Lunch with a REAL Princess

Right, this came totally unexpected. I attended an international symposium on Japanese craft heritage at the British Museum for 2 days in a row, and I've had the pleasure of meeting and dining with the Japanese princess of Japan's imperial family.

I was introduced to the princess through a Japanese friend of mine. She was unbelievably charming and polite; so much that I blushed in front of her. Yes, imagine... Princess Akiko of Mikasa made Chungy a.k.a Dr. Love blush... Now that's rare. However, she was very much down to earth, and sheepishly giggled over my poor attempt at trying to converse Japanese to her. "Shit..." I thought, "Just what I need: some royal embarresment..." Must've been a funny sight watching me bowing constantly in a shy manner.

We chatted over coffee and sandwiches, where I was shocked to be invited to have lunch in her presence. She turn out to be very intellectual: she is currently pursuing her PHD on Japanese Art History at University of Oxford.

[Of course, all I can do was to secretly take a photograph of the princess: wasn't in the mood to get arrested...]

[A photograph of her from Google, slightly less modest and more eye-catching...]