Look at this gorgeous picture and weep, all you 6 mat-confined Japanites! This is my new home (well, it will be in about 3 weeks) . It's the bottom floor of a house in Mitakadai - just 2 stops out of Kichijoji, and a bike ride to the park, and the school. 1 x 10 mat tatami bedroom with extra timber bits, 1 x 13 mat timber floored bedroom, 1 x timber floored sunroom/living room, a HUGE kitchen with ample bench space and dozens of cupboards, a store room, and... a garden! With GRASS we can lounge on!
Our new landlady is a gorgeous 40-something with a big smile and a sweet teenage son. Hubby lives in Okinawa for business reasons. They both speak a little English and are really warm and friendly.
And best of all? My new flatmate, the very lovely Charlene, from Canada. We knew we had a special bond when, sitting down to watch some movie at the cinema with friends, we heard the opening strains of a The Magnetic Fields song and both raised our hands and said "Magnetic Fields" out loud at the same time. She turned and said "I can't believe you know who The Magnetic Fields are". I replied, proudly (...erm...boastfully?), actually, I promoted their Brisbane show, ate dinner with the band, then went on to drink old scotch with Mr Merritt. She is the only other person I know in Tokyo who has a music collection that includes such delicious obscurities as Papa M, Bonnie Prince Billy, Arab Strap, Beta Band, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service Dirty Three, Do Make Say Think, Fourtet, Hayden, Ida, Interpol, Iron and Wine, Low, Reindeer Section and so on and so forth.... And, she is also a vegetarian so for the first time in years I will actually be cooking with someone else on a regular-ish basis. Sharing food and meals. What a novelty.
We are signing a 2 year lease, so I guess that means that I finally have a plan. 2 more years in Tokyo. Such a fabulous place.
frangipani wrote this on June 4, 2005 6:10 PM
Comments
Due to the proliferation of comment spam, I've closed comments on all older entries. If you would like to leave a comment for this post, please email me directly at martine {at} frangipani {dot} info and I'll add it manually. Thank you and sorry for any inconvience caused.
hmmmm, a third thing. ummmmm. well, actually, yes - something very cool did happen. an exciting idea was planted in my head about a photography related project - something highly viable and potentially profitable. but a little bit secret at the moment, since it's still in embryonic form.
housewarming?! most definitely. a luxurious dinner party methinks, with some fab cocktails and fireworks in the garden. well....kombeni sparklers at least...
On June 4, 2005 10:40 PM,
amanda said:
count me in, i'll bring the sparklers and my horn.
A HUGE kitchen sounds like a definite bonus. Congradulations!
On June 5, 2005 4:03 AM,
Uncle Don said:
In the recent short run around Asagaya I never saw anything like the house you have found. Either you are very lucky or you are paying a fortune for it!
Two year lease! You have made a very good decision staying in Japan.
Now you have space, peace and time to plan any project you like.
This is really good news Martine.
I'm very lucky. We're both paying ¥75 000 each - what I've been paying since I arrived in Tokyo - standard Tokyo rent.
On June 6, 2005 1:05 AM,
Jennifer said:
Oooh! Aaah! I can see the grass!
Death Cab and Interpol are obscure? And people don't know Magnetic Fields? In my little space bubble all three are very popular and have/will influence generations of musicians.
Hi Jenn. It is such a sad thing that, unfortunately, the vast majority of people look at me blankly and blink whenever I talk about music. In my space bubble those bands are also very popular, most of my friends at home in Australia know them all, love them all. Once I left my cosy little music world, and started mixing it with the hip-hop / trance / house / dub / drum'n'bass / electro / reggae / world / pop / classical / whatever folk, I realised that my favourite artists - and music - are obscure. In the same way that most genres have obscure but deeply loved artists. Oficianado's love 'em, sometimes they get some wider acclaim.... but really, unless they hit commercial radio and get onto soundtracks for big movies and TV shows, there is just too much music to try to hear in one lifetime.
magnetic fields! my favorite all-time band!! "there'll be time enough for sex and drugs in heaven..." has been going through my head all morning. what movie did you see that had magnetic fields in it?
i met kat the other day and she mentioned ya. so i'm giving you the shout-out from NYC :) if i ever make it to tokyo (looks like i will with my hubby in november), we'll have to talk veggie.
On June 7, 2005 1:41 AM,
Juggs said:
Soooooo happy for you!,...so glad everything has fallen into place for you Marty. You deserve it so much. the place looks AMAZING!! So jealous.
Also,...looks like we'll be visiting you for a few more years hey?
Miss ya,..
- Juggs
On June 10, 2005 7:14 PM,
Kikko Man said:
Gorgeous pad... I'm jealous. Oh yeah... I listen to some of that... Arab Strap, Death Cab for Cutie and Interpol... good taste.
You have a garden! I'm soo jelaous! We just moved to a new place as well but had to settle for yet another concrete balcony..... We'll come and live with you later ;-)
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.frangipani.info/blog/nav-commenters.gif)