shoku-and-awe

[shoku-and-awe]

The one funny part of the wallet ordeal was the *extremely* Japanese response of the policewoman who told me it had been turned in! Because she couldn't actually tell me it had been turned in: she had to make sure to repeat several times "I can't guarantee that it's yours, BUT" a wallet matching the description you gave was found in the area where you lost yours, shortly after you lost it. Also, it contains multiple pieces of ID bearing your full name, HOWEVER I cannot definitively state that it is yours, this is not a legally binding statement, thank you in advance for your kind understanding and cooperation. I love her, 11/10, no notes.

#i can imagine some convoluted phoenix-wright situation #where someone steals my (very distinctive) wallet #stashes my IDs in their (similar-looking) wallet #and then immediately drops it #and it gets turned in #and then i guess i have to cross-examine a parrot #you know how it is

[shoku-and-awe]

I feel like every gaijin has a version of this miraculous story, but it had never happened to me until now, so here you go—I lost my entire wallet, but someone turned it in! With everything accounted for! All my IDs, two credit cards, more cash than I should've been carrying, and a few irreplaceable sentimental mementos. I couldn't quite believe it, so I sat down for a nice coffee to collect myself and count my blessings. (Cardamom latte—very tasty!)

When you turn in a lost item to the police here, you can leave your info in case the owner wants to thank/reward you, but this person chose not to. I wish I could thank them! I will have to try to do something very nice for someone and hope it pays forward...

#it had already been a really long and sad week #having to replace everything would've been a nightmare #thank you kind stranger!!!!

[shoku-and-awe]

The software company Oracle has, on the top floor of its Aoyama Headquarters, an indoor tea garden. Facebook reminded me that several years ago, I got to go up there for a traditional tea ceremony experience among the clouds. It was a special breaktime activity at a conference I was attending, and when they passed around the signup sheet, I didn’t even put my name down—my coworker made me do it. Sometimes I forget that it can be fun to do touristy things, or that I’m even allowed to.

[shoku-and-awe]

#the issue is that an egg is white outside and yellow inside #a banana is opposite

[shoku-and-awe]

@doctor-dragon I think it's the use of agar-agar (寒天 kanten) to give it a translucent look. Unfortunately I can't be sure I threw out the package and the maker only lists the allergen ingredients online (and one of them is gelatin, so it could be that).

Also, these look different from other water daifuku that come up.....

.....so I might have to ask around a little!

FWIW, the images in the search results look more like standard daifuku, but I probably wouldn't have thought to try them!

Also, there is a sweet called 水ようかん (mizu youkan) where the "water" means that it uses a higher water ratio than normal youkan, so your first theory might, uh, it might hold water. But I don't know!

A wagashi treat: “water” daifuku with gooey apricot filling! I’d never had something quite like this. The soft, floppy texture made them a lot of fun to handle (glad I wasn’t in mixed company), and the taste was fruity and flavorful but not too sweet or too heavy.

Ideally maybe they’d’ve been a little heavier because when I came back from my walk, somebody had eaten all but one….. But I guess that means they were a hit. I still wanted another, though!

#questions i can't answer! #wagashi #doctor-dragon

[shoku-and-awe]

#paying my husband to stand on the balcony and scream this in the vague direction of ○○駅 #okay maybe i will calm down and make a sandwich now

[shoku-and-awe]

if you’re not ending your emails with “kill me! your slave and enemy,” then what are you doing with your life

#i have reblogged this before. #and i will reblog it again. #ohhhhhhhhhhh i will reblog it again

[shoku-and-awe]

#VERY niche memes #now i feel better #sort of. #what a fucking.................... #it is always something with you buddy #why. why are you like this. #not food do not eat

[shoku-and-awe]

I live way off on an island, and the creatures here are so weird. People keep talking about "cats" or "birds" but I have no idea what they mean. Could you explain?

Birds, I am not super knowledgeable about, but I'm pretty sure they're some kind of biped. And I'm happy to show you my cat if that would help!

Most cats have pointy ears and a tail, but my cats tail is especially long and fluffy. He spends most of the day grooming himself or sleeping. He curls up like a croissant when he sits, and he likes to pounce on balls of yarn and to sleep in cardboard boxes and in precarious and absurd positions.

Cats will do anything for a piece of fish, but it can hard to teach them tricks. It's not that they don't understand what you're asking; they just aren't always sure they care. And my boy can be pretty aloof, but when he does want affection, he starts to do this wheezy sleepy breathing to summon you to his side. Then, when you pet him, he wheezes in time with each stroke. I love it when my cat purrs for me.

Usually, once he's decided he's done getting loved on, he'll either stop purring to officially dismiss you or he'll wander off to gaze out the window. But sometimes, getting petted reminds him that, deep down inside, he is actually a wild creature! When he remembers this, he likes to roll onto his back and thrash around and rake the air with his back claws and make silly noises.

Which eventually makes him sleepy again, but any sign of gentleness is embarrassing when he's in wild mode, so as a compromise, everyone has to touch his mouth and teeth and exposed throat/belly while commenting on what a fearsome beast he is and how we are all in terrible, terrible danger from his powerful jaws and wild boy ways. This will usually lull him back to sleep.

I did grow up with dogs, so it's been an adjustment to live with a cat, but I love him! We're teaching each other new things every day 🥰

#shibas are cats; change my mind #also i was suspicious of this ask at first #(sorry cooleranon!) #but there are no links on their profile #or obvious signs of a scam #interact with caution i guess but i wanted to talk about my handsome little friend #anyway! #thank you for the platform to gush #not food do not eat #igloo

[shoku-and-awe]

A wagashi treat: “water” daifuku with gooey apricot filling! I’d never had something quite like this. The soft, floppy texture made them a lot of fun to handle (glad I wasn’t in mixed company), and the taste was fruity and flavorful but not too sweet or too heavy.

Ideally maybe they’d’ve been a little heavier because when I came back from my walk, somebody had eaten all but one….. But I guess that means they were a hit. I still wanted another, though!

#wagashi #mizu daifuku #apricot #youkan #japanese sweets

[shoku-and-awe]

#more river sakura photos because i can :D

[shoku-and-awe]

#😆😆😆 #it’s exhausting in its own way

[shoku-and-awe]

So they did NOT start selling them year-round, but look—this one might be even better! It has a thicker, more matcha-y flavor, which I didn't think would work, but it's so tasty! Full bodied but still light and fizzy? Perfect for any weather. I hope it sticks around.

I've found the song of my summer! It's an alcoholic green tea, aaaand it’s carbonated. Hear me out—it’s so light and fizzy and super refreshing; it’s what a summertime beer should be. I was just saying to someone the other day that I never buy green tea because its offered to me so often that I never have the chance to actually crave it, but I've bought several of these already! I liked it so much, in fact, that I also bought a regular green tea canned cocktail, but it just does not measure up. Here’s hoping they start selling these year round!

#and i am not even a matcha person! #green tea sure but grassy foamy matcha?? #this is so new to me -- i love it! #i may never be a matcha kitkat person but a whole world of sweets could be opening up!

[shoku-and-awe]

Oh thank you thank you thank you thank

At a restaurant with one of those server robots and what I didn’t stop to consider is I can’t get up to pee until it brings my order because it will just get stuck at my seat and malfunction and block traffic—the future is perilous, guys :/

#no one has EVER been so happy for some edamame to arrive #(ha-ppee)

[shoku-and-awe]

At a restaurant with one of those server robots and what I didn’t stop to consider is I can’t get up to pee until it brings my order because it will just get stuck at my seat and malfunction and block traffic—the future is perilous, guys :/

[shoku-and-awe]

I am SO excited to finally be able to reveal................... (*drumroll*)

If it helps, this is Tokyo. Also, if you love me, reblog for range!

#please rest assured that if i had even the FAINTEST idea why............. #(but i don't.)

[shoku-and-awe]

FYI, polls are LEGALLY REQUIRED to remain open until 20:40 JST! If you’re in line to vote, stay in line!!!

If it helps, this is Tokyo. Also, if you love me, reblog for range!

#this is your LAST CHANCe! #this is killing me though i seriously cannot wait to tell everyone what i saw