The Horrors of Park Place

I'm being over dramatic (Surprise!), there are no horrors. Well, very few anyway.

In fact, last night I even managed to sleep with the bedroom door shut and all the lights off. What? yes, I'm 26 and scared of complete complete suffocating horrifying darkness. Aren't you? Can't you feel it pressing in all around you? Hiding anything but also an entity? Can you now? Anyway. One curtain open and I coped. Victory!

Also? we live in the bush. Not REALLY of course, we are walking distance to civilisation and other houses, but there is an awful lot of greenery all around the house. Lots of trees and ferns. It feels decidedly bush-esque. This means insects. A lot of insects. Myriad insects. And I do not like insects. There are spiders and moths and THINGS I CANNOT EVEN IDENTIFY.

But mainly? MAINLY? (well, besides the insects thing, but I can't effectively control that) it's because the phone lines at the house are all messed up (Craig's technical term there) and as such we have not had internet since Wednesday.
AND I HAD PLANS. I had plans to post all of my Japan photos this week. But no. You just get one shot of Dōtonbori at night and well ... they are sending out a technician tomorrow so we shall see.
If we are without internet indefinitely? I might come out in a rash. I'm a little worried.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The end of Movember. The return of Craig's upper lip.

Week Forty-Eight

Sunday
I explored the steep little garden of Park Place. It was unexciting but the rose was pretty.


Monday
Unpacking a little further. The area I have claimed to store my office type things is all pale colours and kitsch. Like this little metal bird.


Tuesday
Thanks to a free carpark at work, and the fact that there are two of us in the car, it is much cheaper for Craig and I to drive in to work and back. The only trouble is, sometimes the return journey is slow.


Wednesday
My new gela-skins iPhone cover (using this photo from Paris) arrived and in addition to the pink headphones and pink handbag? it's all a bit much for me.


Thursday
I loved the quote outside Bennetts.


Friday
A no-good-very-bad-mood kind of day. Called for overpriced faux-coffee and a cinnamon roll.


Saturday
Our new couch suite makes me feel positively tiny (but it is glorious and leather and was such a good deal) and I spent most of the day there (it was raining) editing photos. In order to catch up.


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And just like that? I'm up to date with 365 in 2009.
Just in time for the end.

Week Forty-Seven

Sunday
Arriving back in New Zealand. This little country can be damned impressive sometimes.


Monday
Crazy busy moving into Park Place. I only managed to take one photo all day.


Tuesday
Peppermints are a priority in my house. Especially seasonal peppermints. I heart candy canes.


Wednesday
Sunset. I guess the view from Park Place isn't so bad.


Thursday
I collected two framed photographs (uh 3 I suppose) and a frame for my Fifi Lapin print. More art for Park Place.


Friday
My vintage camera collection on display.


Saturday
Post tattoo consultation coffee and brunch. I loved the dressed-up-dogs art for sale. If I had $75 spare? the one in the pink dress would already be mine. Sigh.


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Week Forty-Six

Sunday
Osaka
Our first full day in Japan, Craig and I tagged along with a couple of couch-surfers and went to Osaka Castle.
I love these souvenir pin-ball machines.


Monday
Nara to Kyoto
On our way to Kyoto we spent the day in Nara, famous for the tame deer which roam the city and Nara Park.
According to legend, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō. Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country.
Also? they are ADORABLE.


Tuesday
Kyoto
In Kyoto, we walked for miles and miles through winding streets, temples around every second corner.
My favourite moment was spotting this Geisha at Kyomizu-Dera.
EDIT: I've been advised (ahh the wonder of the internet) that it's actually a tourist dressed up like a Geisha. Which is a little disappointing but I suppose it's as close as I was ever going to get. If we'd had more time in Kyoto, and more money, then I wanted to try this as well! Next time, maybe.


Wednesday
Kyoto-Hiroshima
Our last day in Kyoto, we visited the Fushimi-Inari shrine which has thousands of these bright red Torii lining mountain paths.
As we walked the paths the rain set in, we had umbrellas and rain coats and most of the rest of the tourists cleared out. It was magical.
We caught the Shinkansen to Hiroshima in the evening.


Thursday
Hiroshima-Osaka
A watch frozen by the Atomic Bomb, in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
We spent the morning at the Mazda Museum (yes, seriously) and the afternoon at Peace Park.


Friday
Osaka
Ahhh, the Osaka Aquarium. I loved seeing the Whale Sharks but it was the Manta Ray that took my breath away.


Saturday
Osaka
Our last day in Osaka. We wandered the shopping district with Tim and Mio (how cute are they? answer? VERY) before collecting our bags and heading off to Kansai International Airport.


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In the grounds of Hiroshima Castle, Craig was checking I had myself framed properly. I was peering at him in this photo.



(More Japan photos in the next week or two!)