and I were on the lookout for a booby mousepad, so much so that we even asked our tour guide from the Japan Foundation to help us ask for one. We found a small novelty anime store on the same street with a whole rack (lol) of mousepads. It was a tad expensive thought - $30. TC and I ended up splitting it as a present for the Weenie Loft. </div>
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Next destination - Kabuki Theater. It was absolutely gorgeous and so many old Japanese ladies in traditional kimonos.<br />
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The scheduled day ended early and lots of us still wanted to keep exploring, so we headed out for Akihabara after dinner.</div>
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First time riding the Tokyo subway. Two words: crowded and quiet.<br />
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Because we were foreigners in a country where we didn't know the language, a few of us made direction cards for everyone out of paper coasters.<br />
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Spotted a Madoka Magica movie poster - got so many feels.<br />
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A doujinshi shop where we saw some questionable material...</div>
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Hungry from our escapade to Akihabara, we got a midnight snack at an actual noodle cart outside the hotel. The man working there has been making noodles for 9 years. He thought I was Japanese.<br />
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Delicious miso ramen loaded with toppings. I crave this so much since coming back to the States.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-65571736593230524502013-06-09T14:14:00.002-05:002013-06-10T09:33:48.396-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 7)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Makuhari Messe | Japanese Garden | Chiba City Council | Hanging Monorail</b></div>
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Bright and early, we toured the Makuhari Messe, Asia's largest convention center. We were given a special presentation by the officials who managed the center. There was also a geology convention going on at the same time and some of the booths were showcasing very high-tech gadgets.</div>
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Inside one of the convention halls. Imagine an anime convention in one of these rooms. Apparently renting this place out is $2,000,000 - that's crazy!</div>
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After Makuhari Messe, we visited a beautiful Japanese garden in the middle of the city. There was a small teahouse in the center so some of my friends and I decided to allot half our time in the gardens to partake in a traditional tea ceremony.<br />
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The inside of the small teahouse - the view to the garden was so serene and majestic.<br />
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Red bean mochi and matcha tea!<br />
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Scene taken from inside the tea house. I could have stayed there at least another hour...</div>
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The main focus of our activities today was to meet the mayor of Chiba city, <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Toshihito Kumagai. Because Houston is the sister city to Chiba, we received this special privilege. The reception was very formal and political in nature - a proctor read our welcome statement from a piece of paper and that was followed by a Q&A session with the mayor. I got to ask him what his favorite places in Houston were. He mentioned beer. </span></span></span><br />
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The overall visit with the mayor took only 30 minutes and then we were on our way to the next destination via Chiba's hanging monorail, the largest in the world. This looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie!<br />
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I loved the scenery so much! It was hard to recognize the city below from such heights.<br />
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We stopped at a cultural center where volunteers performed the traditional shamisen for us. The man on the right was such a pro, by the end of his performance he had a brow full of sweat.<br />
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Rice kids trying out the shamisen.<br />
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Dinner at a local restaurant. It's so weird to see establishments that look like American Denny's but serve Japanese food.<br />
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Tempura dinner to end the day! I had no idea people ate it with matcha powder - it was delicious!Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-87033609077475171642013-06-02T22:24:00.003-05:002013-06-10T12:12:37.021-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Chiba University | Parco Department Store</b></div>
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On the sixth day, we visited Chiba University to get a glimpse of student life. Chiba University is the sister school to Rice University, and I noticed some similarities between the two schools. Their campus is also draped in overhanging foliage along the roads. It also has a small charming feel to it. </div>
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A poster calling for students to volunteer in showing Rice University and U. Wisconsin around campus. The students who came were super nice and easy to talk to. We bonded over anime among other thing. </div>
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The library.<br />
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After our campus tour, we watched student presentations from the different clubs. This one is Iai-do Circle, a Japanese swords club that focuses more on patterns/style as opposed to sparring (which is more Kendo). Their uniforms are so sleek and cool!<br />
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Lunch at the cafeteria. They had all sorts of yummy donburis, or rice bowls. I got the Katsu-don with Yakisoba and Karaage!<br />
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After lunch, we were given taster classesI chose history of Chiba University, which turned out to be a lot more interesting than I imagined. Apparently during 1911, Chiba's president allowed 40 Chinese international students to return to China to help with the revolution - the teachers even gave these students medical lessons for the battlefield. One year later, the students resumed their studies and some went on to find medical schools in China. I thought this anecdote was very heartwarming especially in such tenuous times between China and Japan. My second taster class was the globalization of Hello Kitty - covering the economic and political impact of Sanrio's Hello Kitty. She serves as several countries' Japanese ambassador because who could hate such a cute cat!<br />
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Students from both of the American universities giving their thanks as we departed for the day.<br />
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After dinner, a couple of us girls trekked back to Parco, a giant fashion mall in Chiba. The assortment of clothes sold there and the prices varied alot. One of my favorite stores in Parco was Bleu Bleuet which sold cute wallets, stationary and curios!<br />
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I was so excited when I found an actual lolita store in Japan after only being able to see the products online - this one is Baby the Stars Shine Bright. I window shopped a little and found the cutest bunny plush but alas, it was extremely expensive. Yikes!<br />
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A cool home-living store/cafe.<br />
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I also found Decora brand, Swimmer filled with colorful knick knacks decorated with cute kitschy animals/prints. These prices were really reasonable but I had no use for any of the products.<br />
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We ended the day with crepes at Lavax2Be! They had an inside sitting room that was showing Despicable Me so we chilled there till closing time. What was really crazy was that outside the bathroom, there were makeup stations for girls to reapply their makeup. </div>
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My purchases from Chiba U. and Blue Bleuet.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-70309807994900981662013-05-25T00:28:00.002-05:002013-06-10T09:35:05.978-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 5)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
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<b>Makuchari Flea Market</b></div>
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As a show of goodwill and student exchange, the Kagehashi group volunteered at <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">KUIS (Kanda University
of International Studies)</span>'s international festa and Makuchari event. </div>
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<b>What is <a href="http://www.kuis.ac.jp/icci/student/cup/english.htm" target="_blank">Makuchari</a>?</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">The name “Makuchari” comes from <b>Makuhari Charity-Flea market</b>,
and is modeled on the charity shop in the UK called Oxfam, which
has the largest number of charity shops (recycle shops.) This
charitable event started to be held at KUIS (Kanda University
of International Studies)<b> </b>in 2005 for the purpose of
fundraising through the flea market.</span> </div>
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Originally, I was allotted to Kid's items but I quickly switched to my more favorite category, fashion. </div>
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Our booth for fashion accessories with prices ranging from $1-$30. The Japanese students at my booth were so kind and spoke a little English. I was able to bond with them through naming Japanese brands that I liked, such as Liz Lisa and Rirandture. They also taught me how to say "irasshaimase" which is a form of respect to customers. I kept pronouncing it wrong though...</div>
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I helped organize the bags based on their prices. Once finished, I couldn't help but treasure hunt for accessories while the guys in my group stood around talking to Japanese girls (ofufufu). Some grannies mistook me as a Japanese student and kept asking me what the prices were. Fortunately, I understand "ikura desu-ka?" and was able to reply back with a number! Language success!</div>
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I went crazy when I saw the sheer amount of donated clothes and other goods. Some were really high quality items for super cheap. </div>
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Linh-tran and Sally at the special goods stall!</div>
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Chiba-kun! This Clifford look-a-like is Chiba prefecture's adorable mascot. I heard it actuallygot voted as one of the ugliest mascots in Japan but I think it's cute!</div>
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This is actually pretty cool. There's a reason why Chiba-kun's nose is extraordinarily long. </div>
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Awww. End of the day farewells to the KUIS students. They were so patient and kind to us! </div>
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I spent over $100 at Makuchari, but I'm super happy with my purchases because of the sheer value I'm getting from purchasing second-hand and the charitable cause. </div>
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+<a href="http://fashionwalker.com/contents/lovedrose/" target="_blank"> Lovedrose & Co.</a> blouse</div>
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+ <a href="http://www.lizlisa.com/en/" target="_blank">Liz Lisa</a> floral sweater</div>
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+ No Brand polka dot blouse</div>
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+ <a href="http://www.mysuelly.fr/?r=/shop/en/" target="_blank">MySuelly</a> Clutch</div>
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The clutch was originally $420 and I got it for $50! What a steal!</div>
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Some cute gold jewelry I boughtas well. The bracelet is for my mom and made by a Spanish Designer called <a href="http://www.antonheunis.com/" target="_blank">Anton Heurnis</a> as part of his Inca Goddess collection.</div>
Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-37291202920989345752013-05-24T23:43:00.001-05:002013-06-10T09:37:22.188-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>National History Museum | Sawara City</b></div>
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Our first full day in Chiba started at the National History Museum. There were 6 parts that covered Japan's history from the Paleolithic era to the present day. Because we had limited time, as usual, I explored Folk Traditions gallery and Japan in the World War eras. </div>
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+ The boats and dragons are part of a summer festival.<br />
+ The creepy looking straw statue is a forest guardian planted to guard against demons<br />
+ In Japan, there are many age related ceremonies such as Hinamaturi, the doll ceremony for girls, to extravagant traditional wedding ceremonies. The one pictured above is a funeral display. <br />
+ Daruma Dolls (bottom right) - These are hollow dolls used for encouragement and good luck. When someone makes a goal, they draw in one eye on the Daruma, and they draw in the other eye once they've completed the task. I should get some of those!<br />
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This was the 1900s Japan gallery that covered the 20s through WW2 and ended with pop culture in the 80s.<br />
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For lunch, we ate karaage (fried chicken) at a restaurants that's primarily used as a night bar. They keep giving us "westernized" Japanese food to satisfy everyone's palette, but I'm like give me the sushi!<br />
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Our next destination was Sawara City, an old town with a few beautiful shrines. There's a huge contrast between peaceful Sawara and bustling Tokyo. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the old styled houses.<br />
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An old Shinto shrine. The white paper tags posted on buildings and trees marks them as sacred and requires special permission to alter.<br />
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Sawara City is best known for their giant parade festivals (matsuris) that take place in the summer and fall. The floats pictured behind me were so grand and heavy - many were made in the 1800s and have been maintained/rebuilt since then. During matsuris, the townspeople would drag these heavy floats, one for each district, through the town streets. We're pictured here in traditional festival wear, a.k.a. hapis.<br />
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I really loved walking by all the quaint old buildings that have been carefully maintained. During the earthquake in 2011, many of these houses got destroyed but thanks to the government and non-profit aid, they were quickly restored. <br />
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Definitely a "mono no aware" moment right here. There was a little river lined with willows that ran through the main street of Sawara. Cute little souvenir shops lined the riverbank. <br />
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A small boat that gives tourists a bug's eye view of Sawara. It's ironic that the boar uses a gas engine, but still features a paddler dressed in traditional garb.<br />
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After this, we went to a local farmer's market with fresh and precooked food! I tried yakisoba for the first time in Japan!Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-28163977500264761532013-05-20T03:57:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:38:22.176-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Waseda University | Kikkoman Factory | Chiba Downtown</b></div>
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In the morning, we went to a conference at Waseda University that confront the problem of decreased number of Japanese exchange students in the US. Some of the takeaway points were that initiatives need to be made in both countries to promote foreign languages, especially English in Japan. Although Japan is a very advanced country and English is an obligatory language, many of its residents don't know English. I believe if English was more heavily emphasized in Japanese schools, then the interest in western societies will rise as a result. There is also the problem of the two countries having different school schedules. It's summer in America, but Japanese students are still early in their academic year.<br />
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After the conference, we rushed to the city of Noda where we toured the Kikkoman soy sauce factory.<br />
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When I first found out we would be touring a soy sauce factory, I was a little disappointed because: 1. It's soy sauce, an everyday object for me, 2. I expected the factory to be some rinkydink metal building.<br />
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However, I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations and tour of the Kikkoman factory. It was super modern, clean and they made learning about the soy sauce making process very entertaining.<br />
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It's beautiful... <br />
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I never would have guessed that I would learn so much about soy sauce in one day. It's principle ingredients are steamed soy beans, crushed wheat, salt
and a fungus called Aspergilis. Soybeans and wheat are mixed together
with the fungus and left in a room for 3 days. It then changes to a
concoction known as Koji. After the 3 days, the Koji is mixed with salt
water and turned into Moromi, a paste that smells like miso. Moromi is
left to ferment for 6 months, at which time, it reaches a dark mature
state. The Moromi is then put into nylon sheets and pressed by heavy
machines. The liquid that comes out is raw soy sauce which needs to be
pasteurized before its placed into bottles for consumption.<br />
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I believe this is where the Moromi or soy sauce is kept. There's enough material in these containers to provide soy sauce to 17000 people. <br />
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This room was where the moromi was pressed until the soy sauce has completely dripped out. The residue that's left over, a cake like tablet, is then fed to livestock.<br />
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After a tour of the factory, we then got to make our own soy sauce. A nice lady led the group and showed us a small version of what goes on in the factory.<br />
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That's me squeezing out soy sauce.<br />
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We later got to try our own invention on rice crackers!<br />
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One of my favorite parts of the trip was trying soy sauce ice cream. It's surprisingly delicious and tastes like salted caramel. I'm going to try making my own back in the States.<br />
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Too cute! There were little kids around too!<br />
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Before leaving for Japan, my parents told me specifically not to buy soy sauce as a souvenir when I visited the factory. Guess what I'm bringing back?<br />
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Sorry for the blurry image! This is our fancy schmancy hotel in Chiba with spacious rooms and a Japanese style open-air bath. I struggled for the first day of having to bathe completely in the nude among all the other girls, but I've then gotten used to it. <br />
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At night, we went to downtown Chiba where I had delicious crepes as a late night snack! They had so many different varieties and I practiced ordering food in Japanese.<br />
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A green tea, red bean, vanilla ice cream crepe.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-43545055900449128892013-05-16T10:52:00.001-05:002013-06-10T09:39:42.071-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Japan Foundation | National Museum | Kappabashi | Asakuza Shrine | Shinjuku Shopping</b></div>
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A healthy breakfast to start the day. I wish we had rice, miso soup and fish available for breakfast in America. I would totally wake up early for that.<br />
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I tried naoto (fermented soy beans) for the first time. The taste is neutral but the texture is the interesting part - all plasticy and stringy like cheese. Although I heard it's good for you, I don't think I will be eating it again anytime soon.<br />
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Picture taken from the bus of businessmen crowding the intersection. Everyone seems to be quietly and diligently going to their offices. Being tardy is a lot less forgivable in Japan. <br />
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Our first stop was at the Japan Foundation where we heard lecturers speak about the Kagehashi program, as well as different aspects of Japan like history, language and pop culture. The Kagehashi program aims to promote cultural understand through exchange as well as to stimulate the economy of Japan by creating "mini" ambassadors back to America. <br />
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One of the more amusing presentation talking about the impact of Japanese pop culture on Japan's image to foreign nations, also known as "Cool Japan". We started off watching the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzC4hFK5P3g" target="_blank">PONPONPON </a>video as a highlight of what's popular right now. He then asked us if we thought this was "cool", to which I replied that as an art form based off kitsch, it was really original and creative. We then talked about the difference in censorship between America and Japan. In America, violence and swearing are rated appropriate for younger kids while nudity is 18+ - it's really odd when I thought about it because we're punishing the lesser offense. The companies would strategically place words and objects in front of panty shots. <br />
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Super cute packets from the presentation on language and a website teaching Japanese through interactive games/ videos.<br />
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Lunch! I've always wanted to try a 7-11 sandwich....<br />
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At the National Museum where the azaleas are in full bloom!<br />
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There were four parts of the museum, but because we only had an hour, I only visited the Japanese Art Highlights gallery located in the building behind the mascots.<br />
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Here are some of the highlights from the art museum. I most liked the samurai armor and outfits because of how intimidating they were. If someone charged at me in those masks, I'd collapse and give up right there. One interesting thing I noticed was that all the old scrolls were written all in Chinese characters or Kanji.. Some of the paintings were based on ink and brush paintings from the Song Dynasty as well. These similarities made me nostalgic of my own Chinese culture, which is also very rich and ancient.<br />
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After the museum, we toured and shopped in Kappabashi, a kitchenware street for professional restaurants. <br />
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Inside one of the more modern utensil shops. The wooden spoons and dishes here were adorable!<br />
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Streetview of Kappabashi.<br />
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The Kappa, or water demon, is what the street is named after. There was a golden statue of one a few blocks from where the bus dropped us off.<br />
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In Japan, all the restaurants have visual representations of their food in glass cases to show eaters exactly what they're paying for. There is a store that specializes in making these wax models with great detail, down the the textures and morsels. <br />
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Unbelievably, these wax models are many times MORE expensive than the
food they represent. A small keychain with a cake charm was $12.
Expensive!<br />
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Our last destination was at the Asakusa Shrine, a Buddhist temple and one of the oldest regions in Tokyo. The giant lantern at the gate, which I assumed was very ancient, was funnily enough a gift from Panasonic. Buddha's ashes, which was a gift, are at the top of the pagoda. <br />
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From the gate to the shrine, there was a street lined with souvenir shops and food stalls. </div>
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Souvenir stores had Japanese trinkets, cute gifts and popular snack gift boxes. Perpendicular to this street, along an alley way, was a more local souvenir shopping area. I didn't buy any souvenirs because there wasn't anything too interesting and the gifts were still expensive.</div>
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However, I did buy a lot of street food like Taiyaki (a fish shaped pastry with filling), Takoyaki (Octopus balls) and Dango (sweet chewy dumplings). I freaked when I found takoyaki because I've only had the frozen kind from Chinatown or smaller ones from China. Though we were only give 45 minutes as Asakusa, I felt that I had a fulfilling experience from seeing the beautiful temples to tasting authentic street foods!<br />
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For dinner, we had Western food which was a big letdown for everyone. Though we are thankful that it's complimentary to us, the group really wanted to eat only Japanese food in Japan. However, Shimada-san said that the program had to offer widely accepted dining options.<br />
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While most of the group went karaoking, something I'm not very fond of, T.C. and i went shopping at the nearby Lumine, a high-end mall. I spotted so many cute Japanese brands but they were ridiculously priced. A pair of chiffon shorts from Rirandture (modeled by Lena Fuji Ahhh!) were over $100. Fashion is really expensive in Japan because since there's no way to show wealth through buying a big house in a crowded city, women show status through their clothes/beauty alone. I also found Opening Ceremony, a chain store that specializes in artist collaborations, a emerging phenomena in fashion I've a big fan of. <br />
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Speaking of fashion collaborations, this Uniqlo/Department store was huge! But I got everything I wanted at the London one and the stores aren't too different. I got very confused when i saw appliances on the<br />
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My purchases. I finally found the elusive green tea KitKat after frequenting many convenience stores. I also got a HbG magazine because of the cute gift back inside....and that's how I was tricked into buying a $13 magazine. Also bought a Lavshuca cheek perfume blush. <br />
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Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-35673754572694578792013-05-15T10:35:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:40:29.822-05:00Kagehashi Japan (Day 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Shinjuku (Hotel, Dining, Arcade)</b></div>
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This summer I am taking part in the JENESYS/ Kakehashi Project - a youth-exchange program between Japan and North America. As part of this trip, a group of 24 students including me will be touring Tokyo and Chiba, and visiting local universities. We were told to keep a blog about our experiences. Because I will be taking pictures of almost every experience, I'll look even more touristy in Japan. (There were times where I had to refrain from taking pics of Japanese vending machines and airline food)<br />
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After a grueling 11 hour airplane trip from LAX to Narita International Airport,
we were friendly greeted by our host of this trip. It was the first time I had ever had someone holding a sign at the airport - It felt good. Along with Sato-sensei and Mr. Jose Narbona (2 Rice teachers), he will be accompanying us on our entire journey and providing hilarious & honest commentary.<br />
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We took a private bus from Narita International Airport in the Chiba prefecture The scenery became more and more urban, starting from simple idyllic rice paddies to industrial parks to commercial/residential areas like the one shown below. "These farmers are rice people just like us." Ba-dump-chhhh<br />
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Our hotel was located in the Shinjuku part of Tokyo, a major shopping center that's popular among locals and foreigners. The streets next to our hotel were riddled with convenience stores, restaurants and small shops. I could always find my way back to the hotel by following this giant orange clock landmark. <br />
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Props to the Japanese Government for setting us poor college students up with such a nice hotel in busy Shinjuku. After checking in, we had 45 minutes to explore our surroundings before heading out to dinner! <br />
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Our restaurant was located at the 29th story, as part of the NS? building's sky restaurants. Getting vertigo just looking at this picture...<br />
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We at a traditional looking tonkatsu, or pork cutlet, restaurant! There were models of the food outside - I LOVE seeing models of the food. America should do it too.<br />
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With our curfew being 11pm, there was time for all of us to explore the area around our hotel. A couple of the guys and I went to a pedestrian street aligned with shops. I love the lighting and advertisements - even though it was late, there were still so much life out on the streets. Also, I saw school girls...REAL school girls in cute school uniforms! <br />
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On our excursion out, we passed by a SEGA arcade and just had to go in! Austin, the guy pictured above blew about $10 trying to get a fortune cat plushie. There were other UFO machines for Rillakuma plushies, Daikon keyrings, Anime figures etc.<br />
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Being super risk-averse, these were my favorite game machines! For just 200 yen, I got this adorable ugly mushroom thing! YAY! <br />
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<br />Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-67353851259876390242013-05-13T14:00:00.000-05:002013-05-15T10:35:28.845-05:00London Purchases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There were so many girls' fashion stores at Westfield and on Oxford Street - Top Shop, H&M, Uniqlo (yay!), Mango, Pull&Bear etc. I had enough to buy a few of my favorite things, but the problem I ran into at a lot of stores is that there wasn't one article that absolutely stood out.<br />
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Here are the items I did decide to buy.<br />
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+ Cecilia Birtwell Dress<br />
+ Uniqlo Shirt<br />
+ Chuti Cat Sweater<br />
+ Handcut Girl with Balloon Necklace<br />
+ Vintage Levi's High-Rise Shorts<br />
+ Lollipops Keychain<br />
+ Laduree Macarons<br />
+ Lichtenstein Print<br />
+ Hunger Fashion Magazne<br />
+ Mugi Sketchbook & Pens<br />
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Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-48599113321438488382013-05-06T14:00:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:41:05.508-05:00London (Day 4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Harrod's (Tea Time, Laduree)</b></div>
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On Monday, we started the day off visiting the National Gallery so we woke up super early to make sure there was enough daylight to do everything. There are no pictures from there because you weren't allowed to take photos. Have I already talked about my excitement for being able to recognize many of the paintings in the Gallery?</div>
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Afterwards, we took the bus to Knightsbridge and visited Harrod's, Europe's largest department store, chock full of expensive main brand wear. Needless to say, our visit was mostly for the tourist value. The inside was beautiful each brand got their own decorative space. Even the escalator hallway was bejeweled and Egyptian themed.<br />
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We did stop by the Tea Room for afternoon tea and dessert. Originally, I planned to go to the Dorchester for afternoon tea as per my friend's suggestion but I heard that it was 35 pounds per person.<br />
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For 15 pounds, we got a pot of English breakfast tea and 5 "fancies". My favorite was the Sticky Toffee Pudding. In the UK, they don't force you to pay tips to your waiters. Though this was great for my wallet since I ate out everyday, service was slower than what I'm used to.<br />
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I was so surprised when I found out they had a Laduree in Harrod's. I've been dying try their macaron for a long time, ever since I started my macaron phase. We bought 6 macarons with mostly tea, caramel, nut and fruit flavors. The store fixtures were just so cute and the macarons came in an adorable mint colored tube.<br />
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I wasn't allowed to take pictures but I snuck some anyway...<br />
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I finally completed my food mission of trying Laduree macarons! They were very flavorful, although a little drier than how I like them in Houston. But I guess they're the standard?Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-811547750599495212013-05-05T14:00:00.001-05:002013-06-10T09:41:52.594-05:00London (Day 3) - Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Design Museum | Thames River | Globe Theater</b></div>
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Day 3 was so full of pictures that I had to split it between two posts! After the markets, we went to the Design Museum located by the Tower Bridge. We were on a time crunch getting from Brick Lane to the west side of the city.</div>
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The museum only had two floors - the first showcased the Design Winners of 2013 and the second had designs & the stories behind them.</div>
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After the museum, we rented bikes and rode along the Thames and the streets. Because we didn't know the biking rules in the city, riding on the streets was kind of dangerous with double decker buses driving inches away from my bike.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Globe Theater</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Paul's Church</td></tr>
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We ended the day back at the eye where we ate at Giraffe and the Real Food Market.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-86559913919017067032013-05-05T14:00:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:42:20.980-05:00London (Day 3) - Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Old Spitalfields Market | Brick Lane Market</b></div>
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One great thing about staying in Stratford is that we're super close to the East London markets like Brick Lane and Old Spitalfields. The markets were a mixture of antiques, homemade "Etsy" products, clothing and food. It reminded me a lot of the lady streets in China that were booths after booths of fashion. Except unlike the China, the "bargains" here were still pricy because of the conversion rate. I think everything in England is more expensive than America.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Spitalfields Market</td></tr>
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I found a really cute handcut necklace booth! I purchases the necklace on the right for 18 pounds - kinda pricy!<br />
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Some of the products sold in the markets. I was tempted to buy the <a href="http://www.jumpfrompaper.us/" target="_blank">Jump from Paper bags</a>.<br />
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We walked to Brick Lane from Old Spitafields - all the markets were within walking distance from each other. This section of East London really reminded me of Austin with its quirky fixtures and thrift stores.<br />
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Inside the Sunday Pop-up Market were stalls full of cheap, fresh and tasty food. By the way, I love being able to see and smell exactly what I'm getting. They had cuisine from around the world as if it were a culture fair or something. There was a long line at the Caribbean Soul Food stall and I ended up getting Jerk Chicken for 6 pounds - not bad! Luis who is from Venezuela came all the way to London to get Cachapas with meat. I don't blame him - it was so good!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brick Lane</td></tr>
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We passed by an art collective shop on Brick Lane where they had tons of indie jewelry! There were some designs I absolutely loved but alas, they were too expensive. I was on my way to find the <a href="http://www.tattydevine.com/" target="_blank">Tatty Devine</a> store.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-88258354657757413922013-05-04T14:00:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:43:18.182-05:00London (Day 2)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Borough Market | Tower of London | Tower Bridge | Eye of London</b></div>
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When Box Rabbit first started out, it was meant to be a fashion blog but I've developed it into a blog that collects my experiences through photos and description. Rather than just posts of my outfits, I want it to reflect the multitude of different things that intrigue me whether it be fashion, art, travels, food etc.<br />
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So here's Day 2 of my London Trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos taken from official Borough Market gallery. They don't belong to me.</td></tr>
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It was Saturday so we planned to go to the Borough Market, an open-air market that had lots of fresh produce and ready-made foods. After visiting the market, I have the impression that all the food in England is very fresh and made with better ingredients. </div>
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Cheese cones! These were both cute and delicious.<br />
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I tried an Apple and Elderflower juice.<br />
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I spent $8 on this small dish but it was so worth it for 3 delectable bacon dusted scallops.<br />
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One thing I love about these markets is that all the food is cooked right in front of you.<br />
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Steak and ale pie & mash - it's so simple but so delicious, especially on a cold day.<br />
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We ate outside in the courtyard of a cathedral.<br />
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Cute picture! :)<br />
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After lunch in the Borough Market, we crossed London Bridge and checked out the Tower of London. Outfit post was taken outside the entrance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower Bridge</td></tr>
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From all these pictures, you can probably speculate that we did a lot of walking that day. We crossed the Thames twice using two different bridges and walked along the riverside. Before the trip, I always has the impression that London was always foggy and rainy but the past two days have been all blue skies with bearable weather.<br />
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Originally, we planned to walk from the Tower Bridge to the Eye and end the day there but I got lazy so we took the river clipper. Here we are riding the Eye at the topmost point. The capsules had Samsung Galaxy Notes line around the rim that showed us a panoramic map of what we were seeing - Oh technology!<br />
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Look at that view!</div>
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Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-21772373974364182552013-05-03T18:24:00.000-05:002013-06-10T09:44:27.594-05:00London (Day 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Trafalgar Square | Buckingham Palace | Westminster Abbey | Parliament | Soho</b></div>
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(Caution: Lots of photos ahead...it may take some time to scroll down)<br />
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I went to London for a week with Luis and it was so amazing - I've never had an experience quite like it. It was my first time traveling to Europe, let alone England, so everything was very new to me. We stayed at a Premier Inn in Westfield Mall (yay, shopping) in Stratford City, and Central London was about 4 tube stops away. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So very very convenient</td></tr>
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Dished out ~$100 for a week's Oyster Card. It was my first experience navigating the subway in a large city and I think I did quite well!<br />
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We started the first day as tourists and went on the Original Bus Tour around London.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charring Cross Station</td></tr>
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My first impression of London - it may be just a bus stop but I was already overwhelmed by the rich and consistently themed architecture.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blouse - Thrifted | Skirt - XXI | Sunglasses - Marc Jacobs </td></tr>
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Outfit post. The floral blouse makes me seem even more touristy (maybe if it was Hawaii).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trafalgar Square</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Gallery</td></tr>
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Huge art museum that Luis and I visited later in the week. Art History 102 really payed off because I could actually recognize and name some of the paintings.<br />
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Taken from the tour bus. I couldn't stop taking shots of random streets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckingham Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Green Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Westminster Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Ben & Parliament</td></tr>
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Parliament was much more massive than I imagined. Coming from Houston, I've never seen a Gothic structure so large and ornate.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Westminster Abbey</td></tr>
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The church was closed when we got there around 5ish but we came back later in the week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOdCXmd6cIWJc4MKwvEtknzJvVMh-guwL_I954LrrLRnHnY9fzPk1ofXZpozFeNS323q82bpXZj6l1BWD-oMwvKeRPMvtzGqtxH9wG_bD1qPG25lscclirJ4KXvMgZJ-Epo4-mc0ZNak/s1600/DSC_0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOdCXmd6cIWJc4MKwvEtknzJvVMh-guwL_I954LrrLRnHnY9fzPk1ofXZpozFeNS323q82bpXZj6l1BWD-oMwvKeRPMvtzGqtxH9wG_bD1qPG25lscclirJ4KXvMgZJ-Epo4-mc0ZNak/s1600/DSC_0078.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Door of the Church</td></tr>
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I swear we studied this tympanum in Art History...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cg6xUVhDftuc4Dc_OJcT04YB953MvsB0AVnYCgfilx872U8a5eCSKtHSzdMEnJkMKxWP9EV4hhUSf0tIX4DvjHW2MTo9bftIxjBR2FOK1MLSsQ4nNfKS6RrOwKUBpskzd5MgSxfBqUU/s1600/DSC_0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cg6xUVhDftuc4Dc_OJcT04YB953MvsB0AVnYCgfilx872U8a5eCSKtHSzdMEnJkMKxWP9EV4hhUSf0tIX4DvjHW2MTo9bftIxjBR2FOK1MLSsQ4nNfKS6RrOwKUBpskzd5MgSxfBqUU/s1600/DSC_0140.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinatown - Soho</td></tr>
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For dinner, we went to Soho. I refused to get Chinese food even though the smells coming from Chinatown were tantalizing. Why come 4000+ miles to get what you could get in Houston for cheaper and tastier.<br />
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Ended Day 1 with cider at a pub in Soho (thank god for the 18 drinking age)<br />
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<br />Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-56903106339788412692013-04-30T18:48:00.000-05:002013-04-30T18:48:25.344-05:00Floral, Cat Flats & A-line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcTUfr1Ly-HxW74w4NBn9oVlwS0O9k-Bs_UaRToh6oEB2wi379OoYQ39bfHBiV7rT8RA-e4VUj8Px-9lKvL49FoeYXGVf_Y8dtxmSyVCrziqlbSEsDGLgoeYjlD2mx8ODwAXIKeXVwQM/s1600/DSC_0881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcTUfr1Ly-HxW74w4NBn9oVlwS0O9k-Bs_UaRToh6oEB2wi379OoYQ39bfHBiV7rT8RA-e4VUj8Px-9lKvL49FoeYXGVf_Y8dtxmSyVCrziqlbSEsDGLgoeYjlD2mx8ODwAXIKeXVwQM/s1600/DSC_0881.jpg" /></a></div>
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Long time no post! I don't have any recent outfit posts because I've been too lazy or looking like shit because of finals - so here is my most recent purchases. My last final was today so I went out and "splurged" (if you can even call shopping at thrift stores splurging) after a 2 month shopping dry spell.<br />
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I've always wanted an old-timey floral blouse. If I don't tuck it into something, I look like a fat nursing home occupant but it's really fitting when I pair it with my newly bought pleated A-line skirt. I can't wait to wear this look in London!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObgnme8-1U_4jTMVwNLK8vVhHcy0n3Fzd4Wvi4WJOyAic1VUMpMen4Az8MfnQb_aLsvcINS3-uWMDbA-NZm-GZUhMOHXdDVPBedBPELyyspNRAh-maeQc39u-ZSYlkBJyE2Ngej789JY/s1600/DSC_0882.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObgnme8-1U_4jTMVwNLK8vVhHcy0n3Fzd4Wvi4WJOyAic1VUMpMen4Az8MfnQb_aLsvcINS3-uWMDbA-NZm-GZUhMOHXdDVPBedBPELyyspNRAh-maeQc39u-ZSYlkBJyE2Ngej789JY/s1600/DSC_0882.png" /></a></div>
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I got $20 version of Charlotte Olympia's popular cat flats. Honestly, I would never spend ~$600 on flats so I'm pretty happy with my economic knock-off version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrbyRhKTalzpGFmbogidTQv1_0oNVS4q4USDCkiZgG6uUrw0ebELF55VXEHpdp_Kqk6nXzthuAUkBRlbMazcXXZ8SuDZ1QT3owKhtTTtI3nYeOH0aQgxtMvnB3G_lavW3mXizCyjnR7I/s1600/Untitled-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrbyRhKTalzpGFmbogidTQv1_0oNVS4q4USDCkiZgG6uUrw0ebELF55VXEHpdp_Kqk6nXzthuAUkBRlbMazcXXZ8SuDZ1QT3owKhtTTtI3nYeOH0aQgxtMvnB3G_lavW3mXizCyjnR7I/s1600/Untitled-2.png" /></a></div>
<br />Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-34180685743628173732013-02-26T11:00:00.000-06:002013-05-11T21:22:17.063-05:00CRAZY AUSTIN TRIP - SOCO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsj013ClKcne_Zcru4zyes8qMJ7SRB8xS9jlrXYLTc2McrPv1JofUpN2WstmDW4CB_AZsJx503iJ9B5E8XOJhTXczhF1nry4TbyZgGxDCydSxMyxH8287L2YIsdpOy3ttNr8kroPvxAxM/s1600/DSC_0725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsj013ClKcne_Zcru4zyes8qMJ7SRB8xS9jlrXYLTc2McrPv1JofUpN2WstmDW4CB_AZsJx503iJ9B5E8XOJhTXczhF1nry4TbyZgGxDCydSxMyxH8287L2YIsdpOy3ttNr8kroPvxAxM/s1600/DSC_0725.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Artist Starving?</td></tr>
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On Saturday we went to South Congress for lunch. It was super packed and the lines for the food trucks were so long - it took about 20 minutes just to get one Carne Guisada taco from Taco Baby. Nevertheless, I was impressed by all the quirky trucks and stores along the street. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First store I went into was a boots store. Really expensive western wear...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTyzyqHVjZI7EZsHunrjjSZLBvIflpUZ1KPWwbc2vxxNF9i0gB7LbVCf3_9_PYqYcM77xW6J7dnemFka3Kjipyuroa7lL71Mqqio4FI7hTrTywOEGsLUm5y-Az1hfZpSVYQLlnfhYyC8/s1600/DSC_0720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTyzyqHVjZI7EZsHunrjjSZLBvIflpUZ1KPWwbc2vxxNF9i0gB7LbVCf3_9_PYqYcM77xW6J7dnemFka3Kjipyuroa7lL71Mqqio4FI7hTrTywOEGsLUm5y-Az1hfZpSVYQLlnfhYyC8/s1600/DSC_0720.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This caught my eye in the car and I had to check it out.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Uncommon Objects was so bizarre - it was like an antique store and museum rolled into one. I felt like I was in the middle of an ISPY book with the amounts of weird curios cramming the shelves. There was everything old you could think of, from creepy antique dolls to polaroids to porcelain cats. Observe~</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory hipster mirror camera in front of face picture</td></tr>
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Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-38622100666687432872013-02-25T11:00:00.000-06:002013-02-25T11:00:05.858-06:00CRAZY AUSTIN TRIP - Gourdough's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Late night food at Gourdough's - I split a Mother Clucker and a Mama's Cake doughnut with my friend and it was delicious. I never knew a friend chicken doughnut could taste so good~ I miss it already. :(Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603290589787754283.post-40670892726969015032013-02-24T22:39:00.003-06:002013-02-24T22:39:33.178-06:00CRAZY AUSTIN TRIP - The Shack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt - Thrifted | Scalloped Shorts - Lucca Couture | Necklace - Chanel | Belt - XXI</td></tr>
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Spring break started for my school so my friends and I decided to take a trip to Austin, Texas. To dress for the occasion, I wore a cowboy inspired ensemble...which to me just means a blue jean shirt and black boots!<br />
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On the way, we stopped by the Shack for dinner. They had some wild burgers with donuts for buns.Boxnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954532469600832208noreply@blogger.com0