Wednesday 1 October 2014

Instagramy-y Post October 2014


Isn't it odd that one can chit chat in detail about the events of the day with someone you see or contact on a daily basis but when you haven't seen someone in a long time you end up summarizing like  - yeah, haven't been up to much really, got married you know whatever. 

I kind of feel like that right now but I thought I would share a few tidbits of my trip to Korea and Japan anyway.
The main highlight of September was my trip to Kyoto, Japan.
This path in the bamboo forest was a place that I had been wanting to visit for a few years so I decided to visit it as it is only an hour and a half flight from Seoul.  ( Crouching tiger, hidden dragon wasn't filmed here in case you were wondering.)

I love certain things about Japan like this special red/orange pigment they use on special buildings mostly Shinto shrines. 
This specific one was in the Kyoto Imperial Villa that is now vacated as the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo a couple of hundred years ago.


I love paper and all paper products particularly from Japan with their graphic prints.
 Believe it or not, I didn't get any of these boxes because I already had so much luggage.


Japan also does cutesy wutesy/weird or the otherwise known as  
wabi sabi well.

 These figurines were cute and terrifying all at once.

The Japanese can integrate Hello Kitty into anything - 
in this case curry rice.


Kyoto was the capital of Japan for a thousand years so there was plenty to keep us busy but my friend and I did take a day trip to Nara which was the capital before Kyoto.

I felt sorry for Nara for not only being the forgotten city 
but due to its close proximity to Kyoto 
it often gets forgotten by tourists.  
If it were further away it would get visitors on its own merit for 
its history, its tame deer, and the largest hand carved wood sculptures in the world.

There were two of these and they were carved in two months and they are as high as a four story high building.

But I also indulged in more mainstream tourist pursuits in Japan which was spotting the geishas!
I loved them so much I think I will be devoting one post to them.

I had green tea every single day and had different types of the drink which is grown in the Kyoto area.
 
This one was the most expensive one I tasted. It was about ten pounds a cup and was as thick and richly pigmented as oil paint.

But I got a second cup with the remains of the first cup so it averaged out. It could have been the placebo effect but I felt very healthy afterwards.

One of my best friends also visited me in Korea and we did a few crafty things there too.
 
 We went to the traditional and preserved part of Seoul and did a few fun crafts.

  We sat on the floor which was like yoga in itself and did a Buddhist form of meditation which is outlining and tracing art on paper.
 
 This was my peony flower in gold paint which I dared not waste.

We also did a special knotting class where we made bracelets.
There was a special good luck tassle made by the masters hanging outside of the room.
I would have shown you my bracelet but left it in Seoul but it consisted of 8 of these knotted balls.
In Korea this skill of knotting is used in many adornments and 
you may have seen it in this form below.

My friend and I were going to do an embroidery class but we ran out of time.  But I would have loved to have stitched something like the traditional pillows seen below.






In fact embroidery is so entrenched in Korean handicrafts that even traditional shoes had embroidery.

 
Did you know that signatures still aren't widely used in Korea and some other countries in east Asia?
There is mistrust in signatures that can be widely copied so people tend to have their own stamp/insignia which is used for most and very important official documents.
As it is used often, people tend to have elaborate and ornate stamps like this selection of jade ones.


Speaking of culture, I went to the museum and admired all the ancient artefacts that have managed to remain through the wars and other violent events Korea has had.
This vase is from the 12th century and I don't think will ever go out of fashion.

I miss the expanse of space in London. Even though Seoul is considered a busier and cramped city, there are open spaces.
And my relatives like most Koreans like to grow food and my aunt would go to the roof terrace and pick veggies.
I miss my uncle's little doggie with the biggest eyes.  I have a soft spot for her especially as she was originally my grandmother's pet and is somehow a living link to her still. 
I must say that I am glad to be back home and get back to my routine!  Hope everything is well on your end x

38 comments:

  1. Shut up that dog is so cute!
    I visited Nara- great park!
    Also a great tonkatsu place.
    Glad you did some crafty things. Not many folks would do it - too busy on tourist trail.
    Loved geisha spotting. I went to a geisha show- it was beautiful!

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    1. She is clever but soo tiny..,Nara would have more visitors if it wasn't so close but gets forgotten in do many ways! I love geishas and they deserve their own post!

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  2. Oh this post makes me so natsukashii! I really, really miss my life in Japan.....
    I love your gold peony, and the knotted craft items look amazing.
    I'd love a post on Geisha and Maiko San!

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    1. Asia makes me natsukashii and I loved even the simple things there. I was taken aback by how unlike Tokyo it was. Took mental adjustment to the calm and pace but a post only for geisha is coming.

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  3. That dog melts my heart!

    I would love to visit Japan. The closest I've been is the Japan section at Epcot at Disney!

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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  4. What wonderful eyes on the adorable dog! I love all the colors, the embroidered shoes, and you're right, that particular shade of orange/red is so pretty!

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    1. Her eyes are a third of her face! But the special pigments of japan have that Pavlovian response and I just love that red and their indigo

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  5. So glad you had a lovely visit. When I think of Japan all I envision is Tokyo, so your pictures are a delightful surprise. Thanks again, you are much loved baby.

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    1. The trip was mixed to be frank there were aspects I found frustrating about the city and I think I mistook it for a more exciting city like Tokyo do there were things I didn't prepare for but overall glad I went x

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  6. I'd love to go to Japan and visit my best childhood friend who lives in Kyoto teaching English married to a local girl. Homogenous societies do carry certain advantages with one being a deep respect for the past. Loved this post Naomi !

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    1. I would say Tokyo snd Kyoto are a must. There are pros and cons to such a society snd having lived in both I still couldn't choose. But it is so steeped in history that a week was not enough!

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  7. Lovely post: colorful and sublime.

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  8. I love this instagram-y post! Japanese paper!!! So fabulous!

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    1. Japanese psper is an art form in itself and wish I got done but it would only be in the cupboards.

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  9. I love this colorful, happy post. I've never been to Japan but would love to visit one day soon. That Bamboo forest looks amazing. It is always nice to get home, isn't it.

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    1. You would loove japan! Do clean crisp and loiter but a month away was perhaps a week too long!

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    2. Leslie in Oregon19 October 2014 at 00:12

      For me, 19-21 days of travelling abroad is usually optimal for one trip. Thank you for this lovely post, which will inspire me on my next trip to Seoul and the Kyoto/Nara area.

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  10. Just beautiful, Naomi! I love these posts! I always feel as if I am there with you!

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  11. I think you would find Asia very inspiring and you would hVe loved all the gardens!

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  12. Naomi, this post was amazing!! There is just so much that is inspiring here. And yes please for the geisha post. :) I think that Japan is on so many people's wish lists (it is mine) so too much is never enough...

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    1. Geishas have such an imprint and their charm was real and I love them more now!

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  13. I am so green with envy N! It's all so utterly beautiful. The embroidery and knots are wonderful. I'd love to see it all! I love the shoes and lucky tassels. Heavenly!

    Please do a post about the geishas.

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    1. I got some shoes but had to post them back bc I had so much luggage!!

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  14. Yes me too I'd love to read your thoughts on the geishas.
    So colourful and lovely, you are a real traveller to be away this length of time but also to try new things which most people are loathe to do. I bet you're happy to be home again though, it's always the best part of being away.xo

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    1. I like London so much more after time away otherwise I can't see it's charm but good thing is I feel like settling into winter now!

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  15. I'd have really appreciated the Buddhist style meditation and that McDonalds look-a-like (in terms of thickness) green smoothie. I've never been to Asia but I feel I'd need to go with someone who knows what they are looking for for some reason - perhaps because it is so different to where I usually visit. I'd love to hear more about the geishas, only ever seen them on telly and at a fancy dress party but despite being human beings I can imagine they are intriguing. Enjoy your week xx

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    1. I think you would like the food in japan bc it's fresh and simple. But it's doooo different to Europe that it is an experience for sure hope you get to go x

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  16. Loved seeing all of these, really interesting about signatures

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    1. Yes stamps are much harder to fake but it's a pain if you lose your stamp!!!

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  17. I have never seen bamboo that tall - that stuff is awesome. Not sure what the particular name of it is but wish we'd used it to block out our neighbours!
    What a neat vacation, don't you love that particular shade of red in Japan? Im not usually a huge fan of red but you cannot lose with that shade. I remember buying a chest that color in Notting Hill and i still miss it.
    Agree some of those little icons are cute and frightening at the same time

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    1. It grows that tall in six months and they use it for do many things especially the most exquisite fences. I love bamboo shoots in salads too.

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  18. Love this post Naomi. How wonderful that you took lessons in traditional arts and crafts! It would certainly add to your appreciation - there must be so much patience and perfectionism required to achieve such artistry.
    We visited Japan perhaps 8 years ago. Husband loved the buzz of big city Tokyo; my favourite place was Kyoto - adored the forests, gardens, temples and shrines. Also visited Nara for the day, lovely too. In Kyoto explored the Handicrafts Centre and bought some old cuttings from kimonos that had otherwise worn-out, some about 10-11 inches square, such lovely embroidery on the silk. Also bought an obi - though not a spectacular one, and not hand embroidered, but it's pretty.
    One day there was a typhoon warning and we were told by hotel staff not to go out. Luckily for us, it seemed to be a wedding day for several couples at the hotel. One bride wore a "Gone with the Wind" enormous floor sweeper in watermelon pink, with ruffles and lace and a matching parasol. She and her girlfriends were having a ball, giggling and preening. Her bridegroom was much smaller and looked terrified. You could see his friends trying to encourage him and patting him on the back and trying to encourage him to go up to her. But the two groups, the girls and the guys, hardly seemed to mix.
    We were told on this visit that the average age of geishas in Kyoto was around 65, I think. Hard to tell from a little distance because all the make-up and elaborate hair kind of masks age, to an extent. Look forward to your post on geishas. Best wishes, Pammie

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    1. I like Tokyo and the food there but of course Kyoto is the culture capital still but I think I went wrong in that I expected Kyoto to have the range of Tokyo and the life but it was such a calm city and the cuisine was so different from Tokyo so I had wrong expectations. I got some vintage kimonos and I am in love but don't know how to wear it...I do but rather how and occasion appropriate? I missed the typhoon and was lucky to go in between two of them! I love how the Japanese wear the traditional garb and go out on the weekends. Yes the geishas are a smaller tribe for sure and only Kyoto do it right. I will work on that post now! x

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  19. Love all the things you did in Japan and Korea. The paper boxes are beautiful.

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  20. Gorgeous photos. That embroidery is beautiful. I still find Hello Kitty charming. I've only ever made it as far as Narita airport on a layover but I do remember fantastic gift shops.

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  21. This is a lovely post Naomi. I do love the quiet and peaceful atmosphere that I feel is reflecting along the pictures. From what I discover here, it seems that Asia is a lot about delicate and beautiful things. I don't know much about the East side of the world, but sure those lines and pictures have captured me.

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