January 24, 2007 or 25th-Thursday
Okay, so remember how I was talking about fashion and hair in my last blog....well, let me just say that I found a place in Chigasaki that actually sells clothes for my size.....HALLELUJAH!!! It's over by the movie theater and it's called SATY....now the section is very, very small, but they actually had clothes that fit me....I was flabbergasted....and to top it off, I wasn't the biggest size in the section.....check this out, I'm a size 92....doesn't that sound crazy to all of you Americans.....a size 92....but they measure in centimeters...the biggest size I saw was a size 100. I told a friend of mine here about it, and she said don't worry, she's a size 70 something...., and she's tall, but thin....it's crazy....

anyway, my box perm (relaxer) came in today so I did my hair...thanks again Auntie Dawn for the package, and Ma for getting the relaxer....PRECISE relaxer is on the money....real good....my frend gave herself a relaxer today too...she came prepared though....she bought it over from the states....so, we were talking on the phone and she was like, "Girl, when I put the perm in, my hair started laughing at me!" I cracked up....she was like, "I'm serious, my hair was like, you playin' right? It's been so long, so long!" LOL>>>>>LOL>>>>LOL She hadn't had a relaxer since May........the things us Black Women go through to keep our hair tight....whether it's braids or naturals or relaxers or curls.....we go through it sometimes.....Luckily,( "I am not my hair, I am not your expectation, NO!!!!") Quote from India Arie.....Of which I'm going to see in concert in Shibuya on February 5th....can't wait....and on that note....peace and love!

until next blog........

K

January 21, 2007-Sunday

Well not too much has transpired between the 17th and today....I do have some opinions on random topics though....

The first thing is about Japanese fashion....Now, I really was excited to move here because Tokyo is like the new fashion capitol of the world.....too bad I can't wear any of the fashions....lol.....there should be a new abbreviation made, well maybe it's not so new, but if it is, let it be known that I've coined the term....so instead of lol (laugh out loud), I'm going to say col (cry out loud) when it's in the right context. Getting back to the subject at hand; too bad I can't wear any of the fashions...col....Have I lost some weight since I've been here? Yes, but is it enough yet to rock the fashions? No.... I was speaking with a student and asked her if there was a store that carried larger fashions. She told me that there was this spot in the Kawasaki Mall (The Lazona), called Zara's...she said that the sizes run bigger because it originated in a Latin country....Now that may offend some, but please don't get offended, it was a perfectly innocent comment....Anyway, I went there last Wednesday and guess what their biggest size was? An American size 10....I was like dag......That's big considering many of the women I see here are size 0's and I'm not playing about that....Their measurements are different, they measure in centimeters and the scales are in kilograms.....so I have to go through a whole bunch of calculations just to weigh myself....it's deep.....anyway, getting back to stuff that's offensive, I don't know if I mentioned it in a past blog, but for all of the Black people reading this blog, you're gonna get a kick out of this. Okay, so there's this store in Yokohama and in other areas of Kanagawa and Tokyo called, "BLACKYS"....yes I said it's called, "BLACKYS" and guess what? It's a tanning salon....my co-worker showed me an advertisement, and I realized that I saw it before, but really didn't see it.....the store is next to an acquaintance of mine that owns a hip hop clothing store....I couldn't help but laugh....that's ridiculously offensive, but hey, I can't hate because it's probably unbeknownst to the owner and hey, Black is beautiful.....So, getting back to the fashion....women will wear heels here and not just any heals....Stiletto heels, and they'll run in them in the rain, and they'll ride bicycles in them. I can't knock that. I would if I could.....I can't wear heels here. I used to all the time, but I can't do it here.....it's all about comfort for real, and if I have to stand on a train for an hour, I might as well be comfortable doing it. Also, ya know how matching your clothes is a valued thing in the states....For instance, you wouldn't wear something brown with something purple or the like, unless there was some pattern to it....well here, anything goes...and you know....it kind of looks hot. I'm being persuaded.

The second thing I'd like to mention is Black hair care....now I tried to hold out....I was like, I'm going natural and no one can stop me.....AAAAAAAHHHHH!!! Okay, so now it's been three months and about four since I've had a relaxer, and I can't take it anymore....so I sent out an SOS to the states to get some kind of do it yourself kit.....to the hairdressers in my life, Debbie down south at Ashanti's and Mary up north at Elsa's, I apologize.....I thought heat would do the trick and it works, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to have to apply heat everyday to do my hair, and that's what I have to do, if I don't wear a piece or let it dry curly with gel....so when the package comes....thank you Auntie Dawn....I will put a relaxer in my hair....whooh!, as I breathe a sigh of relief.....Well, let me go to bed....I still have to finish that poem...so prayerfully soon......