Poupée Mécanique

I’ve been sick for a while now, I can’t seem to shake it off! First it started with my tonsils, then I got a nose so blocked I couldn’t taste anything for two days, now my ear hurts. I’ve mostly stayed in bed and rested, but today I thought I’d go to the market and have my favourite ethiopian meal. The weather was good, then sun was so bright it made you squint. Five minutes later, it was POURING with rain and I got soaking wet. Typical english weather.

Admittedly I’ve been eating very badly lately, sooo many sweets and chocolate and candies and cakes. I miss my mom’s cooking. Or rather, I miss having someone take care of me. One of my best friends from Athens is moving in with me in October, maybe we can split the cooking between us. I also plan to take japanese style bento to uni every day, wake up early and prepare something nice. Rice, omelette, inari sushi and tsukemono (japanese pickles) especially umeboshi. Umeboshi is said to prevent bacteria from growing, that’s why they always put one in every bento. Maybe I should invest in a rice cooker. I will look for a cute bento box and a cookbook when I’m in Tokyo.

Only a couple weeks left now until my trip!

Feeling quite dreadful these days. Thank goodness for Anna.
Sopor Aeternus – Stake of my soul

I got a letter from the student loans company, asking me to provide “compelling evidence about my withdrawal from my previous course”. I wrote them a letter, but basically, if they decide my reasons were not good enough, I won’t even get a loan for the tuition fees, let alone to live on. It’s all very stressful. If they really turn me down I’ll have to sell everything, everything, to at least make the £3200 for the fees. And then during the year, I have no idea how I’ll be able to keep up with the study required while working to pay the bills. Ugh, give me a break already.

２６さいです。^.^

This is a calendar page from the day I was born that my grandma kept. We found it in her house when she died.

She wrote “I was born 8-8-1984, day Wednesday, time 11am, L. Zafiropoulos” with so many spelling mistakes. :) The little poem says something along the lines of “It seems easier to empty the sea, to throw it ashore, than to forget you”. :3

Natsuko and Licca sent me their wishes hahahaa

My childhood obsessions:

They were played back to back by a channel called SevenX in late afternoon, I used to watch them after school while eating cabbage. Don’t ask why.

I was so obsessed with Batman, I wanted to be Batman. I once made a cape out of an orange gingham fabric my mom used as a blanket for picnics and I was planning to go to kindergarten the next day wearing it to impress everyone. Back then I was sharing a room with my little brother and as I was sitting on the top bunk bed with my cape hanging off the side, he thought it a perfect idea to pull on it with all his weight. He pulled and pulled, giggling like an idiot while I was choking to death, I really thought I was going to die. I don’t remember how or why he stopped. But I didn’t wear my cape to school after that.

Batman opening theme
The Munsters opening theme

I’m in love with this wonderful dress from a few seasons ago. Daisy D had tried it in black when we went to Jane Marple together, I was sad she didn’t buy it, but it really was extremely expensive. I miss Hiroko, even though we can barely communicate in talking, she’s a kindred spirit and a lot can be said with just looking in each others’ eyes.

Today I paid for my Doll show booth, silly really as it’s so unsure if I can go at all, but it’s always like this.

Meanwhile I really want to start redesigning the website as it’s hardly had any updates in two years, and that poor tutorials page was never completed. I have so many ideas yet no time. But hopefully before my next trip to Tokyo and before university starts. I’m really planning too much “before university starts” but I want more than anything this year to be better organised so I can focus on my studies, so a ton of stuff needs to be sorted by then.

This summer, to everyone’s utter astonishment, we’ve actually had some hot weather. Bright sunny days without a single cloud and the temperature reached up to 30 degrees. That’s nothing for me of course that I’ve had to deal with over 40 degrees back home, but for English standards this was groundbreaking. I was in my pants all day, drinking plenty of Tropicana orange juice while sewing in the plentiful light. Of course it was too good to be true and now we’re back to the usual cold, rain and dread. Uuurgh.

Last summer the local indian supermarket had greek watermelons. Nice huge ones, not like the jokes they have in english supermarkets. I hope they bring them again this year. It’s one of my favourite fruits, along with figs and grapes. All best in the summer. Unfortunately it’s impossible to find good figs here. I used to pick them straight off the trees in my parents’ villages during summer holidays and I only stopped eating when I couldn’t reach any more. I love them so much. I could eat figs all day and night.

I’ve been meaning to try this program by a japanese scientist that helps you live on 3 hours of sleep per day but I’m not sure if I can manage or if it’s heathy at all. For now I sleep every two days – I don’t know which is worse? I’m getting lots of work done though… And eyebags.

I have made a habit of having a japanese dorama or anime play constantly while I sew so I can listen to the dialogues without watching. I get very excited when I can understand bits and pieces.

One of my favourite doramas is Honey and Clover. It’s such a wonderful, touching story. This scene from the first episode is just beautiful!　はちみつとクローバーはぼくのいちばんすきなドラマです。

Riko Narumi is one of the cutest japanese girls I’ve ever seen. I just melt every time she’s on the screen. かわいいーーーー成海 璃子ちゃん。＜３

We have lost a very sweet, wonderful friend. Markie took his own life last month. We only found out today through an internet search. How dreadful, to live in a world where we find out these things through the internet. We spent two wonderful weeks together in Tokyo, a couple years ago. Everyone that met him would instantly love him. People in Japan called him “ouji-sama” (prince). We all knew of his troubles and tried to be there for him but it wasn’t enough. It breaks my heart I couldn’t be there for him more, in real life. It’s a real shame, and a huge waste, for such a precious little boy to depart so early, because life was hard on him and he wasn’t offered the help he needed. If only people were there for each other. If only all parents were there for their children.

森田童子 – さよならぼくのともだち

I’ve been feeling a little blah since I came back from Japan. I always come back with tons of new inspiration, and of course materials, but I can’t get myself to do anything for a week or so. It’s weird. Anyway I’m back to work now.

I found this simple but very cute old lace at an antique market.

I applied for my student loan today. The deadline for applications was the 23rd of April but I got my offer on the 6th of May while I was in Japan so I was late… Maybe I won’t get the money on time.

There is this really cute fluffy kitty in the neighbourhood that I see sometimes. I really want a cat but I can’t get one until I’m more settled, money-wise, country-wise, etc.