H1 the Swan and I have eaten at Sapporo on countless occasions.  That's not to say we find the ramen particularly inspired, but for a lunch option on days when we just wanted to get out of the office, Sapporo was our go to spot.  Although we've been a lot of times, due to the fact we usually end up there during lunch office hours and it's a madhouse in there during those times, I've never actually reviewed the place with pictures or written text.  Well, now's a good time as any to do so (for you, Habboi!).

After the Animal Crossing Launch Event yesterday at Nintendo World, my friends and I were famished.  Just a couple of blocks away, Sapporo made the most sense for a filling, decent yet cheap option for some food.  UI had not been before either but Em and my Imaginary Friend Fred liked their Miso Ramen quite the bit and were willing to go back for that plus the Special Set.

And Yet Another Example of Assiness

Today, H1 learnt a new phrase.



"Fan Service".

Memorable Conversations of the Day:

H1: Oh! I have to show you something in Bleach!
Or 2: I don't want to hear that Shinji got busted up!
H1: Page 8, okay. Page 8.
Or 2: ::reading, reading::
H1: There! What is that?! It's gross and unnecessary!
Or 2: Fan service?
H1: What?
Or 2: Fan service? That's fan service. It happens all the time. I'm so used to it now that it well, meh. It doesn't bother me really.
H1: Bleck!
Or 2: ::reading further:: See? There it is again.
H1: You see?!
Or 2: Yep. Fan service.
H1: Gross, I don't like that term! Ew!

While she may hate it, she already made appropriate use of the term for a very inappropriate situation.

Some hours later...

H1: Ow! I have a cramp in the weirdest place!
Luuuuiiissssss: What happened? Are you okay?
H1:::grinning and grimacing::
Or 2: ?
H1: I have a cramp...in my fan service!
Luuuuiiissssss: Wha'? ::honestly confused::
Or 2: ...

Here's a quote from yesterday that she did not care for me to post but here I am, posting away but this one is unrelated to the topic at hand.

H1: OMG! I have veins! I am starting to have veiiinnnsssss... wait. Is that a vein or dirt? ::rubbing smudge off of her leg::

And Three Hours Later

I'm finally ready to hook up the Ipod, let it run overnight and hope that all is well in the morning.

All this for some Lotus Juice.

As I was telling Bughie J., the words "my favourite Japanese rapper" should never leave my mouth but it's too late now.

Currently listening to: "Step Up" by Taku Iwasaki featuring Lotus Juice, from the Soul Eater 2 Original Soundtrack.

Jasmart's Often Hilarious, But Was Super More So This Time Around: Adventures of the St. Mark's Kind, Part II

The Japanese are always rather funny. They're so animated, it's fun.

It's a thing Beetchie and I do - we always have to try something new at the JasMart (Japanese Supermarket), whether that be a drink or a snack.

Well, we were rather full so we didn't get anything but an iced tea which turned out to be an iced coffee (I was ppiiiisssseed).

The other thing we got was some good laughs.

For instance,



Sephiroth hair! I always wanted Sephiroth hair of my own or some sort of boy with white/silver anime hair...and I've found him! Modelling hair products...for Gatsby...of Japan? Hm. At least now I know I can always find someone and get the silver from this place. Or alternately, wait for Sephiroth to materialize.

There's this thing that cracked Beetchie up, in two varieties!





The stick cut Baumkuchen and round style. We still have no idea what it is and were too full to find out. Perhaps next time.

I found something for H1...look, H1! Your favourite!



Um, I'm continued to be plagued by hip parades and shiny asses courtesy of the Japanese:



And H1, Beetchie says this is you:



Deal with her.

Wow.

How cool would this be...





A Frickin' Nerv cell phone!!!!!!!

Stop hating on us, you Japanese bastards with your Japanese Only Limited Edition Bullshart!

H1, I maintain that I am not an Otaku but who would deny the awesomeness of this?!

The Sort of Street Eat Adventure

This week, I braved it and bought sushi from stacked plastic containers, from a couple of Japanese guys selling the goods on the street in Midtown.

Alright, it was not as shady all that.

I did buy the sushi bowl as described but they're from Washoku, a Japanese eatery that takes lunch orders and delivers on 50th some the times or all the times? during the week.

They happened to have an extra lunch packed and I snatched it up with the help of H1's $6.00.

Pricey, yeah? It was actually worse - it was $6.50!









It was pretty good and yummy on the tamago 'noodles' there, but with a tiny bit of tuna and tons of rice, which really was not worth the money paid. Ah well.

I was properly impressed by the do-it-yourself-by-adding-hot-water miso soup mix. Of course, I could probably buy a packet of that for a few cents at the grocery... meh.



I sadly did not have my camera when I was on the street and did not get to take a picture of the cute little Japanese guy who sold the eats to me, nor a picture of their 'shady' operation.

I did however, as can be seen by the pictures, get a manu that was not in English.

Anyway, it's been days now since I ate it and I'm still here.

Really, there was nothing to worry about but this is what I'm going to have to do if I make it to China.

I'm re-developing my cast iron stomach!

Now if only I could stomach alien M&Ms...



Currently listening to: "Ticks & Leeches" by Tool.

Sweet Potato Shochu?

A tad better than just straight up. A tad.
I'm beginning to think, like Japanese curry I should just lay off the Shochu. Of course, that won't be happening until I get that lychee shochu that B. keeps talking about. Just like, I won't stop eating Japanese curry until ... I don't know but I really need to lay off that. Big time.

currently: recovering from shochu.

Wii Fit? More Like, Wii Fat

The HOchies found out yesterday that the new stay in shape or whatever the hell it is game for the Wii, Wii Fit is going to cost more than the damned console.

At $399.00, the Japanese have reaffirmed that they hate us and wish for us stoopid Americans to die because we are poor and can't afford to be 'fit'.

We're in a recession for eff's sake!

Edit 4/25/08: Clearly, Amazon like to keed because they switched the price. It's $90.00 and has been pre-ordered.

In other gaming news, does anyone have not so fond memories of those weed thingies in Final Fantasy VII? They'd show up in a field on the outskirts of Midgar, sometimes hang out with Chocobos I think, right when you left Midgar for the first time.

I have discovered they are my most hated enemies in Crisis Core. While I often wish they would look like this:



Or even this,



Sadly, this is what they really look like to Zack and by extension, me:



And while that may not be terribly horrendous to those of you who don't understand, I can assure you...they really are the stuff of nightmares. Curse you too, Hysteric Voices!

Finally to end this nerd rant, where are all the effin' fat chocobo feathers when you need them?

Memorable conversations of the past 2 days:

Raisins Alex: This new Pope isn't very "grandfather-ish" like the previous Pope.
Or 2: But at least he's smart. He's refusing a dinner with Bush.
Raisins Alex: Yeah, he knows nothing can absolve that man's sins. 'Gel oulla here, Boosh!!'

Or 2: Notice how the Pope isn't having a mass in Crooklyn?
H1: No one wants to go there.
Or 2: Yeah, but people in Crooklyn probably need the most blessings. Also, he's not going to NJ. As scary as this Pope looks, he really is clever.
H1: Yep, no one wants to go New Jersey either. Even the Pope knows.
Or 2: Yeah, if only bands would realise this too.

Or 2: Mountain Time exists! ::searches wiki:: There. You don’t believe Wiki?! There it is!
H1: I still don't understand it. What places in the world use mountain time? Arizona, it says. They also do not observe daylight savings, but the Hopi Nation within Arizona does, but the Navajo Nation within the Hopi Nation does.
Or 2: They all like to keed!

Currently listening to: "A Punch-Up at a Wedding" by Radiohead and one of my favourite songs ever (I love you Watanuki!! you to a lesser extent, Yuko's Watanuki. heh heh.) "April Fool" by S.E.N.S. Project, from the xxxHOLiC Original TV Soundtrack.

Obsessions for Week(s): 3/02/08 - 03/11/08

Crisis Core Limited Edition Japanese PSP Pack



The Japanese continue to hate on me. Do you see that eff? A tiny buster sword and a shoe box! A Shoe box!!!!



And of course, a beautifully designed PSP limited to 77,777 units and it features the love of my life for 10 years - Sephiroth. ::sigh:: All we get is a red PSP with Kratos. Once again, what the eff.

Vayne Solidor



I am not really obsessing over him in a good way, I'm more concerned by the state of his hair. He is my 2nd least fav. FF villain. Honestly, there was nothing cool about him and crimping your hair was so 80s. Tch.

Monster



An anime about a sociopath. So far so good.

Currently listening to: "Naked in the City" by Hot Hot Heat.

Kale

I never quite perfected or made a firm decision on his design and I'm not certain I'm happy with this either but here's a possibility for him:



Of course, his hair is being blown about by the wind. Meh.

Don't ask if I'm sure I want to name him afer a vegetable because the answer is 'yes, I'm sure'.

Currently listening to: "Crane/White Lightning" by The RZA/Charles Bernstein, from the Kill Bill Soundtrack and "Heat Island" by Rhymester feat. Fireball, from the Ayakashi Original Soundtrack. It's embarrassing but I never thought I'd like a Japanese 'rap'. Ha.

The Pictures and the Things I've Wanted To Post But Only Got Around To Doing So Right This Second I

I've titled it "I" because I know there'll be others in the future.

Here are some cheery or not so cheery wintery photos (depending on who you ask) I've taken in the past few weeks:



The Mist has been trying to get us for years now! It's finally catching up and we are scared.



The crows and black birds have been trying the same for years as well. We. stay. very. still....



It's snow, not Christmas lights.



I remember this morning. It snowed, it sleeted, the rain fell, the roads were icy and the car rolled back down the hill.





The train came anyway and the birds didn't fall through the ice.



It's lights, not snow.

Some food I consumed during NYC's Winter 2008 @ Inagiku:



The yummy salmon tartare



The sushi I almost choked on and died from. Also, the sad realization has sunk in and that is that I probably cannot enjoy sushi unless I'm in Japan which means I probably will never eat it again



The tail of shrimp I munched on from Aims plate



The flan of tofu I rather enjoyed but it's not nearly as good as real custard but since H1 hates me and hasn't made it for me, I have to suffice with things some may call shart.



The head of a worm I ate not at Inagiku but at my desk one day.

Here we have some truths revealed. We need to look no further than on a canister of nitrogen near Grand Central Terminal:



But what's 9 (two) II?

Memorable Quote I've Used since the rebirth of Mac, Chrissy Lee's obsession with Apple and the Mack Vs. PC ad Campaign:

"Mac Users are Smug".

Currently listening to: "Weenie Beenie" by Foo Fighters.

It May Work on the Body, But My Shit Still Stinks!

One of the coolest things Beetchie and I brought back from Japan is the gum "Otoko Kaoru" which, after some internet-ing, we discovered the name translates roughly to "Man Scent".

Why is the gum called "Man Scent"? Because the Japanese are crazy but we already knew that.

Or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that this gum is targeted towards Japanese businessmen as apparently, the women find the men stinky and in need of some goo'd-time smelling scents.

So, a brilliant (but let us not forget crazy) Japanese company created this gum that after being chewed will release chemicals, causing a rosy scent to be emitted from the body. They estimate the desired results will come 2 hours after the gum has been chewed.

Anyway, the results of some testing from the 6 packs I purchased in Japan with my last 1000 yen have varied.

First, Beetchie and I tried the stuff in Japan on 2 occasions. It worked both times but did not kick into effect until way after the 2 hour time. This leads us to believe that the Japanese stink something fierce. But wait... I can attest to that. They do. They really do. Okay, not all of them but yeah, some of them can get preeeettttty stinky and gaseous. Let us not re-visit that nastiness, though if you wanted to you could read it in The Chronicles of a Tokyo/Kyoto Ho back in June.

Then H1 and I tried it at Wembley Stadium during the opening acts. By the time MUSE took the stage, we were smelling quite rosey. Matt, sadly, was too far to smell me but curses, he would have been all over me. Ha.

Here are some responses from others on the gum -

From MC:

So I didn't smell like roses none at all after chewing that horrible tasting gum. not one babes. not ONE.

Or 2: you obviously already smell like good times. That's odd. It worked for me three times

MC: hahahaha. Good answer. I tried smelling myself and nothing. Had others smell me....nothing

Or 2: How long after? Took 3 hours for mine to kick in. Worked for H1 too. Or MAYBE you were so potent in the bad smell arena, that even man scent couldn't save you

MC: 3 hours...hmmmm. That could also be it. I even went around the Savannah for a cool, non stalker type stroll around the Savannah after my chew. NADA. No hot sweaty babes going crazy and tearing off my clothes

Or 2: you had to go really close to actually smell it I found
MC: ah well

Or 2: look, maybe it's just that you didn't smell after, period. It did what it could to soak up your man scent.

H1: Yeah, it didn't work because the Japanese don't know how to manufacture a scent for the black man.

From Clownie:

It didn't work but I did like the taste.

From Joey:

Is this a joke? I'm going to wait until someone eats theirs first.

Or 2: It's not a joke! You don't trust me?!

Joey: Naw man. You're pulling my leg. Is this going to turn my tongue some weird colour? I'm just going to wait...

I think he's still waiting.

From Chloe:

Or 2: Chloe, did you eat your gum yet?
Chloe: yeah i ate it after work that day. Ironically my man said i reeked
Or 2: of roses, right
Chloe: no, he just said bad
Or 2: tch. He doesn't know better. It works! and it's roses!
Chloe: I rather liked it

From Train BFF:

Or 2: Would you like to try? and after my explanation...

Train BFF: Uhhh. I think I will pass.

From Gen Frien':

Gen: Haha that gum. It's so funny - to make boys smell like a rose. Just great.
Or 2: I know! It's the coolest thing ever. The gum actually works
Gen: Yes. I ate it
Or 2: You did?! yay! it worked right?
Gen: Now we can make boys un stink
Or 2: haha, and you smell like roses now? heehee
Gen: haha yes. It's so cool

From KR:



From TD5:

Or 2: Did you try your man scent gum yet?
TD5: I can't find it. lol
Or 2: WHAT! ass. That cost me all of 150 yen divided by 6
TD5: that and the Japanese disc
Or 2: !
TD5: LOL
Or 2: WHAT! It's in your room somewhere, yeah?
TD5: it's in my room. I have not been in my room in a while. That's all. lol
Or 2: ...
TD5: i am here now. hold on. see, i found it
Or2: I do not want to know.
TD5: Yeah, you don't want to know.

T.M.I., TD5. T.M.I. especially since all I asked about was a stick of gum.

From X:

I should eat this on my wedding day so I can smell like roses!!! Wait, it's a mild laxative? Hmmm...maybe not then...

From Bughie J.:

Or 2: did you ever try your man scent gum?

Bughie J.: still saving it!
Or 2: I can blog about it now. but i will have to take pictures
Bughie J.: pictures, eh?
Or 2: man scent deserves it's own picture! Interesting man scent photos
Bughie J.: hmm, not too "interesting" I hope! I don't want to have my sensibilities offended on my next visit to the blog :-)
Or 2: just think! Manscent at the beach! Manscent at the pool!
Bughie J.: hmmm, manscent on the moon?
Or 2: did we really go there?
Bughie J: to take some manscent up there, yes
Or 2: but we never really landed, right?
Bughie J.: well how'd we get all this yummy cheese?Or 2: hmmmmmmm. Wallace and Gromit went
Bughie J.: finally, some heroes we can stand behind. Neil who? Buzz what? Yuri snotball? No thank you, just good ol' Wallace and Gromit please

From Frass:

"I'm not eating that poison! ::insert grey shouting face that turns red::"

So that's that. It seems to have worked for some but not so much for others but since some have not yet tried theirs, I will have to update the experiment results at a later date.

Also, I can't really get a grip on what Killer Rabbit's results were since my quota for getting dangerously close to him for the year has now been fulfilled.

Gum, I noticed, is quite plentiful with a huge selection over in Japan. I probably only made note of this because they are strangely named and/or packaged things - or just interesting flavours. I never went back to get the xxxStylish one but I did get this:



Look at Rock Lee and his "Men's Style" gum! He is quite the manly man with style there....

Stop hating on Rock Lee, H1.

This Show Slays Me

Of all the things a Legendary Sannin could summon, Tsunade summons a blue and white slug.

I guess though, it's part of a Japanese Legend which I should educate myself on but out of no where with no explanation - a giant blue and white slug.

Ah, I love Naruto.

Those GD Japanese

Money Found in Toilets Across Japan

TOKYO (AP) -- Envelopes containing 10,000 yen ($82) bills and well-wishing notes have been discovered in municipal toilets across Japan, media reports said, baffling civil servants and triggering a nationwide hunt.

Local media have estimated that over two million yen ($16,400) worth of bills were found at men's rooms in city halls in at least 15 prefectures (states) in recent weeks.

Each package of 10,000-yen bills, some wrapped in traditional Japanese washi paper, was accompanied by handwritten letters that read "Please make use of this money for your self-enrichment," and "One per person," according to reports.

Officials are baffled over the identity of the benefactor or any motives, the reports said. Packages turned over to police were to be kept for some time in case someone claimed them.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

You know, the Japanese would be the kind of assholes who would do this AFTER we leave Tokyo.

Beetchie and I could have been scouring toilets looking for free cash, then eating like good times, sleeping like good times and blowing the money in arcades like good times!

Sons of bitches.

The Tokyo-Ho Japan Chronicles - Day 1.5

Yes. Tokyo-Ho has returned.

Let the slew of blogs begin!

Day 1.5 - Saturday May 26 (New York Time)/Sunday May 27 (Tokyo Time)

We will start with the incident at the airport while waiting for our departing flight to Japan. Before I continue, it should be noted that you all should expect many 'incidents' because as you all know by now, when Beetchie and I are together, we have some mini and some not so mini-misadventures.

The incident involved Beetchie kicking a Japanese flight attendant, too polite to cry out in pain but could only utter a muffled "ya ta ta" while hopping on one foot. We're not sure though if Amy Winehouse the Flight Attendant lost that tooth due to meth. use or after she was kicked.

Japan Airlines, I must say, has crap in-flight entertainment (and not just because I almost destroyed my in-flight entertainment remote control by getting it stuck on the side and later on destroying my fingers trying to get it out). Being affiliated with American Airlines will probably do that to you though. And here's hoping that Virgin Atlantic does not screw me over come Thursday (after I boasted about it for months).

The food sucked and was questionable, and we're convinced gave me the belly heebie jeebies. Ugh, it was not good times.

As you can well imagine, getting off the near 14 hour gruelling flight of bad food, bad entertainment and broken sleep, with a heebie jeebie belly was not fun. And then to discover that the nearest bathrooms were Eastern style,



was also not fun.

We needed to find that Oakhotel Inn quickly while navigating the Subway system but thanks to a Subway Smart NYC kid Beetchie, we were able to get our bearings and find our way to the Oakhotel without much trouble.

Oakhotel Inn was cute. We now value the greatness of private bath so much more but we were still naive to that reality being that we had no idea how much that place spoilt us until Day 5 of the trip. More to come in that future blog post...

Quote of that Day:

"I'll get used to it..." - Or 2, everytime a train on the other track passed the limited express from Narita Airport. I'm not sure if I got used to the sound of another train 'hitting' our train as it passed by but if you heard that sound that came out of no where, you'd be unnerved as well.

Things We Observed in Japan - Volume I:

1. The multi-coloured roof tops of Japanese houses on the way from Narita Airport to Tokyo Central was very awesome. There's nothing wrong with a blue-roof.

2. The Japanese and their subway order. They have arrows pointing to what side you should be on when walking through the subway platforms. For instance, if you're going up the stairs, you should stay on the left. We of course, walked through people instead of with them and confused those poor Japanese greatly. "Stupid Americans!" is what I'm sure they were thinking.

3. The Japanese's insistence on staring at me because I'm brown. Beetchie thinks I may have confused them some with my asian features yet big, wavy hair. I especially didn't like that one little child who get staring at me. So he knew no better but still.  It was unnerving.

4. The toilets. The toilets had incredible flushing power which is always a concern for me. But not only that, they all have two settings for flushing! To the left for a big flush and to the right for smaller business. I always flushed to the left because of my fear of clogged toilets, even if my business was small.

5. Another toilet observation - the toilet paper's perforations are singled out at either 2 squares or 4 squares and never 1.

6. Beetchie smells like an Asian pear, which surprisingly smells just like watermelon jolly ranchers.

The Day's Eats:

We got our food ticket and paid for the meal out of a vending machine. Those things are quite popular and luckily for us they all had pictures on it so we had a fair idea of what we were in for.

I had fried pork cutlet and shrimp tempura with limitless access to rice, and miso soup.

Equivalent Exchange

It's not often a show makes me teary. In fact, only two have. They're both anime because those Japanese are cold-hearted. They really know how to drive daggers into your heart and have no qualms about doing anything to do so. No character is ever safe in anime as I've discovered through my many years of watching the genre. Even though the characters are animated, a well-written show is a well-written show, regardless of what media format or style and it's very easy to hate and/or become attached to characters within any given series. Don't even get me started on people who think anime and video games are for children.

I digress.

I am known to many of my friends as the girl who traumatizes them by making them watch or play tear-jerker anime series or games. I am hated for it. And I'm proud of it.

After 51 episodes, I can finally do a little tribute to one of the best shows I have ever seen (and the second to make me teary): Full Metal Alchemist

Perhaps I should not have posted that I am hated for recommending sad anime to my friends but hey, at least you know it's quality stuff!
So what if almost every episode left even me mortified and tearing?!
The writing of this show was intricate with brilliantly created, well-developed characters.

While there are many characters and a lot of story to take in sometimes, everyone has their own little life that's worth something. Here's to my fools:



But ultimately, it all comes down to the Elric Brothers.

So young and curious:

Sometimes a tad bit ridiculous:

But together...always (that's right. Always!!!!!):

I love them.

Currently listening to: "Brothers" - by Michiru Oshima & BEPA, from the Full Metal Alchemist Soundtrack. This is perhaps the greatest and saddest of all theme songs. Damn this show and song...

Prosti menya, mladshiy brat!
Ya tak pred toboy vinovat.
Pyitatsya vernut' nyelzya
Togo, chto vzyala zyemlya.

Strange Japanese Anime and the strange people who watch them...

Hochie 1... or 2 signing in.

I am not averse to a good anime and will happily waste precious time with the right one, even a silly one - Snow Fairy Sugar - but there are some Japanese productions that just leave me wondering about the whole culture and the thought processes that go into making some of these shows. Take Di Gi Charat for example. Each episode is 3 minutes long. The characters are the stereotypical big-eyes - cute yet freaky looking. So far so good so I decide to give it a chance. ::OH MY JEEBUS:: -Oo- The cute bug-eyed aliens are hyper as if tripping on some type of alien hashish while the civilians are ... wait for it ... fingers!!! I have immediately tuned out and have decided to blog about it. I started feeling anxious and hysterical just listening to them but what is even worse is that my co-blogger here who shares DNA with me is laughing along! That Hochie is otaku and has been warped. Everything was more normal before BingU and I may blame a Malaysian for it.

While I am on the topic, I should say that my life has seen a little more trauma because of that Hochie and its penchant for Japanese stuff. I will never again watch Grave of the Fireflies nor will I even talk at any length about a sick little cinematic feature called Odishon (Audition). Ugh. Thanks H or 2 for shortening my life with that stress.

On another note, we recently discovered Rivers Cuomo's blog. For those who don't know who that is, Rivers Cuomo is only the most awesome lead singer of Weezer, and for those who don't know who Weezer is, then just get the heck off this blog RIGHT NOW. So, anyway, Rivers Cuomo has a cute blog on which he shows himself to be quite the normal guy or as normal as anyone can be. We want to send him a message but we don't want to say something that sounds lame and we don't want to think about it too much because then it just sounds contrived and lame-r. I probably won't write to him anyway because I have never been one to be starstruck or weird (Quiet! all you dissidents) so I will just use my own blogspace to say hello to Rivers Cuomo.

Message to Rivers Cuomo: Hi. We had great times at our first Weezer concert and will make it a point to see you guys again if you come round our way. Maybe you can play MSG next time. Bye. Say hi to Scott too.

(THAT, gentle readers, was my first true Dork moment.)

Just a thought to end today:
I know that one's happiness should not be dependent on material stuff since we can lose it all in an instant but I would be acutely unhappy if I had no roof over my head or a simple place to go home to with a bed to call my own.

Laters.

Song(s) for the Day: Pioneers by Bloc Party and Evil by Interpol