A few perks of retail related work:- being up to date on trends, research = browsing stores, magazines, blogs - checking up on our stores = going to malls and shopping centers - more lenient dress code for a Japanese company = stretchy skinny pants, slacks only on occasion

My blogging has mostly been on trains recently since I spend many, many hours on them. There's currently a creepy man with sunglasses smirking directly across from me. I moved. People don't really wear sunglasses here, so especially in a train on a cloudy day it's pretty questionable. When I was visiting one of our stores I was asking about what is selling, customer feedback, etc, and sunglasses weren't selling at all. The associate explained how Japanese people's eyes and eyebrows are further apart than Caucasian people's, so it is hard to find sunglasses that don't show off your eyebrows above the top of the sunglasses. Also, without the little nose grips, they tend to slide down. When she worked at Gucci before she said many customers added them so the sunglasses wouldn't slip down. That reminded me, a few weeks ago on a train (half my stories are from the train, it's like I live on a train haha) a group of young people surrounding me were analyzing my face, not knowing I speak Japanese. I think I've mentioned before, people think I'm Spanish or Eastern European, not Japanese. One of the comments they made was "her eyes and eyebrows are close!" I thought that was such a strange observation but it makes sense now, it seems to be a desirable feature...?

With so many things coming up back to back, I was getting stressed especially about where to stay in Nagasaki when I go with a friend in two weeks. It's during "Golden Week" which is a bunch of national holidays in one week, AKA one of the most busy times for travel. After spending weeks researching, emailing, etc, it seemed that the rest of Japan was going to Nagasaki too because there were NO vacancies for two of the days right in the middle of Golden Week (unfortunately a short, Golden Weekend this year because the holidays fell on the weekend). I have been wanting to go to Nagasaki since my senior show when I started research on Japanese Christian history, and had this sort of calling like feeling to go. (Photos of the Japanese Christian history related paintings on my art blog: click here) I prayed and prayed for God to provide a place, then after work yesterday I got a call from one of the hotels saying they had vacancies for a room (for two since I'm going with a friend) during the busiest days!! And at a very reasonable price in a good location! PRAISE THE LORD. I was overjoyed and am still so grateful for this clear answer to prayer! I emailed places that said they were full, including this one, praying and hoping that God may work something out and He did! I hope that what I learn in Nagasaki will be used to serve God in some way. He works in unexpected ways so I'm looking forward to this.

On my lunch break at the shopping center today I bought a cheap duffle bag for the Nagasaki trip at a stand with a sales guy shouting about the special prices and limited time assortment. Aside from the effect on the poor man's vocal cords, the technique proved effective with tons of middle and older aged ladies crowding the area...plus me. This seems to be a common scenario at fish markets, produce shops, department store food floors. Where are the young people?? Anyways, ¥1000 yen later, ready to go!

There's my post summarized in a photo. Notice the distance between my eyes and eyebrows and that black mesh thing is part of my duffle bag. YAY!