Ruby /// Love, like or hate

Oh my god, I've just seen martin Bashir interviewed on Japanese news about Jacko. Now I know what Sheil and popbitch were on about. Someone please look out for Timber so he doesn't meet the same fate in about 10 years time.

My jet lag has finally gone, today was the first time I felt really normal and slept and got up at reasonable times. I headed off to Hiro early to look for second hand furniture.

(Slocombe-san waiting for my bus)

Hiro is on my bus route into town and is really cheap, lots of food markets and girls clothes shops. I took the opportunity to buy some cute socks. I don't normally wear socks - i think they strangle your feet, but it's essential here. Nearly everywhere you go you have to take your shoes off before entering and put on a wee pair of slippers. No sock means freezing toes.

(neat trees in hiro)

It's really cold here about -3, but is very sunny. I've also invested in a hat and have started wearing it at all times in the flat as it's freeezing. Hiro didn't have any 2nd hand furniture shops, as I thought so I may have to borrow furniture for the installation.

(laforet - relaunch mural)

Loads of the shops are closed for february, have murals painted on the windows and will relaunch in March with a sale and all the new stock. Laforet is an amazing shopping centre in Harajuku - like Hyper Hyper in London, loads of small clothes shops - Emily Temple Cute, Agent orange Shoes, Swimmer. Fanatastic shoes but nothing bigger than a size 5. rubbish, I'm a 7.

(hanozomon line)

Then, a sprint across town to present home-maker and muse company to a man from the local council. Lots of bowing and meishi swapping. I've nearly run out of meishi (business cards) so have designed some new ones to get printed out here with my name in katakana.

(french living cafe)

Then back for final preparations for tomorrows filming. I hope it all goes well.

Japanese stuff part 1

Everything gets recycled, very diligently rubbish is separated and collected on different days. I have made about 4 bins in my flat for glass, paper, cans and combustables. What I don't understand is why there is so much packaging on everything in the first place.

Some food is really strange or surprising. Yuko-san offered me some sweet bread earlier, I thought she meant brioche or a pastry type thing. What it was, was a sweet bread with sweet potato and azuki beans in the centre. It's really confusing on the taste buds as it looks like one thing then tastes like another completely. I had an icecream the other day and the raisins in it turned out to be soya beans.

Toilets are really technical. they are either hole in the ground - squat style or really high tech. Lots of them have heated seats, have a built in bidet, a sensor as you sit down starts a flushing sound (to cover any embarassing noises) and flushes automatically as you stand up.

Everything is neat and tidy and there is no litter, any where. My flat is probably the messiest thing in Japan.

Lots of the most geeky looking gai-jin (foreigners) have the most beautiful japanese girlfriends. Nao-Chan's australian english teacher told me they are known as 'charisma men'. The japanese girls throw themselves at these white blokes and it goes to their heads, making them think they are truly charismatic.

(kawai desu ne)

Cute characters are absolutely everywhere, from the bus logo, the symbol for the police and toys - definetly not just for kids.

I saw a white faced diva on tv last night who sang with tears streaming down her face. I love her.

Micheal J fox is always on telly.

Who wants to be a millionairre is exactly the same, apart from you win multiple millions of yen.

Gap has exactly the same window displays here as in Nottingham.

george w sounds just as dim in japanese.

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