Today began with playing dress-up.

I suspect that certain typical Western ladies put on kimonos or, at least, yukatas when they visit Japan as well. Or course, I'm neither Western, nor typical, damn it! ;)

This was a much more personal experience than it must be for those tourists, since my "Japanese mother" and her family member offered to educate me in the ways of dressing in this manner. All I've learned is that there are countless little strings that hold up the entire construction, which requires time, patience, and skills to put together. I suppose Western corsets would be the closest equivalent, though the latter are a lot more rigid.

I've developed respect for those women of the old that had to function in kimonos for more than an hour!

Oh, and my body is SO not made for this!

I think you have a pretty good idea why that is. Despite that, the end result turned out surprisingly aesthetically pleasing. I view myself as a bit of a Russian Barbarian (tongue in cheek), but even the baby-pink pastels seemed to work well for me.

It is obvious, then: every lady needs to get her own Japanese mother! (Note: the original Russo-Georgian mother approves of this message.)