This Means War

*this is not our oven

Our oven is totally possessed and evil. It has been acting up lately and only turning on sometimes, when it wants to. Now it is only broiling or something even when you set it to bake. It completely burns the top of stuff while the middle is still raw. Last night I was trying to bake a "lighter Pineapple Upside Down Cake" from a recent issue of Everyday Food and after all the preparation and flitting around the kitchen and chopping up a whole pineapple, the oven ruined my cake. I thought it was done, though kind of burnt, when I pulled it out to cool (the top was BLACK). But when I cut into it, the rest was LIQUID BATTER. I can't tell you how traumatic this was for me, seriously. I kept replaying it my mind like if I had seen body parts on the street after a car accident or something. After baking for 45 minutes, my cake was still batter (and also burned). I can't get over it. I also somehow accidentally baked a scratch ticket into the cake (?). Omar was searching all over the house for it, and he SWORE that he handed it to me. I do not remember this, but obviously I had it at some point because I BAKED IT INTO MY CAKE. Go figure.

Although the cake ended up in the trash, the ticket was miraculously salvageable. Omar said he rinsed it off and toasted it in the toaster oven (is this really a good idea?). We didn't win anything.

New Sunglasses

They were like, $10 at Urban Outfitters. I love you new old lady sunglasses! Yes, I am wearing two pairs of glasses. That is how I roll. Sometimes when I am driving I wear sunglasses over my perscription glasses so I can see and (not) look cool at the same time. Whatever, Vogue seems to like it.



Make your own ridiculous pictures

I also love Angry Chicken.

Japan Catch-Up

HAPPY GRADUATION OMAR!


(He's the one on the right!)

I have been back for about a week now, doing all the things you do when you think you are still on vacation. Omar's parents are in town for his graduation, which has made things doubly crazy/hectic, but fun.

So, as you can see I am so busy with my important life and all that I haven't been able to really get my head around my trip until now, sorry for the late posting.

I'm also going to apologize in advance for not taking enough pictures. I get all nervous and sweaty in public situations that involve cameras and me being by myself. And I always think that people are annoyed that I am standing in the middle of the road trying to take a picture of a crowded street (see below). But I tried my best! And also after a while I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot I was supposed to be documenting everything. So here are the results... Keep in mind that I am actually going back in December, so I promise I will try to make it (the lack of pictures) up to you until you are so overwhelmed with images of Japan that you will think you have actually been there already or something.

TOKYO - DAY ONE


*view from the plane

My flight arrived about an hour before it was supposed to, so I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I was awake enough that I decided to venture into Tokyo after I checked into my hotel. BIG MISTAKE. It was a Sunday, and of course I was all "I think I'll go to Harajuku" since that's where I always go first. Note to self and readers - I have never been to Harajuku on a Sunday for a reason. It was wall-to-wall people EVERYWHERE, and you know how I hate people (well, you do now).


*Takeshita Dori, how I love thee (when you are not filled with other people)

After about an hour of meandering around feeling sorry for myself (and being to tired to correctly attribute the sorry-feeling to my jet lag) I moped back to my hotel. But not before I picked up some rice balls for Sunkus (a convenience store). Convenience store rice balls make up about 50% of the Reasons Why I Go to Japan.


*Shunned salmon on top, Sekihan on the bottom

I got a few different ones including a tasty one with beef kalbi in the middle and crunchy nori all around the outside that was sprinkled with salt (not pictured- chomped beforehand) and a sekihan one because I haven't had sekihan in forever. I also got a salmon one by mistake. (Note #2, I don't like salmon).

Then I fell into bed and slept for a few hours at a time until morning with the TV blaring Japanese news.

END OF DAY ONE.

Wine for Puppehs

It's non-alcoholic, but still. (I love Japundit!)

P.S. Yes, I'm back.

Goodbye Japan!

I'm at the bus terminal in Sano, wating to get shipped off to Narita. I can't wait to see Omar and the dogs!

Leaving Tomorrow

Well, tonight is my last night in Japan. I'm all packed up and ready to go back to the Bay Area. One week is waaay too short a time when it involves me and Japan. I'll tell you all about my trip after I get home.

Goodnight!

Summer!

It's been super hot & humid the entire time I've been in Japan. So much so that it can be difficult to get to sleep at night. I picked this guy up at Loft in Shibuya. He's got a little ice pack that fits in his belly.

Dinner

Popo-chan Get!!

Charms

for my car

Today's Dinner

...was ebi fry. Chomp!

Ohira-san Shrine

Went to the shrine today. Gotta stock up on protection charms now that I have a car.

So It Works

And here are some redonk sockies I bought.

A Test

I know the pictures are pointlessly small, but bear with me! I am texting this in from my rental phone & I can't get them any bigger. I also just took me 8 years to type that with my thumbs.

I Am Fully Aware That I Am An Insane Person

So I am dying for a Popo-chan doll. I know, I know. But seriously people, dolls are my thing. And Popo-chan's face is way too cute for me to not have one. So I have been obsessing, and finally sometime next week, we will meet. And I will have to make the hard decision of which Popo-chan gets to come back to America with me. It is taxing, but I think I can get through it all.


This Popo-chan is all about the hairstyling. There's also one that walks (which freaks me out, so I'm not getting that one. Look here and tell me that's not creepy. DO NOT WANT) and one that you can take IN THE BATH. But I am digging the snuggly-soft bodies, so I will probably skip on Bath Popo.

It doesn't help that all the babies around me are, although cute and wonderful, BOYS. Someone have a girl that I can play with and spoil! Please?

$50!

Things are looking up...