Mariko brought back some wonderful gifts from Japan for me! A cool notebook, local beer, and a teru teru bōzu that is wearing a helmet. Perfect for keeping the rain away from Kiki and I!

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こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photos is of the omiyage that Mariko brought for me from her visit to her hometown of Osaka. It’s a bit of a mix this time, with a wash-cloth that I’ve been mentioning for a few months now, the big bottle of shochu that we’ll enjoy together, and the unexpected darumas (very cool style!).

But the pièce de résistance has to be the ukulele songbook of Ghibli tunes. It’s awesome! The first part of the book is finger-style solos, and the second part is chords and lyrics. I can’t sing, so you might think the second part is not useful, but to the contrary, having the chords right there will be great for referencing when I practice the finger-style versions. And speaking of the finger-style versions, they are the right level for me. The arrangement is not too simple and not too complex. However, I think there will be room to embellish a bit which is why the chords in the second half of the book will be useful. The songbook also includes a CD for reference. I’ve already started on ひこうき雲, which is the heart-breaking (lyrics) 1973 song from Arai Yumi and used as the ending song in The Wind Rises. It’s kind of perfect for the movie.

またね～

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Mariko brought back a few omiyage (souvenirs/gifts) from Japan for me, including this book by one of my favorite illustrators. Blue by Nakamura Yusuke is full of amazing drawings… I love it. And it is interesting because I told Mariko that I wanted a book of his, and one of Mariko’s friends (who is also a fantastic illustrator) is actually good friends with Nakamura-san! I had actually sent Mariko a link to a different book, but her friend recommended Blue instead. I’m so happy! It’s wonderful.

Another goodie that she brought back was this pack of gum, which is supposed to help with your memory. Let’s hope it works.

Lastly, is this mayonnaise, which is supposed to be fantastic. It’s not for me specifically, but I thought it was pretty cool.

I hope you had a nice day!

またね～

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こんばんは。Today Mariko and Bay returned from their three-week+ long trip to Japan with suitcases full of omiyage (gifts) and food in tow. One of the things I received was a new Fuchico “Japan” series figure. It’s pretty fun, silly, and cool!

While I was waiting at the airport for them to arrive, I made a small sketch in my Traveler’s Notebook. As I was sketching the Jeep, it started to drive away, so I had to hurry and then try to remember what it looked like as I hadn’t quite finished. But I think it turned out ok. I just wish the ink were waterproof so I could watercolor over it. Oh well. Maybe I need to get some waterproof ink for my Kakuno fountain pen in the future.

I hope you had a nice Thursday!

おやすみ

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