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11 January 2008
Sonal's Web Diary
Just a little more than a week left of holidays, and before I know it the time will come and I will be at Narita International Airport flying back to England. It is always difficult flying back. It is not the actual flight which I mind, but the to and fro in between, and of course deciding what to pack and take from home to the home away.
I have a list which consists mainly of things which I cannot find in England, or simply prefer to buy in Japan. Random little food items and mainly clothes. I love Japanese fashion. I find it very unique, especially compared to England. No matter which city you go to the stores are basically the same. Each city will contain a New Look, Primark, H&M, M&S, Topshop etc so it can be hard to find unique clothes. Whereas in Tokyo places like Shibuya and Harajuku have little boutiques, each selling different things. Of course as trends and fashions run their course there will be similar items in shops, but you can always find something against the grain and that’s what I love. However, the down side to the fashion here is that a lot of clothing has ‘Engrish’ on it. By ‘Engrish’ I mean random words, sentences, misspelled or sometimes even made up words. I can get away with wearing these items in Tokyo, but in England it is much harder, so I try to avoid these ‘Engrish’ clothes.
Food is another very important thing. My mum provides me with all the Indian spices I need. I know you can get them in England, as there is a very large Asian population, but for some reason it seems better coming from home Also the things unique to Japan, such as osembe, which are rice crackers, youkan, a type of sweet red bean dessert… the list is potentially endless. It is only stopped by the weight limits placed on by the airlines. If I had it my way I would bring over the entire contents of a Japanese supermarket.
Another item I have on my list is coloured contacts. It is hard for me to find proper coloured contacts in England as my eyes are a dark brown, whereas England is a nation consisting of mainly fair-eyed people.
Bearing all the clothes, food and other random items which I wish to bring over packing is always an enormous task! At the end of the day though, packing and carrying your suitcase all around is always worth it because those little items I took for granted I now have a much greater appreciation for.
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