September 8-9th

So I decided to write blogs again and what is a better way to start than writing about my trip to Japan? 

I was planning a trip for September from 2 years ago to combine a trip and Miyavi's birthday and honestly I had just missed Japan and my friends there too much not to go.

Arrived at Narita through Dubai with Emirates the evening of September 8th and after collecting my suitcase broken :( (one of the weels had broke off making it very hard to move around) I headed to Yokohama where I met with Wako. Even thought we've only met 2-3 times in the past, first at the FC trip in Okinawa a bit, then in Yokohama for a day and finally when she came to Greece and home-stayed for about a week, we've become very close friends and I can't wait until she comes to visit again!!

The next day I was lucky enough to find a ticket for An Cafe's sold out reunion live from an add on mixi. The person selling it was very cool and we ended up going together and becoming friends! 

I'm very happy I was also able to meet up and hung out with Acha as well, a CoMiyavi from northern Japan that had come to Tokyo for the same concert! We ate Takoyaki together and walked around Harajuku even found a signed Miyavi poster inside a shop in Lafore.

The An Cafe live was so much fun! They played both old and new songs starting with Smile Ichiban ii onnna. They also had a small sketch in-between songs playing sailors battling a sea monster. It was generally very different than their concerts I had been to in Europe back in 2009 and I think I prefer their Japan style. It was the first concert I go to that is held in a hall and not a live house, which means there are allocated seats and you have lots of space. Our seats were pretty good actually, not in the arena unfortunately but we had the stage in front of us. We were thinking how unfortunate the people at the stands behind the stage were until the band walked between them and the arena people >.<. This kind of live isn't bad at all. You have space to actually do the furi and sit before and after the concert. After the concert finished and we ate some Tendon I returned back to Yokohama.

GB Mojito

On November 23rd Golden Bomber's new single "Yowasete mohiito" was released! And I got my copies in the mail around a week after it's release~ I'm saying copies because I didn't just buy one, but all 3! types this time… Even though the songs are the same, but each has different videos and the DVDs are what I'm buying the singles for anyway. Plus, I got a poster and photo card from cdjapan because I bought them together! I'm definitely not regretting it! The DVDs were seriously long and really fun to watch (as always with Golden Bomber!) and I also love the songs and PVs.

Each single by Golden Bomber has the lyrics on individual member cards (for the 2 DVD types only) and last time when I bought A&B I had luckily enough gotten all 4 members but this time I didn't get Kyan ;_;… got two of Kirishou. But I got my favorite member, Jun so I'm happy! ^^ 

I can easily say Golden Bomber are my favorite band right now. The only maybe band I'm seriously following and buying stuff from. Even though I have many bands I love listening to and watching their shows etc. 

Of course I don't even need to point out that this does not include Miyavi because for me he is on another completely different level xD

Recently I went and tried subbing to english as well… which ended up being really hard, because not only do I have to translate the meaning but also correctly hear the words. Although, I think it's great practice and if I could even just a bit translate the many funny things that haven't been translated for people that can't understand japanese, I'd be happy. Even though I'm sure there should be mistakes. 

I also still have to study japanese hard to move forward!

magazines & STRONG

Yohey new blog after 9? months xD
What have I been doing the past months? I seriously need to start writing more...
I love to go back and read my blogs from years ago so I need to write more for the future too!
I've realized I can now read and understand around 80% of japanese magazine articles(even though it takes time and I get tired) so I bought a few...

and falling more and more in love with Golden Bomber ♡ (that's why all the mags are with them lol)
Their monthly live shows, blogs and whatnot are definitely something to look forward to every time... ah won't the day I can see them live too come soon enough please >.< )

Miyavi's new single arrived a few days ago!
His guitar and style is amazing as always
I'll be honest though, it's his voice I like to hear with his guitar the most and since I bought the limited edition for the DVD there is hardly any of it in it...
So now I need to get the regular ed. too, for the MYV exclusive version....
Probably will get it from iTunes when I go and put money in a wallet card, since my credit card has expired and they don't take debit cards -_-

WHAT'S MY NAME? Golden hour

This time CDJapan's EMS took 9 days to get here. Not that bad compared to some other things (like MIYAVI's 2011 calendar I ordered with a friend that took nearly one month and also had to pay 70 euros for custom clearance fees because of the company's fault >.< but I won't go there...) and 雅-MIYAVI-'s new single is in my hands! This time I ordered with 2 other Co-MIYAVI friends from here, so I still got 2 more unopened left to give them.

I didn't really buy MIYAVI's single for the songs... I've already got the WHAT'S MY NAME? from the album and while the different bass player collaborations are really amazing, what really made me buy it, is the extra DVD! Which I haven't really had time to watch yet. I'll definitely do so very soon though.

Same goes for Golden Bomber's new album. But maybe a bit less there, since most songs I didn't have before. This was my second purchase of theirs, after the "また君に番号を聞けなかった" single. And I am not disappointed in any way. I've come to really love this band! I could even go and say they are my favorite band right now, or maybe tied with Alice Nine (MIYAVI isn't a counted as a band of course :P)!

Inside the package was also the free V!NYL SYNDICATE magazine! And this time it had Golden Bomber's Kyan Yutaka inside! Yay xD

I can't wait till I watch both the extra DVDs! but that's gotta have to wait until after I go meet with the co-miyavi friend to give her her copy too.

Winning from coupons in CD/DVDs

It's not often that I win things. But this time I did! And where it really matters to me.
When Japanese artists release new stuff there are several papers inside the CDs and DVDs most non-Japanese speakers ignore. Thankfully I stopped ignoring them since I'm able to understand basic Japanese and decided to send off the coupons with the help of my Japanese sensei's friend who would return to Japan and could send the hagaki needed with the coupons, and a co-miyavi friend in Japan who let me use her address.
The winnings are:
A big poster from WHAT'S MY NAME? and a DVD titled:
"behind the scenes of NEO TOKYO SAMURAI BLACK WORLD TOUR"
With several backstage scenes and few on stage performance shots. Running at around 21 minutes it's not a full DVD but definitely enough to fully satisfy a co-miyavi!
Oh I just love backstage stuff. It started from a rehearsal and Okinawa showing several of his stops on his Japan tour last year. Many funny and interesting scenes with his crew and staff.
Once again brought me back all the great memories I made from going to his FC trip and 4 stops in Japan!
It finished powerfully with an amazing performance of "SURVIVE" from Sendai darwin.
Makes me even more excited (if that's even possible) for his upcoming lives in Europe!

Art on the ice

European championship just ended yesterday. The exhibition was today and what a pleasant start with Stephane Lambiel, doing a program like only he knows how!!
It's really nice when even after he's quit competing in championships there are chances to watch him on TV.
This year's european was pleasant but far from the best I've seen. It was certainly entertaining as always though. I love it when my favorite skaters I've known and loved for years win, but I just can't stop loving it when young people win for the first time! This was the case with Florent Amodio. When he knew he was first, he didn't stop jumping everywhere and hugging people (including the cutest hug with Brian Joubert, who I still don't like...)
While good technicals and jumps are nice, what I love in figure skaters is when they skate freely with the music like they are meant to, when they look like they enjoy what they are doing,  having an artsy or amazing feeling. Something I can't find in Brian Joubert. And that's where my dislike for Joubert, and where my deep love for Stephane comes from.
(Video is Stephane from a show in 2010)

U.S. Championship is running on right now... and I found a site to watch the men's finalists online! running off to watch right now~

food

Japanese food products, originally uploaded by RsKari.

I'm no big fan of Greek food. But I absolutely adore Japanese food. So what is a Japanese food addict stuck in Athens to do? Raid the little Japanese product shop we have downtown.

Even if it's so expensive the products cost double the actual price from Japan. Everything from this photo cost me around 18€ = ~2100円.

Gotta give it another visit soon.