So long that I don’t even know how to use this interface. Not sure what compelled me to log back in and post, but here I am.
Probably the main drawcard is that I associate this blog with my Japan trips. So after 5 or so years, I’m finally heading back. We were planning to give Japan a break and travel somewhere else first, but of course, COVID changed all the plans and we ended up being stuck for over 2 years and then extremely scared and cautious for almost another 2. COVID has not gone away, and probably never will, but the general severity and at the moment is much less than the original variants. It’s like how they say the 1918 “Spanish” Flu is still actually around these days, just mutated to keep on going.
Blogs are pretty passé these days, but I still find them extremely useful when blogs are well-written and curated. I’d say from about 10+ years ago, blogs basically got replaced with “micro-blogging”, especially through social media like Facebook and Twitter (now X, ha!). Now text media is even more outdated, as the ease of visual consumption through the never ending image-based feeds of TikTok and Instagram dominate. I admit, I waste too much of my own time on the latter. The algorithms know what they’re doing.
The biggest change from my last blog is family life. I am now officially old. I am someone’s mum. Navigating Japan will be a whole new ball game and I won’t have that luxury of flitting through a gazillion shops to find the best deal to save like 10 yen! My time is limited and the way the internet is these days, in some ways, it’s harder to find information. My budget is now a little bigger, but I still tightly hold on to a value mindset. Puchipura (プチプラ) is still mainly the goal, but I have to say I found myself browsing the Jill Sturt Beauty website recently and I looked at some product prices and I was like, hey, it’s not that bad ha. I would have not felt that way I feel 5 years ago. One thing that was good about the border closures, was that it gave me the chance to finally use up my previously ever growing stockpile of beauty. I can’t say I have used all still, but it’s whittled significantly. As I get older, I’m also trying to change my mindset to actually use products, especially rare, occasional-use or cute packaging products. Enjoy it, otherwise they might just get unusable in the future.
I don’t see myself posting regularly again, but here I am for now.
tanoshii.ki 