Copenhagen

Variations of the same in Copenhagen.

Couldn't resist.

xoxo

Supermarkets in Antwerp

I spent sooooo long in Sydney wishing for my local supermarket to be a Japanese supermarket. We used to drive over the bridge to go to Tokyo Mart in Northbridge and pay three times the amount for cleaning product just because they had Japanese packaging. I think I'm repeating myself on my blog here for long time readers. Anyway, as it turns out, after four years of living in Tokyo, it's not all rainbows and unicorns.

It's rare for my local supermarket to sell frozen peas, quinoa, brown bread, roast chicken, dips, decent crackers, and don't even get me talking about cheese. Simple things like packet Continental Beef Stroganoff base, or Continental Chicken Noodle Cup-a-soup. I miss them! The frozen section at Ozeki is jam packed with seaweeds and osozai for obento, ramen and, on occasion, expensive pie sheets. I mean, I love Japan! And I love the fact that the supermarket obento are amazing but when I went back to Sydney recently I practically fainted at how amazing Coles was! Grass is always greener, hey?

I saw some 'No Frills' white rice packaging on my last trip to Sydney and loved their simple packaging. It had always bothered me why even with a one colour print design they couldn't do something better with the logo. In the end I'd decided that if they made it look too well designed that people wouldn't buy it because they'd think it was a fancy expensive brand. But, perhaps it was because I've been out of the country for so long now, but the logo looked nice and I tried to get MamaSando to buy a packet but she wouldn't comply.

On our This is Antwerp tourism trip I passed sooooooo many supermarkets but couldn't pop in because we had a very full schedule. It was one of the best trips of my life and such an honour to be taken around on such a brilliant tour, but I would have been so happy if my schedule would have allowed to have arrived a day earlier to visit the supermarkets. I'm not even kidding, but at one point (and in my defense I was extremely jet lagged) I even cried because it was such torture missing out on the supermarkets and photographs I wanted to take. I'm weird like that.

Anyway! On my last day in Antwerp I snuck out briefly to a large supermarket (even though it was a Dutch supermarket) and IT WAS HEAVEN! Look!

Cheeses! STOP IT!

I am not even kidding but these were dips and other amazing things!

I almost applied for a Belgium visa as soon as I visited these supermarkets in Antwerp!

And that's it Sandwiches! No more photos of Antwerp to show you. I want to get back there this year, though! So stay posted!

I hope I can travel to host some international craft workshops this year. USA, Mexico, Sweden and Spain are very high on the list! If you know someone who would like to host a Hello Sandwich workshop pretty please tell me!

Hope you're having a gorgeous and inspiring start to the year! Thank you so much to the incredibly lovely people who have emailed me this year just saying how much they enjoy visiting Hello Sandwich! It means the absolute world to me! I can't tell you how much these kinds of messages inspire me! xoxo

Also, Sandwiches - those who follow me on instagram will know I'm currently working on my new Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide! I'm trying to get it finished as soon as possible! For those who are travelling to Tokyo in 2015 please stay tuned!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

This is Antwerp (Part Four)

Sandwiches! As I write this, it makes me a little sad, because this is the second last post about my trip to Antwerp. This is how our last day in Antwerp unfolded.

The day started with the arrival of one of my best friends flying in from London. She came on over to my B&B and we met up with the boys for breakfast.

Breakfast rolled into lunch at Coffeelabs which was probably my favourite meal of the week.  Salads, quiche, sandwiches, colourful and refreshing carafes, and an easygoing vibe.

Coffeelabs also has a rental workspace on the floor above the cafe, and then a rooftop terrace. But I didn't get to peek at the terrace because James and Adrian and I snuck away to 'make pictures'.

James and his Fujifilm X100s. Total envy! Every time I go into LABI I try out the new X100T. Desperately want.

Antwerp Fujifilm club. Such relaxing times walking around with these two.

Further along the road Adrian was taking a shot.

E: "That must have been a great shot!"

A: "No, there was a boat was in the way"

Top of the MAS.

"Stop stealing my shots"

Our special final dinner at Red Fish Factory.

A - mazing!

The 12 of us in front of the video camera for the last time.

And then, we turned the camera on our videographer in attempt to get him back for all of the cameras in our faces during the trip.

Pants Off: "I don't want to put words in your mouth but if you could just say..."

And as he tried to reply Pants Off cut him off...

Pants Off: " - Yep. Yep. We've got it"

Gorgeous Marie from Walkie Talkie at the closing party.

Mural painting turned into face painting.

Tourism Antwerp went to such great lengths to make the closing party a wonderful evening. Love heart 'Antwerp' signs at the photo booth.

Lots of dancing and some climbing on ladders before we headed off to the house-party-after-party. I don't remember much about the after party other than I remember thinking it was pretty cool to be ordering pizza delivery with these amazing people in Antwerp. It felt so local doing something as ordinary as ordering pizza to a house. A house in Antwerp!

I believe something along the lines of a naked live show (?) went down in the open shower, and, randomly I was voted 'Prom Queen' and as a result I had to wear a plate on my head and give a speech. Embarrassingly, I think the focus of my utterly brilliant speech was about how I love European boys! Hah! Oh dear!

Sandwich...

And, OMG! The next morning saying goodbye before my flight to Copenhagen. Gosh!

So many special goodbyes that I can still recall so vividly. Hugs at doors.

Itay: "Just go before I cry"

I remember driving off in the taxi. Riding over the cobblestone roads where kitten heels are lost. Pulling out of the street where I had rode Antwerp bikes with the guys so many times that week. I realised that it was the first time that I had been alone in a week. I didn't want to leave.

I'm currently listening to this as I type this which isn't particularly helping.

I held off the tears until I reached Antwerp's grand station. The kind taxi driver carried my suitcase to the entrance of the station. And for a moment I couldn't move. I just stood there looking up at the station, crying. I wanted to turn around and change paths somehow.

Down on the train track to the airport I stood crying like a baby. So much so that I almost didn't realise that my train to the airport was about to depart further up the track. Safely on board I got chatting to two friendly travellers who asked me what I was doing in Antwerp. As I tried to explain, there were more tears.

And at the airport - more tears. Goodness. It was such a wonderful trip. I can't believe just how special it was and how lucky I was to have been selected for this trip.

本当にありがとうございましたWalkie Talkie!

Thank you so much Walkie Talkie!

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

Happy New Year, Sandwiches!

Sandwiches!!!

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R ! ! !

Did you have a wonderful start to 2015? I hope you had a gorgeous and relaxing break and feel super inspired for this year. It's going to be a goodie!

I still have some more pictures I want to show you from Antwerp and Copenhagen, but first, here are some new year pics. As I write this I can hear my neighbour playing the shamisen!

A new year kagami mochi from Mr Y.

New Year's Eve began with cava and Mr B decorating Hello Sandwich HQ.  So, so much laughter.

The fun continues with this little decoration on my apartment door.

Luke came on over, armed with his famous chicken to cook us for dinner. But as some light pre-dinner entertainment we went up to the park and let off some fireworks that we had leftover from Summer. How awesome is it that it's legal to let off fireworks in this country?! LOVE! Not quite the spectacular explosion that our friends and family in Sydney might have been seeing, but I did manage to capture this little snippet of Luke's efforts.

More cava, NHK and some special sparkling red from the Hunter Valley (a gift from Mama Sando's next door neighbour) to toast the new year and then it was time to head to the local shrine for Hatsumode (first visit to the shrine for the year).

I got the order wrong this year and accidentally ate Toshikoshi soba after midnight! Oops!

I can not tell you how exciting it is to wake up on the 1st of January and rush down to your letter box to collect your Nengajo (New Year greeting cards). As you probably know, or have heard me mention here before, Nengajo are held at the post office until the 1st of January so that they can be delivered right on this special day. Love you Japan!

THEN it started snowing!!! NEW YEAR'S SNOW!!! It's quite rare to snow of the 1st of January in Tokyo. I actually ran around my apartment squealing with excitement.

Osechi ryori at Mami-chan's family house!

Oshibori cuteness!

We took a wintery walk to the local shrine near Mami's family house.

The winter light! Divine!

We had to walk through this hoop in a figure eight for good luck.

Scattered patches of crunchy snow.

A beautiful dusk.

Perhaps this is my first 'Hello Sandwich-poi' photograph of the year?

Back to Mami-chan's house for ozoni (Japanese soup with mochi rice cakes).

Followed by some sake.

And there it was. The new year has began and it's back to everyday life in my little Shimokitazawa apartment.

These last few days I've been doing lots of relaxing and getting prepared for the new year. Writing letters, cooking Jamie's Jools' pasta, writing down some goals for 2015 (both personal and professional ones) - oh dear, the list is longggggg, movie nights with Luke (last night we watched Michel Gondry's 'The Science of Sleep' - A-MAZING!), editing photos, and osouji. In a few days it will be time for Nanakusagayu!

I hope you're having a nice start to the year little Sandwiches!

Love Sandwich
xoxo

Christmas Garland with the Circle Punch Video!

Hello Sandwiches!

Here is another little Hello Sandwich craft video to help you get into the Christmas cheer!

(Thank you Duncan-san!)

You can see the 'how-to-make' instructions over here.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Kodomoe Magazine

Kodomoe magazine invited me to produce a gift wrapping story for their December issue.

It was a day or so after my new book shoot and I was soooo busy that I had to paint my nails (for the 'how-to-make' shots on the train on the way to the shoot! Hah! But it turned out okay, hey?

ありがとうこどもえ！

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

A Little Bit Crafty

Sandwiches! I am playing catch up here. So many blog posts, so I hope you'll bare with me while I spam your feedly feeds. (Gomen!)

Here is the little Hello Sandwich craft project in the new Frankie craft book. So many fun projects in this book - it would definitely be a must for Chistmas presents for your crafty tomodachis!

Thank you always Frankie team for your ongoing support. Love you guys to bits.

Sandwich
xoxo