listening: takeshi abo - LEASE
watching: taipei traffic out the window
hellooo everyone, i am blogging from taiwan! this is the fourth country i've ever been in, but the first one where i don't speak the language. kind of a weird new experience for me, but i've been muddling through okay between other people speaking english, and using a translate app. other than language barrier, it's been pretty interesting. it reminds me a lot of the city i grew up in (houston tx), which i guess is pretty typical for any large, industrial, international city. especially since houston, particularly the parts of the city i lived in, has a pretty significant asian immigrant population. the area of taipei that i stayed in is very sharpstown and willowbend coded, and i saw some places that looked exactly like post oak and midtown... if any houstonians are reading this lol. there's lots more smoking though, i woke up with a bad headache bc i'm not really used to cigarette smoke anymore.
back in japan, things have honestly been a bit slow and chill haha. i've been trying to stay home, save money, and make use of the hobby stuff i have at home before i get any more model kits etc. i did go to the local kojima x bic camera the other day, and run around yokohama before that, without buying anything in either place 
also been enjoying the late spring/early summer weather, and taking walks on the days without rain. i've been taking photos on my walks, but i am working on a new page for a big category of pics i tend to take; keep an eye out for that later.
i did do a bit of thrifting a couple weeks ago, actually the same day i published my last blog entry before this. i got a cute sundress and two pokemon fit plushies from the bookoff in my favorite part of yokohama. this location's hobby and toy section was closed for most of april, so this was my first time back since the renewal. (as well as my husband's first time seeing it at all.) this was also the day that i learned sunkern's japanese name, which is unfortunately: "ヒマナッツ/himanuts"
it's been pretty warm here lately, so i'm trying to do more "lazy" activities and not run the AC too much either lol. sometimes it's just fun to chill on the tatami and hang out with themelted cats.
also been enjoying the late spring/early summer weather, and taking walks on the days without rain. i've been taking photos on my walks, but i am working on a new page for a big category of pics i tend to take; keep an eye out for that later.i did do a bit of thrifting a couple weeks ago, actually the same day i published my last blog entry before this. i got a cute sundress and two pokemon fit plushies from the bookoff in my favorite part of yokohama. this location's hobby and toy section was closed for most of april, so this was my first time back since the renewal. (as well as my husband's first time seeing it at all.) this was also the day that i learned sunkern's japanese name, which is unfortunately: "ヒマナッツ/himanuts"
it's been pretty warm here lately, so i'm trying to do more "lazy" activities and not run the AC too much either lol. sometimes it's just fun to chill on the tatami and hang out with the
f you read on my neocities profile, this site's home page, or my bsky, you know the most exciting thing that's happened to me lately. i commissioned F.S (link contains NSFW if you are logged into pixiv) for the portrait that's now up on my about me page! i was originally planning to draw a self-portrait for the page. but i've tried doing that before, and trying to perceive myself as a third party like that just made me feel weird and uncomfortable. at some point, i will for sure draw a "what's in my bag" piece for that page.
it was pretty surreal messaging and chatting with the person who's designed probably 10-20% of my collection of figures and anime goods. i collect merchandise of two characters he designed for queen's blade (menace and melona), and i've been following his work since 2009. back when queen's blade came out, a friend of mine brought me some menace trading cards as a souvenir from an anime con because they thought the character design looked like me, and i've been a fan ever since hehe.
it was a bit intimidating chatting and sending my reference photos of my face, body, and chosen outfit. he'd also mentioned on some past commissions that he finds portrait work difficult and sometimes won't accept those commissions. but everything went smoothly and pleasantly! here's the outfit i styled for it, although F.S and i both forgot about the sunglasses lol. i forgot to put them on when i took the worn photo, and didn't remember about them from the coordinate collage until after i got the final drawing.
i'm really glad i treated myself to the commission. it was a lot of fun, and the artist said he had fun drawing me, too. i was suprised by how quickly everything went.. turnaround time was listed as about a week, but he accepted and finished it within 2 days. i used SKIMA, a new platform to me, because my overseas bank was being finicky about using my debit card on pixiv. SKIMA allows for cash payment at the convenience store, so i like bolted to lawson to pay as soon as my commission was accepted lol. i really like the breadth of payment options available in japan.
it was pretty surreal messaging and chatting with the person who's designed probably 10-20% of my collection of figures and anime goods. i collect merchandise of two characters he designed for queen's blade (menace and melona), and i've been following his work since 2009. back when queen's blade came out, a friend of mine brought me some menace trading cards as a souvenir from an anime con because they thought the character design looked like me, and i've been a fan ever since hehe.
it was a bit intimidating chatting and sending my reference photos of my face, body, and chosen outfit. he'd also mentioned on some past commissions that he finds portrait work difficult and sometimes won't accept those commissions. but everything went smoothly and pleasantly! here's the outfit i styled for it, although F.S and i both forgot about the sunglasses lol. i forgot to put them on when i took the worn photo, and didn't remember about them from the coordinate collage until after i got the final drawing.
i'm really glad i treated myself to the commission. it was a lot of fun, and the artist said he had fun drawing me, too. i was suprised by how quickly everything went.. turnaround time was listed as about a week, but he accepted and finished it within 2 days. i used SKIMA, a new platform to me, because my overseas bank was being finicky about using my debit card on pixiv. SKIMA allows for cash payment at the convenience store, so i like bolted to lawson to pay as soon as my commission was accepted lol. i really like the breadth of payment options available in japan.
i flew to taiwan yesterday (as of writing this), using peach airlines, a budget airline here in japan. it was fine. the flight was super boring because peach doesn't do in-flight entertainment, wi-fi options, or even a charger in the seat. i got the row to myself and tried to spend most of the 4 hour flight napping. i had to wake up at 3am to get to the airport, so i really needed the rest.
taoyuan customs was fairly smooth, and i got breakfast and killed some time at the airport before taking a train to my hotel. the weather while i'm here has been really nasty, so i didn't get to do much. would've liked to have gone to a night market, but that can wait until the next time i'm here! the buses don't run anywhere near as smoothly or punctually as in japan
the first driver was wearing slides, blasting the radio, and throwing the bus around like a toyota supra. that's another thing that reminds me of houston lol. (iykyk, fellow houston metro riders...)
i just put on lolita took the bus to a shopping center and back, and got sushi and boba while i was over there. i would've liked to try newer or more different food.. but i ended up eating at kura bc they take JCB, and my overseas bank was once again being a nightmare about letting me use my main debit card
i saw that snail omw back from the train station, pretty sure it's giant african snail. i really like this kind, but unfortunately an invasive species. it kinda matched my outfit, haha. sorry for the tremendously unaesthetic boba photo lol. it came in an opaque paper cup; i do appreciate that there's a lot less single use plastic here. i already posted the coord i wore to the mall over on my coordinates page. i'm leaving taiwan later tonight, and currently writing this blog as i kill time until my hostel's checkout hour. i'll have several more hours to pass once i get to the airport.
taoyuan customs was fairly smooth, and i got breakfast and killed some time at the airport before taking a train to my hotel. the weather while i'm here has been really nasty, so i didn't get to do much. would've liked to have gone to a night market, but that can wait until the next time i'm here! the buses don't run anywhere near as smoothly or punctually as in japan
the first driver was wearing slides, blasting the radio, and throwing the bus around like a toyota supra. that's another thing that reminds me of houston lol. (iykyk, fellow houston metro riders...)i just put on lolita took the bus to a shopping center and back, and got sushi and boba while i was over there. i would've liked to try newer or more different food.. but i ended up eating at kura bc they take JCB, and my overseas bank was once again being a nightmare about letting me use my main debit card
i saw that snail omw back from the train station, pretty sure it's giant african snail. i really like this kind, but unfortunately an invasive species. it kinda matched my outfit, haha. sorry for the tremendously unaesthetic boba photo lol. it came in an opaque paper cup; i do appreciate that there's a lot less single use plastic here. i already posted the coord i wore to the mall over on my coordinates page. i'm leaving taiwan later tonight, and currently writing this blog as i kill time until my hostel's checkout hour. i'll have several more hours to pass once i get to the airport.
once i get back to japan, i'll probably be doing about the same type of stuff i was doing in the couple weeks before my taiwan jaunt. my husband has been wanting to go to akihabara, so we'll likely do that on a weekday soon. i've been wanting to stop by a really cool girpla specialty hobby shop in akihabara that i visited last september, so i'll report back on my visit in my next blog post!
