2 Beach Boys & a Pianist

My current obsession with the 90's is getting out of control! I've already watched Reality Bites twice this month and now I'm repeating scenes from "Long Vacation" over and over again...  finding a well reviewed JDorama set in the 90's is good enough for me but at the same time, having not just one, but 2 out of these 3 gorgeous men starring in it is not good for my health! Ooh the heart, it flutters too much (>_<)~ their hair... so perfectly quaffed.

Takenouchi Yutaka with a cig in the 1st photograph and with Takashi Sorimachi in the 2nd. 

Such a cool vibe. The two actors star alongside each other in "Beach Boys".

My boyfriend and I are big fans of Mr. Sorimachi's GTO series; one of the best JDramas out there in my opinion. The chemistry between his and Nanako Matsushima's character is just so fun to watch and they actually fell in love at the set and got married! 

And finally, we have Takuya Kimura. DB loved "Hero" and he told me to watch it ages ago, which I still haven't ^^" but will definitely now after having watched his performance in Long Vacation. He stars alongside Takenouchi Yutaka as a young piano teacher who starts sharing an apartment with an ex-model 7 years his senior.

I can't imagine anyone else playing the roles of the two leads. Tomoko Yamaguchi is an amazing actress and I loved watching her in this one. I feel that the JDramas back then were more natural compared to the ones they air these days. Nowadays, the dramas seem a bit too exaggerated and unreal. These doramas I've listed, all from the 1990's, are my top 3 JDramas of all time... well, so far, until now. And then comes "1 Litre of Tears". That one's the 4th because it made me cry too much... probably cried a litre for each episode.

~✰✰ Yukatas ✰✰~

Wore a yukata for the first time! And yep, it had to be a sakura print for me :D This year's Japan Matsuri was lovely but we were a bit shocked because the number of people turning up in yukatas was quite low... compared to last year's. It may have been due to the weather, which appeared cooler than the previous Matsuri fest's, yet we still helped our selves to some green tea ice-cream.

Sophiya and myself at the tube. We also met a samurai hahaah.

We bought our yukatas online from the Yukata Kimono Market. The price for each cost around £70+ (depends on the material, design and patterns of yukata or kimono) including the obi belt and delivery. We did some researching and that's about the average amount one pays for a Japanese yukata. The shipping was quick, with our products arriving within a week and found the service quite impressive. The material of the yukatas was really good, especially the obi belt, which was chosen for me by the staff in Japan.

I can't find the detailed pictures I took when the package arrived more than 6 months ago, but I got the obi belt on the far left hand side of the above pic.

I definitely recommend this webshop if you are looking to buy a yukata for yourself. It may seem pricey but hey, most traditional dresses come with a heavy price tag anyway. We didn't want to have a bad experience and regret buying our 1st yukatas, so we opted to splurge some. And oh yes, you can buy yukatas on the spot at the annual Matsuri festival! They do have kimono stalls and I think we came across prices of £35 and upwards. 

Pics of the festival can be found in the offical Japan Matsuri facebook page.

rock show

On Saturday night, we went to a gig organised by Japan Underground.

A total of 3 bands performed; HONDALADY, GalapagosS and tokyo pinsalocks.

We missed Hondalady :( but got a pic of them :D Here are some of the artists from the first 2 bands.

 

Unfortunately, we couldn't snap pictures of the really kawaii girl trio; tokyo pinsalocks T___T because all the guys huddled around them for their autographs =_= completely blocking our way T__T but you can check out their pics here! And a video of the event below...

All in all it was a great night!

shiny vest: Matalan, reversible fleece jacket: Uniqlo

japan matsuri

Konichiwa! 2 weeks ago was the annual Matsuri festival here in London. I know the post is quite late but better late than never :D So enjoyy~

All pics by LOKOPOKO. 

For more of Matsuri and other pictures, visit his flickr page here.

to combine Hope with Action...

 

Some very unfortunate events have taken place in the past week, including the tsunami in Japan and the crisis at Libya. Moreover, many might've taken place which we have failed to notice. Whether a disaster is caused by natural means or by man fighting one another, we, the average people, combined together can help the victims of such grave devastations. It's during moments like this, that we realise how really important life is yet how easily it can be taken away in a matter of seconds. We can only pray for the lost souls, and give our support to their loved ones. For we cannot change the past, but simply learn from them. Our actions today result in our future. So let's all do our parts to make a better future for everyone.

A tiny miracle: 4-month-old baby girl found after 3 days since the tsunami struck.

 I donated via redcross. Help in whatever way you can guys ✌

Va-Va-Voom Volume!

So I've switched my shampoo cause my hair's thinning too much, and not long ago, my father commented on it saying he can see my scalp -_- So I got this Aussie Aussome Volume. There were loads to choose from but the phrase "for fine and limp hair" caught my attention, like it was calling me or something. I've been using Tigi for a while and it was real good, gave me the silk like effect I wanted and kept my hair untangled for quite a long time, but it didn't help with volumising. Anyway, I saw the ad for Aussie on LDN tubes, and since its been receiving great reviews, I said to myself, why the heck not? And it's more cost friendly with a £3.95 price tag in Boots against the £17.99 one for Bedhead Tigi Catwalk: Oatmeal & Honey. Plus the Aussie one's 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner. So for a Scrooge (cheapo whatever -_- ) like me, it's an awesome deal, cause it does work! I'm not saying it magically transforms your hair into a 60's beehive or something, but it does make your hair feel more luscious and thicker but really light at the same time.

Speaking of shampoos, I'm a hairspray rookie. I used my mum's Tesco or TRESemmé (as my hair's also way frizzy) but my lil bro made a huge fuss about buying this got2b, which we ended up buying. Turns out, it does exactly as it says on the can/bottle. It only takes a little whiz of the spray to impress. So yeah, now I've gone past believing that hairsprays are only used to make your hair smell nice. And for those crazy asian hairstyles, got2b is a must buy. And of course, GATSBY too. Just cause its Japanese, and it smells like apple juice :)

Two global warming culprits

Salil & Ujju