Shiny Shiny Gift Wrap!

Valentine's day in Japan is a big deal - even for me, the eternal romantic. Rather than giving a present and card to your lover, girls give chocolates to boys, and get nothing in return. You give shop bought chocs to men you respect, and homemade for men you love. I was therefore obliged to give chocolate to all the men in my office. Except that being in Japan (where gender equality isn't quite what it is in the UK) has brought out an inner feminist that I didn't know I had, and so I gave chocs to everyone in the office - 60 people! Yikes.

Despite being hopelessly and desperately in love with one teacher at school (whose out-of-tune karaoke rendition of MJ's "Heal the World" I will hold in my heart forever) I wasn't brave enough to express my passion to him by way of homemade chocolate (also, bf may not have been overly impressed). He got shop bought like everyone else. But I did enjoy hours of browsing the rows of tiny gift boxes, bags, ribbons, and stickers (favourite: "Imagine the happiness that feels the human it sees the contents after open the box)" that filled the shops in the lead up to the big day.

So I stocked up on pretty gifty stuff and spent hours playing with ribbons and shredded paper to soothe my aching heart. Look how pretty!

Aaah. I feel better now. Jewellery and ribbons always love you back.