A Month Of New Beginnings

It's September! September and December are my two favourite months of the year. December, I love because Christmas is very special to me and I enjoy the weeks leading up to it almost as much as actual Christmas Day. I'll be the first to put up bits of decoration around the house, light up cinnamon scented candles, and walk around town simply enjoying the various illuminations. Though Christmas in Japan is very different and much less festive than what I am used to from home, I know Tokyo is going to have super pretty illuminations at the least. 

But let's come back to September first. The reason I've always enjoyed this month is because it sort of symbolises new beginnings for me. After the long summer break, I've always looked forward to going back to school or university in September, and it feels a bit weird to me that this year will be the first year in many, many that I'm not going to go back to classes.

September is when the days are starting to get cooler again, it's rainier and gives me more excuses to get all comfy with a cup of tea inside. Despite the fact I used to complain about the rain a lot while I lived in England, I've come to realise that I secretly enjoyed English weather a lot, because nothing really beats a hot drink, a cozy blanket and some Netflix while it's pouring it down outside...

Going to miss my little man when I move, d'aw.

With school starting in September, I've always had a good excuse to buy new pretty stationary too, as well as perhaps get a hair-cut or get that new piece for my wardrobe which I could wear on my 'first day back in school'. I always enjoyed seeing familiar faces again and September is usually when my motivation for the new term was at its peak. By November I usually felt a little worn out already, but then I had December to look forward to again.

Now, this year is going to be a little different. Instead of catching up with friends while complaining about the new class timetable, compare how little school work you've done over the summer and sit on your phone during the first few introductory classes, I'm going to be moving across the globe to start a new lifestyle and full-time employment for the first time in my life. I've been to Japan often enough at this point that without a doubt, in a way it will also feel like going "home", simply to another part of the world which is very dear to me.

But at the same time, it's going to be a change in pace for sure and there will be a lot of new experiences waiting for me. Waking up every day and putting on a suit before jumping on a crowded train in central Tokyo to go to work is very different from rolling out of bed occasionally at 10am to go to my first class at university, often wearing two different socks and forgetting my pencil case at home and having to borrow pens from classmates.

It's going to be challenging, but I'm so excited to be moving in about two weeks time and make all these new experiences. I feel lucky and blessed to be able to look back at my university life fondly and be grateful for the friendships I have made, the things I have learnt and the confidence I gained. Without doubt, all of these things are going to come in handy in the coming weeks. September, please treat me kindly this year, too. ♡

Tokyo To-Do-List Part 1 (Beauty)

Lately I've spent a majority of my free time reading up on travel guides and various blogs on places to check out in and around Tokyo. I've been to Tokyo a couple of times already and have quite a few favourite spots myself (Odaiba!! On a beautiful day you can't beat the view) but I've never been there long enough to really check out the small cafes and restaurants which are usually not found on the main streets, or little shops which might be a little harder to find too.

My interests over the years have also changed (My 17-year-old self was much more interested in anime & manga than I am now, though that is not to say I'm not enjoying Sailor Moon Crystal to the fullest at the moment) so I've been noting down quite a few places related to beauty especially. So without further ado, two beauty related spots I can't wait to visit:

1. Etude House & Missha Stores in Shinjuku

I have never tried any Asian cosmetic brands because I wasn't really into beauty products much until perhaps 1 or 2 years ago. These days I like using Clinique and if I feel like splurging out, Origins or even YSL (the latter is definitely more a Christmas present to myself kind of splurge). I am also a huge fan of BB creams and it just so happens that my current one is about to run out. I'm trying to use it quite sparingly these days so I don't have to buy a new bb cream until I get to Japan, because after having done some research, I really want to try a Korean brand. There's a lot of good things about Etude House and Missha online, and turns out both opened stores in Shinjuku Station in recent years and I'm really excited to check them out ♪ Looking at this article here, the store layout of Etude House looks super cute too.

2. Shiseido The Ginza

The reason I really want to check this out is because it's not just a store selling Shiseido products, but rather a 3 storey beauty mecca. There's even a way to try out their products without actually.. trying them out; it's all through computer simulations. It sounds really fun and even though I doubt I'll be buying much until I've got my first couple of paychecks secured, I'd love to visit this place and perhaps even treat myself to their "beauty boost bar" or facial treatment courses.

I've also been keeping my eyes open for other bits and pieces of Asian cosmetics which seem to get recommended a lot. I'll probably be posting my own reviews once I've had a chance to give them a try. I'm also thinking of doing a review post of the haircare series by Lush I've been using lately- again something I probably wouldn't purchase myself because they're not exactly cheap, but my mum originally got the products for herself and I'm just kind of... taking advantage of that at the moment, ha. ^^

An Update On Things

I really suck at this blogging thing, I can't believe 2 months have already passed since my last entry. I feel like nothing much has changed since the old Livejournal days in that aspect.

However, exciting things have been going on and I'm very happy to be able to (officially) say I'll be moving back to Japan in September. My 就職活動 aka job hunting has been rather tough- I always thought graduate schemes and/or jobs which require 5+ interviews were a myth! - but no, they exist, and I'm more than lucky and excited I managed to pass all rounds for my top choice of companies to work for.

I've been wanting to go back to Japan for a while now- actually, probably ever since I left Fukuoka around this time last year. I loved living in Fukuoka. I had great friends there, a nice place to live in and the city is absolutely beautiful. I thought about getting my Master's in Fukuoka for a while, but it's just too expensive especially when you are in between majors. It's just too much money to spend on something you're not 100% sure about, or have no real work experience in. Studying a field and working in one are very different by the looks of things. 

Thus, I decided to look into possible career options instead. In all honesty, continuing my studies just didn't seem right and I really felt like I wanted to start making my own money at this point. Looking into career options wasn't a quick task, but knowing what I didn't want helped narrow down my choices a lot (teaching English, a stereotypical Japanese company) and left me with few options, but one of these options proved to be for a company which I believe fits my personality and ambitions perfectly. A match made.

This week then, I had to pack up my things and leave what I called home for the past ~4 years. I'd come to feel very attached to Liverpool over the past couple of years and especially saying goodbye to my best friend was so much harder for me than I thought it would be. (Insert cheesy line here about how it wasn't a goodbye, but rather a 'See you later'... but even knowing this didn't help much when I had to get onto my train.) 

The plan though is to hopefully make enough $$$ in the future to easily fly back and forth between Europe and Japan. ^^;;;

Right now, I'm just enjoying being home and the security of having a job lined up while I wait for my Visa to be processed. I've also started looking into possible flats in Tokyo which aren't too far from where I'll be working. It's so exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time to move to a new city as big as Tokyo; Fukuoka so far has been the biggest city I've ever lived in, and I've never had to deal with rush hour or anything like that before. In Fukuoka, I just jumped on my bike when I wanted to go out. I feel like trying to cycle in Tokyo could potentially be life-endangering. I'll report back once I have found somewhere to live anyways! ^^