In this post I’m going to be introducing you to my routine. This time it is going to be my night time routine. I am a complete night owl, so this routine sometimes take place very late at night. Because it is a night routine, I am not going to describe everything I do from when I come home, but from when I eat dinner to sleep time. As my condition, I live with my mother at home in Japan.
First of all, we eat dinner at 7pm everyday. My mother cooks for us and it is so delicious, that it is something that I always miss living abroad. These days I have been eating it everyday and it makes me so happy. In our household we always watch something on TV that we have recorded. We start clearing and cleaning during the show, and move to the sofa, but we continue watching TV until about 9:30 to 10:00. I always start browsing through TikTok and Instagram while watching TV as well. I always have a shower before dinner, so it is very much relax and me time from dinner.
Around 9:30 to 10:00 we both retreat to our own room. I normally do something productive like studying in the daytime so I don’t really study at night. But if there is a need for it I of course do it, and I do get a lot done. From here it is completely free time. My mom goes to bed pretty early, but I have my own room so I stay up late. I normally go through my emails, write my blogs, and reply to any messages while watching YouTube. I don’t have anything that I need to do at this time normally, so I just do what I want to do everyday.
From here, I start prepping for the next day. If it is not a very early start, I like to choose my clothes on the day, so I don’t pick out my clothes. However, I like to write down what I need to do on a list and check and plan my day on Google calendar. The efficiency of the next day really differs if I do this step or not, so it’s a very crucial part of my night time routine. Also, I feel like I’m getting ahead of the day and it motivates me to get more done. There are times that I change my schedule when I wake up the next day, but it is still important for me to plan ahead. If anyone is interested in my to-do list or how I plan my schedule, please comment below. I do intend on making a post about it.
When that is all done, I go into my night time skincare routine. I love and cherish this time as much as I can. It is not just a time for me to take care of my skin, but also to take care of myself. So, I sometimes try to make it special by using a bit of an expensive product or taking a bit more time than usual. I have already posted my night time skincare routine as another post, so I won’t go into depth here. But I currently am loving the Caudalie toner. I also love to use a face mask and will use a special one if I have something the next day. When I’m finished with my night time skincare, I go ahead and brush my teeth. When I rinse my mouth, I do my last step of my skincare to finish it off with a face oil or cream. This is the end of my night time skincare routine, so I go back to my bedroom, spray a lavender mist on my pillow, get dressed in pjs. I go on my phone to check social media for the last time, and then put on my alarm on my phone and go to sleep.
This is the complete end of my night routine. Of course this routine will change if I go out to eat or when I’m too tired. But I try not to change my routine a lot, because they are working for me. I have a pretty sturdy night time routine, but not a morning routine. Are you a night owl? Or an early bird? Please let me know with your routine. See you next week!
2024 started off by me coming back to Japan in February and taking some time off from University. However, I’m not taking this as a time for me to just rest and be lazy, but by doing a lot of things I have wanted to do. I am very fortunate that my parents are letting me be a student for this time, so I want to make the most out of it. So, I’m going to write about my goals for the latter half of 2024.
Taken from Pinterest
Study Wine
I have always been interested in wine, so I’m going to take this time for me to study wine instead of what I need to at uni. I have been working at restaurants in hotels, so wine has always been very close to me. Also, my mom drinks a lot of New Zealand white wine. I also drink a decent amount of rosé and sparkling. I also started to go to wine school from May and now studying for a test in August.
Taken from Alexandrasaintmleux at Instagram
Losing Weight
I have been saying that I want to lose weight for a long time, but this year is going to be the year that I go through with it. I have been eating quite some amount of chips after dinner, and because of that I have scaled my heaviest weight in my life. And that ended up with me not being able to wear most of my clothes beautifully. So that really told me that I need to lose weight. I know that I’m eating too much to the amount of activity I do daily. So I think that I can lose weight easily if I just eat less than I do right now. I don’t really like to workout that much, so I’m going to focus on how much and what I’m eating. But of course I will be moving my body as much as I can in the meantime.
Manage My SNS Properly
I have also always been saying that I want to upload one blog every week and manage my Instagram and X, and I haven’t been able to every year. I’m going to make this year that I do it right for this as well. I’m going to aim for blogs once a week, Instagram once every 5 days and stories once a day, and once a day for X. I have goals which I would like to achieve via social media, so I would like to work towards that. I have so much free time this year, so there should be enough time for me to upload. Also if there is any request for this blog or any other social media, please feel free to send me a message.
Visit A Lot of Places
As I’ve said this year I have the most free time ever in my life, so I would like to visit a lot of places. However, I don’t want to just go to a lot of places, I would like to visit somewhere that can increase my culture or level up my aesthetic sense. I have already visited a museum and went to a golf and rugby game. I would like to go see Kabuki, visit more art museums and exhibitions in the latter half. I think this is a good time for me to upgrade myself as a person, so I would like to actively upgrade myself by ways that are not able from working or studying.
This is the end of my goals for the latter half of 2024. As I’ve wrote before it is very crucial for me to have goals, so I’ve wrote this post here. (It’s also for me to count myself accountable.) There have been too many times that I haven’t been able to fulfill my goals, so I am really going to work hard this time to end the year with me saying “I fulfilled all my dreams!”. Please let me know what your goals for the latter half of 2024 is in the comment. See you next week!
This time I’m going to write about my skincare and makeup when I’m going on an airplane. I actually decided to put a pause to my time in Australia and have came back to Japan. I don’t have any idea when I’m going to go back or anything like that. Of course I used a plane to come back, so I thought it is the best time to introduce you to my skincare and makeup on the plane. I go on the plane more than once a year, so I think I’m a little bit familiar with it. The current routine is really good with my current skin, but I’m open to any recommendations so please let me know.
First of all let me explain my current skin. My skin type is combination and my T-Zone is a little bit oily. Also, I am very lucky and rarely get acne or breakouts. I have lived overseas for a long time, so I’m used to going out without any makeup. So the skincare and makeup routine I’m about to share, is not that much of a makeup routine. I have no experience of going somewhere directly from the airport too, so I always go on the airplane with very minimum makeup. Also I normally try to get on the plane early in the morning or late at night. This time I took a morning flight to come back to Japan. (However, there is only two flights back to Tokyo and there is not that much difference…)
To start, I will go into my skincare routine. This routine starts from before I go to the airport and at my house or hotel. When I’m going from my house, I normally take a quick shower at the very last moment. If I don’t take a shower, I will wash my face and make sure my face is clean. From there I do my normal skincare routine. First I use a mild toner and do a face mask. I will use any face mask that I prefer at that moment, but I normally tend to go for something hydrating or soothing. While I have my face mask on, I will proceed on hydrating my body. Most people tend to moisture their face and lips, but it is crucial that you moisturize your body as well, so I use a body oil for that. When I’m done with my face mask, I use a light cream and make sure I rather on enough sunscreen. I always use SPF50 and the most moisturizing sunscreen that I have. And this brings me to the end of my skincare routine before I arrive to the airport.
Next is makeup. As I wrote at the very start, I tend to go to a lot of places without any makeup. So, I go to the airport pretty much without any makeup. So this routine is going to be very simple and quick. First I want to put some color into my skin so I start with brush. I always use a cream cheek for this and recently I have been loving the ones from NARS and CHANEL. I don’t do this every time but sometimes I curl my lashes and put on clear mascara. This time I was just going back to my house so I didn’t do it. Then it is just lips from here. I always like carrying more than one lip product with me. What you will always see with me in the airport is “Lip Glow” from Dior. I love this product so much that I have so many different colors of it. The choice of color normally is Raspberry or Berry but it changes from time to time. Another one is a normal lipstick. This really varies from time to time, but it is frequently a pink nude glossy lipstick. The criteria are that the color needs to look good with my no makeup look and that it moisturizes the lips well. These days I started to have one more lip product with me and it is the “Lip Butter Balm” from Summer Friday. I have so many colors for this as well, so I choose what I’m feeling for that specific day. And this is everything that I bring with me on the plane as well. With this, this is also the end of my makeup routine for flights. (Even though it didn’t really seem to be a proper makeup routine…)
From here the scene changes to inside the plane. And it is my in-flight skincare routine. First of all as I wrote, I have done a deep skincare before I get on the plane. And normally I do a good skincare routine that night as well. I normally am on Economy class, so I prefer not to do so much skincare. The time I do my skincare is about 1 hour before we land and I do it in the bathroom. First I clean my hands and wash my face with water. Then I use a serum and cream. I use both sample size for my serum and cream. I don’t really care about the serum, but for cream I choose something moisturizing. Then I reapply my sunscreen, and lastly I wash my hands and my skincare routine in the bathroom is done. Other than this, I only bring a moisturizing mist. I always have the “Beauty Elixir Mist” from Caudalie, and I love not only the moisture it gives but also the refreshing scent it has. This is the end of my in-flight skincare routine.
Now I will introduce you to all my skincare, cosmetics, and beauty products that I bring with me on the flight all at once. For skincare, a sample size serum and cream, normal size sunscreen, sunscreen stick and mist. I sometimes have a single-use serum just in case. Next is my cosmetics, which is just my cheek and lips. Also, I do have a stick product that allows me to take extra oil from my face. Other beauty products I have with me are hand cream, hair brush, hair mist, eye drop, hand sanitizer, and mini perfume. I always have hydration as my priority when I choose any products.
This is the end of my in-flight skincare and makeup routine. I don’t really think it has been any help to anyone, but I hope it has helped someone out there. Also I would love to hear everyone’s skincare and makeup routine for flights. I will like to write about what I do during the flights some time soon. As always I will be waiting for request as well.
This blog is going to be about this year’s resolution even though it has been 4 months into 2023. I have written this for the past couple of years, but writing this here for me makes the percentage of me achieving the goals rise. (However, there are so many times that I couldn’t achieve it)
Taken from Pinterest
Learn Wine and French
These two things have been something that I have been wanting to learn for a very long time, so I want to finally start this year. Wine and French will definitely be something that will be beneficial for my dream career, so it is not going to be a waste of my time. I would like to start studying wine by using the textbooks for the Japan Sommelier Exam. Unfortunately, the university I’m currently attending does not offer a French class so I would just study on my own. I would start by studying on Duolingo and I would venture into textbooks and buy them if I feel like I need to.
Think about Where My Money is Going
I am still a university student, but I am planning to graduate somewhere next year, so I think that I need to start learning about money. I love reading so I want to start by reading books about money or investing. Also, I would like to know where my money is going, so I can know where I’m wasting it. Of course, I would still like to use my money on luxury items and trips, and food that I can only spend on being a university student. But, I would like to acquire the skills of choosing between the necessary and non-necessary items that I choose to put my money into. Also, 2024 will be a year that I have more opportunities to use money, like graduation trips and graduation presents, so I would like to save for it too.
Taken from Pinterest
Make Use of Social Media
Finally this year I would actually like to make use of my social media platforms. Even though I have said this, it has been 4 months since 2023 and I haven’t really uploaded on my Instagram and blog. However, I would like to change this from here on and upload it on a regular basis. I would also like to get one job or PR from one of my social media platforms by the end of 2023. I don’t know if this is something that is out of my dream or something that is actually achievable or something that is very easy. All in all, I would like to end 2023 by saying I worked hard on all of my social media platforms. Of course, I would like to regularize my uploads on my blog and Instagram, but also improve the quality of my blog posts, and make more effort on photographs.
Taken by me
Challenge on Everything
I want this year to be the year of challenging everything in every aspect. I don’t mean to challenge very big things all the time, but I would like to challenge new things and go out of my comfort zone. During the first four months, I have gone on my first trip alone and booked a horse-riding lesson. I might have started small, but I would like to generally challenge myself this year more. I would like to keep on going like this, and during this trip, I would like to understand myself and make my comfort zone bigger.
Taken from Pinterest
Become an Elegant and Classy Woman
I think over the last few years I have started to understand what kind of woman I want to become. Of course, it has slightly changed as the years go by, but I haven’t had a drastic change for years now. I have come to the conclusion that I want to become an “elegant and classy woman”. I am not going to change one thing to become that woman because I know that it is not achievable in that way, so I would just like to think in every situation what my ideal woman will do and choose. Then I think I can automatically become closer to my ideal woman. I would just like to become a better person even if it is just by a small amount. There is no point that I can say I made it for this last one, and there is an infinite number of things I need to do to make it to my ideal woman, which I know is not going to happen in my lifetime, so I just want to try my best at every opportunity I have.
So, this is the end of my 2023 resolutions. It is very important for me to make my resolutions, so even though a lot of time since the start of the year has passed, I am happy to finally share it with you. I am satisfied with my resolutions for this year, but did you make one yourself? Please share some if you have any. I hope that 2023 will be the best year for everyone. Also, I think we are going back to how it was fully this year, so I hope it is an enjoyable, safe, and peaceful year for me and everyone.
I know it has been a while since 2023 has started, but I’m doing it this year as well. To start off with, I’m very surprised that this year has been this quick and I can’t believe that it is already 2023. For me 2022 was the year that I got to realize more about who I was as a person. I got to understand myself in multiple ways, but for example, I understood my mental strengths and weaknesses, my personality more, and something not on a serious note I got to understand more precisely what I love. Also, for me my mental health suffered very much in the latter half of 2022. I will not get into much detail here, but with my academics, personality, and new lifestyle and city, my mental health took a downward turn. So my goal for 2023 is definitely at least to finish with a better mindset. Mental and physical health should be a priority for everyone. For everyone how was 2022 as a year?
So, let’s start to go through the months. I was still in Japan for the first half of 2022, so my image was very much COVID-19. Also, I went on a trip in December of 2021 to the north of Kyoto so I really didn’t go anywhere in January. February was the same as January.
In March I started a new semester at university, so I was struggling with juggling between my part-time job and studying. I went to see the cherry blossoms with my mother from the latter half of March to early April. Since moving to Kyoto, me and my mother have been taking the advantage of living in Kyoto and the fact that the number of tourists not being as crazy as before COVID-19, and have been taking our time visiting places. So, carrying on from the autumn leaves in 2021, we enjoyed the cherry blossoms in spring. We went to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Hirano Shrine, Nanzenji Shrine, and Keage Incline spread over several days. All of them are very famous for cherry blossoms but especially Keage Incline is somewhere I would recommend. If you want to take a picture without anyone, I recommend you to go early in the morning. However, if you are willing to change the angle of view, it was fine for me to go in the afternoon. (Please see my Instagram for any pictures.)
Also, March was the time that I finished my lessons for the tea ceremony that started back in October 2021. Since I moved to Kyoto I wanted to start something very Japanese style, so I started learning it with my mother. It was something that I would never regret since I got to learn etiquette and some Japanese ethics. Because I already knew that I was going back to Australia in a few months, I decided not to continue it but it is something that I will like to pick up when I’m older.
In April I went back to Tokyo and saw Miyako-Odori in Kyoto. When I went back to Tokyo, I was able to go to Tokyo Disney Sea. I really wanted to go there during their 15th anniversary event and shows, so I was very happy that I was very happy to go. This year Tokyo Disney Land is going to be celebrating its 40th anniversary, so I would like to go, but I don’t know if I will be able to. Also, April was the month I took out my wisdom tooth. I knew that I had to take them out for a while, but I put them away for so long. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, but I was so nervous and got a swollen cheek.
In May my friends from middle and high school came to Kyoto to meet me. I got to experience many things for the first time, we borrowed yukata (a traditional Japanese summer clothing piece) and took a walk around Kiyomizu-temple, went on a hand-pulled rickshaw in Arashiyama, climbed to the top of Inari Mountain behind the famous Fushimi Inari. Especially wearing yukata or kimono with my friends was on my bucket list, so I was very excited about that. Also, I was very happy and considered myself very lucky that I had a friendship that has lasted for a long time since me going abroad tends to take a toll on friendship. Also, my aunt came from Tokyo to visit the family grave. In Shiga we went to a cafe called “Club Harie”, and then went to Heian-Jingu and Kennin Temple in Kyoto.
In June I went on a trip to the Shikoku area of Japan as an early summer vacation with my parents. I was only able to go to the northeast part of Shikoku, so I would love to go to the places that I couldn’t manage to go to this time in the near future. However, I was able to go to the Otsuka Museum of Art and Himeji Castle when I came back to the main island. Also, after a long time I drove on this trip and I was glad that my driving skills hadn’t declined. In addition, my departure to Australia was already decided in July, so I went back to Tokyo for the last time. For this time, I also went to Utsunomiya where my father’s side relatives live. Then I went to Tokyo where my aunt treated me to a Cartier watch as a very early graduation present.
July was the month I departed for Australia, so I did everything I wanted to do in Japan. We went to an Italian restaurant called “Il Ghiottone” for a late birthday celebration for my mom and an early birthday celebration for me. I was able to properly dress up after a long time so I was ecstatic about the opportunity. I also went to Suzumushi Temple where I wanted to go to for a while. This temple is very famous because of the rumor that whatever you wish for will come true. (They haven’t come true yet.) Then, I departed for Australia. I used Jet Star from Narita to Cairns, so I used the 3rd terminal of Narita International Airport. This was my first time using that specific terminal and I was surprised by how it looked.
August is my birth month, and it was actually my first time spending my birthday alone. Even if we didn’t celebrate my birthday on the exact day, I will still be with my parents so being alone was a very weird experience for me. However, they paid me a visit at the end of August to Cairns and we spent summer vacation there. For our family, our annual summer vacation will be a one-week to ten-day overseas trip before COVID happened. So, this trip to Cairns was the annual customs coming back after 3 years. However, for me it was a domestic trip since I was already in Australia, so it was a little bit disappointing in that sense. Although I enjoyed myself very much because I got to do things that felt like I was on a real vacation like riding horses, playing golf, hiking, and relaxing by the poolside. Even though it was winter in Cairns, it was still warm enough to enjoy the pool comfortably.
From September nothing really happened because I was studying and I was alone for most of the time. However, in September, I fell in love with Formula One and more specifically Charles Leclerc a Scuderia Ferrari driver. Now I don’t even remember why I fell in love with it but with the new season just starting I am so excited. In October, I started working in a restaurant. I am so glad that I was able to find this job, which is somewhat related to my future goal and my current studies. So, my goal is to make connections and learn as much as I can here. November was a month that I really have nothing to write about.
In December I went back to Japan for Christmas and New Year’s. I landed in Japan a little bit before Christmas, and it was my first time using Kansai International Airport. Then in just a few days, I went to Utsunomiya and Tokyo to meet my relatives. We didn’t do anything special for Christmas or New Year’s, we just stayed home and enjoyed each other’s company, ate my mom’s food, and maybe drank too much alcohol and watched TV. For Christmas cake this year we bought it from Fauchon Hotel Kyoto and it was so delicious. This trip to Japan has been posted on my Instagram as a reel, so please enjoy that as well.
So this concludes my 2022. There were a lot of dramatic ups and downs mentally in 2022, there are some things that I haven’t written here that I experienced this year. With me working this year and being able to have more money for myself, I would of course love to do some shopping but also invest my money in experiences or trips in 2023. I would love to put up a review of 2023 next year as well, and I would like to see some good changes when I’m writing it. What was your favorite memory of 2022? For me it will probably be my summer vacation in Cairns.
So, I have been giving you a rundown of my 2019 summer vacation. I have already wrote my first half in the Maldives, in the last post so please go and have a read of that as well. This post will focus on the latter half in Thailand. We were in Thailand from the 24th of July to the 29th. I had a totally different experience in Thailand than the Maldives, and was glad we put these two destinations together. We booked almost all tours and restaurants from Japan, however I don’t remember the tour company, but I kind of remember the tour names, so we will write those instead. (However, all of our tours were booked with some associations to Japan, even though some of our tours were in English.) In our family, my father is always the one looking for and booking tours, so my mother and me just ride on the journey.
First Day (7/24)
This day was the day we moved from the Maldives to Thailand. Because of that, we were quite tired so we took it easy on that day and just went out for dinner. We had no plans for that day, so we just went out to the local mall and went straight to the food court on the top floor. This food court was mentioned in the guidebook we took with us from Japan, so we felt very safe eating there. This might have been a very famous food court, since we saw a lot of tourists there and the Thai food there was very good as well. (Thailand, sometimes have issue with the water quality, so please be careful when you are eating in food courts or street food, since it can influence your health.)
Second Day (7/25)
From this day we enjoyed Thailand to the max and we joined a lot of tour. On this day we joined the Ayuthaya Ruins & Light Up Tour. We went to the north of Thailand and went around many Ruins, but mainly Ayuthaya Ruins. We went through a lot of ruins in the same region, and at the end I became dizzy not knowing the difference from one another. (Mind you it was also a very hot and humid day.) A lot of the ruins were not in their perfect stage, because of past wars. The tour was supposed to be with another family, but we were very lucky and it was just our family. The dinner that was included in the tour, was very great as we got to eat Phu Patpong Curry which was something we were saying we wanted to eat. After that we went to one of the Ayuthaya Ruins which was lighted up and it was very different from the daytime. It was a whole day tour, but it was so much fun.
Third Day (7/26)
This day was another one day tour. I think we took a tour called “Bangkok Photogenic Tour”. Bangkok has a lot of shrines and temples that are worthy of putting on instagram, and this tour went to most of these places. However, even if you are not into these photogenic places, I think you will enjoy it. (My parents were enjoying it for sure.) I don’t remember every shrines and temples we went to but we did sure go to Wat Paknam and The One Ratchada. They were all really photogenic and I was glad that I had brought my SLR camera with me that day. (I also recommend to bring your cameras, because it makes a big difference in the nighttime.)
Fourth Day (7/27)
This day we went to see one of the floating markets. This was something I wanted to see when I went to Bangkok, so I told my dad about it before we went. However, this was not the one you will see up on instagram and it was just a very usual floating market. It was also for the tourists but it was not at all photogenic, and I ended up not taking a lot of photos here. However, it was a great experience since it was my first time seeing anything like this. (It still is on my bucket list, to see a real life floating markets some time soon.)
Fifth Day (7/28)
This day we went on a railroad tour. It was about the railway and a certain bridge at the end. And one of my father’s friend from university had done a coverage about this bridge, so we went to see it on the last day. The bridge was more of the famous part of the tour, and it was the place that the movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai” was set. This was a place related to the war, but now it was a famous tourist spot and there were so many people here. We could walk on the railroad tracks that is still been used today, so me and my father walked there even though it was a very hot day. However, the tracks were built high above a river without any safety feature, so it was a frightening experience for me. The tour was only for half the day, so we went back to the hotel and headed straight to the airport. Out flight left at 21:55 from Bangkok and arrived at Haneda the next day at 06:05.
So this was the end of the latter half of my 2019 summer vacation. I am really sorry that it has taken me so much time to post from the first half. During that time, I was able to come back to Australia for my studies. I couldn’t come back to Australia because of COVID-19, but I’m back after a year and a half. I have started to ease to the style over here, so I can promise you that I’ll start to upload more than I do now. That was my update about my life, but how is everyone doing?
I thought we were going to be able to go somewhere overseas for summer or winter vacation, but with me going back to Australia, things don’t seem to go that way. However, I will be graduating university next year or somewhere in the start of 2024, so probably my next big overseas trip will be my graduation trip. (I might have some trips here and there in 2023 though. This is something I hope for so much.) I just hope that everything will be back to complete normal by that time.
A lot of people will think why I’m doing this right now, but please let me write this for my memories. So, I am going to write about my 2019 Summer vacation. My family always goes on summer vacation for about a week every year. Because of COVID-19, we haven’t had a chance in 2020 and 2021 to travel, so I would like to travel somewhere this year. To start we went to the Maldives and Thailand in 2019. This week I’m going to share with you the first half of the trip to the Maldives.
Decision-making
Firstly, I’m going to introduce you to how we decide on where we’re going. We start in the springtime during dinner on the weekends, talking about where we would like to go that year. When we go is dependent on my father’s job, so after the date is decided we start really discussing where we want to go. Usually, it is me and my mom saying dream destinations and we decide from there. However, recently I have been able to go where I wanted to and this time too since I was the one who wanted to go to the Maldives. Then my father decided to add Thailand to it and that is how 2019 was decided. We go to various places so we try not to go on the same kind of vacation two years in a row. By the way, 2018 was Kenya and Dubai and 2017 was Paris and Rome.
The Schedule
This trip was from the 20th to the 29th of July in 2019. And the 20th to the 24th was the time in the Maldives. The hotel we stayed at was the “Conrad Maldives Rangali Island” but I have no idea why this hotel was chosen since my dad chose it. However, I will recommend it to many people and I was so satisfied with my stay. I just strongly insisted on staying in a water villa and my request went through. We normally have a list of restaurants and activities to do before leaving Japan, but this time there was none for the Maldives. This is a feature of the Maldives but everything is completed in the hotel, so even if you don’t have any plans you will still get the full experience. It turned out that we had a trip full of activities.
Flight
I’m not going as deep as I did in my Japanese blog here since it was a flight from Japan to the Maldives. There are a few different places where you can transfer to get to the Maldives from Tokyo but we decided on Bangkok because we were going to stay there afterward. We went out via Haneda Airport at 0:40 on the 20th and landed in Bangkok at 5:00. From there we took another flight to the capital of Maldives but I totally don’t remember. From there it is totally different regarding the hotel you are going to stay at. For Conrad, there was a waiting area for the sea airplane and it was very comfortable. I think a lot of people will get car sick on the sea airplane, so I think you should be ready for it. I got car sick because of the smell of gasoline.
First Day (7/20)
The first day was very long due to the time difference and the time of the flight. If you are someone that can sleep on the plane, I don’t think you will get jet-lagged. I think we checked in at the hotel and came to our room at around 14:00. During the check-in, we were told that the hotel had closed one of the two islands due to the number of guests. We got an upgrade due to that since we were supposed to be staying on the other island. After we unpacked and settled down in the room, we went out for a walk around the island before dinner. During that time we went to the activity center and booked some activities.
Second Day (7/21)
We got up pretty late on the second morning and went out for breakfast and went around the island thoroughly. The characteristic of Maldives hotels is that the hotel is on the whole island and you are allowed to go anywhere you want. The water was so clear and beautiful and we found harmful sharks in the shallow. After that, we went back to our room and laid back around our own pool. We had a very activity full trip this time, but I think one of the good things in the Maldives is that you can just enjoy doing nothing. However, I recommend you bring something so that you don’t get bored. We brought some card games and plenty of books. In the late afternoon, my dad and I went out fishing and had dinner with the fish we caught.
Third Day (7/22)
This was the day we had activities all day. In the morning, we went out on a snorkeling tour and in the afternoon we went on a dolphins cruise. During the snorkeling tour, I got to meet a turtle. Other than that, there were so many fishes and beautiful corals and it was so much fun. To everyone coming to the Maldives, if you can snorkel, I highly recommend you to go on a snorkel tour. Our tour was with other families, but there was a plan where you can make your own one. The afternoon was a dolphin cruise, but we were unlucky and couldn’t encounter one. However, the boat was crowded at the front but no one was there on the backside of the boat other than us. So we enjoyed a very elegant sunset cruise and a talk with the crew.
Fourth Day (7/23)
On this day we had an activity in the morning. We went on a pretty long snorkeling tour and snorkeled at many spots during the tour. It was supposed to be one where we can encounter a whale shark, but we couldn’t. However, I was able to see a huge stingray and I got to swim with it. I ended up getting seasick and getting a sunburn on my left arm which was left out in the sun. I fought with this sunburn for about a year until it got back to normal. I am normally good at reapplying sun cream and don’t get sunburnt. After that, we went back to our room and laid back around the hotel pool and room. We went back to the room and got ready for dinner early, and went out to take some pictures.
Fifth Day (7/24)
This was our last day. I thought it was a very fast trip but I think this is because we packed a lot of activities. We had breakfast and went back to our room to do our final packing and left Conrad via seaplane. We arrived at the main island of the Maldives and took a plane back to Bangkok, Thailand, and started the latter half of our summer vacation.
This is the end of our first half of the 2019 summer vacation. It was a very relaxing resort trip and very different from the latter half in Bangkok. If you have small children, probably looking into the activities the hotel provides is a good thing to do. If you are going to the Maldives, looking into the hotel is very recommended since the hotel is everything. This is a destination I recommend to everyone and somewhere I would love to revisit in the future. The ocean is just beautiful and clear, and you get to see a lot of fish and above all, it is so relaxing. Please be ready for next week’s Bangkok.
Over one month has passed since we entered 2022. Using the New Year’s break I always think about my wishlist for that year. In this blog, I want to share with you my wishlist for 2022. The first two are things I would really like to have and the things after that are something I would want to have. By the way, I bought a Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Necklace in Carnelian and a Cartier Juste Un Clou Ring last year.
Hermes Evelyn/Fendi Peekaboo
This year I definitely want a bag, so I would like to buy either one of these for my birthday. While saying this, my parents bought me a Celine Basket Bag as a New Year’s gift. However, I think a basket bag and a going out bag, which I want, is very different so I still want a bag for my birthday. I know these two are totally different but both of them are bags I want some time in the future. I have no idea how I’m going to decide on my birthday but you will probably see it on my Instagram around August.
From the Chanel Website
Chanel Coco Crush Collection Ring
For Christmas I always want jewelry. Why do I want jewelry for Christmas? Is it because of all of the magazine articles? I have no idea of the reason, but since realizing this, I have always bought some kind of jewelry for my Christmas present. So, for this year I am aiming for a Chanel Coco Crush Ring. However, I also want the Alhambra ring as well. Thinking about the price, I think I will go for the Coco Crush. The picture is with diamonds but I will probably not be able to decide which one until the day I buy it. Usually, I will go for the one with diamonds, but for this ring both are very beautiful and elegant.
From the Dior Website
Dior Tribal Pierce
This is something I have wanted for years now. However, regarding the fact that I am a student and am only able to save my pocket money and part-time salary, there is a limit. Though, I want to buy it this year for some kind of reason. Also this was not on the list of things that got a price raise earlier this year, so I’m going to think about it for a little bit longer. I have decided on this design a few years ago as well, so I think I only have to decide considering my budget and timing.
Taken from Twitter
White Blouse
This one is also something I have wanted for years. I have not decided on the brand but I want a white blouse. I don’t want something simple, but I rather have something that has frills or embroideries and has designs. However, I want something that is somewhat simple so I can wear it for years to come. I would like to get it from a luxury brand, but thinking about my budget I think that is impossible. So, that is going to be something I will look forward to in the future. I love the simple fashion of a jacket with a white blouse, especially for the spring and autumn season, so I’m hoping that I can do that this year.
Other than that, I would like to buy a camel knit and short boots. Also for beauty, I would like to get an AOMW Christal White Mask, Guerlain lipstick, and a new perfume. However, I’m going to end the blog here for now. I am going to show you whatever I bought probably on my Instagram stories, so please go and have a peek. Do you make a wishlist? If you do, please let me know what is on your wishlist. I hope I can buy many things on my wishlist this year.
It is already 2022. How was everyone’s 2021? For me moving to Kyoto was a very big deal. I also started working part-time and when I look back, I realize there were a lot of events in 2021. Even though COVID-19 is still somewhat in full force and we have not been able to go traveling freely, for me 2021 was somewhat of a good and enjoyable year. To make my resolution for the new year, I start by looking back on the previous year. So this blog will be a look-back at 2021 and my 2022 resolutions.
Moving to Kyoto
As I wrote above, I cannot talk about 2021 without mentioning my move to Kyoto. After moving to Kyoto, I have been going to temples and shrines with my mom. I often use half a day to a day for one shrine or temple, which I can only do because I live in Kyoto. Especially during the fall season, I went to a lot of temples and shrines. I would love to visit more in the snow time and the cherry blossom seasons and have started planning for some of them.
Started Working Part-Time
What type of job I want to do is very clear, so I finally started working part-time in something close to that. I started looking for one right after moving to Kyoto and started working at the end of June. I have been gaining a lot of experience here so I would like to keep on working there.
Started Learning Japanese Tea Ceremony
I wanted to start something related to Japan, so I started learning Japanese tea ceremony. There were many things on my mind but “Sado (Japanese tea ceremony)” was chosen because my mom did it when she was young. The course I’m taking now is a 6month course for beginners, so it’s going to end in March of 2022, but it is perfect for me because I get to learn the basics.
From here I’m going to start writing about my goals for 2022. I always start setting goals for the new year from the start of December, however this year I couldn’t finish making all of my goals by the start of 2022. I have now finished making it after working on it during the new year’s holiday. This year’s big resolution is “To get to know Kyoto, have more connections, and to be an elegant and sophisticated woman”. I’m going to get a little bit more specific on each one.
Build a Network
The industry I want to work in has always been clear for me from I was little. Of course, there were times I wanted to become something else, but this type of job was always in my mind. Especially in the industry, I want to go into, connections between people is very important. I have not been able to network with anyone in that industry so this year I would like to make some. Also, I realized that I have very few friends due to COVID-19 and going to a university abroad. I would like to meet new people by going to new places and doing new things. (I hope I meet someone good as well…)
Taken from Pinterest
Be Well-Educated
This is a goal that I have had for a long time. My dad is always studying something and has a lot of knowledge from many genres and seeing this I always think that having a lot of knowledge is very important. Of course, being well-educated includes the knowledge that you need to have at that time but for me more of the knowledge that you have from any genre that you are interested in. In 2021, I couldn’t do both of them perfectly, so I would like to study harder this year. I would like to study French, world heritages, and wine or sake.
Be an Elegant Woman
This is also a resolution I have had for years. And something that I don’t think I would ever say that I have made it perfectly. However, every year I make the effort to become closer to it. If I elaborate on the type of elegant woman I want to be it would take me ages, so I would like to write it on a different post someday. This year I would like to focus on my figure and words. I would like to lose some weight until I can wear clothes beautifully, stay at that weight and exercise regularly. For words, I would like to be careful about my language and change my wordings according to TPO.
This is the end of my look back of 2021 and resolutions for 2022. This year, I want to make it the year that I regularly post on this blog as I say every year. Also, I hope that I get to travel abroad and go back to my university. I also hope that 2022 is a happy, peaceful, and healthy year for everyone. Please let me know your big events for 2021 and goals for 2022.
These days we have started going back to normal a little bit and I have had more times I need to do my makeup. Also, I started working part-time and need to wear makeup at least two times per week. I have not been buying cosmetics as much as I did before, but I still love makeup and cosmetics in general. Today I would like to show you my recent favourite cosmetics.
1.Chanel: Perfection Lumiére Velvet
I have had this for a while now, and have already decided that I want to repeat this but it still hasn’t run out. This foundation also stays on my face for the whole day even with a mask on. Of course, it depends on the primer you use it with but if you put something like the “NARS shine control primer”, it will stay put on the nose area which tends to get messy.
2.Dior: Ecrin Couture Iconic Eye Makeup Palette
This is something I recently bought, but it has become one of my favourites quickly because of the packaging and the brown colours that you can’t go wrong with. All of the colours are so beautiful in there, including the gold shimmer shade.
3.Dasique: Shadow Palette “02 Rose Petal”
First of all, I love shimmer eyeshadows from Korean cosmetic brands. Especially, I adore the shimmer colours in this palette. The shimmers never come off and the colour payoff is great compared to other ones. Also, the undertone colours actually come through, so I sometimes use the shimmer shades from this palette even if I’m using another eyeshadow palette.
4.Canmake: Cream Cheek “P01”
This came out this year and was very much of a trend in social media, so I thought I would give it a go. And I have not regretted that decision by any means. Some people say it is sparkly but I would say it is more pearly and makes a good natural highlight with colour. I would like to get another colour in the near future.
5.Dior: Backstage Face Glow Palette “004 Rose Gold”
I have bought the most recent highlight from Dior as well, but I somehow come back to this palette. Of course, it is reasonable considering you have four colours in this and all of the colours are usable. I feel like every colour has its place to shine and the majority of them make you look like you have clear skin. I have three different colours from this series but I like 004 the most because of its choice of colours.
My best lipstick when it comes to being mask-proof. Even when the time comes when we don’t need to wear masks anymore, I will still keep on using it because it doesn’t crumble and dry out my lips. It also has a high colour payoff, so I bought another colour. I have no idea, what I would do without this from now on.
7.HERA: Spicy Nude Gloss “422 Lingerie”
My most used and beloved nude lipstick as the beautiful pink beige colour keeps me looking healthy. I don’t think it is mask-proof, because it is a gloss but when I don’t need a mask this is what I reach for. I have bought this a while ago, but I love the colour and the moisture it gives and use it quite often.
This is the end of my recent favourite cosmetics. I have not been buying a lot of makeup recently so there are a lot of things in here that I have bought a while ago. I don’t think there are any limited products, so I think that these are still available. If you have any that you like to purchase, I recommend everything in here to you. Also, if you have any cosmetics that you would like me to use or your recent favourites, please share it with me in the comment section. I also have been recently rediscovering perfumes and stationery that I had. I hope I can make another post before the end of 2021, going over 2021.
