Hattifnatt Cafe, Koenji

Kirk showed me Hattifnatt a while ago – you may remember the cute painted walls. We only had dessert that time though so when Nozomi and I met for lunch the other day and after we hmm’d and haww’d for a few minutes about where to eat I suggested this place. The lunch was just as good as the desserts.

I got the Avocado Taco Rice – have you noticed I’m a fan of this dish? I’m always pretty happy to find it on a menu. I must warn you though, if you’re looking for Mexican food in Japan – taco rice is not it. Haha Taco rice is Japanese Mexican food. You know, just like how we have our ultra cheesy American Mexican food in the states.

Nozomi got the tomato taco rice - similar to mine but topped with lots of tomatoes with crushed tortilla chips

You can’t really tell from the first picture but that door is really tiny (I had to duck!) and so is the place. Its kind of like going into someone’s treehouse. What a cute idea.

Its on a really adorable street too! There’s a shop next door thats just full of cubbyholes people can rent to sell their art/jewelry/stationary, etc. I bought a cool beaded ring. Heh heh. Anyway when you go to Koenji (because if you go to Japan you MUST go to Koenji), stop at Hattifnatt – who doesn’t like feeling like a kid again?

Other News:

1) the banner stays!

2) I’m thinking about opening an Etsy shop soon to sell prints of my film photos and my photo book. I’m just waiting until I get back in the states so it will be easier to deal with shipping. Have you used Etsy before? Do you recommend it or do you use a different site? For the book I’m thinking of self-publishing with Blurb. Any thoughts in that regard? Know of better options?

Thanks guys : )

oh ps: updates on allisonoconnor.com

Bike Tokyo (film)

Ben, Nozomi and I rented bikes and rode around the city with L. Ploy and Marissa!

We rented from Tokyo Rent a Bike, which is on the top floor of this building in Naka-meguro and has a great view and is where I took this photo. I’m not really sure how to explain but it captures almost exactly my feeling of Tokyo – like the camera sucked it out of me when I took the photo, haha. Vast, melancholy, beautiful..Anyway, we were aiming to circle the ENTIRE Yamanote line, stopping to take a picture in front of every station – but in 4 hours we only made it to 9 out of 29 stops – Ebisu to Ikebukuro. We all had other evening plans so we headed straight back on Meiji Dori (street) and made the return trip in an hour and a half or so.

Marissa & her cool bike. Her shirt says "Ride it like you stole it."

I'm pretty sure halfway through this ride Nozomi thought we were trying to kill her. Hahaha especially with L. Ploy shooting through traffic like a crazy person.

Street performers with no audience, Ebisu.

I liked this building

I've seen this sticker all over Tokyo but never in these colors.

Closed! Cool exterior though, yeah?

I was brave! He looked cool so I asked for a picture. I think I feel embolded enough to start doing this more often now.

We meant to go to Shin-Okubo station but we accidentaly went to Okubo station.

Good thing L is so cute - they fixed her bike even though they were busy.

Arriving in Harajuku around 5pm

Tired?

That was a little exhausting but reallllly fun. I plan to do it again before I leave. You guys want to try and finish the rest??

PS: Banner stays the same until I get home! Only a few more weeks (AHHH)!

*click images for full view!

Tanabata Cruise & Poll Results…sort of (film)

First of all: another Tanabata event – we dressed up in Yukatas and went on a cruise – basically a booze cruise. It was two hours of all you can drink for only 1,500 yen ($15) – $1000 yen off of the original 2,500 yen deal if you wore a yukata!

We had to get ready in the bathrooms at school in order to make it in time - running across campus and to the train station was mildly embarassing and terribly fun.

"Oh wait I gotta put money on my suica!" "Oh me too" "Oh me too!"

I kind of felt like a doll and I also kind of felt like I was wearing body armor. Yukata are supposed to hide any trace of the female figure so there’s actually a thick towel stuffed under my obi (the waistband) to make me look extra flat. Hahaha.

Nozomi & L. Ploy

Cruise Ship

Michelle & Nozomi --blue!

Dinosaurs on the shore!

Right after this people started dancing.

Drink #2? #3? The bartender took this one of us and I loooove it. Nozomi looks so mischievous!

Ahh that was a good time.

Ok now….the results of my little questionnaire from yesterday. First of all, wow, record number of comments on a post – thanks! I wish you guys would tell me how you felt about the photos like that more often! Its nice to hear your perspectives on the images.

Anyway I’m a bit torn. You overwhelmingly liked numbers 5, 6, and 7 best – the photos I was most leaning towards as well. But I also got several requests to keep the banner as it is. Jacob pointed out that since I’m leaving Japan in less than a month it might be nice to keep up the continuity since many people may associate the blog with that flower image. Good point – I hadn’t thought about that.. haha. MK also suggested rotating these banners using a simple Java tool. Well I can’t figure out how to make that work for this format but I do like the idea of a rotation and its something I wouldn’t mind doing manually. So now – one more question:

1) Keep the banner the same until I leave Japan – I will change it when I return to the states and have  Seattle/Portland based photos.

or

2) Have each of these banners for a few days until I return home.

By the way, I hope I don’t loose you when I leave Japan! I’m going to do my best to continue this blog in similar fashion even though I’ll be in different places. The Pacific NW has its cool parts, and I’ll also be going to New York City for a bit this summer so I imagine that should also result in some good photos. Thanks!

- Allison

*click images for full view

Quick Question

I’ve been thinking for a while now about changing my banner – I’m bored of the pink blossom image and I want to change it to a film picture since that’s more of the direction I’ve been going in lately. Which one of the images below do you think would be a good fit? Is there another I’ve put up you think would make a good banner?

I’ve cropped them to give an idea of how they will look when fitted into the banner. I really hope to hear your opinion – even if you just say “#1″ or something like that. Thanks!

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts – thank you!

*click images for full view

Keio University SFC Festival (film)

A Tanabata-sai! Keio’s Shonan Fujusawa Campus (SFC) is a research-oriented campus wayyy out in Fujusawa in Kanagawa. Its quite a journey to get there but is a really nice campus with much more of a university feel than the Mita campus has.

It was cool to see everyone in yukatas - some of them were really gorgeous

The Miss Keio Competition

I couldn't get a picture of the other two girls, too many heads in the way. I wonder who won.. I was rooting for number 4 or 5 (not pictured)

Once it got dark there was a fireworks show – so I managed to see fireworks on the 4th of July even though I was not in the U.S.!

My favorite picture of the day

I wish we had stuff like this in the states! Anyway thanks for viewing, any questions about the festival?

*click images for full view!

Dressed up for Tanabata (film)

Keio’s SFC Campus had a tanabata festival the other day so we all dressed up in jinbei or yukatas and went. These are just pictures of everyone all dressed up – I’ll post pictures of the festival tomorrow.

Haha good thing we have Michelle who actually knows how to put these on. Ben’s got messed up so she fixed it on the train – ha the ladies on the train seemed to get a kick out of that! By the way– notice anything special about her jinbei? Muahahahahaha.

Apparently Kirk's yukata came complete with arm rest

Kirk, Nozomi and I

With my Japanese friends that I don't see enough!

I met Satoko (on the right) through school – I signed up for a conversation partner and it was her. Haha she had only done it because they needed more people and her friend asked her but lucky for me. Her and her friends are so cool and she’s even in a band! Yuichiro (on the left) is also in it and actually he did an exchange at Pacific Lutheran in Washington last year so he’s ペラペラ (fluent) in English – which is nice because Satoko doesn’t really speak it and my Japanese sucks. Haha.

Amy and Yutaro : )

For her final project in one of her classes Akina (on the left) was interviewing foreigners about what they think of Japan but we got Nozomi in there too, haha. Akina is extremely bubbly and laughs constantly, its pretty cute.

Akina: So.. What’s your name?

Nozomi: Nozomi.

Akina: And.. where are you from?

Nozomi:…Japan…

Akina: Oh! Haha well.. what is Japan in one word?

Nozomi:…home?

L. getting interviewed.. I wonder what she said..

Haha. I didn’t get to hear what everyone else said though. What were your words, guys?

Anyway thats all for now. More tomorrow of course : )

*click images for full view

At the Park! (film)

Ben and Anna and I went to kill time at an extremely small park near Keio (it has swings!) last Friday and made a friend – well Ben in particular made a friend.

Anna: 名前は何ですか？　What’s your name?

Kid: あるけど。。。　I have one but…

He spent forever trying to explain something about a camera and a battery and a phone to us but we’re apparently still not good enough at Japanese to communicate with a 6 year old.

Cute huh?

Other recent portraits:

Mel is back visiting!

Marissa from Singapore

Her hair has a nice purple hue in this picture : )

Upcoming posts:

- Keio SFC campus festival (we dressed up in yukata and jinbei!)

- tanabata boat excursion (basically a dressed up Japanese style booze cruise)

- biking Tokyo!

*oh I almost forgot to say – click images for full view!

The Power is On* (film)

Ok, I’ve got less than a month left in Japan. (In my head: NOOOOO I don’t want to go yet!!!!!!) As soon as I finish my tests next week I’m going to be super 積極的 (outgoing) and explore EVERY day and take as many pictures as I can so pleeeeease give me your recommendations or requests of anything you want to see before I go! Once the year is over I’m going to compile some of the best photos into a book and if you like you can buy it (you want to, right??). : )

The last week I’ve been kind of busy finishing up school so nothing too exciting in this post. I played with self-timer again as a way to use up my last few shots and took pictures of my food so I could drop off my film to be developed before school. Haha LAME….

Bento I made the other day

I found this Tofu Burger mix at the 100yen store the other day. All you have to do is mix it with strained firm tofu and then fry the patties. SO GOOD.

I did NOT make that shot.

I can't really explain this face.

I put up this picture of me cracking my knuckles on my flickr the other day and it got so many responses so I was like, “oh I should try to do something cool like that again!” And…I think I should find better uses for my last few pictures. Hahaha.

OH by the way, there’s a cool new post up on THE PUBLICS about stickers in Tokyo using my photos so check it out por favor! お願いします！

Anyway I’m off – going to a campus festival today in JINBEI - should be fun. I hope to hear from everyone reading this! Give me some ideas/ requests! Thanks : )

*song title from Thunder Lightning Strike (The Go! Team)

**click images for full view

It always rains on a picnic* (film)

L. Ploy is going to be the first to leave Japan….just over a week now… : (

>I’m going to visit you in Thailand someday L.!

She had a bit of a wipe-out on her bike recently

Who is Yujiro?

She spelled my name wrong : )

I added a few of these to my website as part of a “portrait series” I’m starting. Pretty excited about it..muahaha.

Man this business of leaving all the good friends I’ve made this year is going to be tough. What to do what to do? Work like crazy when I get back and save up all my money so I  can go visit everyone all over the world? たぶん、ね。

*Song title from Sad Sappy Sucker (Modest Mouse)

**click images for full view (you know you want to!)

Shibuya with Nozomi (film)

Nozomi is my cool new friend I met through Karl who met her at the Design Festa event last year. Check out her website, her paintings are amaaaazing! I’m going to get at least one before I go home.

I asked her to pick whichever part of this huge mural she liked and stand in front of it.

Vegan Cafe, Shibuya

I can’t believe I had never wandered down this alley before.. I’m usually so good about that!

—-

So I have a few things to mention:

- New updates on my website: I added a few new photos and I also put up my first addition to the Portrait Series. Let me know what you think. I plan to do more of these. I’ve been working on it a lot lately so keep checking if you’re interested! : ) http://allisonoconnor.com

- I’m thinking of creating an ETSY page to sell prints and the photo book I’m working on. What do you guys think? Are you interested in this sort of thing?

- I might get to display my photos at Design Festa Gallery in Harajuku in a couple of weeks! I’m super excited about this so I’ll keep you posted!

Thanks!

*click images for full view