If only I didn't hate you, I would love you

Weather has always had the ability to lift my mood. I remember when I lived in NY, a perfect-weather day (which I define as 65-70 degrees, sunny and breezy) was so rare that when one actually came, I would literally skip through the streets in happiness. I would walk through my favorite neighborhoods, soaking in the gloriousness of life, happy to be alive, happy to be in NY, happy to be young, happy to be happy.

The thing about living in SF is that perfect days aren't rare - in fact, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, EVERY day is perfect. But the thing about having perfection is that you take it for granted. On a perfect weather day in SF, I didn't skip through the streets the way I used to in NY, because a perfect weather day is just kind of a given during the summer months in the bay area. In fact, if it happened to be too cold, or even worse - it actually rained - during the summer, I would actually get grumpy: as in, omg, why is it raining?! It's not supposed to rain during the summer! Ah, the ways California spoils you. (of course, weather-wise, it's only in the summer and early fall. The rest of the year is pretty much too cold or rainy)

Today in Tokyo was one of those glorious, beautiful days that made me happy to be alive. After a friend mentioned a patisserie in her neighborhood that specializes in vegetable cakes and desserts, I decided to trek out there to do "research" for the magazine I write for. I decided to take the long way, walking from Ebisu to make a pit-stop stroll through Daikanyama (one of my fave neighborhoods in Tokyo), then on to Nakameguro where the bakery is located. And - the weather was perfect. I was so happy. And Nakameguro and Daikanyama - well...if I could re-do my entire Tokyo experience, I would have rented a place in one of those neighborhoods because they are so utterly charming. Instead I live in a fairly sterile neighborhood full of foreigners and concrete buildings.

Walking through Nakameguro, I was so enamored of how charming everything is (no doubt exponentially enhanced by the perfect weather), that I couldn't help but think: if only I didn't hate Tokyo so much, I would really love Tokyo.

Living in Tokyo is just so...amusing, convenient and generally pleasant (if not for everything about the people, societal rules, workplace behavior and expectations, etc.). As I sipped a perfect cappuccino at a cafe in Daikanyama, I watched this really cool looking chick get off her shiny bicycle wearing stacked platform heels (at least 5 inches high), leather jacket and stylish sunglasses. She had a simple straight haircut but the bottom tips of her hair (about 2 inches) were dyed blond...in a way that she really managed to pull off well. Even though it's too edgy for me, I really admired her style and her ability to ride a bike in 5 inch spiked heels. But the most unique thing about this chick was that...she was a mom of two - her little one was seated in a toddler seat in the front of her bike, and an older one sat in the back. And she made getting off her bike in platforms, popping the brakes and getting her two little tots off the bike seem flawlessly easy all while looking flawlessly rocker chic. That's Tokyo.

Then as I made my way to Nakameguro, I ran into a couple - the man was walking a dog that was wearing little booties and sunglasses, and the woman was pushing a stroller, which I initially assumed was for a baby, but ended up being for the dog, in case it got tired. I asked if I could take a photo and of course, they were more than happy to oblige, because of course, the whole reason you make your dog wear sunglasses is so people will notice! That's Tokyo.

I finally arrived at the vegetable cake place and tried an asparagus chiffon roll cake that tasted very much like asparagus. I've concluded that vegetable cakes are probably not my thing, but just the fact that an entire patisserie dedicated to vegetable cakes and cookies, such as asparagus, avocado, tomato, carrot, etc., exists amuses me and makes me happy. That's Tokyo.

Since it was such a gorgeous day, I decided to continue walking and ended up walking to Shibuya, a neighborhood I almost never find myself in. I'd heard a lot about Shibuya 109, a department store dedicated to the crazy young fashions of "Shibuya girls," and decided to finally check it out since I was in the neighborhood. I immediately realized I was completely out of place in my jeans, t-shirt, flip flops and normal straight hair. The place was packed with girls with "doll faces" (superlong fake eyelashes and makeup that makes them looks like porcelain dolls), long hair in perfect curls (I still can't figure out if this is most girls' normal hair, or wigs), and fashion that...well, that only people in Shibuya can get away with. The current fashion is flowery jumpsuits in granny patterns, with a straw hat. It's everywhere. I don't really understand the fashion, but that's Tokyo.

While walking around Shibuya, I saw guys carrying shiny sequined purses (um, I don't think for their girlfriends, I'm pretty sure for themselves), guys wearing harem pants (what I call "diaper pants" - I don't even think they look good on women, and definitely not on men), guys wearing makeup, guys with perms, and even a guy with long, manicured nails (they were black). That's Tokyo.

Walking around Tokyo today reaffirmed what I've already concluded many times over: there's no place in the world like Tokyo.