Highlights of 2016

It is such a cliché post for the end of 2016 but as you know cliché are cliché for a reason. J This post is a good summary. This year many good and bad things happened in the world and possibly in all of our lives. I believe that everyone has a story to tell.

The 2016 Olympics and Paralympics were held in Rio, and in the end the Olympic flame was transferred to Tokyo.

Now, we are all waiting for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

American Elections became another milestone for this year, I hope that everything will be fine for 2017 and more years to come.

Also long waited movies, tv series   and many other shows have made me entertained in 2016. I even can admit that I have counted days left to some movies’ and shows’ releases.

We have also lost many important people and celebrities like Prince, Muhammed Ali, Gene Wilder, David Bowie, John Glenn, Fidel Castro and George Michael…   Those were the people who had their prints on the world we like it or not, and each loss is an end of an era…  

And we watched many awards and prizes. And the Nobel Prize of medicine awarded to Yoshimori Ohsumu for his research on cell death. It is such an honor, and I cannot not leave this unmentioned as a person living in Tokyo. As you can see, I became such a Tokyo-person following how the news around the world would affect Tokyo.

 And I don’t even need to mention that there are a lot of Pokémons around Tokyo 😊😊

My personal highlights’ of the year is that I have grown. Until this year, I have never felt like an adult or grown up that has given me power, freedom and responsibility. 

And  I did KonMari method , went to an exhibition ate sweet treats

I got separated from my husband, moved to a new place, and got divorced.

I haven’t achieved all my goals of 2016 list, but I congratulate myself that I did well with all of the curveballs that life threw out.

 As for 2017, my goal is to be happier, healthier and more creative.

Happy New Year,

Cheers,

Ece

Lights of art

Every year I get excited in December. I love Christmas lights, and decorations and all of this festive spirit.

I feel happier with festive lights even if I walk in an ordinary street which has illuminations.

And, there are some places that I love to see during this season every year. Shopping malls, Ometosando Hills, and Disneyland which are extra festive and special.

The most amazing lights are in Roppongi Midtown. There is a specially designed light garden and every year there are hundreds of Led lights in a meadow come together for 3 –minute- story of illuminations.  These exceptional illuminations provided by Toshiba. The lights have a choreography to tell a story but I believe every one of us thinks or understands a different story from the same lights. That is art.

The illuminations were up until 15^th of December 2016. Such an early New year/Christmas festivity….

It has been on my bucket list for the last 2 years. First year I just missed the dates, second year I was out of Tokyo, so this year the first time I have seen the illuminations.

It was a majestic and artistic and spiritual moment for me. I myself surprised how much the illuminations touched me.

 

The wave of lights coming and going with sometimes dark and sometimes extra bright moments, was the perfect choreography of my personal ups and downs in 2016. The light has such fluid movements.  I watched for a long time in serenity.  

             The illuminations had the effect of a sea scenery on me. I watched and watched, saw many different things and reflected on many other things.

I plan to go to see the illuminations next year, and curious to see what the future holds for me...

Cheers,

Ece

Sweet Note

I can’t believe it is already the end of 2016.

Time flies….

I want to finish this year with a great sweet note.

Drum roll pleeeeease…..

Magnolia Bakery, famous bakery in Upper East Side New York.

Lucky us there is a Magnolia store in Tokyo.

How fortunate we are… Considering 10 shops in US and in total 16 shops all over the world.

Magnolia Bakery is located in Harajuku, but this is not a street faced shop, though I think Magnolia Bakery deserves a street faced shop. The shop is at the same building (Gyre Building) with Chanel store so to find Magnolia Bakery first of all you should find Chanel. B1 of Gyre building, is Magnolia Bakery. It was a challenge for me… but, viola, worth it.

And, to be honest, I was expecting a shop with big light green/blue sign and delicious cakes seen through the shop window, when I entered into the store I forgot all about B1.

My dream shop with big sigh and delicious cakes in the window. And better I was able to watch icing being put on cakes … So it was beyond my expectations.

 I smiled and felt that this is a special treat for me.

Then I almost tortured myself between banana pudding and chocolate banana pudding. What I dilemma…

I get the chocolate one since there is no way that chocolate makes a perfect banana pudding bad.

And I was right, chocolate is always the answer. I guess there is also a quote about “when you don’t know what to wear, wear something red.” In this case, when in doubt go for chocolate.

There are not many seats in the shop but I took a seat and watched the cupcakes while enjoying my chocolate banana pudding.

In every celebration and in every opportunity I plan to eat something from Magnolia Bakery. I can even write it on my bucket list: eat every single item form Magnolia Bakery. Perfect bucket list item for my sweet tooth.

I suggest you to check out Magnolia Bakery even if you don’t know anything about the original one in New York. Trust me, delicious.

And I have congratulated myself that I have planned to go to Magnolia Bakery next year many times.

This is the last perfect sweet note of the 2016, gives me sweet hope for 2017…

Cheers,

Ece