Winter...

It's a winter slump.  I stay in.  I hide under blankets.  I watch endless hours of TV.  I read books.  I don't often venture out.

I am from the desert.  It's a warm place even in winter.  On days when I can't feel my toes, I long for those warmer temperatures.

I forget about summer.  I forget it's sometimes too humid, and I miss those long days and warm nights.  I forget I sweat at night instead of freeze and I wish it would get here faster.

I hate leaving work in the dark.  I remember that it used to be sunny when I left.  I remember when we could enjoy walking outside instead of hurrying quickly to the shelter of the nearest warm place.

I lose motivation.  I drink thousands of cups of hot tea.  I find creative ways to drink hot beverages: salted caramel hot chocolate, caramel apple cider (or maybe I just find ways to imbibe more caramel).

I miss salads as I slurp my soup.  I constantly use my slow cooker.  I still don't want to do dishes.

I bring my plants indoors.  They crowd my already small kitchen.  I dream of the abundance of a spring garden.  I want squash and tomatoes and peppers all freshly picked.  I pray nothing else left outside dies as I try not to be sad uprooting another dead plant. 

Suddenly, I notice it's slightly warmer than last week and it's not as dark outside as it usually is at 5.

I remember summer starts at 4AM as the sun tries to invade my sleeping area.  I don't mind it, I think kicking off blankets. 

The orange glow of my heater will be the quiet whir of a fan.  It doesn't matter if it's not cold enough to keep me cool.  I remember the cicadas buzzing all night and the early hours of the morning.  I remember they often fly straight toward me.  Compared to the chill in my bones it doesn't seem to matter so much now.

The beach is empty.  I remember it's overcrowded in the summer.  I don't mind so much now as I remember bare bodies peppering the sand and splashing in the waves.  Everyone is smiling.  I miss vacations and eating ice cream on hot days. 

I miss shorts and sandals and tank tops.  I miss hats and sunglasses.  I feel like I never have enough layers to keep me warm.  I feel bulky and weighted.

I miss riding my bicycle.  I miss not having a destination in mind.  Now the wind slices my hands and stings my face and two minutes to the store is too long.  I miss exploring my neighborhood.  I miss finding shops I never knew were there or tiny flower shops bursting with herbs.

I miss going places and updating this blog with my misadventures.  I miss being lost in Japan.

The Puffy Coat...

You might (then again maybe not) remember me talking about this fashion trend when I visited Japan back in March.

Well, ladies and gentlemen the puffy coat has returned to Japan for another winter season. 

Here are some puffy coats for sale in Japan:

They come in any color you like.

I call it the puffy coat.  Some call it a down jacket.  Either way, I don't own one.  I've tried them on and I don't think they look good on me at all.  Now this is just how I feel about them on me.  On others they don't look so ridiculous or hideous.  Maybe I'm just not meant for the puffy coat. 

Regardless, I hit the mean streets of Tokyo to find out why so many people like this fashion trend.  (I asked everyone the same question: "Why do you like the puffy coat?")

First is Stephen:

Stephen had this to say about his puffy coat: "It makes me feel manly and warm.  It makes my muscles look bigger than they actually are."

Next is Max:

Max had this to say about his puffy coat: "Because it's cool.  It makes me cooler than I am.  I don't care about being warm."

Ben:

Ben likes pinnipeds as much as he likes saying the word pinnipeds.  Ben wanted everyone to know that he doesn't discriminate where coats are concerned.  "I don't just like puffy coats but it's a bit like taking a blanket with you."  He also wants you to know that "The hood rim is not real fur."

Next is the lovely Katt:

Katt's puffy coat was purchased at Neiman Marcus in Las Vegas and cost her around $900.  She had this to say about her puffy coat: "It makes me look hot and compact."  I was surprised to see she was wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath.  She said it kept her warm enough that she didn't need long sleeves.

Ed was happy to model for me:

Ed is modeling the lesser popular puffy vest.  I honestly don't see many of these.  He had this to say about his puffy vest "It squashes up into nothing and fits in your bag.  It's incredibly light and warm."  He demonstrated this for me.  It really can get quite tiny.

Come to think of it, I have seen someone else with a puffy vest:

Marty McFly, the original trendsetter.

Next is the beautiful Vrusheli:

Vrusheli had this to say about her puffy coat: "It keeps you warm.  It's snug and not heavy."  I do love the vibrant red.

Erika also modeling a puffy coat:

Erika had this to say about her coat: "It's warm and I have a lot of different colors and styles.  I like matching them with my outfits.  No particular reason though, just because it's warm."

Next is the most adorable person ever, Mamina:

She's so adorable that it took three blurry pictures of her to get a good shot because she wouldn't stop giggling.  Adorable.  Mamina was attracted to American brand A&F because of their "sexy models."  She purchased her coat in Ginza.  I think "sexy models" was her main reason but she also stated "because it's warm."

Phil also has a puffy coat:

Explaining this blog to Phil was an awkward experience.  He mostly just looked at me like I was crazy.  Phil said "It's warm.  This one in particular is waterproof.  Little pockets kinda zip up like a tent."  He demonstrated this for me.

Scott did not want to model his puffy coat:

This explains the look on his face.  When asked why he liked the puffy coat Scott answered "No reason in particular."  I'm sure he's still sore about being featured here.

Here are some random Tokyoites in puffy coats:

(The elusive ombre puffy coat)

People coordinate these like they are a part of their outfit and not just a outerwear.

Here are some more puffy coats for sale:

The puffy coat was also featured in New Year's 福袋 offered by Uniqlo:

I did not buy it.

So what have we learned?  The puffy coat is great for braving a Japanese winter as well as a fashion statement.  Am I sold?  I don't know.  For now, I've yet to find a puffy coat that looks good on me.  you're welcome to take me shopping to try and change my mind.  I do love shopping after all.

So what do you think?  Do you have a puffy coat?  What are your thoughts on the puffy coat?

(Special thanks to Stephen, Max, Ben, Katt, Ed, Erika, Mamina, Phil, Scott and Vrusheli who let me photograph and quote them for this blog.)

Tokyo has a snow day!

The weather forecast said some awful rain was in store for Tokyo today.  By noon, that rain had morphed into beautiful snow.  Maybe you know this about me but I am from the desert.  It doesn't snow in the desert. 

At first, I hid out in my apartment and took a ton of pictures but then I went down to the ground level to get a better view of my neighborhood in a whole new light.

Here are some of my favorite pictures:

It has since stopped snowing but I am still bundled in layers, hiding inside and cooking chili.  The rooftops in my neighborhood are still glorious white.  Snow is such a beautiful thing but it made my life for a moment seem surreal.  I mean, I live in Japan.  It's snowing outside.  These kinds of things never happen to me!  I do hope though, that if this is a dream, I never wake up.

Stay warm out there!