blodeuedd

My worst-case scenario, upon getting back to Tokyo, was the find my little apartment overrun by hordes of cockroaches. However, I haven't seen a one (yet!) and does it ever pay off to clean before leaving! I got in yesterday a bit after 6, stopping at the combini along the way because I didn't think I'd find it in me to set foot outside again, and didn't do a blessed thing except shower, eat and read until 10, when I felt it very reasonable to get to bed.

Many things have I to write about, but I'll save the book and movie reviews for later. After all, I slept hardly a wink during my Chicago-Narita flight, which gave me time to watch 5 (five!) movies.

And now,

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This was the day I had it cut and styled (because here, a cut includes the actual cut, shampoo, blow-dry and MASSAGE! *gurgles happily*).

I got my hair cut two days before I left Tokyo and the lady did a bang-up job with my decidedly non-Japanese hair. With my natural wave and the humidity here, the chin-length on top & long in the back works wonderfully. Back in Canada, it was flatter, but I still like it quite a bit and as soon as I stepped off the plane, yesteday, I could feel it starting to curl and gain volume. Also, this is my first actual real haircut that I actually have to -- somewhat -- style, after a lifetime of hair that was simply long.

Here it is straightened, courtesy of A-L's iron:

And here are some more pictures of me, since I obviously don't often enough take advantage of lj's vanity possibilities:

In other hair-related news, my youngest brother is back to his natural hair colour for the first time in over five years! And you know what? It turns out he's now blonder than I am! He used to be the darkest of us three, but my hair has darkened more than his in the intervening years. Though he says it may also be because of some peroxide lingering in his follicles.

Going back to Canada, my suitcase was mostly full of gifts for friends and family, and I was thinking I'd return to Tokyo with it empty. I needn't have worried, because my mother unloaded a pile of yarn on me, and I also bought three pairs of pants over there, seeing as how I'm too large to buy pants in Japan. Thankfully, I only have to hem one pair, as the other two are capri-length.

While back home, I managed to scan all my slides from Greece, Eastern Europe, Newfoundland and Iqaluit. So hopefully, I'll get around to posting them on Travelpod in the near future.

I also partook of some of my favourite foods: Greek (once), pho (twice), Indian (thrice) and shepherd's pie. Not because I can't get them here, but because I like Japanese food so much, I don't bother. Plus, I'm not really equipped to make a proper pâté chinois.

On Sunday, I went out and bought myself a Nikon DSLR (D40) because I wanted a camera that felt substantial in my hands, something that actually clicks when you want it to. I've always maintained that the best pictures I've taken were with my father's old Olympus SLRs, and this one seemed like my best option. Now I have to go buy a memory card for it, but I can't wait to start playing around! Unfortunately, today is grey and rainy, so it'll have to wait.

I still have to unpack, then go to the bank, get some groceries and pay my electricity bill.