And so I went shopping...

It all started in a very innocent way. Today, I just had plenty of free time on my hands. It has been almost 3 months since I've arrived to Japan and I still haven't done any girlie shopping. Shocking you say?! Well - yes and no would say those who know my passion for this activity.

When I'm home (Paris home, not Bratislava home this time - sorry mum) I always do the same thing. It's truly a great romantic moment. Just me and a steamy hot tea in my favorite mug. My terminally ill MacBook spits great beats (slow, fast, jazzy... whatever the mood dictates) to keep me company. Sometimes the candle's flame flickers and keeps it cozy for us (me & the mug that is!)... No, there is no crazy crowd. No, there are no waiting lines for the fitting rooms or for the cashiers. No, there is no tempting sales lady who just pulls those beautiful and matching items out of nowhere!

So I took my courage tightly into my arms, hopped onto the bicycle and rock'n rolled. Today's destination? Shin sai bashi suji... Once I arrived there, my nightmare became a reality. I just didn't know whether to go right, left, backwards or forwards - there are so many shops!!! To make it simple - you basically start from SSBS, head towards the Ebisu Bridge and go into the Ebisubashi-Suji shopping street (tunnel of many colors and lights). It will take you as far as Namba Nankai station!!! Lemme tell you - no matter where you turn, you see all these chirpy japanese girls - all made up from head to toe and from toe to head. Elegant, hippy, sexy, baba cool... with all possible accessories (fake hair, fake lashes, fake eye lids, fake nails), the shortest shorts and mini skirts. Happy to be there with the g-friends. Let's not forget the cool boys with the tightest trousers, shiniest shoes and craziest hair do's you'll ever see. I felt like I was in an anime movie. Blue hair, red hair, orange hair, yellow hair, darkest deepest black hair. Spiky, smooth, fringe all over the face, no fringe at all... My vocabulary isn't rich enough to be able to describe all I've seen. It is something else!!!

I looked like an elephant in a glass bottle. Uncomfortable. Out of place. With my 178cm tall european body, with my sporty outfit, my hair totally undone due to the windy bike ride, with my highly uninspired shopping mind. Because to shop successfully, one has to have her or his mind tightly set up on something. Anything. Everything. I do admit - this place is fun. But I still dislike girlie shopping. I prefer by far to shop for gifts. For the family, for the friends, for the house, for the fridge.

And how did it all end? Well, I did buy a skirt that I might not wear very often for it is just a "hair" shorter than it should be for it to look cool (japanese L size is still not my kind of size), a twin top set will be separated into 2 different homes, a jacket that will always be worn with the sleeves rolled up and shoes made in China. But my most exciting findings happened elsewhere. Can you guess where I ended up?

  

And so... I WENT SHOPPING AND I WENT COMPLETELY BONKERS because this is the kind of girlie girl I am!!! ♥♥♥

To CHI or not to CHI

... that is the question...

So what do you think and more importantly, what do you do when somebody tells you you have the most amazing CHI energy they have ever seen and felt? 

That somebody is an overwhelmingly beautiful woman over 65 years old (she will forgive my bluntness about the age issue), she seems to be serene (no, she is!), well spoken, highly educated, carrying her body in a noble way. Everything about her screams "aristocratic". As soon as I see her, I like her immediately for her energy, for the color that surrounds her.

You have got to wonder. Who is she? And how does she know? How does she feel the CHI energy within me? Did she study about it? Is it a gift she has? If so, does she observe it with every single person that crosses her path? (Must be pretty colorful, let me tell you that!) Either way, it is mind blowing to hear such thing. And flattering (hmm, I think!). She isn't the first one to make that observation and you know how I get when I don't understand something. I ask, I read, I do research. And this is what I found out:

Chi (spelled in many different ways but I prefer this form) comes from China and the writings (500 BC) link the word to breath and blood. Chi energy is a subtle electro magnetic energy that runs through everything we know. The energy of Chi emits vibrant, bright colors (also called the aura), a vibrational frequency and a sound. It carries information with it as it flows from one thing to another. The energy flowing through your body will predominantly carry your thoughts, feelings and emotions, but will mix with other energies around you. All the time some of your energy is floating off, away from you, whilst you also draw in new energy from the ambient energy around you.

When CHI becomes disturbed, stagnant, imbalanced - diseases and illness begin to take form. The aura becomes darker and discolored, your personal frequency vibrates the wrong way and the meridians and chakras become blocked. I am not going to go into details about those because I still don't quite understand them to their extend. But if you have an insight on it that you wish to share, please - you know where to find me!

In a way this all could be kind of scary. Because what all the research about CHI energy implies is that the energy of some of your thoughts and emotions literally floats off into world around you. Now, when everything is functioning correctly - it is rather awesome thing to release into the world or bath in when it is coming from the others. But when they are dark and negative? Yuck, who would want to bath in heavy mud all the time???

The idea of picking up interesting insights, revelations and even solutions to my own problems sounds highly inspiring, motivating, exciting. Yes, please! Especially because that means that whatever the fresh CHI energy I draw into my own field will bring in something of the world around me also to the people that surround me. If you see what I mean. And you DO know how I feel about sharing!!! (and not just the yummy candies!)

It is said that meditation is an important part of life. I don't know how to meditate. I am way too agitated by the things that can be done, seen, read, learned, shared. I don't even breath correctly, so how could one expect of me to know how to meditate?

This all brings me to the following question: So, how many positive people do you really have around you? And how many of those dark, never satisfied ones? When I looked at the list of my friends, I must say - I felt (and I still do) pretty lucky. Apparently (many wise people said so in the past) - we only attract what we are and who we are. I am surrounded by some very awesome people. Intelligent, intellectually stimulating, funny, positive, happy, generous, kind and loving people. Remember those wise people? - I definitely want to be all of the above and more! For myself and for the others, for you.

Dear Miss Mari. I would like to dedicate this post to you because you reminded me how wonderful it feels to feel good. And I've come to this conclusion by giving it a thought. Respect yourself enough to never feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. It doesn’t matter whether these people are relatives, romantic interests, coworkers, old friends, or new acquaintances – you don’t have to make room in your life for people who make you feel like you’re less than you are. You deserve more. You deserve to be a pretty color and a great energy. You deserve to be happy.

Sakura

Today, a dream of mine came true. It was not planned for today nor for tomorrow. I even thought it was doomed for this year (again)! And yet, it happened. This is the beauty of our universe. Sometimes it doesn't give you a warning, it just rubs it into your face full force. And you better grab it, breath it in and keep it in forever (and ever, cross my heart!!!). For these are the moments of pure beauty, magic and happiness. Isn't it what a "dream come true" is supposed to be about? Well, for me - it is.

Sakura.

Curious of nature, I asked my japanese friends to explain the meaning of all this to me and they surprised me. Some of them answered simply - it's "cherry blossom" because that's what it is. Some of them said it was a very special period in Japan, when people go out, have picnics and enjoy the warmer spring weather under the cherry trees. Some of them just became dreamy and never spoke a word. But that was maybe the language barrier that stopped us from exchanging.

Before I googled it (yes, yes), I though that cherry blossom was special only in Japan. But I learned that it is to be seen also in Australia, Brazil, China, Korea, USA, Germany, Turkey, UK, Canada... Who would have thought?! And so tonight, I'll be going to bed somewhat smarter. Yay!

In Japan, the custom goes back all the way to the Nara period (NO, I'm not gonna bore you with the dates). I was also told that for a very long time it was limited to the elite of the Imperial court. Pfffffff! What? Say that again? Did the common people walk with their eyes shut???!!! It made my friend laugh but I admit - I still do not understand that part. But I have good news to tell you. The Edo period changed it and common people could again walk with their eyes wide open. Here I say "sugoi"!!! Cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds. Why clouds? Well, it's simple - the blooming happens overwhelmingly massively. Cherry blossoms are associated with mortality and for that reason they are symbolic.

Obviously, like almost everything else in Japan, the blossoms can be also eaten. Now I do not know how exactly it all happens but basically they are pickled in salt and ume (plum) vinegar and then the flavor is extracted and used in the sweet recipes. I must say, the candies I have tried in the past with the mentioned extract made my lips twirl immediately in a very unnatural and unattractive way. Just for the (twisted) fun of it, everybody should try at least once!

And how do I really see this cherry blossom? Well, it is something else!!! It is colorful, it is playful, it is magical, it is serene, it is mesmerizing, it is peaceful, it is as fluffy as those clouds up in the sky. But most of all - for me, cherry blossom glows.

Push me!

This is it...

... Yes, this is it. I've been pushed. I've been pushed from a far distance (10689km kind of distance - or so does the ever-so-intelligent google buddy say) and yet it was a very powerful push. I felt it and Osaka shook for about a minute at the same time. We were not moved for the same reasons but somebody would find a sign in it and so I say, why not!

Dear tall, handsome and intelligent pusher (yes, you - the one with beautiful blue eyes that sparkle!)... I would like to thank you for pushing me. I hope to make you proud!!!