common cafe

i haven't taken photos in awhile which is why i haven't posted lately haha. but i decided to blog now since i have new photos^^ there's not a lot but at least it's still something xD~~~

this is shiozaki~~ about two-three weeks ago when i was waiting for evelyn at the library, she approached me asking me if i wanted to go to a gospel concert lol. i was really confused because i was thinking "why me" haha so i thought they were trying to like promote some club activity or something. it didn't turn out to be anything like that haha, but anyways we ended up exchanging contact details and she was nice enough to email me twice on two different occasions asking me if i could make it for the gospel concert and twice i declined ><;;

so i felt bad! i didn't want her to think that i was making up excuses to not go so i asked if she'd like to meet at another time and so we met on thursday. at first i was a little hesitant cos i didn't know what i was going to talk to her about, but funnily enough i was able to talk to her just fine lol...i talked to her like for FIVE HOURS LOL. pretty good for a first meeting eh!

then she told me that there's going to be two performances at toyonaka campus next week so i think i'll check it out^^

evelyn is a dork haha ~ even though she said she wasn't going to go out cos she had to finish her thesis, i (the bad influence) made her go out twice already lol. thank you for coming out with me tonight!!

kumiko and her new hairstyle haha. kawaii desho! i ended up going to that bar thing that kumiko invited me to. it was actually quite fun. most of them could speak spanish so it was a pity that i couldn't understand! and everyone was so internationally inclined and nice XD

evelyn came with me haha. well i thought it would be nice for her too cos she can speak spanish. good practice!

this guy is a bartender but he also performs as well. this wasn't the first time that these people have gotten together, so i think it's always like this. you go to the bar, drink/eat/chat then listen to him play haha. he was actually pretty good. he had like a folk-like genre. his voice was nice~~

some of the other people who were there. susanna and norio (?) are both spanish, but yukiko can also speak spanish too ~~

other japanese people who were there. youhei and keiko i think it was. their english was pretty good T_T ...i hope my japanese can be like that one day lol *jealous*

超HAPPYだぜー！

went to shinsaibashi last night with evelyn for shoe shopping cos we both wanted to get new shoes before the rainy season started. all the shoes i brought over were slip ons, so i needed a pair of shoes that covered my whole foot to save it from getting wet! we walked up and down the shopping arcade (i think it's called that haha...it's just an undercover shopping strip) for like three hours. went into each all the shoe stores and in the end evelyn didn't find anything that she really wanted other than a pair of lacostes that she didn't end up getting. as for me, i ended up liking the first two shoes that i saw at the beginning *-* so we went back to the first store, but unfortunately, they didn't have any in my size!! the shop assistant told me to go down to sneaker land in ame mura but we got there too late and the shop was already closed :(

so today, i decided to go to ame mura again, this time with melissa. i ended up buying both pairs *-* they are both comfy and CUTE~!! i mean, just look at them!! *points down* :D :D

the adidas ones were about 6700 yen and the gravis ones were 6900 yen, which i thought were reasonable prices to pay for those shoes. i was going to get vans, but when i tried it on, it made my feet look SUPER manly cos of the style of the shoe. the adidas slip ons are also a little wide at the front but it doesn't make my feet look as big as the vans. and cos it's pink haha it looks a little gentler XD ~

anyways there was only one size left in the gravis shoes and luckily it was just right for me *wipes sweat*. the adidas ones took a little bit more effort to find. i only saw it in only one shoe store. but the guy in sneaker land told me to try ABC Mart at big step instead cos i didn't see any in the shopping arcade last night. so we went there and they didn't sell it. at this stage i was getting really depressed lol, then the lady told me to try the adidas store and gave us directions *thankful*. got to the adidas store and they had it!! in a variety of sizes too!! i was and still am soooo happy :D

another thing i need to note is my impression of ame mura haha. ame mura and shinsaibashi/namba are like next to each other and i find it so amusing how different the atmosphere and styles are in both areas! shinsaibashi/namba has a lot more rockstars, people who think they look and act cool haha. but ame mura on the other hand is totally punk rock and a little scary lol. i don't think i'd feel comfortable walking through ame mura by myself haha. it just has this really unsettling atmosphere to it haha. i don't know why. maybe it's cos all the punk rockers and goths are sitting around smoking and looking all hardcore lol. who knows. even though these areas are so close to each other it's like you're walking into a whole different fashion world haha. *fascinated*

this is a pretty random note haha but i tried to make japanese curry today haha. it looks ok doesn't it! haha. it also tasted ok too *shocked* hahaha. but for next time, i probably need to add a bit more curry paste in. this had taste and a kick to it but the flavor wasn't as deep as i would have liked it. i didn't add any onions in it either cos the supermarket i went to were selling MASSIVE onions in a pack of three T_T. i chose to not buy it cos i knew the other two onions are going to go to waste. so maybe i'll try adding onions next time too haha

videos^^

aquarium & maid cafe XD

so, mayuko came down to visit me for two days <3

the aquarium was pretty funky. all the fish were really huge O_O so too were the penguins. the main attraction seemed to be jinbeizame (whale shark)...everyone awed at it and mayuko couldn't get enough of it LOL. she took like so many photos of it haha. i tried to get some photos but they weren't so clear, but i did manage to get it on video <3 river cruise - well....it was relaxing lol. 1700 yen was a tad expensive for a 1hr ride and i felt like we didn't really get a view cos the design of the boat had too many metal bars crossing the windows. i got a shot of osaka castle from the boat though but yeh haha...that's as interesting as it was.

we also went to namba to have okonomiyaki and there were so many people! as expected of golden week. i thought that i had gotten accustomed to the ridiculously large crowds here, but this still shocked me lol. walking through shinsaibashi was a struggle!! and people were sitting on the narrow staircases of the okonomiyaki shop that we went to and wouldn't move so it was really hard to like climb the stairs to go up T_T ~~ i ended up bashing this guy while i walked up and i'm glad that i didn't say sorry!

after dinner, mayuko wanted to go up the umeda sky building so i went up for a second time again^^ cos we went up at night the floor of the rooftop lighted up so it was really pretty~~ and there were so many couples!

and for the maid cafes, they were really cute haha which was expected. we really wanted to go to a shitsuji cafe (butler cafe) but we couldn't find one :( i was so frustrated!! nipponbashi is like the equivalent of akihabara, so there should have been at least one shitsuji cafe around :( sigh~~ it was kinda funny cos there was this pamphlet that marks down all the recommended maid cafes in the area hahah and there's an "otaku route" LOL haha.

so anyways, we settled for a maid cafe since we were really hungry and couldn't be bothered trying to look anymore haha. we ended up going to two. one to have lunch and the other to have dessert. the interior of both shops were really pretty and the maids all kneeled to take your order. i don't remember being called an "ojousama" at the first shop, but the second shop never failed to call me that and i have to admit, it was a bit odd LOL. kinda gave me chills haha. i think the maid also felt embarrassed too cos i was embarrassed XD~~

they were all really kind and friendly though. it's the perfect place to go when you're alone cos they don't rush you to leave nor do they pressure you to order more food/drinks. i can see the reason why men go there haha. it's actually quite relaxing, which makes me want to experience a shitsuji cafe all the more! and yes - there were other female customers there too!

also, in order to get a photo of the maid you need to pay 500 yen haha so mayuko decided that she wanted one, and yes i was dragged along too LOL. it was totally embarrassing!! omg haha. they take the photo with their camera and it's like done in front of everybody .... we were being stared at quite intently!! what's more is that the maid made us do the bloody cat pose! the nyan pose T___T hahaha omg...i have never felt so embarassed in my life LOL.

then on our way back to the station, we happened to see some idols (anime) performing LOL. it was really funny ahhaha, i took a photo of it but i also have a video, so watch it! hahaha.

anime idols performing haha XD ~

choco banana crepe at one of the maid cafes. to be honest, the food isn't all that great haha but i guess people don't go there to eat. the dining wear though were so adorable and the bell is used to call the maids to come to serve you lol it was kinda embarrassing so we didn't ring it lol...we just waited.

i couldn't get a good shot of it, but this was the 500 yen photo that you get with the maid lol...if you click on it to see the larger picture then you can see the bloody nyan pose more clearly lol.

MY ADORABLE JINBEIZAME CUSHION~~~LOOK AT IT!!! ISN'T IT SOOOO CUTE *-*

the boat we took for the river cruise. i was a little disappointed lol. it looked more futuristic and cooler in the pamphlet T_T

osaka castle in the background~

mayuko ordered a omurice and as a part of the service, they will draw/write whatever you want on it lol. mayuko didn't know what to request so she just asked for the 'normal' thing lol and it turned out to be the cat haha. they also put in your sugars and milk for you too when they serve you tea haha...i really felt like an ojousama!

behind mayuko is the interior of one of the cafes...i thought it was a nice atmosphere^^

part of the 'otaku road' haha in nipponbashi~

shinsaibashi packed with people T_T...it doesn't look so bad in the photo, but it really was bad! if only i had a bird's eye view of it ;o;

okonomiyaki <3

teehee ~~ jun on a vending machine XD

i couldn't resist okay haha - shunnn <3

nemo!!

that's pretty much how jinbeizame looks like LOL

i thought the jellyfish were so cute! just look at them haha...i took so many photos of them^^ mayuko thought they were disgusting though T_T

isn't this cute~~ looks like a family <3

the infamous jinbeizame haha...that school of fish wouldn't let go of him haha always followed him

mini crabs!! XD

haha yes...random photo. i finally tried mow's ice cream (pi advertised it which was why i tried it haha) and well...i can't say that it's my favorite ^^;;

outside of the aquarium. there were so many people! it was crazy. the first time we went to line up the estimated waiting time was 70 minutes! so we ended up going for dessert and went back an hour later. the estimated time dropped to 50 minutes by then haha.

warabi mochi parfait!! this was so yummy *-* i really like warabi mochi haha. if i can, i'm gonna make sure i bring some home!