Knowing I’ve got to do more walking before I head off on my vacation to Colombia, my girlfriend and I headed out into the cool afternoon. I hadn’t checked the weather forecast and was a bit underdressed, but I was undeterred.

We planned to explore a park, but we were lured to some shopping areas instead. I don’t really know how that happened, but since it turned out quite well, I am not bothered by it.  I also took the opportunity to look into a few shops that I have seen from the bus window, but never actually looked into.

The first one that caught my eye was called Toppu Dorru. Considering the area we were in, I expected it to be a Persian restaurant but my girlfriend shrugged off that idea.  When I looked in the window, they had plushy Japanese characters.  A quick examination revealed it to be a store filled with Japanese stuff–houseware, stationery, character goods, bags, and some pottery.  Some of it was cute, and some of it was ingenious–oh how I sometimes miss Japan.

Of all the things in the store, the one that spoke to me most was the cup you see pictured at the top of the page. I don’t really need any more cups, but I just loved the two colour pottery of Japan.  I have a cereal bowl that features the dipping technique featured here and I have always loved it.  This is a little more intricate, but something made me want it.  There was only one of these cups, so I couldn’t possibly get a set of them.  Additionally, of all the cups they had, this was one of the few that was made in Japan.  The others had all been made in China.

At the cash register, I realized that Toppu Dorru was meant to be Top Dollar–It has been a while since I needed to use my katakana skills.

The walk was good. It was nice to spend time with my girlfriend that kept us away from computer screens, TV screens, and all the leftover Christmas chocolate.  We also went to a couple of beauty supply houses, a Persian grocery store, a Korean grocery store, a butcher shop, and a pizza place.  I probably should have had a shawarma instead of the pizza, but mistakes in eating choices are good learning experiences..  Since my fitbit broke a long time ago, I really couldn’t tell you how many steps I have done, but it was quite a few.  I am going to have to force myself to do more with the weeks leading up to vacation, but that was as good a start as any.

By the time we got back the weather had become colder and I was glad to warm up with some nice tea. Just in case you were wondering, I did not use my new cup as I felt it probably needed to be washed first.