Exploring Japan - the vacation of a lifetime

My husband and I have been contemplating for a while now the possibility of taking a vacation to Japan to visit my little brother.  Miraculously, everything fell into place and we were able to take this once-in-a-lifetime trip.  Of course, my husband is now completely smitten and he wants me to bid on it, but our attitude going into this trip was to see everything we could see in 8 days.

We spent our time in three main cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, and the region around Sendai (where my brother lives and works). Tokyo is a city of 13 million, and thus the biggest city I have ever visited.  I was immediately struck by how clean it is.  In New York and London, for example, when you blow your nose at night what comes out is black (yuck!), but not so in Tokyo.  In Japan you have a fascinating juxtaposition of high tech (think bullet train, Tokyo high-rises, neon lights) and ancient tradition (geishas, beautiful shrines, temples, and gardens).

Some of the highlights:

• Studio Ghibli, the museum of famous Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro).
• Sleeping on real futons on traditional tatami mats in a Ryokon
• Eating sushi for breakfast at the Tokyo fish market
• Fukushima Inari - the shrine of 1,000 red gates
• Bamboo grove near Tenryuji in Kyoto

Being in Japan was an exhilarating mixture of adrenaline and disorientation that I haven't felt in a long time.  Everything is so different from the West, and at least when we went, there were very few tourists.  The Japanese are so friendly and charming.  It helped that my brother speaks Japanese--that goes a long way.

While in Japan my husband and I celebrated our six year wedding anniversary.  We went out to a traditional Japanese meal with my brother and then to the New York Bar (the one in Lost in Translation). We had such a fabulous time.  It was so good to spend time with my little brother and to lose ourselves in the tourist experience.  Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Afternoon Tea Party Baby Shower

Over the weekend my friend and I threw a baby shower for our dear pregnant friend!  She looks so cute, right?  The shower was so much fun.  We had it partially on our balcony.  I found the DIY streamer instructions on Oh Happy Day.

The menu included

Drinks

Bellini’s

          Champagne w Strawberry PureePeach Puree

Limonana

All sorts of fruit juices

Water with lemon slices

Food

French bread crudité

          Slices of French bread

          Herbed veggie dip

          Fresh veggie crudités

Cucumber bites with whipped herb topping

Tea sandwiches

          Vidalia onion w/ salt and butter

          Smoked salmon on dark bread (pumpernickel or rye)

          Watercress or arugula

          Chicken curry

Cherry and goat cheese crostini

Caramelized Onion Tart

Mushroom Galette

Desserts

Vanilla Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Candied Popcorn

Blueberry scones with lemon curd

Strawberries and dip

          Sour cream and brown sugar

          Balsamic vinegar and powdered sugar

My beyond incredible friend and co-host made the lions share of the food. She has her own blog, which I will ask her permission to link.  And the men?  They went go carting!   

Pavlova

Don't you just love meringue?

Turkey in February

One of the neat things about living in Israel is that you are a short flight to so many interesting locations. Last weekend, we got to realize a longtime dream to visit Istanbul, Turkey. Seriously, folks, we have owned a Turkey guide book for six years!

I wouldn't necessarily recommend going to Istanbul in February because (get this) it is FREEZING COLD. But, on the bright side the prices are a cheaper and it is definitely not as crowded.

My favorite memory of Istanbul is the Hagia Sophia. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. You walk in and you are speechless, surrounded by gold and light, looking up at a ceiling that seems to float in the ether. Well, the pictures simply don't do it justice, but I will share our attempts to capture it.

The Hagia Sophia was originally built in 360 AD and it changed the history of architecture. The one we saw was the third structure to stand on that ground (built in 532 AD). It suffered from earthquakes and was converted into a Catholic church, a mosque, and now a museum.

This picture (below) is the interior of the Blue Mosque, or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which sits across from the Hagia Sophia. It was built in 1616 AD.

Other highlights of the trip: dinner at a tavern in Beyaglu and a cruise of the Bosphorus. Below is my husband's favorite picture from the weekend.

Skiing on Mount Hermon

This weekend, we went skiing on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. 3,000 ft above sea level, we could still see in the distance the second lowest place on earth, the Sea of Galilee. We went on a Sunday, which is a working day here, so it was less crowded than it would have been. Much to my surprise, however, most of the people who came to the mountain purchased lift tickets simply to ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain, sit in the lodge, and then ride back down. They were dressed like they were going skiing, but without any skis.

We had a very nice time. There weren't a lot of runs, but it was pretty steep and a good workout. It was nice treat for my husband and I who love to ski/snowboard but haven't had the opportunity for a few years.

Decorating on the move

Developing your own personal decorating style can be difficult, whether you are renting or (like me) have a job that requires you to move every few years. Here are a few photos from my space, captured on my iphone, and some tips.

1. Order the Domino Guide to Decorating, which teaches you how to define your own style and execute professional looking rooms. Yes this is possible even with drexel heritage furniture. Our personal style is mod/farmhouse. As you can see, it is whimsical, but we think it works.

2. Collect pieces that say something about you. A lot of the pieces I own are from flee markets, antique stores, and auctions in Ohio; and the art is either from friends or relatives (I have the wonderful luxury of having a MIL, aunt, and great uncle who are all visual artists; an aunt who is a fab interior decorator; and a long line of antique-hunters that goes back to my great-grandmother). Life after Jerusalem recently wrote a post about Foreign Service Officers telling a story with their houses/apartments (read it here).

3. Find the cheaper alternative. Can't paint? Try a wall sticker to make a statement or large prints of your favorite artwork. Can't wallpaper? Try framing large swatches of fabric to use as wall hangings.

4. Read magazines and blogs and bookmark things you like. Your dream house/apartment will be easier to pull off if you can visualize it. Even better if you can find DIY tutorials like my friend Mandy's. If you pull of something fabulous, share it!

Any tips of your own to share? Favorite sources of inspiration? What two words describe your personal design aesthetic?

The navel of the world

Last weekend I had the rare opportunity to take a tour of one of the holiest and most emotionally-charged places on earth: the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque are located on the Temple Mount, one of the holiest locations for three of the world's major religions. You may not realize (I didn't) that the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque and that women pray in the Dome of the Rock and men pray in the Al-Aqsa Mosque (both located in the Temple Mount inside the Old City of Jerusalem).

Inside the Dome of the Rock is the Foundations Stone (below). Many believe this stone to mark a special gateway to heaven, the place where God began the creation of the earth, the rock where Abraham almost sacrificed Issac, where the Holy of Holies was located in the Jewish Temple, and where the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven. The experience was quite moving for me and puts into perspective how complicated the city truly is.