Mexico City has a rich history, and it’s nearly impossible to miss when you visit. 30 miles outside of the city sits the archaeological site of Teotihuacan. When you enter you are immediately struck by the Temple of the Sun, the largest structure here. Pictures don’t even do the scale justice, but it is massive. The large central street, Street of the Dead, was the main road, spanning the 2+ miles of this city, allows you access to this Temple,  and all the other structures in the city, including the Temple of the Moon at one end of the Street (seen behind me in the photo above). The city was built and settled as early as 400BC, and was the most powerful city in the region in 400AD. When the Aztecs found it, and named it, 1000 years later, the city had already been abandoned for centuries. No one really knows its origins or history, other than the remains and murals that can be found here.

There are a couple remaining structures in the city that you can go inside of. One is the Quetzalpapaloti Palace, which was potentially the residence of Teotihuacan. The name means “beautiful butterfly” and is called that because of the carved columns in the central courtyard. Inside the temple of the private residence are murals, deteriorating, but still vibrant and legible after all of this time. It’s incredible to walk around Teotihuacan and see so much of it still standing after all of these years!

The rock design of this city is so beautiful and intricate. Big rocks bordered by tiny ones creating this design, and looking almost like a painting. I’m kind of in love with this pattern – I want a piece of art or pottery that utilizes this design!

Back in the city, at the National Palace, Diego Rivera’s murals also tell the story of Mexico. Located in the Zocalo, the central plaza in Mexico City,  this is where the king of the Aztecs, Moctezuma, ruled before the arrival of the Spanish. Filling the halls of the 2nd floor of the huge Palace, each piece is dedicated to something important to this place. From paying homage to the agriculture that Mexico was built upon, to telling the literal history of the city, these murals are massive, with so much depth of field allowing for full stories to be told with rich detail in each piece.

The Amate Fig Tree and maguey (1951), Cocoa (1950), and Maize (1950) each tell the story of the importance of these agricultural products in Mexican culture. Maguey (agave) and nepal were used for constructing houses. Pulque (fermented agave) was made into a drink for nobles and warriors, and still has a large presence in the city today. Similarly, Cocoa plays a big role in Mexico – cocoa beans used as currency amongst the Aztecs, and used in different drinks past and present, of which Hot Cocoa is still very big today. And lastly, corn is the lifeblood of this place. It was the main food of Mesoamerica, and still remains a part of every meal I had while in town. It is the symbol of nourishment for this country.

The other murals in the hall are about the history and culture of Mexico. From telling the story of Tenochtitlan, depicting the market there and the bartering that took place between the Aztecs, to glorifying the architecture and agriculture that the world owes a lot to Mexico for. I especially love The Great Tenochtitlan (1945) seen directly below, with it’s bright turquoise on the Aztecs, and Rivera’s stylized depiction of the pyramids of the city.

Unfortunately the epic The History of Mexico mural was being restored, so scaffolding covered the entire thing. It’s worth posting the photos though, just to see how massive it is! It was painted between 1929 and 1935, depicting the history of Mexico, past and present. The mural can be seen as a declaration that the revolution brought justice to the Mexican people. Rivera emphasizes the rich cultural heritage of Indians and the Mexican civilization before the conquest. Packed with different scenes and important figures of Mexican history, past, present, and even future.

The history of indigenous civilizations before the Spanish conquest still plays such a large role in Mexico today. The influence from these different civilizations is seen in the colors, the traditional art and design, and in so many artifacts that us tourists visit in hopes of finding today.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a Taco is a tortilla that is rolled, stuffed or folded with a mixture inside. By that definition I’ve pretty much exclusively eaten tacos while in Mexico City, whether I actually ordered tacos or created my own with the corn tortillas supplied with my meals. I’ve had some very traditional tacos and flavors, and I’ve had some that were more unexpected. My ‘Omakase Taco Experience’ at Pujol was the latter.

First off, outside of Japanese meals I’ve never had an omakase, and I didn’t know quite how they could play with this concept of a taco. I assumed there would be escamoles (ant larvae) or huitlacoche (corn fungus which is said to be “the food of the gods” here), but actually neither were on this menu. Served only at their bar, 12 seats, this Omakase took local ingredients and local concepts to create tacos you and I would never think of.

Pujol is in the Polanco neighborhood, think the Beverly Hills of CDMX. I had some uber issues on my way to the reservations, so I arrived 20 minutes late to the restaurant, anxious that they would pretentiously tell me to leave, and extremely apologetic (masking the rage I was feeling for uber in that moment) but as soon you walk into this very calm, minimalist interior and are greeted by a very nice woman who I think was American and didn’t care at all that I was so late, you can’t help but immediately relax and prepare for the 2.5 hour taco experience ahead.

I took my seat next to a very nice Brazilian couple and the bartender/server very easily caught me up to the group. What was not clear to me before I got there was that each course had an alcohol pairing…not a wine pairing, but an alcohol pairing. I haven’t been drinking much this year (that goes back to the gut health initiative I mentioned), but the menu clearly states the price is the price, with the alcohol or not, so I figured why not?!

First up were the Botanas, or snacks, served with a margarita, on the rocks with salt. This course could easily have been renamed Corn, Three Ways. A corn pastry of sorts stuffed with cheese, topped with chopped onions and pepper, and then a shaved black truffle on top; A puffed corn chip with caviar; A mini corn on a skewer, covered in what I’m sure was fancy chili aoili or mayonnaise, but I tried not to think about it, bc this mini corn was incredible and I wanted so many more!

The next course was the Tetela, a triangular corn pouch stuffed with beans and a fresh cheese (quesillo). There was a peanut sauce on the side (in spanish, cacahuate), which personally i felt was a weird addition – it didn’t add or take away.  This course was served with beer for the group, but I had requested a no-cerveza experience (again, gut health) so I got a taste of sherry. This first official course felt somewhat standard, but I wasn’t complaining!

Next up might have been my favorite of the day. It was a taco of eggplant, but the inside of the tortilla had Hoja Santa, an herb with velvety leaves, baked onto/into it, and then there was essentially a hummus of sorts with the eggplant placed on top. Totally unexpected flavors – really fresh and delicious – and paired perfectly with some white wine.

The next taco had an Asian flare to it – Blue Corn tortilla (my favorite!) with Seabass belly, on top of grilled avocado, with yuzu drizzled on the fish for flavor. This was a great taco, and it was paired with the biggest surprise of the day…Mexican Sake! This course was a highlight.

A corn fritter, or molote, with banana came next. Pickled onions to top, and delicious mole underneath. Paired with a fresh cocktail of mezcal and grapefruit, a perfect sip with the mole and the fried food. And if you’re thinking, wow they’re really sampling all different alcohols, yeah no kidding :).

Up next was probably my least favorite plate. A mini tostada with cured pork cheek, roasted cabbage, onion and a mustard-seed vinaigrette of sorts. If memory serves, this course was paired with tequila. Amazingly aromatic, and extremely strong. I couldn’t finish it, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I wanted more from the flavors of this taco – I wish the meat had more to it.

The next taco was a take on the classic pastor. While most of the tacos were completely new and different flavors, where traditional Mexican is concerned, this one was an elevated version of the traditional. Al Pastor is typically pork, but this taco replaced it with duck, served with pineapple and onions. Cilantro on top, but of course I removed it because I just cant eat it (not necessarily soap flavor, but something that I just never want anywhere near my mouth), and a lime. Another wine course with this one, but this time red. I love al pastor, and the duck here was awesome!

The penultimate savory course was essentially a chile relleno in a taco. While on this trip, I learned that a very typical local food is a tamale torta (that’s a tamale sandwich, between two pieces of bread), so using that knowledge this plate made sense to me – why not throw a chile relleno in a taco?! So, here we had a deep fried chile, stuffed with cheese and meat, avocado and red onion on top, and corn tortilla underneath to roll it all up into a taco. An extra pour of red wine, of course, to match this one ;).

And the last of the savory courses was all about mole. This was an enmolada…take an enchilada + mole, and you get enmolada. To decipher that further, we have a “rolled” tortilla, in this case let’s call it folded, cooked in mole. The tortilla was another one of those amazing Hoja Santo ones (the green tortilla from my favorite course), and the 2 moles were perfect, one was actually over 1500 days old – I could’ve licked the plate! Some of you in LA will understand what I mean when I say it was like “it was borrrn in the sauce.” A shot of mezcal accompanied – this pairing was Mexico in a nutshell.

From here we were escorted onto the patio for dessert. We walked by the restaurant’s garden on the way to our seats, and we reclined as we digested before the sweet plates came.

First out was a sorbet of pulque and nopales – a little sweet and a little spicy. Pulque is a big deal down here! It’s a fermented agave drink that is used in many local cocktails. I loved the way this dish looked. And I needed a light bite after everything that came before. Next a cup of coffee with cinnamon arrived, followed by the last plate, which I have to say was strange – not bad, but not a memorable ending for a meal like this. It was a gelatin of almond and herbs from the garden, which was served with 2 little plums. The gelatin was light and nice, but the plums didn’t really have any flavor and they seemed just sort of tacked on.

Luckily for us, though, while this was the end of the menu, a beautiful churro was then delivered with la cuenta (the bill). I haven’t had a churro while I’ve been in town so I was even more excited to see this last plate arrive. It was light and airy, somehow, despite being fried dough :). I paid the bill, and realized I needed to take a long walk…so I walked from Polanco all the way home to Condesa.

Whether everything on this menu was actually a taco or not, I guess is open for debate, but it was a great way to see how chefs are playing with the concept here. This was a delicious meal and a great way to spend the afternoon.

 

 

 

My first two days in Mexico City weren’t spent doing much of anything cultural – it was Sunday and Monday and most things are closed – so it was a nice change of pace to start seeing some art, and exploring other areas of the city. I’ve packed a lot of art in, in between meals – truly, my days are scheduled around reservations or the knowledge of where my next meal will be – and it started with trips to see where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived and worked.

Frida and Diego are obviously incredibly important in Mexico (City,) and their presence is very visible here. Unfortunately, the large collection of Frida’s works that are housed in the city are on loan in Milan right now, but I still went to her house, Casa Azul, as well as the studio spaces for both of them. It was cool to see the places they spent much of their time, and how that clearly informed the art.

Casa Azul was the family home of Frida’s – she was both born and died there. It’s located in Colonia Coyoacan, a quaint cobblestone neighborhood where the bright colors normally associated with the city can be found. Many artists and bohemians resided here, as did Cortes after the conquest of Mexico. Frida’s father built the house in the early 1900s, but it was Diego and Frida who gave it the decor and style that is housed in the museum today. The vibrant blue is iconic! And the collections of knick knacks, gifts from friends and houseguests (artists and politicians), sculptures, etc. on the property really give you a sense for who these artists were. I wasn’t able to “legally” take photos inside the house (I didn’t realize you had to prepay 30pesos, read:$1-2USD, for that ability), but I still managed to snag a couple. I especially loved their kitchen and its personalization! Why doesn’t anyone do this today? And in the absence of my own pics, a few links to some of my favorite works inside the house (thanks to Google Arts & Culture!).

 

 

Marxism Will Bring Health to the Sick

Still Life

Self Portrait In A Velvet Dress

Frida was, and is, a fashion icon. Her style was actually oftentimes dictated by her physical ailments – looking for ways to cover up her imperfections – but has become iconic for all nonetheless. The focus on her body and its ailments was a large part of her identity, and along with her culture and ethnicity, can be seen in both her work and her style.

“Frida is the sole example in art history of someone who has torn open her breast and her heart in order to tell the biological truth of what she feels inside them” – Diego

*Note the wedge on her boot to make her short leg even…and the hairpiece/the braid on the wig display mannequin.

And one last nice touch in the main house to share – a poem by Patti Smith, written on one of the exterior walls. She visited Casa Azul and played a few songs there when in town for her first ever show in Mexico (2012). Clearly inspired by the collection of butterflies hanging above Frida’s night bed, and maybe even this Frida quote, post-amputation, which is featured prominently at the museum, “Who needs feet? I’ve got wings to fly.” I thought this was a pretty cool collab of 2 badass women!

From Casa Azul, I took a short stroll through Coyoacan, met a friend and had lunch in the market. A sit-down ceviche stand for mixed ceviche and a grilled filet – a nice, local, healthy lunch! We topped it off with Paletas (I went with the Guayaba, read:Guava, which tastes very similar to Passion Fruit and is a big deal here) and then it was time for more Diego & Frida.

  

   

Just a a couple miles away in San Angel is the studio that Diego had built for he and Frida. The land has multiple structures on it, a studio for each artist, and a little bedroom for each as well. The red in the foreground was Frida’s, and then separated by cacti and a few steps were Diego’s blue structures, and then his studio which faced hers.

That concluded my Frida & Diego day. There’s a lot more Diego in this city, so more to come soon! The day ended with a coffee at the oasis that is the San Angel Inn, a trip to the gym (impressed?) and then 2 dinners (yeah, I said it), but that will have to be for another time.

 

I’ve been off of work these past 3 months, and feeling the urge to travel, but I’ve kept a different sort of Laid-Off Life this time around. I’ve been working on my health (gut) and my fitness, and sadly my style of travel doesn’t pair well with either, really. But now work seems to be approaching again and I couldn’t imagine going back without at least a quick jaunt out of the country to really return refreshed, and ready. So, I made a last-minute decision to fly down to Mexico City for the week, and I’ve been mostly winging it ever since.

Mexico City has been on my list for a while now, and between a friend who lived here and many who have visited recently I was quickly inundated with recommendations and lists…thanks everyone! From LA this trip is a no brainer – 3 hour plane ride and you are transported to a place with rich history, bright colors, and food that can’t be bad no matter what.

Arriving on a Sunday in Mexico probably wasn’t the smartest decision, but like I said, this was a last-minute decision. Sundays and Mondays are a little slower than other days – lots of places are closed, including restaurants. So, my first day and a half were spent walking around the Colonias (read:neighborhoods) near my hotel – Condesa & Roma – and eating. So, let’s talk about the food!

After landing Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted, hungry, and adjusting to the altitude here (7500 feet above sea level), so I was feeling in a daze but hoped food would do the trick. I ventured out to a spot a few people had recommended, and that happened to be blocks from my hotel – Azul Condesa. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day here, starting typically around 2 and going until 6 or even later for some lingerers, so it worked well that I made it there around 4:30. I ordered the Mole, well actually the “Legendario Mole Negro Oaxaca.” It arrived accompanied by a tiny pot of rice made with raisins and cashews, as well as a beautiful linen filled with colorful corn tortillas, clearly made with yellow, blue and red corn. Served piping hot, these were amazing. Oh, and the mole was, well, wait for it…Legendario!!

I passed out without dinner, after randomly happening upon a Darren Criss concert across the street. They love their Darren Criss here, I must say :). Anyway, I knew the next day was full of food so I was ok skipping a meal…plus apparently restaurants close for dinner on Sundays so clearly I didn’t miss much.

I woke up ready for a full day and headed down to Maque in Condesa. A cute corner sidewalk restaurant and bakery, just across the street from Parque Mexico. My friend Sarah had mentioned a fresh corn muffin that they make, so when they brought the tray around with pastries to choose I opted for that one. I wish it had been fresh out of the oven, but it was still really good. I ordered Machaca (eggs prepared with dried shredded beef and hot sauce), which was served with refried beans, avocado, and hot tortillas of course. A very filling and delicious way to kick off a 10-mile walking day. Afterwards, I strolled through Condesa and then over to Colonia Roma to find a few shops and walk around until lunchtime.

I had a reservation at Contramar, probably the one place that every single person who weighed in with recommendations told me was an absolute must. So, while I didn’t want to spoil my lunch I also found the need to stop into Panaderia Rosetta for a pastry. This is apparently the second, and much smaller location, but I loved how they created this place using the limited space that they had – and there are lines out the door so it worked. I had heard they had a pastry with guava that was supposed to be amazing, so I opted for the Rol de Guayaba con Crema, and WOW. It’s essentially a croissant sort of roll with a guava filling in the middle and cheese or cream inside along the edges. Truth be told the cream portion didn’t do much for me but the pastry itself with the guava filling is one of the better pastry combinations I’ve ever had. I also ordered an espresso to go which came in a tiny little shot glass, to go with a lid. Adorable.

I walked off the pastry on my way to my seafood lunch at Contramar. Tostadas de atun (sin mayonesa) and a filet done Contramar style (half green sauce, half red sauce) was the order I went in with, and the order I kept to after looking at the menu. The tostadas come 4 minis to an order.The crispy leeks made the dish for me – I’ve never thought about leeks and sashimi before! Squeeze a little lime, maybe use some of the accoutrement (green salsa, escabeche, limes) put on the table to spice it up a bit if you want, but they need very little to taste great. I ate half the plate before realizing I needed to take a break and wait for my 2nd course. Because I was eating alone I opted for a smaller fish than the one that normally comes with this preparation, and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it much because I so rarely enjoy cooked fish out at restaurants, but these 2 sauces proved me wrong. I couldn’t decide which I liked better at first, but then the deep flavor of the red won me over. Served with fresh corn tortillas, of course, I made some little fish tacos. I really enjoyed this meal, and the staff was incredibly nice and accommodating. Oh, and it’s worth mentioning for anyone who hasn’t been to Mexico City before that prices are beyond reasonable…dare I say cheap!

To close out the day, and this post, I topped the day off with dinner at Rosetta. I had walked by during my time in Roma during the day, and they had a reservation available (whereas online they didn’t) so I decided to snag it. Now I was very torn on whether or not I actually wanted to go, because it’s Italian food – should I be eating Italian food in Mexico? – but the more I read about it my mind was changed by the fact that lately chef Elena Reygadas has been infusing Mexican flavors and ingredients into the traditions of Italian food. So, after a walk through Chapultapec park and enjoying a little downtime, oh and a failed attempt to find a bar playing the Michigan game (aka the NCAA Championship), I headed back to Roma (this time in a $2 uber) for dinner.

 

Housed in, well, a converted house, this space feels perfect for a restaurant. Cute and quaint, and even somewhat rustic. I quickly looked for the dishes that seemed to have more of a Mexican influence, and landed on the salad of Heirloom Tomatoes with Nopales and Fresh Cheese, as well as the Pasta with “cucaracha del mar,” which actually just means a tiny langoustine, but believe me I checked and double checked with the waiter before deciding on it. Because it’s Mexico, I ordered a Mezcal Margarita and drank it with my Italian dinner. There’s a first for everything! I ordered a Macadamia Nut sorbet for dessert, which was a really nice palate cleanser, and that was that. I’m really happy I opted to keep my reservation. The Mexican flair, most notably in my salad and dessert were great additions and updates to traditional Italian, and chances are no one else is making food like this. Plus, a little cuisine change isn’t a bad thing – I have days of Mexican food ahead of me 🙂

 

 

They say that everything that is old is new again. I think that usually refers to things where decades have passed – Birkenstocks, Stranger Things, Luke Perry, everything 90s – but with just a couple years separation The Laid-Off Life is making a comeback.

3 years ago this past weekend, I packed a tiny suitcase for a month away to take some time alone to reflect and come back refreshed. Spain, France and Morocco helped me to clear my head and start to put together a plan for the future. I didn’t realize then that I would spend the next 10 months traveling, exploring at home, enjoying the days, and basically creating a blog of food porn that seemed to resonate with family and friends (and the occasional international stranger). And what I couldn’t possibly have known was that exactly 3 years later I would find myself back on a new version of The Laid-Off Life. Universe, is that you?

It’s hard not to make the joke that I must be the common denominator – 2 jobs, 2 department shut downs? Real common denominator: both departments were new, so they were risky, and they were exciting. Is the lesson here that when you take chances sometimes the universe rewards you? It’s likely that whatever is next for me will be the same sort of new and exciting place or department – I shouldn’t even memorialize this, but for better or worse I believe in the rule of 3s…

3 years ago this was an amazing gift, the best gift I’ve ever received – 10 months paid to live freely and anywhere I wanted, to clear my head, take in culture, take long walks, eat everything, live. This was the best thing I could have done for myself then, and now, after working harder than I ever have before for the past 2 years, I feel like I’ve almost willed this into being for round 2. It might be a case of be careful what you wish for, but I choose to see the gift in it yet again. We all need time to focus on us, to turn our work-brains off and refresh. I guess for me it tends to be all or nothing, but at least the universe knows when to intervene.

So, whats next? At least for the near future I will be a person again and live work-stress free. Food adventures, LA adventures, a lounge chair in Hawaii, lunch specials, happy hours, time in the kitchen, time with friends and new babies, yoga, hikes, two-a-days, museums (read: Insta-opportunities), reading for pleasure, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, sitting on my favorite rooftop with nowhere to be…and hopefully one great travel adventure before I walk back into the next office. It’s all the stuff I dream of when I’m working…they might be the things you dream of too. There’s just a different mindset when I turn my work-brain off, and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with that side of me again.

Have any activities you recommend – let me know! Want to play hooky one day and come with me – hit me up! Get ready, the fun starts next month. I’m still wrapping my head around it all but eventually it’ll click that I’m living The Laid-Off Life…Again.

 

As Thanksgiving approaches, and the world seems crazier than ever, it seems only fitting to express how thankful I am for everything. A year ago I started my European adventure, staying in Paris amongst other places.  A carefree time, traveling alone, whimsical, magical…I can’t even imagine how things would have been had I been there this year instead of last!! So in the spirit of being thankful…I continue my Laid-Off Life, just now on a part-time basis..

 

I jumped back into the world of the working in October. I’m consulting, working in the office just 3 days a week, which still gives me a little bit of time off to continue enjoying my days. It’s been great to dive back in, but it’s also been all-encompassing – all work and very little play. But that’s exactly why, on a technical day off last week, in between notes calls, I decided to accept an invitation to LA’s new Broad Museum. The answer to this invite should easily have been no, with just 90 minutes to explore the museum in between scheduled work calls, but I had been craving an activity that reminded me of those good old days from last year, so I said yes and knew I would just figure out a way to juggle the day.

The Broad is by far one of the hippest places to be in Los Angeles right now. Admission is free, but the museum is sold out for the rest of the year, so it’s a hot ticket. Lucky for me, my friend not only had tickets that weren’t going to be used for that day, but she also knew about Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room and the fact that you have to get on a list once inside the museum in order to enter this room (your museum entry ticket isn’t enough!). One-by-one each person gets 45 seconds alone inside of the Infinity Room. I was curious about claustrophobia, and almost a little nervous to go inside, but once in that all fell away. With mirrors and LED lights surrounding you, it’s the perfect spot for a selfie or two, while still saving enough time to really take it all in. I’m already ready for Round 2 – too much of my time inside was spent trying to figure out exactly how this infinity effect was created.

  

The contemporary art collection that you find after taking a ride on a cavernous escalator to the 3rd floor is fun and accessibly on display. Not to sound super annoying, but I had actually seen many of the works at other museums throughout my travels last year…always fun to revisit though.

      

On the ground floor, there was something very new to me, and very cool. Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors is an awesomely immersive experience. 9 screens fill this large room, each playing all at once as a group of musicians, inhabiting a 19th century mansion, play together in different rooms of the estate – the camera panning from room to room in 1 long take, each screen showing one room’s activity. The description doesn’t do it justice, but I highly recommend you check it out!

And finally, after conducting a work call in the lobby of the museum I took some time to enjoy the view outside. The building itself is stunning! It reminds of me of the exterior of the Prada store in Tokyo (which I loved so much when I saw it over the summer), appearing almost nest-like. I walked around the building, taking in every angle, and especially loved looking north to see The Walt Disney Concert Hall next door – two of the best buildings in the city side by side…This certainly wasn’t the worst way to have a hybrid work/play day!

 

  

Today technically marks the end of my laid-off life. My contract expired with Fox yesterday, which means today is the first day of The Laid-Off Life on a slightly smaller scale. Soon enough I’m sure I’ll be back to work, but until then I will continue to enjoy life and this freedom.

It’s been quite a run! 5 continents, 50 blog posts, so many fun adventures – it’s hard to believe 10 months have come and gone!! I never thought I would still be a lady of leisure, but man am I happy that I took all the time that I had and lived it up. I’ve been so lucky this year – to be able to travel the world the way that I have is something that I will always be grateful for. To live in the moment, and so completely take advantage of the time that I was given – it’s been a gift. Thank you to everyone who, along the way, has encouraged me to write, to travel, to eat, to sleep in, to say yes, to treat myself, and do everything I’ve always wanted to do.

On a walk in Tokyo I saw this mural ‘Now Is Forever,’ just over a month before my contract would end. It so perfectly incapsulates what The Laid-Off Life has taught and reaffirmed for me this year. While the funding of The Laid-Off Life is over for now, the sentiment will live on, and therefore so will the blog. The trick will be eventually returning to work and still remembering to take time for myself, for adventures, for travel…but I’m pretty confident that after these 10 months, I will always be planning my next vacation…even if it’s a year away.

        

          

If I learned anything about fashion in Japan, it’s that anything goes, really. There were definitely some very obvious trends, but then there were also those that couldn’t be categorized other than that they were so quintessentially Japanese. I captured many of the trends that I continued to see on the streets, but there were a few that went undocumented – like Hawaiian prints (especially for men) and long shirts (to the knee) open with something layered underneath. They were both everywhere, but so were these:

Tevas & Birkenstock style sandals

 

Socks! With aforementioned sandals, wedges, you name it. Athletic socks, patterned socks, lacy, frilly socks, take your pick!

        

Hair colors. Everyone seems to have at least a dyed strand, if not the entire head. Some had bright colors, but the trend that was most surprising were the muted, almost skintone-like colors.

    

Backpacks – especially with mascots and other stuffed animals attached.

   

Harajuku Girls – From Bo Peeps, to Gothic Lolitas and Gyarus

        

Kimono-clad folks…they’re just like us.

     

Ladies and their Sun Umbrellas

   

Men’s styles – Oversized bags and clutches/pouches; Rockabillies…and so much more.

    

Anything Goes! (and Misc.)

             

Fishermen’s Beanies – for women and men, even though the pictures are just of women

 

Some other trends, not necessarily fashion-related…

Mothers on bikes with 1-2 kids riding in front or back

  

Mascot Culture. The Japanese love their mascots – cartoon-like characters who represent anything from parking to an entire neighborhood. Whether people are dressed in head-to-toe mascot gear, or have charms on their phones, bags or wallets, everywhere you look there are mascots. If you are a fan of John Oliver’s show you might remember the piece he did on Japanese mascots, if not, take a look, it’s worth it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmvXJmrCvqU

         

Space Invaders! Invader was very much here in Tokyo…and we only captured a fraction of what’s out there. We became a little obsessed with finding them.

              

Other Street Art, in many forms

                

The tiniest pets for sale (P’s first!)

  

This should help to give a mental picture to what it’s like to roam the streets of Japan. It’s truly a dynamic place filled with unique individuals and culture. I can’t wait to go back!!

Have you ever had a Tempura Omakase meal? I never had…I didn’t even know it was a thing! For those that don’t know, omakase is essentially just a chef’s choice meal. We had heard Tempura Kondo, which has 2 michelin stars, was a must, so it was a perfect choice for my last dinner in Tokyo. This is a place that wouldn’t bump a reservation to accommodate President Obama last year…and I respect that!

Kondo has 2 rooms, each with an L-shaped bar where you can watch your tempura being made right in front of you. We were seated at the bar in the back and were immediately faced with which of the 3 menu options we wanted to choose. We went with the middle option which includes appetizers with your tempura meal, but didn’t need the sashimi that the larger option included. Friends had been earlier in the week and recommended we splurge for the sweet potato, which is not included in the meal and takes 40 minutes to cook. We had also heard that the uni was a must to add-on to what would already be coming our way. So, our order was in and we were eager to see what was going to be served!

Our meal started with two appetizers – some fresh tofu and a beautiful and artistic tomato dish. The tomato seemed to be a sign of what was to come, as the tempura that followed was served in such a simple and yet very beautiful way.

Now, I was curious to know if wasabi salt, which I had had at another tempura meal the week before, was a common tempura accompaniment in Japan, or if it was specific to that restaurant. Turns out, it’s not typical (unfortunately for me), but Kondo served their tempura with traditional salt and the typical dipping sauce and radish.

We started with prawns. Perfectly crunchy and flavorful, without feeling too heavy – the tempura batter doesn’t overwhelm at Kondo.

 

1 stalk of large asparagus, cut in 3 pieces, and a full bell pepper, halved…

 

A delicious whitefish broke up the veggie courses

And then the veggies re-emerged, starting with mushroom and eggplant. I just love the simple approach here! Such beautiful produce, served in such a minimalist style.

  

Our uni came next. This was a pretty perfect bite! Uni, wrapped in shiso leaf, and then deep fried.

Another fish course, followed by lotus root and then okra came next.

  

Seawater Eel (Anago) and then our special sweet potato were the last of the tempura courses.

After tempura, comes Kakiage, which seems to be a traditional way to end this type of meal. This is a tempura fritter of sorts – for this meal it was scallop, shrimp and scallions tempura-d all together. We had our choice of 3 different preparations for the Kakiage, all a version of the fritter with rice, miso soup and pickles. My fritter was dipped in a rich sauce before it was served to me on rice.

A simple plate of fruit was the perfect way to end this big meal. 3 green grapes and 2 slices of white peach…hardly a dessert by US standards, and yet better and sweeter than most I’ve ever had.

This was a big meal! Very filling, and yet didn’t leave me with the heaviness that you would think all of this tempura would. It was all so simple and yet so filled with flavor! I have eaten amazingly in Japan! 2+ weeks, and 5 michelin-stars later, I wonder what I’m going to do without matcha flavored everything, freshly-grated wasabi, amazing deep-fried foods, and rich ramen!

These two weeks mark my last big hurrah of this Laid-Off Life. I have another month or so left, and will be enjoying it to the fullest, but as far as my big adventures go this was it and I couldn’t be happier that I was able to cross this one off the LOL bucketlist. I had wanted to go visit my brother and Josephine before going back to work, and it was awesome to be able to take more time than usual to spend with them and to have this adventure.

One more Japan post to come – the highly anticipated sartorial post…