Month: December 2014
The Eureka Skydeck 88 in Melbourne
The Top 5 Christmas Movies
It’s almost Christmas! Have you been watching any holiday movies?
I feel like in Japan, where Christmas is more of a commercial event and weirdly a romantic holiday, Christmas movies are essential for getting into the holiday spirit. Which is why (just in case you haven’t been watching already) I’m going to share my favorite Christmas movies with you today. And even if you aren’t into Christmas, you can just consider this a list of educational material on a certain pagan festival 😉
Here are my favorites:
“Karen: So what’s this big news, then?
Daisy: We’ve been given our parts in the nativity play. And I’m the lobster.
Karen: The lobster?
Daisy: Yeah!
Karen: In the nativity play?
Daisy: Yeah, FIRST lobster.
Karen: There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?
Daisy: Duh.”
“Bah, humbug.”
I grew up watching the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol, long before I even knew of Charles Dickens. The ghost scenes always made me inch closer to my parents but it was always a holiday favorite for our family. I didn’t realize there were so many versions though!
“Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”
Yes, it is a wonderful life, especially when you’re watching this! Can you believe that this classic holiday movie came out in 1946 but took over 20 years for it to become as popular as it is today? In Japanese the title is “Subarashiki-kana, Jinsei (素晴らしき哉、人生!).” I think this was my dad’s favorite holiday movie and we used to watch this every year when it was on television. The angel-in-training is a dear and the last scene always makes me emotional.
“Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”
After all these years, I still adore this movie. It is a beautiful Christmas movie set in Chicago (my favorite city!) and you will laugh and laugh over how smart this kid is. But my favorite part is the interaction he has with his next door neighbor. It always reminds me that people may not be what they seem. Also, all the crazy 90s outfits in the movie are just too fabulous.
” He would get these far-off looks in his eyes and he would say ‘Life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan’. I just wish I’d realized at the time, he was talking about MY life.”
My favorite Christmas movie of all time!!! I know you’ve all seen it. It’s so good I sometimes even watch it in the middle of the year and not just because this movie is also set in Chicago. Lucy and Jack are the lead characters but what makes this movie even more special is the fabulous cast they have surrounding these two. It’s the most heartwarming story ever, that will make you laugh and cry, quite possibly at the same time. And I’d know, I’ve watched it twice already this year 😉
So there’s my list! Happy holidays, everyone! xx
The Elephant Slide in Kagurazaka
The Prahran Neighborhood
The Wedding in Melbourne
Hello everyone. I’d like to thank J and M for letting me share this special day with them.
My name is Kaori and I am M’s friend from college. I don’t exactly remember when we first met because we had so many classes together, but M is one of those girls that is genuinely kind and makes everyone feel welcome in her circle of friends. I am incredibly lucky to have a friend who has such a big heart like her in my life.
Most of you know the story of how M met J. He was passing through Japan during his vacation and happened to meet M at a mutual friend’s place. When we heard from M how she’d met this “someone”…I’m sure we all had some questions.
Questions such as: (a) who is this grown man that takes over a month of vacation from work, which is unheard of in Japan, (b) is he really as nice a guy as M says he is? and (c) how do we know he’s not a serial killer? (So sorry J)
Well, when I finally got a chance to meet J, it was hard to stay suspicious because I saw just how happy he made M. Also, it is nearly impossible to resist his natural charm, which we like to call “J magic.”
Although, there was a time early on in their relationship, I remember M half whispering to me, “I can’t hold hands with J.” I thought this was because maybe he doesn’t like to hold hands…but no. M explained that it was because he is so expressive with both of his hands that it was impossible to hold on! We both had a good laugh over this quirk.
One thing about M is that, although she may seem a little shy or quiet, she is truley one of the bravest people I know. She jumped at the chance to go to grad school, even though it meant moving to a new country. She continues to challenge herself, be it sharing her art work at a gallery or taking up driving (pedestrians of Melbourne, you have been warned!) and I simply admire her for being so strong. She is the best mix of sweet and fierce.
As you know, M is an amazing teacher to her kindergarten children, so I’d like to close this speech with a passage from the famous Dr. Seuss.
“People are weird. When we find someone with weirdness that is compatible with ours, we team up and call it love.”
I’m sure anyone who has seen M and J together knows that they are definitely a team, even if they don’t hold hands all the time. I love you both and wish you nothing but the best in your marriage…to M and J! xx
The Embiggen Books in Melbourne
Their selection of books is fantastic. Bookshelves cover most of the walls and if I could, I would’ve bought the store out. They have a large selection of books on science and art, which I thought was interesting. But they also have everything from gardening to psychology, pretty much every thing your bookworm heart desires and even more.
Usually I tend to glide over to the travel section, especially when I’m travelling. They also had a table full of books on Australia or by Australian authors, which was exactly what I was looking for. I like to buy a local book during my travels, sort of like a souvenir to remember the city by.
I’m still patting myself on the back because I somehow managed to only buy one book, which is a miracle. I’m green with envy of the people of Melbourne who get to step into this bookstore on a daily basis. Then again, if I were one of those people, I would be broke in a week…so I guess I should be thankful instead!
Isn’t this bookstore is lovely though? What section would you beeline to? x
Here are some photos:
TEL: 03 9662 2062
HOURS: Mon-Tue 10:30am-6:30pm