#coconuts japan entertainment

[z2z-gaming-and-random-art-ai]

Console Sports Games of 1993 - Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf

Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf is the US release of Top Pro Golf 2, a Coconuts Japan Entertainment developed golf game and the final entry in the series. while the Japanese version of the game has a generic cover the US release of the game is fronted by Puerto Rican golfer Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez. 

Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf released in the US in March of 1993 exclusively for the Genesis. The Japanese release of the game under the Top Pro Golf 2 title would release a few months later in June of 1993, again exclusive to the Genesis. 

1. Intro 00:00 

2. Gameplay 00:15 

3. Outro 09:34 

Twitter (Gaming & AI Art) 

https://twitter.com/zero2zedGaming

Instagram (AI Art) 

https://www.instagram.com/random_art_ai/

For more sports game videos check out the playlists below 

Console Sports Games of 1993 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CEhIf6hohng9T2IPLCpzn7o

[wifetomegatron]

countries and cities i've been to that i think the lost light crew will enjoy (vol. i)

i think ratchet would like switzerland. snowy alps, open green fields where purple and yellow poppies littered across the grass dance with the northern wind. he enjoys the secluded valleys and will spend hours just driving past the topaz lakes. he likes the quiet of it all, the serenity, the closure. he makes drift join him in their holoforms to walk, taking in the traditional log houses and brightly-colored buildings, shops, and restaurants surrounded by lush woodlands, upland meadows, and snow-capped cliffs. grindelwald because drift is fascinated by humans and their winter sports, ascona for when it gets warmer and the boats are out by the docks. in a first contact au, ratchet would most likely end up working in either zurich or geneva, working closely with earth's international bodies like the united nations to facilitate human-cybertronian relations. i can also see the medic crew stationed there as well; running the first cybertronian medical facility on earth.

drift, predictably, would prefer japan more. osaka and tokyo for its entertainment, where he and rodimus would spend hours exploring the nightlife in their disguises. at times, they would even go as their alt-modes. rodimus gets ahead of himself with all the attention he's getting. he'd travel through many prefectures, driving past the borders to clear his head — perks of having a conjunx that works closely with human organizations is that he gets exempted from all the paperwork — but always end up somewhere private, tranquil. the shrines, the forests, the mountains — he would even be bold enough to dream of settling down there. one time ratchet flew in to visit him at a resort by the foot of mount fuji, and his husband was neck-deep inside the natural saunas. content and purring, sinking into recharge against the stones.

i have a feeling brainstorm and skids would stir up trouble somewhere in the netherlands. most likely in the infamous lecture halls of leiden university, where great minds like descartes and rembrandt once walked in. they'd hate the weather, where the sun becomes optional the moment it hits autumn (even before, apparently.) the roads are small, so they'd have difficulty navigating at first, nearly driving into a canal because of how fast people bike. direct, with just the right amount of witty, the pair are glad to enjoy the company of dutchies without having to rely on their (human) food because nothing that they've seen looks appealing or digestible. getaway is also there, most likely in amsterdam, where his holoform is most likely to get cornered in an alley and have his bike stolen.

nautica would love the sea, the vast, great open oceans of southeast asia would be the perfect place for her. ever the adventurer, she would drag riptide and velocity with her to explore the islands of the philippines & indonesia. where she'd learn how to dive and swim with the animals past the coral reefs. sweet girl nearly cried when she saw a group of whale sharks. anode and lug are content sitting by the beach, sipping on their latest invention — coconut-infused energon. bali is where i imagine the girls ( and riptide ) would go for a nice getaway. the people are all smiles, warm and friendly, and passionate about their culture. even if the two are more inclined towards the sciences, the flourishing art and spirituality of the balinese people made them feel at home again. ( if not nostalgic for caminus.)

i know rodimus is living his life in spain. maybe it won't be his designated home on earth. but with the lost light stationed in geneva, where ratchet, minimus, and megatron are with the rest of the united nations council ( because there is no way they can park the ship anywhere in the new york branch ), barcelona was his first solo trip on earth without straying too far from his co-captain's watchful eye. it was the peak of summer and there he was under the sun. the people were only initially surprised, but then again, they'd probably seen weirder things than a sixty-foot-tall robot asking them if he could join their game of volley by the beach. he bumps into krok and his rag-tag team — who's also trying to get away from minimus — so that's how he and misfire end up nearly drowning after a competitive game of water tag.

[y2klostandfound]

Wipeout 64 on 64Dream (Japanese video game magazine)(April 1999)

Translation in English:

Title: Wipeout 64 Publisher: Coconuts Japan Entertainment Release date: Late March Price: 7980 yen Capacity: 64M Genre: Anti-gravity racing game Number of players: 1 to 4 players Remarks: Compatible with vibration pack and controller pack

This speed has never been experienced before!

An anti-heavy-car race that unfolds at overwhelming speed!

This is the third installment in the series, following "WIPEOUT" and "WIPEOUT XL", which were very popular on each hardware. Thanks to the N64's specs, the race scenes unfolding at overwhelming speed are scrolled really smoothly, so you can experience even higher speeds. Along with that sense of speed, the nimble techno sound, which is a big attraction of the "Wipeout" series, is still alive this time. Also, for the first time in the series, four players can play simultaneously. The game is not just a speed race, but a four-player survival race that is sure to be different and more exciting than the CPU races, as the system uses attack and turbo items to aim for first place.

↑ Use the 3D stick to operate the machine. When turning a sharp corner, use the left brake (Z button) and right brake (R button) to shift the center of gravity while turning. Press the left and right brakes at the same time to slow down

Fast and strong is the real winner.

The race is not only about the pursuit of speed. The shortest way to victory is to use weapons that attack other machines, to try to beat your rivals to the finish line while setting the fastest lap possible. Of course, your rivals will be attacking you, so you will have to think about both how to line up for the corners and how to avoid their attacks as you race around the track. Only those who combine speed and strength will be victorious.

SPEED UP ←The arrow marks on the track are “acceleration points”. If you pass over it, the speed of the car will increase. Of course, if you don't try to pass all these acceleration points, you won't be able to win.

CHECKPOINT →Each track has several checkpoints. If you do not pass these checkpoints within the specified time limit, you will immediately retire from the race, no matter how high your ranking is

WEAPON & ITEM ←The mark next to the machine is a "weapon mark". There are various things you can acquire, such as weapons that attack your rivals and items that power up your machine. If you use it, you can run the race to your advantage.

PIT LANE → When you receive an attack from an enemy or crash into a wall on the track, the damage of the machine accumulates. If you receive more than the specified amount of damage, you will be retired, so recover in the pit lane.

GOAL! ←The goal of the race is to finish in third place in order to advance to the next stage. The pressure for speed becomes greater and greater as you progress to the next and higher levels of the track!

4 Levels of classes

The game has 4 levels of classes from beginner to super advanced. Beginners with low top speeds can easily turn corners, but in super-advanced corners, if you don't skillfully take the line and move the center of gravity, you'll crash into the wall.

How to read the race screen

Check time That's the time limit before we pass the next checkpoint.

Lap record Fastest lap recorded up to that point. Let's break this one.

Weapon Icon The mark of the weapon or item you currently have is displayed.

Lap time The lap time of the track you are currently playing is displayed for each lap.

Current rank The number on the stone is the number of machines participating in the race, and the number on the left is your position.

Number of kills The number of rival machines shot down by you due to attacks, etc.

Throttle gauge A gauge that indicates the state of the accelerator. You can also know the rough speed

Shield energy It decreases when you get hit or hit a wall on the track. When it reaches zero, you retire.

The stages are a total of 6 tracks + α!

HUES BRIDGE This track runs through an iceberg. As the first track, there are no sharp corners and it is easy to follow.

DORON IU This track was built among ancient ruins. Cliffs appear throughout the track, but the difficulty level is still low.

SOHANA A mountain track. The ups and downs are very undulating, so consider speed control.

DYRONESS A futuristic city track. The course layout is relatively easy, although the visibility is poor due to many dark tunnels.

MACHAON 2 A forest track. It is a difficult course with steep undulations and curves and poor visibility.

TERAFUMOS This track is located in the middle of a mountain range. There are many steep and steep sections, and there are also many big cliffs, so be careful not to retire.

4 Different game modes

There are four game modes in Wipeout 64. The objective of each mode is different, such as competing for position or competing for a tie for the French Cup. "MULTIPLAY" can be played by 2 to 4 people, but all other modes are for 1 player.

↑ This is the game mode selection screen. In "Options" at the bottom, you can change various game settings and check the fastest lap.

↑ In "CHALLENGE" mode, you can choose three more games. All of them are game contents that aim to clear the prescribed conditions.

1.Challenge

1-1 RACE This is the main mode in which players compete with rival machines for position. There are 6 stages in all, and if you win in the top 3, you will advance to the next stage.

← This mode, it's not easy to win, let alone finish in the top three.

1-2 TIME TRIAL

This mode is not simply aiming for the fastest lap, but challenging the driver to beat the specified time. There are three levels: gold, silver, and bronze.

← If you clear it, you can proceed to the next stage. The machine used is fixed.

1-3 WEAPON

This mode is to destroy more enemy machines than the target number with weapons and items within a specified number of laps. When you clear this stage, you will go to the next stage.

← Since durability is high, the enemy cannot be destroyed with just one shot of the weapon.

2.SINGLE RACE

In this mode, you can choose your favorite track and compete with 14 rival machines. It's perfect as a practice mode for learning the track layout.

→ Compared to the Challenge Mode, it is relatively easy to finish in the top 3.

3.TIME TRIAL

In this mode, you select one track and pursue the fastest lap time. No rivals or items appear at all, so you can compete with only your own skills.

→ If you update the fastest, a ghost will appear, so let's make it a goal.

4.MULTI PLAYER

In this mode where you can enjoy simultaneous battles with up to players. 2 players can play in 2 split-screen mode, and 3 or more players can play in 4 split-screen mode. The races are exciting as you try to stop your friends!

→ After all, obstructive play with weapons and items is the highlight of a competitive game.

13 Types of weapons (Items)

A weapon that can be obtained by passing over a weapon mark. In addition to offensive items such as mines and tracking missiles, there are also items that assist your machine, such as items that restore your machine's damage and speed-up boosters. There are many weapon marks on the track, so if you use an item as soon as you acquire it and then acquire it again at the next weapon mark, you'll have more chances to use the item, which will give you an advantage in the race.

↑ The "QUAKE DISRUPTOR" is the most powerful attack item that causes an earthquake and damages the entire machine in front of it.

↑ There is also an item that switches to autopilot for a few seconds. It is also possible to force the autopilot to be deactivated, so if you are an advanced user, you may be able to increase your time by piloting yourself.

There are 4 + α machines in the game!

There are four types of machines in this game. One is for beginners with high cornering performance but low maximum speed, and the other is for advanced racers with high maximum speed but low cornering speed. It would be a good idea to choose a machine according to the track layout and skill. Furthermore, in addition to these four types, it seems that super-high-speed machines are hidden.

FEISAR - Easy to turn but low maximum speed AURICOM - Good acceleration but hard to turn AG SYSTEMS - Good acceleration but low durability DIREX - High maximum speed but hard to turn

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Johnny Bazooka

Title: Johnny Bazooka / ジョニー・バズーカ

Developer: Arc Developments Limited

Publisher: Soft Vision International / Coconuts Japan Entertainment

Release date: 26 April 1996

Catalogue No.: T-7302G

Genre: Platformer

Better known as Johnny Bazookatone in the West and starting his life on the failing 3DO platform, this platformer hits Japan in very low key. It's supposed to be a musical extravaganza, but I don't think it matched my expectations. Johnny's firepower is weak, and the charge attack is useless because it takes forever to power up. And don't even get me started with those slow-motion underwater stages. Blues music plays throughout Johnny Bazooka, and it's appropriate considering how sad this game will make you feel. Like many Western games released in Japan, this one had a low print run so finding a copy of it may not be that easy. Still, you aren't missing out on much since it's identical to the PAL version bar being in 60hz.

[pinoyaksyonnewsph]

The Ultimate BBQ Pool Party is back at Solaire!

Experience the biggest barbeque party and immerse yourself in a global culinary journey as Solaire Entertainment City starts another year of excellence with “Flame the World”, happening on January 26 to 27, 2024.

The event takes place at the Pool Bar & Grill from 5PM to 10PM where you can savor the most unique international barbeque flavors from 11 countries and delectable specialty dishes prepared across 13 stations.

Savor on the intricate flavors of East Asian barbeques with the sweet, savory, and spicy Korean BBQ including the La galbi and Samgyeopsal gui, the traditional Kushiyaki of Japan, and the unique spices and unforgettable flavors of Chinese BBQ like the Char siu and the Cantonese roasted duck.

Delight yourselves with European barbeques including robust flavors of German beef steaks like the Fackelspiess mit Brät from Germany, as well as delectable cheese and Cervelat, a traditional Swiss-grilled sausage.

Indulge in the classic American BBQ, with its bold flavors and rich, smoky sauces like the bourbon barbeque ribs and a Texas-style pulled pork. Get a taste of the Brazilian Churrasco, where succulent meats are grilled to smoky perfection.

Irresistible desserts await you including a crepe and donut bar, a chocolate bar where you can roast your own cocoa marshmallows, a fruit and dessert bar, a variety of cakes and tarts as well as a halo-halo station, a traditional Filipino dessert with shaved ice, sweetened mongo beans, fruits, jellies, ube ice cream, and coconut strips.

Don’t miss this much-awaited festival for the soul! Call (+632) 8888 8888 or email bbqfestival@solaireresort.com to reserve your tickets now! For more information, visit https://www.solaireresort.com/dining/flametheworld. You can also check out Solaire’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

[cuteteacakes]

Cottaecore Asks!

🏡: are you a forest, ocean, farm or mountain cottage dweller? (Or other) Mountain! Or forest! Or mountain forest! :3

🍁: what’s your favorite season? I love all seasons but winter has a special place in my heart uwu

🥐: what was the best food you have ever made yourself? There was this pie in a cookbook I made once, it was coconut, and it was like magic where you pour the liquid mix of ingredients in the pie crust and bake it, and it turns into a gelatin and it was so good!

🍓: do you garden? If so, what’s the most impressive thing you’ve grown? On and off! I've planted sunflowers when I grew up in Colorado that kept growing year after year (and provided seeds for chickadees)

🌼: favorite wildflower and/or herb? Columbines!!

💐: what is your idea of a perfect date?

Something quiet and intimate, like having a picnic or walking in a park, maybe just reading together (coming from someone who has never been on a date)

🍪: what is your favorite spice to cook/bake with? Nutmeg!

🌱: where do you feel the coziest? Besides my bed? Out in the woods uwu

🌲: if you could make your life more cottage-y by doing one thing, what would you do? Bake bread more, do more crochet, maybe learn needlepoint-

🍄: do you forage? I did a little when I lived in Colorado, but since moving I haven't been able to (although I remember seeing a chanterelle on a walk once, I didn't get it because I couldn't be too sure it wasn't a jack-o-lantern mushroom)

☁️: what weather inspires you the most? What does it inspire you to do? Rain! It makes me want to read uwu (if I still lived where it snows, snow also makes me want to get cozy and read)

🐝: what do you find yourself daydreaming about? Living in a cottage in the woods while making money from a rented apartment in a city where I spend weekends sometimes when I want to go back to civilization... also that I'm entertaining.

🌻: what is the nicest thing you have ever done for yourself? (probably indulging my Yuri on Ice collection) No but for real, I think the nicest thing I've ever done for myself was step out of my comfort zone in Japan and order honey ice cream and tell the lady who gave me it it was "Oishi" because I had to quickly look that word up so I could tell her that I liked it and I felt so proud of myself-

🧺: if you were to pack a picnic basket, what would you include in it? Bread, cheese, grapes, apples, maybe a dessert or two~

🍵: yummiest warm drink for cold cottage nights? It's a tie between hot cocoa and apple cider

🐌: do you have any cores outside cottagecore? Dark Academia and kawaiicore!

[abandonwave]

Sotsugyō Shashin / Miki (TurboGrafx CD), 1994.

[painted-crow]

Okay this is wildly off topic but I saw that you cook japanese food. Can you recommend some dishes to try or ways to get myself to like it? I want to like Japanese food so bad but I haven't liked anything I've tried aside from super basic stuff like sushi, teriyaki, and gyoza. I've even tried making curry and omurice at home and everyone except me loved it.

Japanese cooking resources

Ah, I have been called upon! Lemme dig some stuff out of my Bird nest for you :D

Disclaimer: I'm not Japanese or an expert on this. I'm just a cooking nerd who thinks Japan has the best food and experimented a whole bunch with Internet recipes and stuff from the Asian market.

Recipes

I learned a lot of what I know from these two foodie blogs:

Just One Cookbook

No Recipes

(the latter site does, in fact, contain recipes, but the blogger would encourage you to build the confidence to cook without them)

Since you're having trouble finding dishes you like, I suggest starting with udon: thick, chewy noodles often served in dashi broth, perhaps with fried toppings. You can prepare udon a bunch of different ways, that's just a classic one--but no matter how you make it, udon is a pretty easy sell. Tonkatsu is another dish that's hard to dislike, and makes a good topping for your udon if you want to make both at once!

Fun travel memoir

There is a fantastic book called Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo.

It's a foodie travel memoir and it's exactly what it sounds like: this guy went to Tokyo for a month with his wife and daughter and they ate a bunch of food, his daughter made friends with half of the entire population of Tokyo, and he wrote about it. He's a really entertaining writer, and it has great descriptions of all kinds of Japanese food, so from there it's easy to go look up recipes.

Shopping

You'll want to go to an actual Asian market if you can find one locally. Use Google, they're often tucked into odd buildings.

Different Asian markets cater to different cultures' cuisines, so there might be one market with a full assortment of Indian MTR spice blends but no kombu or katsuobushi in sight. They usually have a variety though. If you can find an H Mart, you're golden (H Mart is Korean, but will have the stuff you need for Japanese food). Be willing to explore a bit! Last resort, go ahead and use Amazon, but trust me--the Asian markets are cheaper, and I much prefer supporting them to feeding Amazon.

Just One Cookbook also has a list of Japanese pantry essentials, which is really good, but it's also really completionist (I don't even have all of those premade sauces) and stretches the definition of "pantry" a bit, so it seems more intimidating than it should.

Here's my version.

Pantry essentials:

Good soy sauce. Just get something that says "traditionally brewed" and you're fine. If you spot dark soy sauce: it's smokier and less salty, very different, it can't replace normal soy sauce but you might grab it too.

Short grain "sushi" rice. Try not to overpay for it. If you're in an Asian market you're fine. If you're in the fancy organic section of Hy-Vee, you're gonna get ripped off.

Mirin. A seasoned cooking wine. Unfortunately, bad mirin is easy to find and is loaded with corn syrup. Try to find some that isn't; remember, ingredients are listed on the bottle proportionally. It's very worth paying $10 for a good bottle of mirin. I don't *think* you have to be 21 to buy it? Drinking it would probably be unappealing. Mirin is very important, and it's a versatile cooking ingredient; once you know what it does you might find yourself putting it in everything.

Sake. You do have to be of legal drinking age to buy this. Which kind you get for cooking isn't a super big deal, and you can get by with just mirin most of the time.

Kombu and katsuobushi. The former is a kind of seaweed/kelp (it may look dusty with white powder; that's natural MSG and it's a good thing). The latter is shaved dried smoked skipjack tuna and looks a bit like pencil shavings; you might see them labeled "bonito flakes." They're common ingredients for dashi (basic Japanese cooking stock), but you'll see katsuobushi used as a topping on lots of savory dishes. If you can't find these, try looking for dashi powder or tea bag type dealies.

Toasted sesame oil. Not hard to find.

Rice vinegar. Same.

Panko bread crumbs. These are special, lofty, crispy breadcrumbs. They're different because of SCIENCE and are what happens when you electrocute bread dough. I'm not joking.

Cornstarch/potato starch. I slightly prefer potato starch (good texture), but they're not that different.

Nori. These are those pressed algae sheets you use to wrap sushi, but they're used for other stuff too, like onigiri, or shredded as a topping.

Noodles. Obviously, if you want to make udon, you need to buy some. You can easily find dried udon, but if you spot frozen or even fresh udon noodle packs, grab them.

If you can find an Asian market that stocks all this, you should be able to get the whole list for around $50. Asian markets tend not to be expensive, which is yet another good reason to learn to cook Japanese food. (Other reasons: healthy, tasty, easy to cook in a small kitchen...)

Of course, you also don't need to get the whole list at once! It's not cheating to just get what you need for a particular dish.

Fun stuff you can find at Asian markets

With the basics out of the way, here are additional tasty things you might want to look for:

Furikake. Not strictly necessary, but I like it. It's a topping/seasoning blend you can mix into your rice, and it comes in lots of flavors, some fishier than others. Start with a nori or vegetable flavor if you're uncertain. Tamago flavor = egg.

Ramune. If you've never had marble soda before, don't deny yourself the adventure of trying to figure out how to get the bottle open. Lots of flavors.

Good instant ramen. Nongshim's Shin Ramyun is what I usually get, and even Walmart sells it. You'll never buy Maruchan again.

Candy. So, I don't know who's in charge of Japanese fruit flavored candy, but it actually tastes like fruit, which is wild.

Yuzu and/or sudachi juice. If you can find these, grab 'em. They're citrus juices. Yuzu is a bit like lemon but less strongly sour and more... clean? Crisp? while sudachi is a bit like lime but more green and complex. I'm describing these poorly. You might also be able to find candy or drinks with these flavors.

Sugary drinks with nata de coco in them. Nata de coco is a firm jelly-like dessert type... thing. It's made from coconuts and it's got a unique jelly/crunchy texture and is odd but good. You might be able to find nata de coco on its own, but I'll warn you: the kind you get packed in jars will be Very Sugary.

Tapioca pearls. If you like bubble tea, here's the place to get your boba.

Umeboshi plums. These sour/salty pickled plums are a tasty ramen topping.

Ice cream. Those square melon popsicles are delicious, but get them home quickly, their texture is very temperature sensitive! And if you spot individually wrapped ice cream cones, grab one.

Euro cakes. These look kinda like round Twinkies, but Twinkies only dream of being this tasty. I like the pandan flavor best. Don't be put off by the green color.

Soft tofu. So good 🥰 and weirdly hard to find in supermarkets. It's got a texture like custard, and apart from its fairly neutral, fresh flavor, will easily pick up any flavors you put on it. An excellent addition to udon soup; add it last, the tofu is fragile (and doesn't actually require cooking). Silken tofu sometimes comes in shelf stable packages. My experience with those has been fine, but the general consensus is that the tofu you get from the fridge section is better.

Frozen pork buns. They might be labeled "siopao" or "bao" (Chinese names) or "nikuman" (Japanese name). Lil bread buns with bbq pork or other fillings. You steam them in the microwave and they're delicious.

I'd recommend having fun getting a few of the things off this list, rather than being a completionist about the first one, if you find yourself choosing between the two. That said, make sure you get the stuff you need for the thing you want to make!

Okay, now I want a pork bun. I wonder if my brother's eaten them all yet...

[purplesurveys]

1330

survey by joybucket

Facebook's "Did You Know" questions (2/5)

If I could choose what decade I was born in, I'd choose... I’m perfectly fine having been born in the 90s. The first thing I'd do after winning the lottery is... Decide how much of it I’d want to allocate to my savings, and how much I’d like to use to immediately pamper myself. The videos that always make me laugh are... TikTok is a great source for funny clips, for one. Compilation videos of the celebrities or groups I like are also entertaining and help in killing time. A trend I really love is... Bucket hats. One of my most original costumes was... My real answer here would be when I went as Sofie, but I don’t want to repeat my answer so I’ll go with the time I went as Daria, since not a lot of people do her.

Between sunrises and sunsets, I prefer.... Sunsets. Sunrises are pretty too, but that means it’s about to get brighter and warmer which are two things I don’t like about the day. If for one day I could be invisible or fly, I'd choose to... Be invisible. My perfect pizza looks like... Having chunks of burrata on top of it. I wish I had hair like... I don’t know. I don’t envy anyone’s hair. If I could be feared by all or loved by all, I'd choose to be... Loved. I have no interest in absolute power to the point that everyone’s afraid of me. Once in my life, I'd like to cut my hair like... I don’t really fancy hairdos, per se. My thing with hair is more on the colors I’d want to try dyeing it to; in that case, I’d love to try dark green once. My feelings about coconut flavor are... Oh it’s terrible for me for the most part. I can’t stand coconut shavings on anything...but coconut milk is great though, and soups tend to really elevate with it. One of my favorite writers is... I don’t have any. My favorite mode of transportation is... Plane. I love the whole experience of taking off. One of my favorite singers is... Hayley Williams. When I go to a new restaurant and have no idea what to order I... Look at the categories I’d normally order from, and from there see if there’s anything I think I’d like. What's a favorite hobby of yours? My favorite hobby is doing all sorts of art, like painting, embroidery, gem paintings...I’m just really terrible at following through with any of the projects I start. I think a good source of therapy is... Going to museums. A friend who I can always be myself around is... Angela, without a sliver of a doubt. A friend who always makes me laugh is... Hans. Something helpful to lose weight is... I’m not sure. I’ve never actively tried to lose weight before, but recently I learned that honey is a good method to quicken your metabolism, according to my mom. She gave me that little fact when I told her that my workplace sent over a gift box for Christmas, which includes a small jar of honey. In the shower, I like to sing... I don’t sing in the shower. I don’t even last a song and a half in the shower lol; I like my time in the bathroom super efficient. The furthest I've ever traveled is... I keep forgetting which one is farther but it’s most certainly a tie between Japan and Korea. The best car I've ever owned is... I’ve only had one car and it’s already my baby. I’m thinking if I should just buy it off from my parents once I can afford to since I’m super attached to it. A party I had so much fun at was... Most of the parties I’ve been to were ones I attended with Gabie, and I’m not about to tag any of them as ‘fun,’ especially now. So I gues the most fun I’ve had have been my BTS watch parties with Angela and Hans, if they count. A fear of mine is... Cockroaches, if we want to go to the shallow route lol. My favorite season is... Winter, even though I’ve never experienced it before. I feel like I would love it, though. If you knew me well, you'd gift me... Anything remotely related to BTS hahaha. One of my uncles already told me he got a pillow with Taehyung’s face on it even though I never shared my wishlist with him :((( I was ecstatic when he told me and I can’t wait to open the gift even if I already know what it’s going to be lol. Between movies and TV, which would you prefer? TV series. Easier to digest. A new year's resolution I haven't been able to accomplish yet is... I don’t make resolutions. The image that best reflects my personality is... I don’t feel like looking for photos now. The toy I always wanted but never had was... Not a toy, but I always wanted those shoes that had wheels so you can glide which I never got to have. Between bikini and one-piece, I pick... Bikini. One-piece swimsuits are so uncomfortable for me. If a genie granted me 3 wishes, one of them would be... More money. Junior high or high school? High school. I never got to experience junior high; it was something they institutionalized when I was already out of high school.

It's not normal that... My biggest apprehension about traveling to other countries is the possibility of being harassed for my race. If I could travel back to the past, I... Wouldn’t change a thing.

I hate the smell of... Rugby. If I could travel to the future, I... Would just want to have a look at how I’ve been doing and what I’ve been able to reach by then. The most original birthday cake I ever had was... The Frappuccino-shaped cake my parents got me for my birthday this year. Between shopping online or in store, I prefer... These days I do most of my purchases online. What's a dream you would love to become real? Being good at cooking and baking. London is a perfect city for... I dunno. Bar-hopping?? idk the first thing about London. A great thing about traveling is... Experiencing different cuisines. My first scare was... Witnessing alcoholism in the family? I didn’t have the jolliest childhood. Where were you when you had your first kiss? In my bedroom. I met my best friend when... I stabbed her palm with a pencil. I could spend hours and hours... Watching BTS videos. I always get mistaken for... A minor. My favorite Chinese food is... Minced pork with eggplant.

[kaweeella]

DAngAnronpA

Chapter 1 part 1- 1001 Stories Yet To Be Told

Warning for talks of hanging (let me know if there’s anything else!

~~~

Izumi tells herself that she just heard them wrong. “What did you say?”

“Welcome to the killing game!” No, she heard right.

Everyone stands still, holding their breath, unsure of what’s happening or what to do.

“The rules here are simple!” They speak in such a sickeningly happy tone. “Kill someone here and get away with it, and you’ll be allowed out! Well, there are a few more rules, but that’s the basics!”

“What the fuck?!” Banri yells. The person doesn’t respond.

Slowly as everyone processes what was said, they begin breaking down. Muku begins hyperventilating and drops to the ground. Banri continues to swear at the ceiling. It’s understandable, Izumi is scared too.

“Guys!” She yells, jumping onto a coffee table to use as a stage. “This isn’t the time to panic. We have to think rationally if we want to get out! Besides, they can’t keep us here forever, yeah? I mean, people will get concerned when we’re gone so long. Let’s just get along and stay calm until someone comes to save us.”

The young boy, who’s still yet to introduce himself, watches her before standing up. “Okay, I trust you, Izumi.”

“That does sound like a good plan.” Sakyo remarks. “Though we aren’t sure how much food we have.”

“Oh, don’t worry about food.” The voice speaks up again.

“Bitch!”

“The food is restocked every night. I should mention that one of the rules is that the kitchen is closed at night time.”

“Fuck you!”

“Banri, stop that.” Izumi scolds the boy before turning her attention back to the person. “Is that all you have to say?”

No response.

“Okay, then let’s get to what we came in here for.” Izumi gets off the table. “I think we should start at the beginning, what was everyone doing before you woke up here?”

“I had just arrived in Japan.” Citron says.

“I was looking for a job as a scriptwriter. I was looking in this area called Veludo Way.”

“Oh.” Izumi looks at him. “I was in Veludo. I was headed to my dad’s old acting company, Mankai.”

Sakuya and Sakyo look up.

“I was staying at Mankai to be an actor! I was actually supposed to perform before I got here…”

“I was also in the area.”

“I was in Veludo, too.” Tasuku says. “I was planning a street act with one of my troupe mates.”

The rest recount what they were doing; work, sleeping, just out, general things. Izumi realizes someone hasn’t spoken yet.

“Hisoka,” Said man is asleep on a couch. “What were you doing?”

“I… I don’t remember…”

Everyone seems shocked, though with their own lapses in memory, they can’t really judge.

“Well, it’s good to get all the information we can.” It’s strange. Only some of them have anything in common. Was there any rhyme or reason to it? Did they all manage to make a common enemy? Or were they just plucked off the street with bad luck?

“So now what?” Banri asks. “We just sit around and hope someone misses us?”

“I mean… yeah. What else can we do?”

“I hope my family can hold up okay without me.” Omi says.

“Yeah.” Tsuzuru says.

“I should also say,” The voice speaks up again. “Night time is from 10 pm to 7 am.”

“Cunt!”

“If we aren’t allowed in there at night time then it’s good to know when night time is.” Izumi looks around and spots a clock. Right now it’s 11:37. The kitchen is still open so it’s morning.

“We should do something together,” Azuma suggests. “Let’s play a game.”

“Sure. What game?” Itaru asks.

“I have some cards, so any of those games.”

“What about poker?”

So they spend time playing poker. Some do better than others at hiding their emotions.

“Raise.” Banri says confidently.

“Call.” Juza says, muffled by a pastry.

“Where the hell did you get that?”

“The kitchen.”

“You actually trust that it’s not poison or some shit?”

“We have to eat eventually.”

“Stop talking with your mouth full!”

“Stop talking to me.”

“Oh you think you’re some hot shit, huh?”

“S-stop-” Muku cuts in. They both look over at him. “Stop arguing.”

“Sorry…” Juza mumbles. Banri just scoffs.

“... fold.” Hisoka puts his cards down.

“All in.” Azuma says.

“What?!”

“All in.” Itaru says.

“Raise.” Citron says.

“You can’t raise…” Tsuzuru tells him. “All in.”

When they check their cards, Azuma wins.

“Where’s you get Uno cards?” Tasuku asks the blue haired man, who is also yet to introduce himself.

“Yahtzee.”

Izumi watches them play for a while, joining in some games herself, before going to what they have decided is her room. She looks around some. She finds her spices and clothes. At least she has something.

She falls over onto the bed. It’s quite comfortable. At least they can be comfortable in their imprisonment.

They need to focus on the little good things in this place until help arrives, or else… or else…

No. She shouldn’t think about that. They’re nice people and they wouldn’t do anything like that.

You don’t know them.

Shut up. Believe in the people around you. She scolds herself.

Izumi doesn’t realize that she fell asleep until she’s awoken by the sound of dinging.

“Good night, everyone.”

She covers her ears with her pillow. She can’t get that goddamn voice out of her head. That sing-songy voice rings in her ears even after they’re done talking. And she can’t sleep, either. She just woke up.

She groggily pulls herself out of bed. There’s a library. Maybe she can find a book to entertain herself either until she’s tired again or morning.

The hall is dark and quiet. She puts her hand on the wall to make sure she’s going the right direction. It takes a while, and she stumbles over a few things along the way, but she finds the library. She flicks on the light and looks around the shelves.

“Let’s see let’s see.” She mutters.

She finds a book labeled “1001 Nights”. A collection of Middle Eastern stories. It’s about a woman named Scheherazade who is married to the sultan. The sultan has taken to killing his wives after one night, so to keep herself alive she tells him half of a story on the first night to hook him, so he’d have to keep her alive to finish the story. She’d finish and start half of a story every night for one thousand nights, and by the time she is out of stories, he’s fallen in love.

It’s still night, and she’s not tired yet, so she grabs another book. This one is “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Alice falls into a world named wonderland, where nothing makes sense. She grows and shrinks, nearly drowning in her own tears; plays croquet with a flamingo; meets a french mouse; talks to a caterpillar; joins a tea party; and is taken to court. Not necessarily in that order.

The next book, “Phantom of the Opera”, is about a man haunting an opera house. It starts with a stagehand’s hanging. A girl named Christine is called as an understudy when the first singer falls ill. Christine starts getting lessons from, what’s she calls, the Angel of Music. A threatening letter arrives from the phantom, saying to make Christine the lead actress and that a box is left open for him. When it’s ignored, a chandelier falls into the audience. The phantom kidnaps Christine and reveals his identity, a man with a deformity named Erik. He plans for holding her for only a few days, but it changes when she unmasks him. With the fear of her leaving, he decides to hold her forever. He lets her out after two weeks, on the condition she remains faithful. She tells about her kidnapping to Raoul, her childhood friend, who says he’ll take care of it. She feels bad for Erik, however, so she decides to sing for him one last time. Unbeknownst to either of them, Erik was there. And he heard the whole conversation. He takes her again, traps Raoul and someone called the Persian, and threatens to kill everyone in the opera house unless Christine marries him. She agrees and he lets them go, telling the Persian to tell the newspaper of his death and Christine to return after he’s dead. They do, then Christine and Raoul elope.

Before she can grab another book, she hears footsteps. She freezes and tries to not make any noise. The door opens, and it’s Itaru.

“Oh,” He starts. “What are you doing up?”

“Just some reading. What about you? What brings you here?”

“I was a little restless so I decided to take a walk. Then I noticed the light was on in here.” He looks at her book pile. “Do you think they were telling the truth?”

“What do you mean?”

“That the only way out is to kill someone?”

“No. No! Of course not. That’s… that’s absurd.”

“Yeah. It’s just worrying.”

“How worried could you be if you’re wandering around in the dark?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, point taken.”

Ding dong, bing bong.

“Good morning, everyone!”

Itaru seems a little surprised. “That time already?” He turns back to Izumi. “Let’s go get breakfast.”

They leave and see some of the others exiting their room.

“Wow.” Yuki says. “Couldn’t even wait a night?”

“W… what?” Izumi contemplates if it would’ve been better for Itaru to have killed her in there.

“Good scores, guys.” Kazunari comments, unhelpfully.

“Wait, we didn’t-” Itaru starts.

“At least you’re quiet.” Yuki walks away.

“I…” Izumi’s at a loss for words.

“Let’s get breakfast.” Itaru quickly heads to the kitchen.

“Yeah…”

They eat and everyone goes their own separate ways. Izumi decides that if she’s going to be trapped with these people, she should get to know them.

She sees Tsumugi hanging out by himself. He looks kind of sad.

“Hey, Tsumugi.” She greets. “Do you wanna spend some time together?”

“Sure.” He smiles at her.

“So you work for the government?”

“Yeah, it’s not all that much, I was actually contemplating quitting.”

“Why?”

“I just… I don’t really like it. It was just kind of a backup job, I guess.” He looks around some. “So do you have any hobbies? I enjoy gardening.”

“I like cooking.”

“Really?���

“Yeah! Want me to cook something?”

“Ah, only if you want to.”

“And I want to!”

She quickly runs to her room and grabs her spices before running to the kitchen. She serves a Thai chicken coconut curry.

“It smells amazing.”

They eat the curry, talking some here and there.

“You’re a really good cook.”

“Thanks.”

They part ways. Izumi enjoyed spending time with him. She almost forgets where she is.

[bentwood-chairs]

Things to do in Sydney this long weekend

The much-awaited long weekend is here, Sydneysiders. You've got a whole other day tacked on to the end of your week for more eating, drinking and debauchery – how will you spend it? Sydney's theatre scene has well and truly come alive again, the Archibald is showing at the AGNSW, and we've given you a how-to guide on cheap hacks for fancy places.

Itchy feet? Head out on your next road trip, or explore of these incredible national parks right near home. When you're all tired out and ready for a drink, pick a spot from this list of our favourite bars  with elegant bentwood chairs and settle in for a nightcap.

PS Make sure to stick to appropriate hygiene and physical distancing measures when you go out, as laid out by the WHO and the Australian Department of Health.

1. Celebrate in style at Sydney's annual Oyster Festival Things to do Food and drink The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, The Rocks Until Oct 31 2020

It's the eigth year of the Morrison Oyster Festival and Sydney still can't seem to get enough of those tasty little bivalves. During the month of October, the inner-city restaurant and bar will boast oysters from 50 regions around Australia. Oyster Hour is back with $1.50 oysters from 6-7pm daily, and the weekend holds two-hour sessions of unlimited sparkling wine to accompany a dozen freshly shucked sea babies for $55 per person.

2. Check out the Archibald Prize finalists for 2020 Art Galleries Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Until Jan 10 2021

The finalists for this year have been announced, giving a glimpse into a colourful cross-section of contemporary Australian culture. Yoshio Honjo has depicted celebrity chef Adam Liaw wrestling with a bream in a traditional Japanese art style. Street artist Scott Marsh has depicted his mate and the many-hat-wearing rapper, comedian and Indigenous activist Adam Briggs in his signature style. And previous Archibald winner Wendy Sharpe has turned out a striking portrait of Magda Szubanski as a forlorn version of her netball-playing alter-ego Sharon Strzelecki, set against red flames. The doors will open on the exhibitions from Saturday, September 26, and will show until January 10, 2021.

3. Take this British-Italian pop-up restaurant for a spin Restaurants La Rosa Bar and Pizza, Sydney Until Dec 31 2020

A culinary fusion of British and Italian cuisine isn't the most obvious – but given how much Brits love a holiday on the Med, perhaps it was inevitable. La Rosa is decidedly Italian – and so, makes the perfect setting for the Milan Cricket Club, overseen by Nicholas Hill, who has most recently been charming regulars of the Old Fitzroy Hotel in Woolloomooloo with his stylish take on British pub classics incorporating with classic bentwood furniture supplied by B Seated Global is a Commercial Furniture Manufacturer for the Hospitality Industry .

4. See Dendy's Studio Ghibli retrospective Film Animation Dendy Newtown, Newtown Until Oct 14 2020

Get spirited away by this whirlwind celebration of all things Studio Ghibli over at the Dendy Newtown. The cinema is working through all 22 of the beloved Japanese animation house’s finest, including the Oscar-winning wonder that features a young girl named Chihiro, whose trip away with her parents gets very trippy indeed when shape-shifting dragons and mysterious witches appear.

5. Build your own terrarium at this pop-up studio Things to do Around Surry Hills, Surry Hills Dec 12 2020-Dec 13 2020

For those born without the gift of a green thumb, Little Succers' range of cute, deliverable DIY terrariums featuring hardy succulents were a godsend. While in-person classes were halted for much of the year due to restrictions, you can now book in to the build-your-own-terrarium bar at Little Succers' Surry Hills studio again.

6. See Wonnangatta, a chilling new STC play Theatre Drama Roslyn Packer Theatre, Millers Point Until Oct 21 2020

After being postponed by you-know-what, Wonnangatta will now get the joyous fanfare it deserves. The Australian gothic mystery play explores the 1917 Wonnangatta murders from the perspective of two friends of the victim. Played by Hugo Weaving and Wayne Blair, the men arrive on a farm to visit their friend, Jim Barclay. When he's nowhere to be seen, they set out for answers, and for justice.

7. Spot cherry blossoms at Daniel San Restaurants Daniel San, Manly Until Oct 31 2020

While we may not be lining up to see flowering cherry blossom trees in the Auburn Botanic Gardens this year – the park is currently closed to visitors – the team behind Manly's modern Japanese eatery Daniel San has decided to mock up its own version of a pink-hued sakura paradise. From late September and for the whole month of October, the airy beachside venue will transform into a blushing floral bower, decked out with thousands of cherry blossom stems to emulate the two weeks in spring when the streets of Japan are filled with blooming cherry trees.

8. Nibble on naughty snacks at the Imperial Things to do The Imperial Hotel, Erskineville Until Nov 21 2020

After shantaying back from lockdown with a bang with The Priscilla’s Experience, the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville is back with its X-rated drag 'n’ dine experience, Rood Food. This multi-course dinner paired with an adults-only drag revue in the Impy’s Priscilla’s Restaurant is not for the faint of heart (BYO pearls to clutch). Get the foreplay started with a ‘pussy pâté’ (a gaping valley of vegan cashew pâté with black moss) or ‘bring back to the bush’ with a salmon ceviche served with coconut vinaigrette and ‘shuck-you-lents’.

9. Try a round of Disney-themed mini golf Things to do Games and hobbies Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta Until Oct 25 2020

Having made its debut in Darling Harbour in 2019, a Disney Pixar-themed mini-golf course is now landing at the Bank West Stadium on Saturday, September 25, supplying reams of nostalgic putt putt fun for those of us who grew up wishing our toys would come to life like in Toy Story, or imagining what it would be like to face Hopper and his gang in A Bug’s Life. You’ll face challenges featuring these beloved films alongside others starring familiar animated friends from The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc., Wall-E and more.

10. Check out Van Gogh Alive Art Digital and interactive Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park Until Nov 22 2020

Blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh Alive has so far graced Rome, Berlin, Singapore and more. It finally touches down in Australia, just a little off course. Originally intended for Melbourne, their unfortunate lock lockdown loss is our gain. The vast space of the Royal Hall of Industries, next door to the Entertainment Quarter, will bring van Gogh's work alive in a way that’s never been seen before. Housing screens and projections with a combined surface area of more than 30 IMAX screens, the paintings will ripple across them like light dappled on the surface of water.

[hanhan156]

Endless pit of tag games

Thanks @ah-its-too-much, I appreciate it when somebody has thought about me while thinking who to tag. ;)

Nickname: Haven’t had a proper one ever really. Hanski occasionally, but it sounds like a boy’s name.

Real name: Hanna

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Height: Something around 165 cm.

What time it is: 4:43 pm.

Favorite musician(s): Tool, Rammstein, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc. etc...

Favorite sports team: To be honest, I don’t know anything about sports, lol.

Other blogs: hanramm156 which is basically just a Rammstein trashbin. Sorry everyone who has followed and assumed to see some quality content there. :’D

Do I get asks: Occasionally yes, but always up for more. ~

How many blogs do I follow: Umm, I haven’t actually checked, but a lot as my dash is always full.

Any tumblr crushes: *sly eyebrows*

Lucky number: Perhaps 7, haven’t thought about it so much tbh.

What I’m wearing right now: An orange hippie style shirt and white pants with plant patterns on them.

Dream vacation: Japan (especially Okinawa), US (mostly for roadtripping), New Zealand, Tonga and Costa Rica.

Dream car: I’m perfectly happy with my rusty old Citroen Saxo, but VW Kleinbuses are cool. :D

Favorite food: Hmm, lasagna and tortillas are always tasty.

Drink of choice: Coconut water

Languages: Fluent only in Finnish and English. Those that I understand better than produce are German, Swedish and Japanese. Trying to learn some French also, but it’s difficult as hell.

Instruments: Piano, guitar, occasional djembe and bass. Is your own voice counted as an instrument?

Celebrity crushes: Richard Kruspe and James McAvoy. Stop being so adorable, goddamnit.

Random fact: I had a fixation to memorize all the dog breeds in the world when I was a kid and I spent most of my free time reading dog and animal books in general.

I tried to think somebody who I haven’t tagged recently so I wouldn’t spam the same persons constantly, but it was pretty difficult. :’D @homospeksuaali @sielustaja @vitsiniekkojenkuningas do this if you like or anyone else who wants to have some entertainment for their weekend.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Brain Dead 13

Title: Brain Dead 13 / ブレインデッド１３

Developer: ReadySoft

Publisher: Coconuts Japan Entertainment

Release date: 10 October 1996

Catalogue No.: T-7305G

Genre: Interactive Animation

Just like Dragon's Lair, this is one of those interactive animation movies from the States. Unlike Japanese games of this type, the American ones don't give you any hints whatsoever on where to push or what button to press. This leaves you most of the time wondering what the hell to do since it's not that obvious if at all obvious most of the time. Thanks to this the game becomes more of a memory map affair than an actual enjoyment affair. True that the Japanese titles are just as limited but at least they are more fun since you can work out which direction to push in. On the plus side, Brain Dead 13 does have some pretty nice video encoding.

[ladyofpurple]

answer all of the questions!!

holy SHIT ok bless you omg

(sorry it's a full day late i took this shit SERIOUSLY. don't ask me how many hours this took, i was in A Mood™️ last night. removed the ones already answered xoxo)

angel; have you ever been in love?

yeah. didn't end too well, but i loved him.

petal; favorite novel and author?

this is like asking me to pick a favorite child. i guess favorite author would be stephen king, if only based entirely on the sheer quantity of his books i own alone. favorite book would probably be special topics in calamity physics by marisha pessl, and i'm only saying that because it's been my go-to response for years. i have lots of favorite books. ask me again in five minutes and i'll give you another one.

honey perfume; favorite perfume/scent?

freshly made coffee. lilacs. jasmine. cut grass. the ground after it rains. chocolate chip cookies in the oven. cigarette smoke on skin. my mom's shampoo. my grandma. my dog when he's just had a bath. thanksgiving dinner. acrylic paint on canvas. sawdust. that one cologne i can't name but can smell on a guy from a mile away. mulled cranberry and apple juice. vanilla. coconut. fresh laundry. peppermint.

sweet pea; what’s your zodiac?

virgo sun, pisces moon, scorpio rising ✨

softie; talk about your sexuality.

i'm biromantic asexual, primarily attracted to men more than women (but have had too many crushes on girls to consider myself het), generally sex repulsed when it comes to the thought of having it myself. i prefer to call myself queer in passing conversation, it's easier than explaining asexuality and the differences between sexual and romantic attraction. if someone asks more specifically, i'll usually just call myself bi for simplicity's sake, even though the ace part is a much more important (to me) part of my identity. monogamous as fuck.

i'm still struggling with internalized homophobia and a lot of "am i even queer enough" thoughts, which is super fun. took me a long time to even consider the fact that i might like girls at all. i'll probably never come out to my parents. not that they'd, like, disown me or whatever, but they're juuuuust homophobic/transphobic enough that my few attempts to educate them when they say something A Little Yikes have shown me that i should probably just stay in the closet unless i absolutely have to come out. like i'm getting married to a woman or something.

sugarplum; what’s the color of your eyes and hair?

i usually say my eyes are green because it's easier, and they mostly are, but i have rings of greyish blue around the irises and sometimes they're more hazel in the middle. they always have a green tint to them though, even if the intensity of the green varies.

my natural hair is brown, a little on the darker and slightly ashy side of completely generic. currently a former blonde, although i'm hoping to bleach my fucking YEAR of growout soon, and then go some crazy color as a last hurrah before i have to go dark again. being broke fucking sucks.

wings; coffee or tea?

tea!! black tea. chai, to be specific, with an irresponsible amount of milk and sugar. chai lattes are a fucking drug okay? coffee makes me sick (not a judgement, a literal fact. last time i tried some i threw up).

fairytale; are you a cat or dog person?

cat!! but my family has a chihuahua named sonny and you can pry that little monster from my cold dead hands ok i will fight you.

snowflake; favorite time period?

okay, i wrote and rewrote my answer to this about 10 times. then i tried to divide it up into categories (aesthetics, history, fashion, vibes, geographical location, etc), but that didn't help. so basically: i don't have one, because i have too many.

i like the american 20s-60s for the aesthetic, music/movies, and the fashion. i also like the european 1600s-1800s for the interesting history and also vibe. i love the french and russian revolutions — the fashion! the art! the wars and political upheaval! I FUCKING LOVE HISTORY. then, of course, we can't forget the rennaisance. or the witch trials (pick your continent). and ancient greece? the roman empire? hello?? did i mention empires? how bout we mosy on over to south america — can i interest you in the mayans? incans? aztecs? what about china and japan? korea? vietnam? and don't even get me fucking STARTED on the black plague.

ancient egypt? sign me the FUCK UP. vikings? yes please. the celts? oh boy. the MYTHOLOGY. the ARCHITECTURE. the LANGUAGES and POLITICS and LITERATURE and REVOLUTIONS and GOD HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ANY OF THESE

i uh. might have gotten a little excited. basically i like history a lot. and mythology. and linguistics. and cultural practices. and the politics and prejudices behind wars and stuff. and learning in general. moving on.

vanilla; do you believe in ghosts?

let's put it this way: i don't not believe in ghosts??

listen. we don't know jack shit. we don't know what happens after we die, there are constant scientific revelations that turn our understanding of the universe completely upside-down, and there is literally no way to know which religions or myths or urban legends could have some grain of truth to them. like, dude, i've literally thought i was haunted before. psychology is bananas and the universe is infinite.

demons could be real. ghosts could be real. what if we just haven't invented the necessary technology to prove it yet? what if we never do, and they just fuck around alongside us, moving furniture and making shadow puppets on the walls just for kicks until the earth explodes? what if that one tumblr post was right and ghosts are actually real people from alternate universes or timelines that we see accidentally bc some cosmic wires got crossed? who fucking knows.

i love horror movies and scary stories and ghost hunter shows just as much as the next gal. but listen. psychics? mediums? people who accept every single creepypasta retold third-hand from their neighbor's kid's classmate's second cousin who "totally knows a guy"? doubt.jpeg

i don't understand the sheer amount of assumptions made willy-nilly about the nature of ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night. the assumption that "oh this machine that totally doesn't look like a coathanger taped to a walkman will work because ghosts have this temperature and can always communicate like this and are electromagnetic" or whatever just baffles me. to a certain degree, following a general consensus is one thing — some basic things everyone can agree on? that's cool. ghosts can walk through walls and are probably dead people or whatever. but oh my god, taking every single story as absolute, undeniable proof?? taking these stories and expanding on them to infer intentions and scientific facts to something that by it's very nature is unknowable and assuming, like, every spirit is created equal?? and yeah, ghost hunting shows are fun and campy and kinda creepy but like. you really, genuinely don't think any of them have ever faked anything at all??? even if ghosts are real, it's fucking reality tv, my dude. it's the entertainment industry. at least maintain the slightest ounce of critical thought before taking zak bagans' word as the goddamn gospel.

and sidenote, maybe it's just my limited exposure as a white woman in the western world, but of all the shows and podcasts and movies and documentaries and whatnot i've been able to find and consume, there's the constant use of christian ideology applied to every situation that just really burns my bacon. what, there's never been an atheist ghost? if you see a shadow person and you don't know the lord's prayer by heart, are you automatically fucked? why are there never stories about, i don't know, viking ghosts? does your religion in life preclude you from becoming a ghost in the first place? is that why people never mention buddhist ghosts? i don't get it, and that's why even though i'm self-admittedly the most superstitious person i've ever met, true believers make me roll my eyes so hard they almost fall out. makes me come across as more skeptical than i theoretically am. I HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS OK

but like, you couldn't pay me to fuck with a ouija board. i'm not stupid.

delicate; diamonds or pearls?

both have their appeal and their place, but diamonds, i guess. i like the sparkle. but fake ones!! or synthetic. diamonds are overpriced and artificial scarcity is a scam and i don't need a dumb rock that some poor person in a mine somewhere was exploited and possibly died for. no blood diamonds in this house, thank you very much.

if i ever get engaged, i don't want a diamond ring. i'd want something cool, a little unusual, like a ruby or a sapphire or some other sparkly gem that isn't literally shoved in your face every waking moment as the expected standard symbol of True Love. they're cheaper, they're cool-looking, as a ring they still hold the cultural symbolism of an engagement/wedding ring. and honestly, as long as it's well-made and durable, whatever hypothetical gem it is doesn't have to be real either. i'm a woman of simple needs and demonstrably low standards. no point in going into debt for a fucking piece of jewelry, regardless of ~tradition~.

lavender dream; favorite album?

oh lord. welcome to the black parade, i guess. or anything by panic! at the disco. there are dozens of possible options — my interests are mercurial and my memory is garbage. but i'll always be an emo little shit. black parade and vices and virtues were also the first two albums i ever listened to where i loved every single song on them, and i happened to listen to them for the first time at around the same point in my life (i got into mcr super late. like, 2012 late. rip).

silky; what’s your biggest dream?

it's cheesy but i guess i just want stability and, by extension, happiness. emotional stability, mental stability, financial stability, stable living situation, stable routines, stable relationships... you get the idea. i have ambitions and passions, of course, but my ultimate goal is happiness at this point in my life, and i'm pretty sure stabilizing all those things would go a pretty long way in achieving that goal.

a little apartment with walls i can paint because white walls make me angry. bookshelves and posters and fandom merch on every wall. a computer i can actually play games on again, and somewhere i can paint and draw and record my podcasts. someone who loves me, maybe. a cat, if i'm stable enough. space for people to come visit me, and a place for them to sleep if they need. a tiny balcony, if i really want to shoot for the stars. a job i don't hate. the spoons to hang out with my friends, and the money to not worry about buying little presents for the people i care about sometimes. i don't need much.

strawberry kiss; do you have a crush right now?

nope.

glitter; favorite fictional character?

another loaded question. like books, if you ask me again in five minutes i'll probably give you a different answer. but in this particular moment, caleb and jester from critical role (please don't make me choose between them). i won't go full shipping mode rn, but jester is so funny and silly and sweet, so much more complex than she seems, and she tries so hard to make everyone happy even when she's so sad inside. the healer who treats healing as an inconvenience in battle (she's so fucking valid and also mood), the glue that keeps the party together. and caleb learning to trust again, facing his trauma and coming out of his shell. he loves his friends so much he plays wizard as a support class and i love him so much.

i love the mighty nein in general, of course, and all the guests/honorary members they've had. pumat!! pls don't be evil reani!! keg!! shakäste and grand duchess anastasia!! cali!! kiri!!!! the brotps! empire siblings! chaos crew! nott the best detective agency! i still love molly and all his assholery to bits (fight me), and mourn his lost potential. i adore yasha, even when she's gone; fjord has grown so much; beau and nott and caduceus — i love all their flaws and disagreements and their character arcs and the excitement of watching them grow and learn. but if i had to choose, caleb, jester and molly have always been my top 3 since day 1 and, well, molly isn't really an option anymore.

but like i said, ask me again in a minute. i have a fucking list.

swan; share a quote or passage that means something to you.

a collection of things off the top of my head:

Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition. — Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

a tired feminist Mood™️

"What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore, it knows it's not foolin' a soul." — American Gods, Neil Gaiman

i got my love of books from my grandma — some of my favorites i got from her. sometimes, as a treat, she used to take my sister and i to bookstores and we'd stay there for ages, getting to pick one out, roaming the shelves, the mental torture of having to choose. the peace of being surrounded by thousands of potential worlds, so much information, so many stories just waiting to be told; being surrounded by strangers who share that same wonder. the anxious drive home so we could read them, being unable to wait that long so i inevitably start reading in the car and make myself sick. telling her in excited detail all my favorite parts. if we were lucky, maybe we got to split a bear claw, or she'd drive past starbucks and get us something there too (tall vanilla soy steamer with one pump of vanilla syrup, whipped cream on top that always melted too quickly and squirted out the hole in the lid, so hot it burned my tongue but so good i didn't care). i have never felt more at home than i do when i'm surrounded by books.

"There are a lot of different types of freedom. We talk about freedom the same way we talk about art, like it was a statement of quality rather than a description. “Art” doesn’t mean good or bad. Art just means art. It can be terrible and still be art. Freedom can be good or bad, too. There can be terrible freedom. You freed me, and I didn’t ask you to." — Alice Isn't Dead, season 1, chapter 2: Alice

as cringey as it is to admit it, this line made me cry a lot after my breakup.

"So you aren't American?" asked Shadow.

"Nobody's American," said Wednesday. "Not originally. That's my point." — American Gods, Neil Gaiman

[side-eyes white america real hard]

there's more, of course. there's always more. don't even get me started on song lyrics, we'll be here all day.

lace; what’s your favorite plant/flower?

lilacs and roses.

mermaid; do you prefer the forest or the ocean? why?

both, i guess. but in different ways, and in different circumstances.

the sea is wild. it is endless and deep and unknowable. it is beautiful and dangerous. i am terrified of the ocean, and yet my favorite place in the world is an empty beach on the oregon coast. i have picked sand from between my toes for days with hair crusted in salt, danced around bonfires and watched the stars while marshmallows burn, gotten pulled under the waves as a child and nearly swept out to sea. picked starfish and crabs from small pools in the rocks, and swum (accidentally) with wild sea lions. in a long skirt, too early in the year to be swimming, i once took off my shoes and waded fully clothed into the water to my waist and just... danced. splashed and kicked and laughed with a boy i barely knew until our throats were sore and our toes were numb, walking home hours later with our soaked clothes clinging to our legs, shoes squelching, dripping algae as we went. the ocean is freeing and overwhelming all at once. i love it and am petrified by it in equal measure.

the forest is beautiful in a different way. it is silent and dense and serene. you are surrounded by life and yet, somehow, completely alone. there is magic in the forest, and history, and even when all else dies, that will remain. the trees grow from the corpses of their ancestors, and some have lived dozens of our lifetimes — with luck, a few dozen more. it is quiet there, peaceful, even the tiniest wood in the middle of a city muffling the outside world through the trees. you can feel the ancient ways deep in your soul as you follow winding paths strewn with fallen leaves, the mystery and wonder and superstitions of your forefathers. you wonder what it would be like, to run your fingers over the moss, to take off your shoes and socks and just run, leaping and dancing over rocks and roots, hair wild and air filling your lungs in deep, pure gulps as you shed the responsibilities and struggles of modern life, for just a moment remembering what freedom tastes like. it is primal, this connection to nature, one we have nearly forgotten over time. and as the sky grows dark and the silence of night presses against you, shadows looming, every footfall deafening, perhaps you begin to understand why some believed in monsters.

honeymoon; do you keep a journal?

i used to. honestly, that's a good idea, i should start doing that again. lord knows i have enough empty journal-type books.

starlight; do you believe in love at first sight and soulmates? why/why not?

i want to. i want to believe there's someone out there for me, the love of my life, someone to whom i'll be the love of their life, and that when i meet them i'll just... know.

but when i met my ex, i didn't really look twice at him for a while — no love at first sight. and when we were together, when i loved him and he swore he loved me back, i thought he hung the stars in the sky and knew i would marry him someday. couldn't even consider the idea that that wouldn't happen. and then when he broke up with me, he ghosted me so suddenly and thoroughly that he even preemptively cut contact with every single one of our mutual friends he thought might side with me in the breakup, before anybody even knew we'd had a fight. so, not soulmates either.

i really want to believe that someday the perfect romance will just fall into place and i can have the happily ever after i've always dreamed of. but the reality is i might never even have another s.o. for the rest of my life. maybe i'll get hit by a car tomorrow, or my hypothetical soulmate moves to argentina to become an alpaca farmer on a mountain somewhere and we never even meet. maybe i'm so traumatized by the betrayal and lies that i'll never have the courage to even try again.

and even so, happily ever after doesn't have to include a fairytale romance, regardless of whether i want it or not. i still like to cling to that hope though, deep down.

princess; what do you value most in people?

i'm going to assume you mean "real people" as in people i have positive relationships with, and not random strangers on the street.

loyalty. kindness. support. humor. similar values. patience. being able to grow together and teach each other things, so we can make each other better. honesty. trust. compassion. confidence. emotional vulnerability. communication. intelligence, or at least a willingness to learn. strength.

[justforbooks]

Herman Wouk, Pulitzer Prize-winning master of sweeping historical fiction, dies at 103

Herman Wouk, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Navy drama “The Caine Mutiny,” whose sweeping novels about World War II, the Holocaust and the creation of Israel made him one of the most popular writers of his generation and helped revitalize the genre of historical fiction, died May 17 at his home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 103.

His literary agent, Amy Rennert, confirmed the death but did not provide a cause.

Mr. Wouk (his last name is pronounced “Woke”) penned a dozen novels, a handful of plays and several nonfiction books over the course of his nearly 60-year career. A meticulous researcher, he specialized in stories of personal conflict set against the backdrop of compelling historical events, including “The Caine Mutiny” (1951), “The Winds of War” (1971) and “War and Remembrance” (1978). The latter two became ABC miniseries in the 1980s starring Robert Mitchum that averaged tens of millions of viewers over the course of their broadcast and were the highest-rated miniseries after Alex Haley’s “Roots.”

In a form that the author would echo in other novels, “The Winds of War” and its sequel, “War and Remembrance,” trace World War II through the experiences of one family. “The Winds of War” follows Navy officer Victor “Pug” Henry and his relatives from the German invasion of Poland to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where its sequel begins and then proceeds to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

The pair of books established Mr. Wouk’s legacy as a master of historical fiction, in which he blended the narrative power of fiction with great understanding and empathy for the human motivations behind wars and other historical events. The Economist magazine said “The Winds of War” was “as serious a contribution to the literature of our time as ‘War and Peace’ was to that of the nineteenth century.”

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said Mr. Wouk helped enliven history in ways that many academic tomes never could and prompted readers to examine the past through engaging fictional characters. “I think he’s been a seminal figure because he’s recrafted the historical novel for a modern audience and not for some niche market,” Billington, who died last year, told The Washington Post in an interview for this obituary.

Mr. Wouk, who said he was never a “high stylist,” attracted a mass audience with books that espoused such values as gallantry and leadership under pressure. Leading critics sniffed at his books, which they often said broke no ground in writing style or character development.

The literary essayist Leslie Fiedler once explained Mr. Wouk’s critical reputation by comparing him with Nobel laureate Saul Bellow. “Bellow, like most writers critics take seriously, attacked the basic values of middle-class Americans: easy piety, marriage, life in the suburbs,” Fiedler said. “Wouk challenges nothing.”

Mr. Wouk said he found nonconformity for its own sake an all-too predictable theme in modern literature and had no interest in experimental or temporarily trendy prose styles. “I write a traditional novel, which is rather unfashionable, and I’ve taken a lot of kicking for it,” he once told The Post. “But the strength of my work comes from this intense grounding in the 18th- and 19th-century novelists.”

His very significance, wrote Time magazine in a 1955 cover story, was that “he spearheads a mutiny against the literary stereotypes of rebellion — against three decades of U.S. fiction dominated by skeptical criticism, sexual emancipation, social protest and psychoanalytic sermonizing.”

Mr. Wouk began his professional career as a gag writer in the 1930s before moving to the staff of the popular radio comedian Fred Allen. He got that job in part for his notoriety at Columbia University, where his Class of 1934 yearbook named him the wittiest student. He later joked, “It was not a very sparkling class.”

Enlisting in the Navy during World War II proved a transformative experience in his development as a writer.

“My life was broken at the time, as it was for all of our generation, by the coming of the war, and the winds of war swept a Bronx boy halfway around the world, below the equator, and he landed on an old destroyer minesweeper called the USS Zane,” Mr. Wouk told a National Press Club audience. “And that, I think, is where my adult education really began, because there, the hard shell of a New York wise guy cracked and fell off. The shallow conceit of a successful gag man faded away. . . . When I came back, there no longer was a question of a gag writing. I wanted to write novels.”

“The Caine Mutiny: A Novel of World War II” in 1951 brought Mr. Wouk his first critical and popular success, including the Pulitzer. The book centers on a power struggle aboard the destroyer-minesweeper Caine, culminating in a young lieutenant seizing control of the vessel from the paranoid Capt. Queeg after the crew thinks it faces imminent danger.

The action culminates in a court-martial for the lieutenant. Although the novel raised questions of authority and duty versus personal freedom, the naval community embraced it. Queeg also became one of the most memorable characters of the day, a man who relieved his stress by obsessively rolling steel bearings in the palm of his hand.

Time magazine called “The Caine Mutiny,” which sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and was translated into 17 languages, the “biggest U.S. bestseller since ‘Gone With the Wind.’ ” A 1954 film adaptation of the novel, starring Humphrey Bogart as Queeg, became a popular hit, earning Bogart an Academy Award nomination.

The stage version of the courtroom scenes from “The Caine Mutiny,” called “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” proved a Broadway success in the 1950s with Henry Fonda and Lloyd Nolan and remained a staple of community theaters, with productions as far away as China.

Mr. Wouk became further embedded in the cultural firmament with film adaptations of his other books, including “Marjorie Morningstar,” with Gene Kelly and Natalie Wood.

“Marjorie Morningstar,” published in 1955, underscored another major aspect of Mr. Wouk’s life: books whose themes were central to his Orthodox Jewish faith. “Marjorie Morningstar,” about a young Jewish woman who dreams of being an actress and eventually settles into a life as a suburban housewife, explores how Jews struggled to reconcile their faith with American society. It earned the public’s affection, if not the critics’, and it was credited with helping broaden interest in Jewish American novels later that decade by Philip Roth and others.

Herman Wouk was born May 27, 1915, in the Bronx, which he once called “that romantic, and much overcriticized borough” of New York. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia, and his father worked his way into the presidency of a laundry-chain business.

As a child, he told Time, he was the neighborhood fat boy forever being “clobbered” by street toughs. He found comfort in books that his mother bought from a traveling salesman when he was 12. In particular, he grew to love the writing of Mark Twain for his ability to make people laugh, even at matters of faith.

The arrival from Russia of his maternal grandfather, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, would have a decisive influence on Mr. Wouk’s beliefs and many of his later works of fiction and nonfiction.

Mr. Wouk decided at a young age that he wanted to be a writer. He wrote for the college humor magazine and several student musical comedy revues, one of which prompted a student critic to quip, “All Wouk and no play.”

He graduated in 1934 with majors in philosophy and comparative literature and took a $15-a-week job working for a man he called the “czar of gag writers,” who modernized and cleaned up old jokes and sold them to entertainers such as Eddie Cantor. Within a few years, he joined Fred Allen’s comedy-writing team.

Mr. Wouk returned to comedy later in his career, collaborating with singer Jimmy Buffett on a musical based on Mr. Wouk’s 1965 novel “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” about a harried New York publicist who flees to the fictitious Caribbean island of Amerigo to run a resort hotel. The show became a crowd favorite when it opened in 1997 in Miami’s Coconut Grove Playhouse.

As war broke out in Europe, Mr. Wouk in 1941 worked on radio shows promoting purchases of war bonds before enlisting in the Navy. The experience, eventually as executive officer of the destroyer-minesweeper Southard, helped inspire “The Caine Mutiny.”

Mr. Wouk’s first novel, “Aurora Dawn,” was published in 1947. It started as a play he was writing while at sea during the war but evolved into a full-blown story about the life and romances of a radio advertising worker. Though the reviews were mixed, it was selected by the Book of the Month Club.

His next novel, “City Boy” (1948), was about a Jewish youth from the Bronx whom Mr. Wouk based in part on himself. Then, in 1949 came the screenplay for the film “Slattery’s Hurricane,” starring Richard Widmark as a man seeking to redeem himself by flying a reconnaissance mission in a hurricane. The book of the same title was published in 1956.

“The Caine Mutiny” proved the sensation that fully established Mr. Wouk's career. His later novels included “Youngblood Hawke” (1962), about an American writer who becomes a victim of his own success, and “The Hope” (1993) and “The Glory” (1994), which documented the struggle for Israeli statehood from the perspective of several fictional families. In 2012, Mr. Wouk published his last novel, “The Lawgiver,” which revolves around the making of a screenplay about Moses and includes Mr. Wouk himself as a character. In 2016, he published a memoir, “Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author,” and up until a month ago, he was working on another book.

The Library of Congress held events in honor of Mr. Wouk on multiple occasions, including naming him, in 2008, the recipient of its first lifetime achievement award for fiction writing. But he acknowledged that he wasn’t much for being in the public spotlight or at large soirees, instead preferring to throw small dinners with his wife of more than 60 years, the former Betty Brown, who went by her Hebrew name, Sarah. Mrs. Wouk died in 2011, at 90.

Their son Abraham drowned as a child in 1951. Survivors include two children, Iolanthe Woulff and Joseph Wouk; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Wouk once joked in a speech that historical fiction is “at best a bastard form and highly suspect.” While his dedication to the genre earned him the respect of such scholars as historian David McCullough and Churchill biographer Martin Gilbert, Mr. Wouk said he recognized that his most important job was as a storyteller.

“A historical novel, to have any chance of lasting, must meet the highest standards of academic history,” he told an audience in Melbourne, Australia, “and then the novelist has to discard 90 percent of the history in order to tell the story.”

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[bigan-ryokosha-blog]

June 9: Academic Independent Excursion (Osaka)

Personal Reflection

Even before coming to Japan, I always knew that Osaka was the place to visit. So, I made it happen. I woke up around 9:30am. There were two other groups who were all going to Osaka, but I decided that I wanted to go explore alone. So, that is exactly what I did. I walked to the Sanjo Station, and board an express train. Within an hour, I was in Osaka. On my way there, I noticed the people on the train talked more than the people in Tokyo and Kyoto. They were very friendly and outgoing. Once I arrived in Osaka, I went to Thai food( one of my favorite cuisine). I ate vegan pad Thai and coconut milk with small bobas dessert. With a full stomach, I got on another train and went shopping in the longest-running market in Japan. After hours to exploring, it only made sense to check out the oh so FAMOUS Dotonbori. This place is the focus of my academic excursion. Can you guess why? If you said the street food/cuisine then you are completely right. Once I got there, the air filled with so many different aromas and spices. Lines so long. People seating down and eating. Bottle of beer everywhere. People laughing and taking selfies/pictures. I am convinced Osaka is the Japanese Western culture. I had to get on the action, so I waited in line to try these famous sweet potato fries, and it was so worth it. Vegan Okonomiyaki. Osaka is the place! Osaka stands not only for their food but for their big animal signs. If you want seafood, just look for a big crab on top of the building. After hitting about 35,000 steps, my feet were begging for me to find a seat. I decided to do a boat tour. It was really cool because I got to see nine bridges in Osaka within half an hour. Around 18:00, I thought it would be cool to do something memorable in Osaka, so I did. I am keeping it a surprise for now. Knowing me, I had to go witness the atmosphere of an Izakaya! They know how to drink and eat. I got in on the action, but I did not go overboard. By the time I knew it, I was running on to catch the last train for the night. I made it home so late, and I was so tired. Being able to explore Osaka alone made me realize how far I have come, and I truly fell in love with the culture there even though there were less fun parts.

One of the MANY bridges

Tofu pad Thai

This is how they advertise food in Osaka

some of the amazing things I ate

The one! The only one!

Academic Reflection

I want to start this section by mentioning a Japanese proverb that goes like this, "Kyo no Kidaore, Osaka no Kuidaore. The Kyotites spend all their money on fine clothes, the Osakans bankrupt themselves on food.” The article I would like to focus on is,  Ashburne, John. "Oishii Osaka! the obsession with food and development of the famed Osaka cuisine date back centuries. From this article, since the 16th century, Osaka was named “ the finest kitchen under heaven.” Due to its location, street vendors and chefs were able to develop deep and rich flavors using dashi stock. Through this process, the evolution of Osaka-ryori was born. This might sound super great, but some street vendors face discrimination. There is a documentary called “ Street Vendors: Asia”, and the second episode focused on street food in Osaka. The vendors report getting judged and mistreated by their own kind due to the way they live and spend money. On the bright side, people from all over the world come to try Osaka’s street food. Some of the famous food of Osaka are Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, fugu, kushikatsu, and yakiniku. Moving forward, the article goes into great details on the evolution of the food culture in Osaka. It also gives an alternative explanation as to why Osakans are obsessed with eating and drinking out. He said it could possibly be because they do not want to lose to anyone in the cuisine aspect. From what I can see, the people there take great pride in themselves. Alex Kerr said, "Osaka is my favorite city in Japan. Osaka is where the fun is: it has the best entertainment districts in Japan, the most lively youth neighborhood, the most charismatic geisha madams and the most colorful gangsters.”Osaka is a city full of exciting history and an abundant amount of food and Izakaya. If you have not been to Osaka then what are you waiting for? 

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=faa7b336-549a-41b6-b944-0d1f895c00d9%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVpZCZzaXRlPWVkcy1saXZl#AN=edsgcl.156364969&db=edsggo