The photo above was taken by me at a museum in Yokohama.
I was happily surprised when Audrey, from bubbleteapanda.com, commented on one of my posts, nominating me for the Beautiful Blogger Award :) Thank you for thinking of me and including me in this tag <333
1. Link the person who nominated you.
2. Post the award on your page.
3. Tell seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate seven bloggers and let them know they have been nominated.
Because of all the emails I receive, asking about Japan and what it's like living here, I'm going to mix the "fact about myself" and include some of Japan.
1. 99.99999999 % (you get the gist) of apartments do not come with a refrigerator, stove top, washing machine, forget about a dishwasher, any form of an A/C unit, and sometimes light fixtures. Basically, you're getting an empty cavity :)
2. The majority of the jobs over here pay once a month- a harsh cultural-crash course in learning how to budget your beauty expenses >:0
3. I give inanimate objects souls(i.e. stuffed animals, plants [yes, I know plants are living organisms, but they're still considered inanimate], etc.). That's why I don't like receiving them at gifts, because I worry about their wellbeing...odd, I know.
4. On that note, I'm horrible at maintaining any form of plant life. Aki purchased a plant awhile ago and, of course, I was left to care for it. I watered it, gave it sunlight, even started to talking to it. Nonetheless, the last two remaining leaves fell of the other day. Now, all I'm left with is a stump.
5. I love washing dishes, but hate putting them away. That's Aki's job :D
6. I've always wanted (and still want) a pet skunk.
7. Whenever I'm home, I always have something playing the the background. Whether it's music, the television, a dvd, there's always something on. I'll have enough silence when I'm dead.
The BEAUTIFUL Bloggers I nominate are:
Ari from A Passionate Obsession.
Claire from Aucuparia Brumalis.
Erika from A Polished Life.
Renee from All Glitzed Up.
Jacq from Beauty Sketch by Jacq.
Justine from Sakura Lovely.
Haru from Rouge Deluxe.
Hope you enjoyed this tag and getting to know a little bit more about me :)
Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.
Ooh, I don't envy that about Japanese house hunting...! My friends all had the worst times finding a place that would even rent to them as they weren't Japanese, and then the key money nearly drained all of their cash on hand. :(
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit one day, though my Japanese is abysmal at this point with no practice, haha.
Loved reading your answers! :) And Haru is one of my favorite bloggers, too! <3
Yeah, people have this misconception that everything in Japan is rainbows and butterflies, but there's a LOT of discrimination and Racism here.
DeleteWhen Aki and I were shopping for our second apartment, we were rejected 21 times. Yes, 21 times, I'm not exaggerating. Even though Aki is 100% Japanese, born and raised, they didn't want a "gaijin", god I HATE that word, living in their apartment... disgusting!
The Key fee is adsorbed!!! It doesn't go towards your deposit, anything! You're just stuffing more money into your landlords pocket.
Once again, thank you for giving me this award, you deserved it more than anyone I know :)
Haru Rocks!
Hi Liz, this is not Haru, but Anonymous who commented just below and who you helped with the Suqqu brush problem recently. I just wanted to offer empathy and support for what you have to go through. Although I am Japanese American, I remember my mom, sisters and I were kicked out of a store when we visited Japan many, many years back. My mom spoke Japanese and the fact that she never told me or my sisters why tells me it wasn't nice. I had hoped that things would have changed by now and on the surface it has, but apparently there are still many prejudices. Please keep up your happy disposition and continue to be strong. I think the world is changing more rapidly now and eventually your positive presence, the internet, and integration happening at a more rapid rate will make this world, including Japan, a more open-minded and welcoming place. Much aloha from Hawaii, where interracial marriages are more the rule than the exception!
DeleteHey love!
DeleteI'm very sorry that you and your family had to experience such ugliness! NO ONE should ever be treated that way!
Unfortunately, not much has changed. I've actually seen signs outside certain restaurants that read "No Foreigners". Tatemae is definitely a vital word one needs to learn when coming to Japan. people here maybe smiling at you, but they really don't want to deal with you.
Nothing or no one will ever break me! And with people like yourself, the world's already a better place!
I enjoyed this post very much. Thank you! I laughed when you said you give inanimate objects souls...you are such a loving person to treasure things around you and I love that! While I haven't thought about giving things souls, I do appreciate the person(s) who made objects I own even if I don't know who they are, particularly if the object is handmade, and feel that there is a bit of them in the object which I feel privileged to now care for. Now that I think about it, there are a lot of people in my house!!! but I love that community of caring and love.
ReplyDeletep.s. I offer condolences for your plant; I know that feels bad. Houseplants are hard to raise, try instead those mini bamboo stalks which live in water and last a long time without anything but more water. After 2-3 years, they will die but then they have lived a long and useful life providing enjoyment to you and Aki!
Awwww, my soul sister :D I loved reading your response! And that is such a beautiful way of appreciating the things that you own.
DeleteMy mother has a natural green finger, were as, mine is definitely black :( I'll have to look into those mini bamboo stalks in the future.
Thank you for commenting!!
I enjoyed reading this post. Oh, I did not know this about Japanese apartments. So odd. I expected more from Japan! This is so disappointing! What do Japanese people expect? To have your own dishwasher and fridge when moving from apartment to apartment? This is so crazy. In Europe, you get your salary once a month as well. I was rather surprised when I moved to the USA, and learned that people get paid twice a month. I like more the former. Although I have a dishwasher, I love washing dishes as well. It is relaxing.:)
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Sandra
Unfortunately, many people (myself included) have a lot of misconceptions about Japan (i.e. 99.7% of the people don't speak English). That's the thing, Japanese people are not suppose to expect anything. You have to furnish your own amenities wherever you live. At times, I do miss the bi-weekly salary. Some employers even play once a week. I feel the same about washing dishes, very relaxing indeed :)
DeleteGlad you enjoyed this post, and I look forward to your next comment <33
Congrats on the award~ Thx for the nomination!
ReplyDeleteMost jobs pay monthly here too, is it different in the States? I hate doing-dishes... Let me start thinking about the 7 facts of mine... (7 facts again!?)
You're welcome love :D
DeleteSome employers pay monthly, or once or twice a week.
I'll keep an eye out for your post ;)
I do the same thing as you do with inanimate objects, I know it's weird but I was like this since I was a kid... as an adult I can't throw away stuff have to donate it >_>
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I'm not alone! But I can't even bring myself to donate them, in fear of what may happen to them...Liz=hopeless!
DeleteHey there Mrs Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI've been awol for a while while enjoying a couple of short trips out of country & then coming back to a HORRIBLE work schedule. Talk about killing that relaxed holiday feeling within a couple of hours....actually minutes!!
YAY for the Beautiful Blogger award:))
I was surprised while home hunting with a friend in the USA that appartments came fully fitted with kitchens, appliances, light fixtures....the works! You kind of expect to have a built in husband & kids too:D
I wonder how it is in other countries. Certainly here in Germany you also only get an empty cavity. When people move out of a flat here they actually dismantle & take their entire kitchen with them! It's quite crazy!
Hmmmmm....it could get just a tad smelly with a pet skunk, unless you have it's scent glands removed. I don't think that skunks appreciate the operation much though:(
When I'm alone at home I really enjoy silence so apparently I'm going to love being dead:)I wasn't always like this. Once you have yourself a bunch of noisy kids each with a TV blaring and a music system running on LOUD & perhaps also a few friends over to hang out, you start to yearn for DEAD silence!)
So what are your Spring 2013 make up purchses/ have-to-haves? The Suqqu collection is looking very promising indeed!Can't wait for that.
You had me worried for a moment there...though I was going to have to call the national guard or something :P
DeleteHahaha, hold the kids please! Although I missed you, I am glad that you were out exploring, and enjoying yourself. Shame it all had to end :(
I miss the apartments in the states. Living in JP is fairly similar to living in NY, where space is a luxury.
Wow, didn't know that about Germany. I'd love to hear about your experiences living there.
I'm dreading the day we move out of this apartment, as moving is very expensive over here, but then again, what isn't!
Pet skunks already come de-skunked. If only I could do the same to some people here :P
Whenever it's too quite, my mind begins to wonder, and I find it hard to focus. But I do enjoy silence from time to time.
Okay, so far for Spring I've picked up:
Two quads from Lunasol
All the limited edition items from Laduree. The Lip Lacquers are lovely!! Going back from them later.
Four of the lip glosses and polishes from Addition.
Hahaha.....I'd like to de-skunk my sons:D
DeleteThey have pooping contests as all 'real' men feel compelled to do. Soooo gross!!!
One of my short trips was to NY - where space is a luxury;)
What a fantastic city. LOVED it!! They were enjoying warmer weather so I didn't freeze my butt off as I have on my past visits & that made it even more fantastic!
I think I need to look into the Laduree lip laquers. I haven't got any of those yet:(
I don't have any Lunasol either. I always had Lunasol pegged as being either sheer, shimmery/ sparkly?
aww thanks, Liz!!!
ReplyDeleteIll post for ya asap!
Erika
You're welcome darling :) You two are always in my thoughts <3
DeleteReading the comment by Anonymous I realise how ignorant I am of Asian culture.
ReplyDeleteI would never have expected to hear of that kind of Racism in Japan. I guess it's the same everywhere though, people just feel more comfortable sticking to their own. Anything out of the norm is a threat. I'm sorry to hear that you have to deal with this Liz. Gosh, it's hard enough living in a foreign country without having to deal with that kind of senseless nonsense too.
Girl, there's a LOT of racism/discrimination here. And the sad thing is that there are no laws against it. Also, no one really does anything about it, since this is really a non-confrontational society.
DeleteHave you ever experienced/seen anything like this in Germany?
Hmmm...there's discrimination everywhere.
DeleteI am & I will ALWAYS be labeled a foreigner here in Germany. My luck is that I'm an English speaking foreigner who comes from a country that the Germans like so any discrimination against me is nominal. I have been fortunate enough to find some very good & loyal friends here over the years. Admitedly, they are quite different friends to the ones I had in South Africa.
Hey, & I do make use of the foreigner 'idiot bounus'(own word) on a regular basis. Like when I've made a huge faux pas or botched something up or forgotten something....it's like 'I'm a foreigner, I don't/ didn't understand properly' It definitely comes in useful now & again;)
Is there any chance that you will eventually move back to the States together?
I'm interested to know some of the faux pas in Germany...do tell :D
DeleteNot sure if/when we'd move back. I want to purchase a home, but refuse to pay the exorbitant mortgage costs for half a shoe box.