Just around the corner!

Hello! Life …..

I don’t know why I am here and ofcourse then no harm saying ‘I am still here’….

After every silence there comes a storm while here there is none, but a quick catch up on lately lost time. A lot of packing-unpacking and then again the packing-unpacking in my hands, all from this I hate the most is the toilets of an airplane and ofcourse the good-byes waved to loved ones.

Back in Tokyo and enjoying ‘me’ time with missing; the time chatting to siblings and late night drives just for a cup of a tea. Who says life is unfair? Well once you stop trying to change the change you are not fixing yourself into and look around you are actually a part of what life was setting you up in, right? Mine has too, yeah finally coming back to Tokyo feels like coming back home.

Hopefully more write ups will follow.

-Preeti

Birthday Celebration.

Hello! Everyone,

This blog isn’t about Tokyo but about the little celebration we had last week for my husband’s birthday.

Birthday’s coming on weekday don’t promise a great day so I had planned a candle light dinner at home for us, which was a surprise for him. And a relaxed evening for the two.

My husband loves Chinese food with the desi Indian touch to it, so I had to made food that he loves. And ladies out here who are reading this blog don’t worry about making your desi recipe’s in Japan. No doubt here you won’t find an Indian grocery store at every ‘nukkad’ (lane) but there are plenty if you search and also you will have many choices for home delivery from the Indian online stores. And for certain reason it is always good to order online because the for the transport one has to use is trains or walk home. Loaded with all the grocery it can be difficult and also going every week for grocery purchase ends up being tiresome. Here are some helpful links to order your grocery and they have pretty much everything an Indian cooking needs.

1.       Ambica 2. Indojin 3. Asianbazaar

Ranked them according to my preference, you can visit these and decide what suits you better.

So now coming back to the birthday celebrations. I made him the desi version of hot & sour soup, Chinese fried rice and white sauce pasta.

It was a wonderful evening with some romantic music playing in the background. Sharing some pictures.

Will be back with more blogs ... 

BBQ in Tokyo.

If you are new in Japan and having no friends, it can be too disheartening and lonesome.

It’s completely a personal choice to stick around to the same community or hang out with Japanese people, ofcourse for this you must have Japanese people around you. Like my husband has a great number of Japanese and other foreigner friends too. Tip: Never hesitate on meeting people.

I still remember when I first came to Tokyo Boney was invited to a house warming party of an American, without a second thought we decided to go there and not miss a chance of making new friends. The additional benefit to me was I can find people who will speak English. Initially it will be difficult to find people who don’t speak English, for you might end up being friends with only your community people. But I say move out and meet people, this brings a chance of knowing different country culture and also meet people with same interest.

Last weekend Boney took me to my first Barbecue, it was my first because in India in my city we never had one. So I was quite excited and also confused to what to wear (never forget Japan is a fashion obsessed country, not that they are too dressed up always but they are appropriately dressed up always). But anyways I headed up with a hungry stomach and we weren't worried of food to take with us (one must always take some food or drinks while visiting other Japanese people) because we were just going to pay to the person who had arranged the set up (as planned). So we just had to reach there and enjoy the barbecue. Btw also the place your group goes for BBQ is a place where you will be provided with all the tools and seating arrangement, so all you need is people and food to take with.

It was a beautiful day, and we had a shady corner for our setup. Japanese people eat a lot of non-vegetarian food which as an Indian you might not want to, but don’t worry you can politely ask them to keep that kind of food for later and cook the rest.

I do not eat beef so we requested the group to cook that later for themselves, and they were kind to cook the veggies and chicken for the start.

We spend our evening with laughter, good food, and lovely people.

Not all Japanese you meet would end up being your BBF (Best Friend Forever) it’s just that you must enjoy the day you are in without too much of expectation (more about this later). I remember having one Jap (Japanese) person who dint speak anything during the entire barbecue…. So just relax take your hat and slippers and hit the barbecue.

Cheers… 

16 August 2013.

Such notes are found in the government building where large number of foreigners live.

Japan is a beautiful country and also very disciplined. 

There are a few (a little too many) things here that took me by surprise immensely. The Japanese are so particular about the time that you may be surprised how much they stick to it without any extra effort. Japanese are in fact famous world wide for staying so punctual. I remember my husband explaining to me how the day after Tsunami was in Japan; all the offices were working on time so were the schools. In fact the given time for an amazon delivery was also maintained. The public was seen going to office on their particular time (this is about Tokyo city).

I wont share what the Japanese themselves have to say about their country; I will bring the view of it as I see it as a foreigner. This place maintains silence that you can never imagine of, you might be able to hear the noises your stomach makes (I know its hard to believe). The silence when my husband leaves for works use to make me upset in the early times in Tokyo.

Whenever am out on streets or market I never make or receive calls from my family; which takes them by surprise. I remember the last time I visited India my father was upset that I avoid answering their calls... OMG my dear daddy had to be explained why it happened. Well people here do not talk loudly neither they use their phone in public, they avoid it and even if they do they would talk putting a hand across on the mouth to lower the noise for others around. I cannot behave like any foreigner who gives a darn to what this country believed but I had to be one of a kind who respects their space and culture. I was told by my husband that Japanese do not like being intervened in their privacy, they are people who keep it to themselves. With them its not the same like we do in India, there are no big families, nor there happens big dinners together. They like it to keep to themselves.

Dont be surprised if you find the metro trains following the pin drop silence that we never found in schools or hospitals of our country.

On that note I think I shall blog about the trains very soon :D 

Have a great weekend!!!

Tik Tok Tokyo

The day I came to Tokyo I was taken aback, it appeared so dull and silent. A sudden feeling of boredom and depression stuck me. (don't be panicked there is a lot more to be written here)

The house that we were suppose to stay in was not cleaned by the time we had reached. As per Japanese contract we need to sign in person for the house and after that the management takes around 10 to 12 days to clean it thoroughly (and they mean it 'thoroughly').

We stayed in the house Boney had stayed during his bachelorhood. It had only one room, kitchen and bathroom. And was a typical Japanese house made of wood. It was too chilly for Febuary and the house would stay so cold all the time. I wasn't prepared with the proper warm wear because my city in India wasnt as cold so I couldn't get as good winter wear. So I kept shivering like a chicken who is about to get killed.

My first friend in Tokyo was the heater of the house, I use to stick around it all time.

We hadnt started cooking food as we knew we would shift to our actual house soon, eating out regularly was fun and not at all sinful.... Yes Japan bets on the most healthiest food you can get in any country.

I tried pasta's (made with less cheese but amazing herbs), noodles soup (just too perfect for the chilly evenings), chicken dishes (Not many to say but a few good ones).... I will keep posting the dishes Japan offers.

I met Boney's friend for the first time and had my first 'Sushi'. The place of meeting friends/colleagues having some drinks and food with them is called 'Izakaya' and this concept of doing so is called 'nomikai'. So that was my first Nomikai :)

Jayshree to Preity. Yes am married now.

Life has changed… changed not just because am married now but because I no longer live in my own country, I left my secure zone to enter a new life with a new name; Preeti.

Marriage was a milestone of my life, I have lived it like a princess waiting for the prince charming. I was teased with a joke of getting wrinkled until I f​ind​ one; but there came one not on a horse but on an​ ​airplane who swept me off my feet and here I am now in Tokyo with him.

We went for a lovely honeymoon in Maldives(uploading a few pictures), couldn’t have asked for more after a big fat Indian wedding. The late night functions, the house loaded with family members, the wee hour discussion, the sleepless nights with early morning, the rush of last minute to buy things forgotten, the constant ringing phone calls, the last minute changes, the unwanted disaters (0h yes there were a few)... but after all these we still got married...

Life is quite challenging now, had a lot of ups and down. Stick around I promise to be back with more :)

                                                                  Me in a bridal wear

Exchanging of rings.

Marriage ceremony

Resort in Maldives

Way to our bungalow

sunset at the beach of the resort

backside of our villa

our bungalow

candle light dinner

Bye for now ...

She said it to me... (4th March, 2013)

She had come a long way in search of the happiness she dreamt… She had dreams; beautiful dreams for she kept looking.

She had a charming world but still she always felt something missing. She hid what she felt deep down her heart from everyone and she even she could hide her own emotions from the soul and the emptiness grew more.

Leaving it all she moved on with what she thought was the most precious thing that had come her way, she moved on with excitement she thought she dint had at all…

But only to find herself searching what she wants again…. Happiness was something different than what she had thought of, wanted and desired ……

Only to realize that happiness cannot be found or achieved but only an illusion to keep you away from the deepest darkest nights of disappointments and failures….