"My Boom": Benrido

*My Boom (マイブーム） is a term that was created by manga artist Jun Miura. It signifies something that an individual is currently addicted to, and is the typical "wasei eigo (和製英語)".*

Recently, I've been exploring the area around the Shijo shopping district. From my favorite Soba-Boro cookie-shop, Kawamichi-ya Honten, to many small coffee shops, this area is a place full of 穴場 (あなば, or "anaba").

On an especially hot day (aka YESTERDAY, when temperatures hit above the 30's), I went to Benrido, which specializes in postcards from a variety of museums. The walls are covered with really cool postcards of classical Japanese paintings/woodblock paintings, historical artwork, etc. Sounds cool, right? I went crazy, spending about an hour picking out a bunch of stuff. And the prices are reasonable (for Japan).

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Little KCJS Sidenote: What's really nice about the KCJS program is that classes usually end around 2pm, so we have a bunch of time to explore the city. Although I usually have a place I want to explore, KCJS provides many opportunities. The teachers are friendly and dedicated, so they always have recommendations for places to visit and eat. Life is gooood.

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Adjusting to the Weather: Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, I was raised in an environment where there was no such thing as dressing too little. Compared with home, Yale was a bit more conservative in dress, but nevertheless open to almost anything.

In Japan, and especially Kyoto, people will judge you for what you wear. Socially conservative compared with the US, most of the time girls will wear shirts with sleeves even in the summer. Kyoto, a city rooted with tradition and full of old people, is not the place for spaghetti straps and strapless dresses. It reaaaally sucks.

So when might people judge you?

• sleeveless/really short sleeve: some people think this is the fashion taste of bold people and hookers. If you're going to a formal event, especially something traditional, I highly discourage this fashion choice.
• eating while walking: you will notice that there are very few trashcans on the sidewalks. That's because people don't eat wherever, whenever, like in the States.
• tying your hair up in public: you might think this is super weird, but there are still some people who think only prostitutes do this in public. And I'm sure these people exist in Kyoto.

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That's it for now.

Toodles~