It's Hotter Than it Has Ever Been on Record in the UK...

...and I'm dying.

The UK is a cold country. Our summers are typically short and mild with temperatures around 25c being the hottest we usually face. Our houses are built to be insulated and air conditioning is rare even in public spaces. Last year I went on my summer trip to Japan and it was almost 40c on some days and I suffered. However my hotel, all the shops and restaurants and even the trains were air conditioned. It made me sick however, and I can really only attribute this to one reason: I am very overweight.

Now, as an overweight person, I have a little more insulation than the average person. Adding to that, I cannot bare a lot of skin in public, I have seen people like myself bravely bare their skin in magazines and have heard my friends, not knowing I hope, seeing a person just like me and saying they would rather die than look that way. Hearing these cruel words, even not directed at me in particular, made me very self concious to the point it has only been in the past two years I can even wear a sleeveless top. That being said I have a few tips:

Number one: You are going to sweat. Profusely. Heavy materials like thick cotton or denim is a no go. You will sweat so much that you soak these materials and this is more than a little uncomfortable and slightly gross. They will also raise your temperatures. Attempt a dress, with tights or leggings as you feel more comfortable, loose trousers are a god send and blouses or thin cotton tee shirts or vest tops are the best types of clothes to wear.

Number two: Keep hydrated. Like I mentioned above you are going to sweat. I am currently drinking an extra litre of water a day and yet I am still slightly dehydrated. If you can find a drink that contains electrolytes this would be a good idea but nothing keeps you hydrated like water. Don't gulp!! Take a few sips every fifteen minutes, and obviously if you are eating you can drink as normal.

Number three: Lukwarm showers. Now a cold shower is tempting and to spash yourself with cold water certainly is fine, but a stark cold shower or bath can cause cramping in your muscles as they try to adjust to the extremes of temperature. A lukewarm shower will feel cool without being too cold.

Number four: It may be tempting if you're a hayfever sufferer to keep your windows shut but do not. Get them all open, all the doors you can, all your internal doors open. This encourages air flow and can be the difference between a managable house and stifling heat.

Lasty: Do not eat too much. You will get sick. Trust me.

Rei ♡

日本

I As I have mentioned before, I was once lucky enough to go on a once in a lifetime, for me at least, trip to Japan. I often wonder if people who love this country such as myself hold back, out of fear of the distance, the language and cultural barriers and so on.

Firstly, I had never flown so far in my life. I splashed out for a direct flight, so I went straight from Heathrow Airport to Narita airport. A journey of 11 hours. Now, I am a big person. Tall, 5'9", and overweight. So 11 hours in an economy seat was a real issue for me if I'm honest. I barely fit. It was only because I was with friends who let me raise my arm rest I survived. 

My plane ready and waiting

I went to Japan in August. That meant I was facing temperatures up to 40c in the day and 100% humidity. As you can imagine that in itself was a daunting prospect, but I was too excited to care. Coming off the plane into the airport I was warm but not really any more than summer at home. And then I went outside. Like stepping into a warm bath only the more you move the hotter it gets.

Getting to the hotel provided the first language barrier issue. My friends both spoke japanese but both became incapacitated as we got lost with heavy suitcases in that heat, trying to find our hotel. This left me. With my pulse pounding in my ears I found anyone and managed to comminucate "Shinagawa Prince Hotel". I was in luck and they helped me to find the hotel. We all collapsed in the lobby and after check in we managed to shower, nap and head on out. I was treated to my first views of Japan at night.

     

       A street in the Yokohama Vivre Area    

     

                                                           Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

While I was staing in central Tokyo, I also travelled out on the Shinkansen to Yokohama for some sightseeing. I was far too excited to eat so I stuck to just making sure I kept hydrated as even at night it was around 26c or higher (I will compain about the heat a lot sorry). I went and took a type of picture called プリクラ (purikura) and bought a large amount of goods for my favourite band and exhausted and jeltagged I made my way to bed.

プリクラ

The rest of my days in japan were a blur of much the same acitivities. Shopping, eating, sightseeing and pictures. I found my new favourite food:

Katsu Curry

I made new friends and experienced many, many new things. Now, there were some downsides I have to admit. The language barrier meant that on the few occasions I explored alone I was very scared of getting lost. Also, as a large white person I stuck out more than a little and I got stared at constantly. I also had the most fun I could imagine possible. I was based in Shinagawa and I managed to explore the Shin-Yokohama area, the Yokohama Vivre area, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ikebukuro and Roppongi. I also went to see the GazettE live at Shin-Kiba Studio Coast.

My favourite place had to be Shibuya:

While I might choose to talk about individual experiences later, I will close this post by saying its not as daunting as it seems, when you travel somewhere totally foreign. Its scary in a good way, challenging and refreshing. I am far from satisfied by this one trip. I didn't do half of what I wanted. But what I did do was create memories that last forever.

Rei ♡

the GazettE is a band from Japan

My first proper post has to be about the thing in my life that is the most special thing to me. Music as a whole has always soothed my soul and helped me through rough patches in my life but nothing has even come close to this band:

From left to right - Aoi, Reita, Ruki, Kai, Uruha

Unfortunately if you're going to be reading my blog you will have to know at least the basics so you can understand half my references (If you happen to know me personally you can skip this. You will know this band inside and out even if you don't want to).

The GazettE were formed in 2002 in the Kanagawa region of Japan. The five boys weren't as they are now, the drummer was Yune, who was later replaced by Kai.

Yune, on the far right, was the original drummer

The GazettE are a visual kei band, which means a lot of their performance comes from projecting an image using hair, makeup and stage costumes. Visual kei can mean anything however when it comes to sound. The GazettE have experimented with many different sounds and still do to this day, meaning they never produce an album that is quite like the one before it.

The Gazette have seven studio albums. Disorder, NIL, Stacked Rubbish, DIM, Toxic, Division and Beautiful Deformity, and they are currently recording their eighth, DOGMA. They also have a variety of singles, maxi singles and DVDs. There are currently fifteen stand alone performances available on DVD, as well as a world tour documentary, three collections of music videos, other performances in festivals and so on and some of the very early shows are only on VHS.

As a visual kei band, the GazettE are very successful. However as visual kei is a sub genre of japanese music they are still a relatively obscure band. This has not stopped them from having wild success overseas with fans clamouring to buy their albums and DVDs despite the shipping costs. I know, I'm one of them.

In 2014, a once in a lifetime oppurtunity was made available to me. I went to Tokyo and I saw the band that help me keep going live. This wasn't my first live experience of the GazettE, I had seen them in Helsinki on their 2013 world tour. However, they are not their best overseas I'm sad to report. I had to see them in Japan. I had to go to Japan for many reasons besides this too.

And so I did. In August 2014 I flew over to Japan and spent 10 days there (which I will most likely write another post about). For me, I didn't know when I would ever get to have this kind of chance again. It could be I never get to go again. So I was determined to make the most of it. On the fourth of August all my dreams came true. I got to see the GazettE live in Tokyo.

I won't harp on too much. That day was physcially the most demanding I have experienced and yet I loved it. It has kept me going through many a tough time. If I ever feel like the world is agianst me I just remind myself that the GazettE is a band from Japan. And those five men, who won't even know I exist, have done a lot for me. 

I would like to end with a piece of advice. If you love something like I love the GazettE, hold it close to you. But don't hold it too tight. For me, the struggle to see them live, the lack of funds to buy their merchandise, it has caused me pain. But I would like to think instead that when I succeed, when I buy their magazines or CDs, when I manage to scrape and see them live, that it is all that much more sweeter for me. There are people who can run off at the drop of a hat, who have seen all their tours since day whatever and so on. Some even go so far as chasing them from show to show. I was jealous of these people. I now pity them. Like catching a butterfly, they run the risk of squeezing too tight and ruining the beauty. I stand with my grasp loose, and I can see the brilliancy all the more. I still have my child like wonder looking at them perform and hearing their music. I still scream and cheer when I get the thing I've wanted and saved up for months to buy. And I have friends who I can talk to and imagine being rich enough to see every tour and it makes us closer because we know one day we will see them again and how sweet that will be after years of longing.

If you love something, don't hold it too tight. You'll ruin it. And you'll miss all the wonderful other things you have around you too.

Rei ♡

Hello

First things first, I want to introduce myself.

My name is Rachael, or Rei. I'm a 23 year old from the UK. Hopefully this will be a nice blog with some lifestyle posts, maybe some cosmetics reviews and just a nice read. 

I have a lot of hobbies and interests, I love Japan and I'm trying to teach myself Japanese. In fact...私の名前はれいです。どうぞ、よろしく。

My favourite band is the GazettE, a visual kei band from Japan and I have been fortunate enough once in my life to go to Japan and see them perform there. To this day it remains as the happiest I've ever been.

This is the GazettE - handsome boys ♡

I also like to draw and read and write. I'm generally a crative person. To that effect, I love fashion and even though a serious lack of funds and being a very plus size person has limited my personal fashion it doesn't stop me from loving clothes and shopping.

For now at least I know I will be posting very regularly as I just finished being a student and I'm in that awful half way point that is stressful and horrible of being an unemployed person just out of university.

I think that's all you need to know for now, I'm sure you will learn lots more about me should you read more of my blog.

Rei ♡