In The Land of Grownups

Oh, how I wish there was such snow.
We're in Vermont at the moment,
and still quite busy getting
a car,
a place to live,
etc.

Still, I wished to update!
Thus, I give you a bit I wrote
before leaving Japan,
and also a hair-coloring tutorial of sorts.

Leaving Yokosuka

I will miss the trains.

Fast, safe, where ever you need to go, almost always on the minute, on time, highheels running on the pavement to get on in time.

I will miss the people,

Polite, respectful, be you a customer, a friend, an entire language of kindness, of being aware of who you are and what your culture is and how someone from that culture should treat others.

I will miss the clothes.

I'll miss everyone taking pride in their appearance, even if it goes a bit extreme sometimes, women with such pressure on them to be small, to look a certain way.

I will miss the food,

Portions I can actually eat all of, healthy, not worrying about what that fish ate before it came to my plate, if the raw beef is safe.

I will miss the city,

The buildings, old and new stacked on top of each other, colorful girls giggling, a pristine shrine without a speck of litter in the grass, across from Harajuku.

I will miss feeling safe,

Walking down the street at night, only Americans to worry about. Even if a man looks at me, I don't worry about him being near me when I walk past a dark alley.

I will miss fireworks and hot tasty chicken liver on a stick on the street, a little card swiped and I'm off, walking everywhere, breaking in high heels on the hills around Yokosuka, Mona's bar covered in glitter, singing karaoke until my voice is raw. Piles and piles of photographs to scrapbook, faces I will miss so much.

I don't look forward to suburbs, to malls full of people who look like they've just rolled out of bed, boats of food at restaurants and rude customer service, men who don't listen to the word no.

But I do look forward to snow.

To the woods around the lake covered in white blankets, to the icefishing shacks on the lake itself.

I look forward to rock shows,

Watching my little bro rock out, stomping my feet, seeing shows on the fly in Albany,

I look forward to knowing the language,

Even if it means I'll be hearing utter rudeness, at least I shall understand it.

I look forward to bonfires,

camping, curling up in my parents' house while Rick and Dad and Jake go hunting, cause Rick really wants to go hunting with my dad.

I look forward to Friends,

To getting tattoos with Dena and Kaiter watching again, to seeing new babies, new shoes, to being fabulous old ladies, to old friends and new getting to meet each other someday, to getting smashed in Canada on a long weekend ;)

I look forward to my family,

I love how excited my husband is to be near them, to have a real relationship with them,I want to hug my neices and nephews and be the crazy tattooed aunty with rainbow hair and lots of pets.

I look forward to having a yard again,

Even if it is in the suburbs.

I look forward to Vegas one day,

With Liz and Kristy and Daniella and Dan and Chanelle and anyone else who can come,

I look forward to coming back to Japan someday

And thank God for the years I did have here...

Meet Po!
My kokeshi, bought on the way home at Narita.
Le sigh.
Being home is lovely, though!




Hairventure


So.
I have had cherry/blood-red hair for oh,
Five months? Six? Courtesy of Vampire Red
by Manic Panic.

It requires a large amount of upkeep,
yet thus far has been worth it.
For those of you considering some long-term
unconventional coloring,
allow me to babble at you!

First, how I get there.

My brown hair is pre-lightened,
I attend my roots with drug-store bleach kits
every month or so.
Husband did it this time for me!

(Taken back at our old place)
SO YELLOW.
The color will stick to your scalp,
so just be careful, practice is the only remedy!

Prepped!
I use a damp cloth nearby to wipe smudges,
after dabbing vaseline along my hairline,
ears,
and neck.
This makes removing wayward globs easier.
Manic Panic washes off your skin well enough...
but it takes some scrubbing!
Vaseline is a godsend as such.
Snap on some gloves,
saran-wrap a bowl,
empty dat jar, and get globbing.

As it's a mostly-vegan, creme color
with no harsh chemicals,
there's no rush to get the color on,
or off!
Instructions tell you to leave the color on
-at least-
15 - 30 minutes.
Feel free to go much longer, in fact, I encourage it!
I leave mine on at least an hour.

Tada!
There's no such thing as 'rinsing until the water runs clear'.
Accept that rinsing/washing your hair?
Will result in pink/whatever color you used water!

For long-term coloring, yep, this means a colored tub.
However, as it's such a natural formula,
a bit of bleach/water mix spritzed on the tiles and left
a few minutes will take care of it.

Reserve a couple ratty/proper colored towels for hair-washing days,
and find a good mild shampoo and conditioner.
I use Burt's Bees,
mixed with a dap of Manic Panic's color-extending
shampoo.
It REALLY helps.
Alas, I don't believe they make it anymore.
Le sigh!

I re-dye about every two weeks.
I personally don't find the Amplified Formula
to be that much stronger,
except at staining the bathroom :P

That's all for now!
Entries will be more numerous as we settle in!
Also, behold my new ink!
Done by Mel at Lark Tattoo Albany.
She's all scabby right now, poor girl,
but shall soon be shiny again!


Til Next We Meet,
<3 ~ Amy