EVERY SPACE THAT MEANT SOMETHING TO ME IN 2017

This blog is very new and I thought that it would be a good idea to share more of myself before I stop doing that as much. I'm trying to navigate the line between staying in focus on the topic at hand ( paintings.. flowers.. furniture ) and also showing a personable side of myself so you guys can feel a sense of connection to this blog and myself. I thought this entry sort of strikes both ends of the scale. I show my life but I also tie it into the theme of spaces and homes which is something central to PFF as well. Before it gets too sentimental and late to share things from 2017, let's delve into every single space that struck me last year. Struck me personally, emotionally, physically, COSMICALLY. We're going all the way from Japan to Paris, Holland and China. Let's go... 

This was the first house I lived in in Tokyo and it was a girls only share house. When I first moved in, coming straight from Australia, the first thing I noticed was how 'asian' the whole place looked. The kitchen had gingham place mats and lots of small plastic kitchenware. They also had fake, plastic flowers on shelves and near the windows. I liked the dining table and eating there. I liked the white, Ikea-esque, no frills simplicity of it all. I used to watch TV whilst I ate breakfast before going to work. One time, I nearly set the toaster on fire because the bread was too thin and the oven toaster heated up really fast and really hot, really quickly. That was such a scary moment, thank god nobody was home and it was a windy day. 

I think Margaret Howell should get a store here in Melbourne. It would do really well. I came here pretty often to have coffee and a slice of cake.

This was my booth where I worked. I taught one on one english lessons. I worked really hard from 10 or 12 noon to 10pm at night everyday. Sometimes back to back lessons from the start to the end. I actually really liked this job and I met some amazing students who I'll never forget. In the morning, the first thing I'd do is grab a coffee from the coffee machine ( best thing they installed there ) and then jump into my booth to start my day. The first thing was logging in and seeing a list of all the clients that had booked me. I loved seeing who I got the first thing in the morning. It was fun albeit scary at times. 

I'll never forget Japanese styled bathrooms. All the fixtures, taps, etc were small and compact and tucked neatly without much separation. Everything had a spot and that was all. This picture shows me hanging up my shirt to be steamed in the morning before I headed off to work. I've spread out all my items on the different shelves because at this point, there was only me and one other girl living there. 

Whenever I was early to meet a friend, I'd come here to kill fifteen minutes or so. This is Tsutaya in Shibuya. It's a really famous building. You know the Starbucks that's right at the Shibuya crossing? This is right above there. There are so, so many magazines and amazing art books here that you can read and buy. Although they don't really provide any seating unless you're eating or drinking there and if you're eating or drinking, you're not allowed to read the books. You just have to stand there but it's worth it for the English magazines and books, if you ask me. The layout of the shop is really open planned. It was one of the best magazine / book stores I've been to.

Another shot from the Margaret Howell cafe.

This was my room when I lived in the girls share house. The house was an old Japanese styled home that the management had separated using wall dividers to create more rooms. That little step you see there is called a Tokonoma and it's where families would put ikebana, flowers or some kind of decorative piece for display. It's funny how my bed is just so bluntly on this area where most people put nice things for people to look at. Looking at this photo, it's amazing how different my style has changed this photo was taken. I loved the windows at the bottom. It was really nice being able to see the sunrise early in the morning from there. 

My friend Stella's house. Stellas house is in Koto-Ku which I'd say is kind of inner city and is three storeys high. It's super compact and cool. She even has a rooftop area with seats and you can see the entire area which surrounds her building. This winding stair case was impressive because it looked so symmetrical and I remember thinking how much I would've loved such a nice staircase for my own home. I had never been to a three storey house prior to Stella's home. 

This was my first night in my own apartment in Tokyo. The sense of relief having gotten away from a share house was immense that night.  I've learnt that I really can't deal living in shared spaces after that day. You can see I'm sleeping on a futon. If only there were some way I could've bought back that futon in Melbourne because they're honestly so practical and comfortable. After only a few days getting used to the futon, I felt completely comfortable and at ease with sleeping on the floor. In the morning, I folded it up and put it in the cupboard ( which was really deep and big ) which meant I had a whole room to do whatever I wanted in. Looking at this photo makes me miss living alone very, very much. You feel at ease and at peace living by yourself. You possess a freedom that you can't get in a share house at all.

This was the most impressive house on my street. A young family lived here with lots of kids. The design is so Japanese. On any given street in Japan, you will find a home that looks similar to this one. Very straight lines, almost box-like in appearance. Simple, minimal, nothing fancy or out there.

Sometimes we'd alternate booths at work. I liked this one the best. At this time, it was winter and one time, it snowed. The grid-like building across the road was Takashimaya - a super luxurious and high end shopping centre. Their ground floor was a food hall with a imported supermarket and food shops selling all kinds of different food from Korean to Chinese, Italian and the works. During lunch time, I would go there to get something. When I wanted to treat myself, I'd get sea urchin sushi, which I really miss having. 

A shot of my first apartment from the kitchen ( which didn't have a stove. I cooked on a gas plate which I had issues with and had several awkward conversations with the gas man in broken Japanese and lots of hand gestures ) It was sad having to give away that table when I was about to leave Tokyo. It had so much wear left in it and could seat six people comfortably. Even though this was the smallest apartment that I've lived in, I would have to say that it was the best one. It's really not about size when it comes to your living space. It's about the home that you make in it and this was certainly the best one. 

This was the day that I got the key to my loft in Tokyo. It's certainly the best looking apartment I've lived in in my life and the location was amazing. Five minutes walk to the station, grocery stores, chemists, post offices and more just around the corner. The suburb is really clean, safe and nice. The only issue I had here was a really rude and terrible neighbour who lived next door. The last apartment I had a bad neighbour who stomped and was noisy that lived above me. I thought I'd be escaping that by living on the top floor but then they just moved next door. If the next door person had been quiet this would've been even nicer to live in. I liked the views of the street, the breeze that rushed in when you opened the window and the loft space was huge too. 

The day I moved in. I found a really great moving service that spoke english and were just generally super reliable. I was able to set up my whole apartment here pretty quickly since I didn't really own that many things. The best part was going to Ikea a couple of days after this to stock up on new things. I had always wanted to live in a loft prior to moving in. I remember how I used to always look at amazing photos of lofts on tumblr ( and still do to be honest ) and just think I wish, wish, wish one day I'll be able to live in one as well. And then I did, but it wasn't the exact kind of experience that I was seeking.

After Paris, I went to China. That day, my aunties were preparing lunch for the family and I wanted to take a photo of the kitchen and their prepping for the meals we were about to have. China isn't my favourite place. I don't like it there to be perfectly honest. I don't gel with the culture and I don't like the blunt and rude nature of things. Yes, there are perfectly wonderful people there but it's a place that's been through some tough stuff and they live like that everyday which I'm not used to. I like orderly lines and for people to have manners. I'm not going to rant anymore than that. It's a good place to visit for me but that's all. But having said all that, I'm still really glad that I got to live there because I had always wondered what it'd be like to live there prior to actually doing it. Needless to say, it was memorable in its own right. 

A friends home in Tokyo. This was taken at a going away party that was held as a goodbye thing to me. I love Japanese apartments because they're just so cool looking. I can't even explain it in an articulate fashion, they just have something that is so rad about them!!! 

Having this entire space to myself was crazy but it was also kind of lonely. The owner of this air BNB in Paris had really cool decorating taste and good taste in books as well. His family owned a Champagne business and had been making champagne since god knows when. I liked living here because it was central ( Le Marais ) and it was so super easy to get around everywhere. What was annoying but also understandable was how secure it was. I had to get past three doors in order to enter the actual apartment itself. It was set quite far back so you couldn't hear any of the commotion going on in the streets.

This photo doesn't do this cafe in Kyoto justice. I felt like I had stepped into a film set. There was a couple clad in beige in the corner, smoking. One was an ageing business man by the looks of him, the woman was decked out in pearls and an expensive looking perm. And then there was me. Nobody said a word in that cafe, it was so quiet and so serene. The interiors were very minimal, there were no colours at all from the furniture all the way to the menus. The only liveliness came from the scene behind the glass. The green was so lush and the water was very clear too in the pond outside. 

I woke up to this view at 5am in the hotel I was staying at ( which had its very own onsen with views of Mt. Fuji ). This was a sitting area that was in our hotel room. It was amazing being able to see Mt.Fuji right outside, so close just in your sitting room. It felt like you owned a piece of Mt Fuji. 

The futons set up at our hotel. My mother and I went out for dinner and by the time we got back, this was set up, ready for sleep. I love their discretion and ability to be so swift and secret in their movements in Japan. Something I wish I truly knew how to do. It's an art being able to be discreet like this.

My local cafe where I lived. It doubled up as a bakery.

My friend Yuka took me to this tofu restaurant as a good bye thing prior to my departure from Japan. I had to take a photo for the intense blue of the interiors here. It was gorgeous, so vibrant and alive. I have never seen a blue like that before in my life.

I was lead to this place after craving baked beans on toast with eggs and not being able to find anywhere in Tokyo that did a decent breakfast ( or having gone to all of them and needing a new place ). This place is called World Breakfast All day and specialises in breakfasts from all over the world. I had to book ahead to get a spot there but it was totally worth it. I ended up getting the muesli and banana instead which was super delicious and tasted like it was made right here in Melbourne.

More photos from my air bnb in Paris.

Staying here gave me a vibe into what it would be like if I actually lived in Paris alone and it was bliss. I liked paris for its supermarkets ( I know, weird but true ), architecture and beauty. I liked having my own space in this city even if it was only for two weeks. It gave me this sense of independence which admittedly, I already have but it felt different because it wasn't in Japan or Australia. It felt different simply because it was in Paris.

This was an old friends home in Holland. She had really good taste in interiors and furnishings. I was doubly impressed that most of it was from the second hand store. I think second hand stores in Europe are just different to the ones we have in Australia. They have better things and they sell them for a lot cheaper as well. Another thing I noticed in Holland was that nobody owned curtains there. I had to have a shower to a big, wide window where neighbouring individuals could peek at anytime. Their philosophy there is that there's nothing to hide, so why hide it. Such a contrasting view to the way Japan does it, which is if you live on the first floor, have your blinds drawn 24/7. Not an overstatement! 

My cousins home in China. When he was with his family in Melbourne, I stayed over at his place with my aunt. I did a lot of writing, reading and podcasting here. 

Similar to Japan, China has a lot of rooftops as well. The funny thing is that nobody seems to want to use them. Although that might have to do with the poor air quality. This was actually a rainy day and not just smog from the pollution but it can get smoggy like this on bad days in winter.

I turned my other Aunts balcony into an impromptu studio for myself when I was in China. Because things are so cheap over there, I was able to buy 12 pots of paint for an equivalent of 20 Australian dollars and stacks of canvases as well for 20 australian dollars. I spent everyday working on new paintings. I don't think I'll be able to do so much art in one stretch for a long time, just because of how expensive it is to get art supplies over here compared to over there. The good thing was that the quality of product in China can be really decent if you know where to go. I had to leave all my paints behind when I left China because of annoying custom regulations. I miss those paints a lot.

If you made it all the way here, thank you!
I'll see you in the next post