#did have delicious authentic ramen though

[crisp-tiger-riot]

Happy (belated) Birthday to our favourite blasty boy

[itsuki-minamy]

“KEBAB SPECIAL TOTSUKA”

* Mini Episodes KFCN (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

Totsuka Tatara started selling doner kebab at a street food stall, because his friend Murat Uchan from Turkey exacerbated his chronic back pain.

"Tatara-san. I'm sorry, but could you take over the shop for about two weeks?"

Before moving to Shizume, Uchan-san, who has been in Osaka for 10 years, consulted with Totsuka, and when he asked about it, he said "Yes, it's okay." and he took it easy. Totsuka immediately drove Uchan-san's mobile kitchen vehicle from the next day to open the shop.

From the preparation of the lamb for the kebabs to the operation, he does everything himself and makes a certain amount of operating profit, although he is not as good as Uchan-san. No matter how much experience he had working part-time, he helped Uchan-san's mobile shop several times in advance, but his culinary skills and managerial sense were far from amateurish.

However, after the first day, Totsuka Tatara's face (albeit smiling as usual) didn't look very happy. Thoughtfully he crossed his arms and devised some plans in his head.

And starting the next day he made some changes in the business style. Of course, with the permission of the Uchan-san.

First, he changed the taste of the kebab. Originally, Uchan-san, who has lived in Japan for a long time, added the Hatcho Miso to the hidden flavor and fixed it for the Japanese, but brought it back to a more ethnic and authentic flavor. There are many foreigners in Shizume and a wide variety of restaurants is thriving, so it was decided that it would be easier to accept.

In addition, the location of the business was moved from the front of the station to the plaza. He makes the most of personal connections, prepare nice chairs, tables and umbrellas, and create an environment where you can eat immediately after taking out. He also changes the paper to a more colorful, modern and more "shiny" one. As a result, the number of clients, mainly young women, increased significantly.

About two days before Uchan-san returned, Totsuka just couldn't go to the store and started hiring Yata as a temporary part-time job.

And his prosperity caught the attention of the lord of the square.

"It's annoying, you…"

At night, a burly man wearing an eye patch appeared in front of Totsuka and Yata, who were preparing to remove the shop, lifted his head neatly, and it was amazing.

"Ah? Who are you?"

Yata, who was not so scared, stood in front of the big man without making a difference in height and ignited the weapon.

"Is he a gangster on the floor? It was a shame if he could get it even for the shoba fee. I'm making a mistake."

"Yata. That person is different. That person is not a gangster."

Totsuka laughed and stepped between the two.

"He is the owner of the 'Man's Innocence'. You see, he is a ramen stand that he opened in front of the fountain."

In addition to the Totsuka kebabs, there are several street vendors operating in this square. Totsuka successfully obtained a business license from the square administration office, and politely greeted each shop, who are his sempais, on the first day. And now, while the owner of the "innocence of man" was standing in front of them...

"Oh, good luck at best."

He raised his voice saying that.

"Did we do something that bothers you?"

When Totsuka asked with a smile,

"No, not really."

The great man finally laughed.

"Suddenly you got sick, so I wonder if you'll be open elsewhere from tomorrow."

(Totsuka-san.)

Yata hid his voice from him and listened.

(This guy has been flirting with us because our kebabs have increased in sales.)

He knew Totsuka and so on.

"What if I say no?"

When Yata screamed and provoked,

"That's right. I don't care... I wonder if an unfortunate accident might happen to him."

The big man spread his hands playfully. He flicked his finger to the side and stuck out his tongue like a villain. Totsuka sighed a little.

"I understand your purpose. So why not do this? Tomorrow, we will compete with the sales of others. And if we lose, we will leave here. How about that?"

"Hmm... okay? Don't you know I've been the number one salesperson in the area for the past few years?"

"Oh. Instead, if we win, can you change the name of your stand, the 'Loser Dog Ramen'? The 'Man's Innocence' sign was always annoying."

Totsuka spat venom as he smiled. He seems mild-mannered, and he is one of Homura's executives, but in an emergency, he will cut off that image. Yata whistled. When the big man frowned...

"You will swallow your words!"

He left that place with abrupt steps. Totsuka and Yata looked at each other and laughed.

Originally, he only came to this plaza temporarily to facilitate Totsuka to do so, and a few days later, if he returned the traveling shop to Uchan-san, the place of business would simply return to the front of the station as before, so, to be honestly, he deliberately bothered to compete in sales, etc. It doesn't make much sense to do it. However, he was willing to accept such threatening words.

"Well, I want to pop a bubble."

That was the case with Totsuka. And Yata also strongly agreed.

The next day, the day of the decisive battle. The sky was clear. As it was a holiday, there were a lot of people. As a rule of the square, the business hours of the stalls are established from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. During that time, the game was how many sales could be increased.

A bowl of ramen costs 600 yen. The kebab costs 500 yen. There is not much difference in price, so simply the number sold will be the game.

The ramen preceded a bit in the morning, but the kebabs gradually started to come off around noon.

"It's amazing! Totsuka-san!"

Yata, who was rushing to cut the meat while he was sweating on his forehead, said that. After wrapping the kebab and handing it to the customer with a smile, Totsuka replied.

"Hey. I advertised a lot."

Totsuka knows everything about this city. How many people are there, in what time zone, and in what age group. Akagi and Bando, who are not at this location, were allowed to distribute promotional brochures at key points in Shizume.

He has also opened a SNS account on behalf of Uchan-san, who had been indifferent to such things for about a week. The announcement there was gradually beginning to take effect.

After fourteen, the victory of the kebab seemed certain...

"Well, isn't it strange?"

Yata asked a question. He was really interested in Totsuka. On the ramen side, the customer base had started to change.

"Man's Innocence" usually had five seats, but today, towards a special eight-seat chair and table around the booth, it was uncomfortable to see all of them, similar, it was occupied by men with a pleasant atmosphere.

They never get up from their seats after eating a bowl of ramen and continue to eat two or three bowls on the spot. Some people look at this and grin or strike a provocative pose.

Then, when he noticed Totsuka's eyes, the owner of "Man's Innocence" crossed his arms behind the counter and smiled a triumphant smile.

Totsuka coughed in a dazed and slightly amused tone.

"I see. Is it a strategy to fill all the seats with your relatives and just replace them no matter if they pretend to be?"

Yata shook his body in anger and clenched his fist.

"Damn."

"Totsuka-san, are you silent?"

Yata said that with the intention of "Let's go hit him." Totsuka scratched his head.

"Hmm. In the beginning, I didn't have any special arrangement to forbid that sort of thing."

To be honest, it is not a violation of the rules. Yata made a plaintive voice.

"Damn."

At that moment, the sight in Totsuka's eyes jumped and he smiled.

"Well, it seems we also have a god of salvation."

Yata also followed Totsuka's line of sight and raised his voice in joy.

"Kamamoto!"

It was Rikio Kamamoto who calmly appeared at the scene.

"What? I heard it from Shohei and the others. If you have a food store, give me a call."

"Eat all you want."

Totsuka immediately told Yata to start preparing more kebab.

In the end, "Man's Innocence" dug his grave by his own strategy. Few strong young men can continue to eat three or four cups of ramen, but Kamamoto is like a kebab. Like sushi and sandwiches, he tossed them into his mouth and ate one after another.

The owner of "Man's Innocence" finished with only an hour left until the closing of the store. When he walked to the front of Totsuka, he took off the headband that was wrapped around his head and took it, tilting his head as he held it in front of his body.

"Well, I give up. It may be unpleasant though, but can you forgive me for changing the signboard?"

Totsuka and Yata looked at each other and smiled.

"Now…"

"That I have to do?"

They were a bit mean and wanted to do it.

"Well, don't raise your head anymore. We won, but you don't have to change the signboard."

"Oh, yeah. At first, we weren't serious either. Oh! Were we the only ones who won?"

Suddenly, the two of them ran out and urged the owner of "Man's Innocence" to raise his head. The owner moistened his eyes.

"Oh, you are a good guy."

He was impressed. However, Totsuka and Yata knew it. Kamamoto, who enjoyed the kebab to the bottom of his heart, made his way towards "Man's Innocence" as he tossed his stomach to change his mood.

Eventually the game was abandoned and Totsuka successfully completed the period entrusted to him and returned the kebab stand to Uchan-san.

Both Totsuka and Yata made a lot of money, but it must have been Kamamoto, who was able to eat delicious food from the bottom of his heart, at the level of once a year or not, who was more satisfied than anyone else.

[mamoretta]

Autumn in Japan❤

In November 2019, I went on a full week trip to Japan with my two lovely cousins, Teh Epi and Teh Ami. The trip was on my bucketlist, but when we first planned this trip, we were reckless and kinda impulsive but I don’t regret it any single second. Luckily, we bought the ticket 9 months before departure, so we had enough time to prepare everything (money especially). Little did you know that Japan is the farthest I’ve ever been from home (for now), so I was extra excited and the fact that I can afford this trip alone (in +-9 months of saving!) was a proud moment for me.

Because my last vacation was a solo trip, the first thing I noticed about this trip was the differencies between when you go alone and when you go grouping. In my opinion, solo traveling is much closer to your heart, like there’s always that touching moment when you feel you can conquer anything (I wonder what would happened if I go to Japan alone!!). While group traveling is more refreshing, fun, and thrilling, but it really depends on whom you travel with. I think you have to go with someone that you really vibed with if you want to fully enjoy the trip with less drama. Lucky me, I have two wonderful companions that made my trip to Japan couldn’t been any better. Although there wasn’t always rainbow in Japan (literally), but t’was full of laugh and positivity. Super big love and thanks to Ami-chan and Epi-chan❤

The Trip

I only visited Osaka and Kyoto due to my short time and budget-friendly trip but it was all worth it.

Day-0: Depart & Transit

We flew to Japan with Singapore Airlines (the service and the food was superb! Plus they have Gentle Bones’ song on their entertainment board :p), so we had transit in Changi for a night long, yes 9-hour long. We landed in Changi at 23.00 and we wanted to visit Jewel for the sake of their indoor waterfall although the waterfall only operated until 23.30! We managed to lined up in immigration and jogged to Jewel but too bad the waterfall already turned off (we knew from the beginning we wouldn’t make it but at least we tried). We snapped some obscure photos as evidence that we were there. Then we went back to T2 Changi and strolled around finding a nice spot to spend the night, the snooze area and the long sofas was packed we ended up in some single sofas in front of the children playground, it was warm but we barely slept. 

Day-1: Landed in Osaka

We had breakfast in-between airplane watching at Changi before our flight at 7 am, we bought butter toast and teh O’. The teh O was uniquely delicious, it was teh tarik with melted butter, warm sweet and savory at the same time. The teh O is worth a flight to Changi (hiperbolic but it was that great). Then we found an empty foot massage machine and tempted to try one because our (already) sore calf, and it was one our biggest mistake... the machine was badly stink (imagine million people from around the world using that same machine :)) and the stink sticked to our socks, then we putted the smelly socks into our shoes... imagine the rest. (In case you wondering, yes our shoes was smelly troughout our trip in Japan T_T). In the evening, finally we safely landed in KIX, we was welcomed with the beautiful autumn foliage outside the airport. It was our first time witnessing autumn foliage with our own eyes, we were so happy >_<

Then we rushed to ICOCA vending machine to bought our transportation card for our trip and looked for our train to our hotel in Osaka while carrying the heavy luggage. The first time we tried Japan train line was confusing... we entered the same train back and forth because we were not sure that was the right train and there was no one to asked. The cold air and strong wind started to stabbed me who only wore 2 thin layers of clothes. Freezing. Luckily we arrived at our hotel just in time, rested for a minute, then we went to Dotonbori to get dinner. During this trip, we stayed in Ookini Hotel Dotonbori, just 700 m walk from the buzzing Dotonbori. In Dotonbori, we had Kukuru Takoyaki, ¥800 for 10 pieces of the tastiest takoyaki I’ve ever tasted. Then we lined up for the famous Ichiran Ramen(!!!). Twisted part, later we realised that the Ichiran Ramen we visited was not the ‘no pork’ Ichiran branch we intended to visit... didn’t know if we were too hungry or too careless T_T anyway here’s the pic of the pork broth:

Day-2: Kyoto Part 1

We had breakfast at the nearest Family Mart to our hotel (it was like a little heaven for me, all the food, drinks, snack, and dessert were cheaply delicious). Then we headed to Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto by express train. To reach the temple, we had to walk about 20-30 mins but the walk was so pleasing because there were many cute cafe and souvenir shops along the walk. After we spent enough time and took enough memories at Kiyomizudera, we walked to Gion through Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka Street. The street was packed with tourist and full of vibrant touristy shops. We stopped by at Studio Ghibli Shop(!!!) and enjoyed a cup of gingerbread latte at the unique tatami-style Starbucks cafe, there’s a beautiful zen garden and all things beautiful <3 Before we arrived at the modern side of Gion, we passed through an old-style-long-charming alley, every path we took there was beautiful and reminded me so much to anime sceneries. Even when we arrived to the busy Gion, I feel like I was living in anime world.

Then we walked to Nishiki Market. It’s time for FOOD! The best part: super fresh seafood sashimi! I got to ate uni for the first time in my life and I tasted the most delicious salmon sashimi in the world. I cried. We lost count on the money we spent in this market because all things was very tempting. I wish I could go back to Nishiki Market. Then we had Ayam-ya Halal Ramen for dinner (finally real halal food here) and snacked on donuts and hojicha at Koe Donuts. We went back to Osaka and we stopped at the station a bit far away from our hotel to saw the illumination fulfilled the road, it was magical ✨ We walked far enough to made our stomach felt empty again, then we decided to had supper at 24-hour all ¥100 Kura Sushi. All the staffs spoke japanese and didn’t understand our english and all the instructions is in japanese, we waited 1 hour for our queue number to be called (also in japanese x_X), then a waitress came to us offering us (in japanese) the english menu (thank God). 

Day-3: Universal Studio Japan

It is the happiest day in my life!!!!!!!! One day in USJ is never enough, but we already planned a strategy to fully maximized our time in USJ, so after a full day of adrenaline and happiness, we walked out from USJ (with very sore legs) feeling contented. The first ride we headed to was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. They said this is the most wanted ride so the queue must be very long. But lucky us, we queued only about 30 mins long and there is one funny story. In the middle of the ride (we thought it was the middle because we hadn’t finished the ride yet), the machine stopped but we didn’t know any single thing about what happened because all we hear was japanese. Three of us were panicked at that 4-seated train, so we tried to ask what happened to one okasan beside me *me pulled out all my sumimasen-arigatou skill*. But all we got was silence and a blank stare from her that made us even more scared *laugh ih japanese*. Shortly afterward the ride was running again but when we reached the end of the ride, the train didn’t stop and we had 2 full rounds instead... okay the first round was anticlimax because of that technical problem and the second round was enough to made us had nausea 😂 nonetheless, the ride was amazing and very nostalgic (because it’s Harry Potter!!!). 

My second favorite ride is Hollywood Dream. The track is terrific and every single seat has its own monitor and speaker to let us choose the song we want to hear during the ride. I chose Happy - Pharell Williams (by sentimental reason) and I was superrrr happy and carried away by the whoosh. And the most *EPIC* ride goes to THE FLYING DINOSAUR!!! I was speechlessly astonished by the ride, the ride continuously gave me palpitations. I felt like I was literally flying as a flying dinosaur. Last but not least, though it wasn’t a ride, the highest appreciation goes to Hogwarts Castle Light Show. There are no words can describe how magical it was. My jaw dropped throughout the show. I love itttt.

Day-4: Kyoto Part 2

And this is my favorite day in Japan afterall. We went to Fushimi Inari by train and the comute was somewhat confusing because we should’ve had transit in 2 stations, we ended up getting off in the wrong station, 2 times, like a donkey. We arrived at Fushimi Inari a bit late, then we took some photos and bought some food from the local market near the gate. I got one big skewer of beef wagyu for only ¥500 and I still remember how delicious it was. We also bought some souvenirs there, argh all the souvenir shops in Japan are very cute and tempting. Then we headed to Arashiyama Bambo Forest. The bamboo forest was so-so, but I was impressed by the neighborhood around Arashiyama. Though it is tourist area, but the environment was very soothing and authentic, the momiji just enhanced the warm atmosphere, and the people was sooooo nice i could’ve hugged all of them. There are one road full of nice souvenir shops (still), no car passed by, just a few traditional rickshaw called jinrikisha pulled passionately by local man. Then we strolled around and ended in the popular Arabica coffee shop in Kyoto. The coffee shop was packed and it located by the lake. After we got our latte, we enjoyed it while comtemplating by the lake surrounded with momiji under the beautiful sky. The latte was so good itself and I was covered in joy. We had spare time at Kyoto so we decided to went back to Gion area just because we love it a lot. Last thing I knew, I already left my heart in Kyoto.

Day-5: Osaka

We spent full day at Osaka. This is basically our last day we have because tomorrow morning we already had to leave and it was the most freezing and stormy day we had in Japan. Even Japan was sad because we were about to go home :( Anyway we had so much fun and impressed by all Osaka has to offer. We had Matsuya for breakfast and dinner because we wanted to try all the menu and it was very cheap but also delicious haha and I tried natto for the first time! In the morning we decided to went to Don Quijote first to bought some (no, a lot) of souvenirs, then we went back to hotel to dropped the purchases and continued the itinerary. We went shopping at Shinsaibashi, strolled around Amerikamura, went to Umeda for the ferris wheel but too bad the ferris wheel was closed (yes our bad didn’t check the schedule) but Umeda is nice so we walked around Umeda. The day was getting dark, we were a bit confused where to go next, and we decided to go to Osaka Castle with zero expectation because it was dark and the museum was already closed. Turned out Osaka Castle remains beautiful in the dark, and we still mesmerized by the castle and its surroundings. We felt like we were living in kingdom era. Then our last destination is Shinsekai. It’s an old district built in 1912 with New York and Paris as the model, then neglected in decades afterwards. We just strolled around the neighborhood, it was full of restaurant, bar, spa, and other nightlife. Little did we know that Shinsekai is the most seedy and dangerous area in Osaka lol. Gratefully we arrived at our hotel safe and sound.

Day-6 & 7: Back to reality

NOOO i didn’t want this to be over, but life goes on and we had to leave Japan. But first thing first, we had breakfast at Matsuya for countless times haha. We also spent all our coins we had. Bought the things that hadn’t been bought yet in the last minute. What else to say... we headed to KIX and said our hardest goodbye to Japan. Still we had a good time in KIX, Changi, and in the airplane before we had to face the reality. The saddest part is, right after we landed safely in CGK and activated our phone, I received message from my family told me that my grandpa passed away that morning. Oops I’m sorry for ruining the ending :p All in all, this whole trip was a blast worth a lifetime.

What I love about Japan:

The food! It was all beyond my tongue could expect. 

The people was all friendly, kind, and *very* polite!!! *bowing sharply 90 degrees*

The vending machine you can find anything anywhere and the konbini store.

The technologies, facilities, transportation, cleanliness, they’re the best.

The balance coherence between the old and modern culture.

There are so many things Japan has to make you in love, but they say you don’t need a reason to love something (cringe).

Throughout my entire trip in Japan, it seemed like there was a balance between old and modern maintained by a strong appreciation of tradition from the times gone by. It’s something we’d never experienced in another country and made us instantly fall in love with Japan. It’s amazing to see two such extremes coexisting effortlessly and perfectly side by side. I was happy, delighted, amazed, surprised, and just plain impressed. I hope I can go back to Japan.

[bryonysimcox]

The internal battle of forced monotony: Week 13, Spain

The negative emotions associated with isolation have reared their ugly heads this week. Amid tales of homemade ramen, torrential rain and a new film we’re working on, this post also reflects on the less positive moods that lockdown has gifted us.

Life feels more surreal as each week passes. The end of our sixth week in lockdown also marks a quarter of a year since we set off from England in our freshly converted campervan. When I frame it like that, our overland adventure to date both stretches back into eternity and only feels like a couple of days ago. Little did we know that ‘life on the road’ would entail confinement indoors and restrictions on all kinds of activities, like going to a cafe, seeing friends, making videos and driving through Europe.

There’s certainly something deep within me that is inherently optimistic. Even though if I was realistic about it, I knew that the ‘State of Alarm’ here in Spain would likely extend beyond the date of 26th April (which had already been extended twice), I had sort of psyched myself up towards regaining some of our freedom on that date. So when one morning this week, I flicked my phone onto the website for EL Pais (a major Spanish newspaper) and Pedro Sánchez had announced he was set to ask congress for another extension until the 9th May, my heart sank.

If there’s one thing I’ve wanted this weekly blog to be, it’s authentic. I’ve wanted to use it as a record of where I’ve been - not only geographically, but emotionally, and that means reflecting on the lows as well as the highs.

It’s hard putting into words the feeling of being so helpless in your own life - the feeling I’m experiencing now in lockdown. I guess one way that this helplessness has taken effect is in my increased empathy and consideration for people who live much larger parts of their lives facing uncertainty and helplessness - whether that be living under an unstable dictatorship, drought and famine, civil war or poverty. It’s not that I’ve only just started caring about these people, but in experiencing a fraction of the emotions that they must be going through, my sympathy deepens into something much more.

I’m so used to being in control. I trust that I will wake up tomorrow and night will turn to day; that I will put my keys in the ignition and the van will start; that I will be safe from persecution and oppression and that I will be able to access food and water. Even the element of my life which is the most uncertain as we undertake this overland adventure, which is money, is usually tempered by the knowledge that George and I have the skills and resources to find work, even if it has to be something we don’t particularly like. And yet now, life has thrown us a curveball. Coronavirus has left us spinning out of control.

Not feeling in control of my life has sapped my motivation. I still manage to get out of bed, and get various things done for our film channel Broaden or just general life admin, and I still eat well and exercise where possible. But things have lost their shiny glow, and I lose the energy to focus on a task for long.

It’s not like every waking moment I’ve spent has been devoid of positive energy. Back at the start of the week we ventured out to the supermarket on foot which was a welcome change of scene, I sat out in the sun and bleached my hair with lemon juice, and George learnt to eat crisps in a handstand. We laugh, we have fun and we create little activities like this to pass the time. But somehow, even investing in positivity like this can be tiring. You spend one day trying really hard to be grateful for what you’ve got in this time of crisis, and focus on celebrating the silver linings of copious free time, only to wake up the next day with your energy reserves run dry. Is anyone feeling this too? I know I’m not alone. 

(images, left to right) Bleaching my hair with lemon juice, filming snippets for our upcoming ‘Place Portraits’ video and learning to eat crisps in a handstand.

Meanwhile, frontline workers continue to fight for us all. To save our lives.

The juxtaposition of the chilling images we see on the news about Covid-19 against the confines of the little cottage we’re currently staying in is bizarre. Each day I read new statistics about people dying, articles about PPE shortages and quotes from global health authorities telling us the worst is yet to come.The boredom and helplessness I’m feeling shrink in comparison to the intensity of this global pandemic. My emotions seem petty and mundane, perhaps even pathetic. And yet, something tells me these emotions are still legitimate. That all of our emotions are legitimate, as we each attempt to process the situation and what it could mean for the future.

The future is no longer a thing which feels predictable. We have stepped over the cliff edge, and as each day that the pandemic unfolds, we are in new territory. Of course, one of the opportunities presented by such an enormous global event is the chance to reassess how we live on this planet, redefining the new ‘normal’. 

I have always been interested in the study of the future, and using different approaches to imagine how it may play out. And yet whilst there are opportunities amid the crisis, right now, I’m terrified by what I see. Yes, there are clues and behaviour changes that we can use to project future scenarios, but most of what is in front of us is completely unknown. We don’t know how long we have to work from home, furlough our staff, keep our children educated and occupied indoors or talk to loved ones through a screen. We don’t know what horrors tomorrow’s headlines will bring.

It feels like the world is staring into a dark abyss, reaching out for something to hold onto.

From a selfish perspective, not having any control over the future is a huge spanner in the works. Driving across Europe in a van and working as freelance videographers is the least ‘essential activity’ there could be, and we are conscious that governments have much more to focus on than two British travellers running out of money and desperate to continue their adventure. But it’s still so disheartening to be at the whim of something, something bigger and greater than you, particularly in light of the arduous year we spent preparing for this trip. There have certainly been a few tears here this week, and waves of the same emotions I felt when building the van and knowing there was a chance we would have to give up.

The weather really hasn’t helped lift the mood either. This region of Spain faced endless days of torrential rain this week which rendered the garden inundated and the road flooded. We couldn’t even get out to the supermarket and even worse, a leak developed in the roof of our van! It all felt rather doom and gloom.

(images, left to right) Torrential rain turned the road into a river, the point where we had to reverse all the way back home and couldn’t get to the supermarket, and a neighbouring lane which is closed off by Police.

One of the other realisations that brought me crashing down this week was sussing out that we’ll still be in lockdown for George’s thirtieth birthday. He’s not even someone who cares much for birthdays, but it had always been such an important milestone in my head and I was really looking forward to doing something nice together - going to a restaurant or watching live music or mooching around a city. Hilariously, back when we left Sydney we made a plan with our friends to have a reunion for George’s 30th… in Goa, India! It’s actually quite amusing to see how monumentally wrong we were in predicting the future, as we are thousands of miles off India right now.

All that said, George has been a cornerstone. Not just to comfort me about his birthday, but to be there through this all. We sort of balance one another out, ready with a positive mindset and hug when the other one is feeling super low.

If there’s one thing life in lockdown has strengthened, it’s our relationship.

On a lighter note, George embarked on a grand mission to make the best homemade ramen on Sunday. It all started with the broth, inspired by a zany French chef he follows on YouTube, and by mid-morning the cottage was filled with the smell of this incredible broth combining vegetable peelings with burnt garlic, ginger, miso paste and soy. What started as a broth-making test unfolded across the day, and saw him make handmade noodles, a sticky garlic and sesame sauce, soy soaked eggs and grilled tomatoes. Needless to say, watching George’s ramen odyssey was definitely the most entertainment I had all day!

(images, left to right) George’s homemade noodles (as food stocks were running low), the finished ramen, and the delicious oily and fatty broth in progress.

The two of us have also been working on a new video that will be released on the Broaden YouTube this Saturday (25th April). It’s a far cry from ‘The Hundred Miler’, but hopefully will be well-received nonetheless. It’s called ‘Place Portraits’, and we filmed it back in Paris, in the first week on the road back when temperatures lingered around zero degrees. Whilst we haven’t been as excited about making videos as we usually would be, I continue to be grateful to have a creative focus amid the pandemic, and being stuck inside is forcing me to get inventive with ideas for upcoming projects.

I also love seeing things that people have baked, sung, written, built and performed across the world each day online. The internet can be an incredible place.

As I write this, I reflect on a rocky week battling the internal voices and contradictory emotions of lockdown.

It’s a strangely tiring combination: of not knowing what the future looks like and trying to make sense of a world devoid of human contact or normal routines. Each day, let alone this whole week, has been filled with so many highs and lows that by the evening, I’m left feeling exhausted and churned up inside. 

But we made it. We made it another week in lockdown and I’m so glad I have this blog as a place to reflect. I hope it’s also a place where my honesty (and in this week’s post, my negativity) makes you not feel so alone in your emotions.

As if she knew I needed her right now, Mother Nature has finally blessed us with glorious sunshine and I can already feel my mood lifting. Perhaps the pain associated with this period is also signifying something else: growth. As we face this together, and all of the ugly emotions that come along with it, we learn more about ourselves and human nature, and in doing so, we grow. 

p.s. apologies if this week’s post was all doom and gloom! If it was, may I redirect you to last week’s ‘photo essay’ as a soothing antidote.

[lmblair1973]

We spent Tuesday (12/10) in Kochi, Japan. This was a confusing port for us. I first want to apologize for how erratic the posts have been coming in. As some of you know, we chose this cruise because it is what is called “port intensive”. That means that we are constantly on the go, waking up in a new place every day. A tremendous amount of brain energy goes into anticipating and planning our next moves which are quickly upon us. Transportation is exhausting and ALWAYS takes longer than expected, limiting what we can do in port. Our previous cruises had a lot of relaxing sea days and honestly we are missing those! We wanted to experience this pace to see how we did. It’s fun but we’re tired and it leaves very little windows with wifi where I can post. On top of that, Tumblr is often on the fritz. Please bear with with me through the errors, misspellings and gaps between post! We often edit later on down the road after scrambling to get something up before losing signal...Back to Kochi... I enjoyed a beautiful, peaceful Kochi sunrise from the promenade.

We are heading farther south so it has been warmer, usually sunny and 60. Kochi is the wettest place in Japan and is often the recipient of Typhoons and cyclonic storms. It is located on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. It’s a nature lovers paradise with gorges, caves and waterfalls. We had originally hoped to hike the Nakatsu Gorge but once here the reality set in, once again, that the distances were way too far and expensive to cover. Kochi was already a short port. In view of our time constraints, and setting our disappointments aside, we decided to walk around and visit local attractions instead. Frustratingly, the local highlight is another castle, Kochi Castle. With little other options open to us, we decided to go with an open mind and happy we did! We had an enjoyable day at Kochi Castle. It is much smaller than Hemiji but also one of the 12 to survive in it’s original form. Kochi castle is 300 hundred years newer than Hemiji, constructed in 1603, and it felt “newer”! The gardens, lay out and architecture are very different than Hemiji. We spent several enjoyable hours walking around Kochi Castle...

We definitely entered the land of the Samurai... who do you think won??

After touring about the castle and walking the grounds, we headed to Hirome Market to sample a local specialty called Katsuo.

Katsuo is Bonito (tuna family), briefly flame seared, sliced and served. The residents of Kochi boast the highest consumption of Katsuo in Japan... it was delicious. We washed it down with a bowl of ramen and before we knew it to was time to head back to the ship. Surely, this authentically local dining experience made up for our equally tasty lunch at Subway the day before (no shame!)... AND that was no ordinary Subway! They call combo meals here “sets”. Our 6 inch sub set included yummy potato wedges and creamed corn chowder (also, very popular in Japan).

There are always activities, music and shopping back at port when boarding the ship. The locals intensely desire that we leave with a lasting good impression of the home area. There is often free origami stands. Brian has been working on his as you see... ;) (on left—in case you wondered)

I thought this was amazing... Some women spent their entire day, free of charge, dressing passengers in Kimonos so that they could have this unique and special experience. Even though I didn’t do it myself, I told one of the girls that what they were doing was very special and kind and I gave her a little gift bag of American candy from home. I have been caring some of these gift bags to give as gifts to people I meet who are kind and helpful. This is a Japanese tradition of sharing gifts from home called Omiyage. Inside my omiyage is a contact card. When they receive such gifts they are intensely grateful. This sweet girl began crying and told us that she would never forget us. Very heart warming!

Again, dinner in the main dining room and in bed by 10:00pm. We are completely wiped out by the end of the day!! Please join us tomorrow for a day in Kagoshima, dubbed the Naples of the East.

[lansdellicious]

Bad Bones, Delicious Ramen

Given my oft-touted dislike of eggs, it should not be a surprise that I didn’t try ramen for the first time until about 4 years ago in Providence, Rhode Island. Now there’s a combination you weren’t expecting to see today. Once I figured out that you could ask them to omit the egg (as long as you are OK with the dirty looks from the more authentic Japanese ramen joints), my life changed. I love Japanese noodle soup so much, I cannot help ramen it down my throat.

I am not even a little sorry.

Bad Bones Ramen has been around a while, and I had been there before. I don’t think I was writing food reviews at the time though, so here we are! With Sarah out of town camping with her kids, my good friend Kim came with me for some amazing hot noods. It was her first time, so she was relying on me for advice. A bold strategy!

If you offer me gyoza as a starter, I am going to have gyoza as a starter.I couldn’t quite place the red sauce they served with it, but it was sweeter and less spicy than I expected. We both really enjoyed this opening taste, simple though it may have been. 

We both went with the pork shoyu, pictured here sans egg.because it’s mine. Kim did balk a little at the unconventional presentation (in her experience, anyway), but that deliciously crispy pork belly on the top was no small part of her decision to dive in. If you’re new to ramen, the weird-looking mushrooms and literal sheet of seaweed really can be intimidating. They are, however, delicious and integral to the dish.

It’s always been my thought that a good ramen lives and dies by the broth. This one lived a very long and delicious time, Last time I visited Bad Bones I was short of amazed, but this batch of broth really delivered. Rich and savoury, it was the perfect offset for the thin slices of pork tenderloin in the dish.The serving was really rather generous, leaving us both quite full by the time we got through. Well, I did. I got to have the distinct comedic pleasure of watching Kim trying to pour leftover broth into a takeout container. 

If you’ve never had ramen, or have not yet tried Bad Bones, you definitely should. The value is top notch and, on their best days, the broth is incomparable. 

[seekingfika]

Spring Break

Pictured here: Yours truly in Wicklow, Ireland 

Hey there! It’s been a hot second since I last wrote a blog post, but with good reason...I was on spring break! At DIS, March is a major travel month, and there are two weeks in March that you will spend traveling if you are considering being a DIS student. One of these weeks will be spent with your corse course on a long study tour (which for me is the last week of March in Athens Greece...stay tuned!) and the other is an opportunity for independent travel. The way my schedule worked out meant that my spring break came first, and so i had the opportunity to what ever travel I wanted. I decided to split my time between Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dublin and now I’m here to tell you all about it!

Berlin, Germany

My journey started bright and early on Saturday morning with a flight to Berlin. My friends and I stayed at a hostel called Three Little Pigs, and while the hostel itself was pretty and cool, the crowd wasn’t very young and so i’m not sure i’d recommend this hostel as a first choice, but it made for a good place to stay, especially since my friends and I booked our room in this hostel quite late. While in Berlin we did quite a bit of walking, saw the Berlin wall, and visited the spy museum. While we were only there for two full days, we still got to see many of the popular sites and try some of the token foods (currywurst...kind of just like a hotdog with some sauce on it). We also visited a very aesthetically pleasing brunch spot called House of Small Wonders. While this location was adorable and served delicious food, the wait for Sunday brunch was outrageous, and so I would recommend only visiting on a weekday.

Pictured here: House of Small Wonders, brunch location

While Berlin was certainly an experience, I have to say that it wasn’t really my vibe and is a rather harsh feeling place in general. While I think it can be worth seeing, it was probably my least favorite of the three locations that I went to, but it is an interesting place to go to learn about it’s history, and it is certainly an experience nonetheless. If you are planning on visiting Berlin, here are some tips I can offer you: It’s important to note that in Berlin many places are cash only, so you should get euros as soon as possible when you arrive if you plan to travel there. Also, in many of the restaurants and cafes there’s smoking indoors to the point that it can be hard to breath and you will smell like cigarettes when you leave. The one thing I didn’t get to try while in Germany was some authentic schnitzel, but I later found out that schnitzel is technically Austrian, so I suppose that means i’ll have to pay a visit to Austria! 

Pictured here: My friend and me in front of the Brandenburg Gate 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

After our stay in Berlin, arriving in Amsterdam was like a breath of fresh air! While it was fairly windy when we landed, eventually the sun came out and we were able to enjoy some time outside. The hostel we stayed at was called The Generator, and is part of a larger hostel chain. This hostel was a fantastic option, and I would highly recommend it. It was located in a park which made for a lovely atmosphere, was very clean, and had a cafe on-site. Like with Berlin, we did a great deal of walking in Amsterdam, but walking in Amsterdam is fairly simple and as a result we didn’t buy any transportation passes for our stay. There are all sorts of interesting and cute shops along the canal, making Amsterdam a beautiful city to explore in the daytime. We went into all sorts of shops, including the Tulip museum, and also went for an incredibly pleasant canal ride in one of the boats. 

Pictured here: On the canal cruise

We also enjoyed the Heineken experience, which is aptly named because it is less a tour of a brewery and more an in-depth look into how Heineken has progressed and is trying to market itself. We of course also paid a visit to the Red light district, which while certainly odd and different, was interesting and i think important to see from as a visitor to Amsterdam and from an outsider/observer’s perspective. One of the coolest places we visited in Amsterdam though was an incredibly tiny dutch pancake shop called Upstairs Pannenkoeken. This adorable little spot is known as Europe’s smallest pancake shop, and I believe it because this place was tiny! They are open from 12-6 and only take cash, but you can make reservations by phone and they are very accommodating. One thing to note, however, is that the shop is up a set of extremely step stairs (more like a carpeted ladder, honestly) and so if you have a disability or difficulty walking you may not be able to access this spot. Nonetheless, they had delicious pancakes and I think it’s worth checking out! 

Pictured here: The outside of Upstairs Pannenkoekenhuis

Dublin, Ireland

The last leg of my week-long travel journey was in Dublin! This was the city that I was looking forward to the most, and the one that most lived up to my expectations! Firstly, the Irish people are just something else. My friend who I was visiting there is studying abroad at Trinity and he told me the most amazing quote from William Butler Yeats that just about sums up my impression of Dublin: “There are no strangers here, Only friends you haven’t met yet.” As with the other cities on this trip there was a ton of walking involved! I got to experience a full Irish visit, and of course payed a visit to the Guinness Storehouse. We went to a number of different pubs throughout the visit, many of which had live Irish music playing, others with a hilarious and catchy selection of early late 90s and 2000s hits. Aside from the traditional Irish food we ate, we also visited a killer burrito shop, Mama’s Revenge, a super nice healthy breakfast at The Fumbally, and a really delicious ramen restaurant, Ramen Bar. 

Pictured here: Breakfast at The Fumbally 

On the second day we took a bus out to the Irish countryside and went for a walk around Wicklow. We got to see SO MANY sheep, the greenest grass in the world, and some neat stone church ruins. My friend of course also took us for a tour of the old part of Trinity College, where we go to the see The Long Room and The Book of Kells (free of charge with a trinity student!). All in all, my visit with Dublin was the perfect way to wrap up an insanely long and action packed week. 

Pictured here: The stacks in The Long Room

That’s all for now! Feel free to ask me any question about my travels specifically or DIS in general and check out more pictures from my trips on my instagram page, @mugsnshrugs.

-Ruthie

[outcastedkiller]

Yeah, you 👈 read 📘 that 😐 right. 👌 I 👁 can't 🚫 stop 🚫 having 👬 sex 🍆 with 👏 Instant Ramen 🍜 Noodles. 💯 It's 🕛 really 😍 fucked 😩 up 🔺 to 💦 be 🐝 completely 😡 honest, 😇 and 👏 it 💯 all 💯 started 💢 when 🍑 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 suggested we 👥 start 🔘 experimenting a 👌 bit 😁 in 👏 the 👏 bedroom. I 👁 suggested we 👥 try 😐 anal, 🍑 after 👀 all 💯 I’ve 👏 been 👏 hinting lately that 😐 I’ve 👏 been 👏 yearning 😡 for 🍆 him 👴 to 💦 shove 😠 his 💦 seven 🔥 inch 📏 cock 🍆 into 👉 my 👨 tight 👉 bleached 💦 asshole. 🍑 I'd 🙏 be 🐝 such 😳 a 👌 good 👌 anal 🍑 slut 😈 for 🍆 him. 👴 But 🍑 that’s 💪 not 🚫 nearly 👣 what 😦 he 👨 suggested instead. He wanted 😍 to 💦 face 😀 fuck 🍆 me 😭 while 🕗 I 👁 had 💋 my 👨 mouth 💋 full 🌝 of 💦 Instant Ramen 🍜 noodles. At first 👆 I 👁 thought 💭 there 👌 was 👏 no 🙅 way 💫 I’d 😗 ever 😠 do 👌 it. 💯 I 👁 yelled in 👏 protest, how 💯 dare he 👨 think 💭 I’d 😗 ever 😠 do 👌 that? 😐 I 👁 mean, 😏 it’s 💀 not 🚫 like 💖 I’m 👌 a 👌 prude, I 👁 fuck 🍆 him 👴 silly 🙃 in 👏 each 👏 and 👏 every 👏 way 💫 he 👨 desires. But 🍑 like 💖 this, 👈 no, 🙅 there’s 💩 no 🙅 way. That was 👏 until 🙄 he 👨 brought home 🏡 some 👨 Tonkotsu Instant Ramen 🍜 noodles. 💯 He 👨 spent 😵 all 💯 night 🌙 preparing it. 💯 The 👏 noodles 💯 were 👶 cooked 🍳 to 💦 perfection, a 👌 half 💀 marinated egg 🍳 succulently placed in 👏 the 👏 authentic Japanese bowl, 🍀 topped with 👏 seaweed sheets 👉 and 👏 seasoning. It 💯 was 👏 the 👏 perfect 💯 bowl 🍀 of 💦 ramen. 🍜 So 💯 I 👁 sat down 🔻 at 🍆 the 👏 kitchen 🐶 and 👏 started 💢 to 💦 eat. 👉 Fuck 🍆 me 😭 it 💯 was 👏 delicious. That was 👏 until 🙄 he 👨 started 💢 to 💦 take 👊 off 📴 his 💦 pants. 👖 No! 🙅 I 👁 protested, this 👈 was 👏 way 💫 too 😡 far. 🌌 But 🍑 it 💯 was 👏 too 😡 late, 💤 my 👨 mouth 💋 was 👏 full 🌝 and 👏 his 💦 dick 🍆 was 👏 hard. 🍆 He 👨 proceeded to 💦 slowly 🐌 penetrate 👉 my 👨 mouth. 💋 I 👁 gasped 😫 to 💦 air 💨 but 🍑 all 💯 that 😐 came 💦 in 👏 was 👏 the 👏 taste 👅 of 💦 tonkotsu broth, and 👏 the 👏 faint taste 👅 of 💦 my 👨 boyfriends 👬 eager precum. 💦 I 👁 was 👏 stunned, stuffed 😜 and 👏 starting 😫 to 💦 get 🔟 horny. How was 👏 this 👈 turning 🔄 me 😭 on 🔛 I 👁 thought? 💭 I 👁 couldn’t 😲 understand. 📚 Maybe 👏 it 💯 was 👏 the 👏 hard 🍆 dick 🍆 sliding down 🔻 my 👨 throat, 😝 or 💁 the 👏 delicious 😝 ramen, 🍜 maybe 👏 a 👌 combination 🔗 of 💦 the 👏 two. 💏 It 💯 was 👏 all 💯 so 💯 tantalizingly exciting. 💦 I 👁 started 💢 to 💦 swallow the 👏 ramen 🍜 and 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 yelled out 💯 in 👏 ecstasy. I 👁 continued to 💦 slurp 😝 down 🔻 my 👨 noodles 💯 again, 😬 and 👏 he 👨 lurched forward 📲 shoving his 💦 cock 🍆 further 😵 down 🔻 my 👨 tightening throat. 😝 I 👁 told 🗣 him 👴 to 💦 fuck 🍆 me 😭 harder 💥 as 🍑 I 👁 took 👫 another 🔄 bite 😈 of 💦 my 👨 delicious 😝 ramen, 🍜 and 👏 instantly he 👨 came. 💦 There 👌 was 👏 cum 💦 all 💯 over 👏 the 👏 inside 💠 of 💦 my 👨 mouth. 💋 The 👏 mixture combined with 👏 the 👏 ramen 🍜 can 💦 only 🕦 be 🐝 described as 🍑 exquisite. 😍 Salty, 😋 smooth 😭 and 👏 rich 💲 with 👏 flavor. 😵 Days 📆 pass. 💯 Then 😮 months. 📆 We 👥 never 🙅 spoke of 💦 that 😐 day 🌞 since. 👨 I 👁 think 💭 we 👥 both 🌜 knew 👓 we 👥 had 💋 gone 🏃 too 😡 far. 🌌 There 👌 are 🔢 limits 💃 after 👀 all. But I 👁 couldn’t 😲 stop 🚫 thinking 💭 about 💦 the 👏 taste 👅 of 💦 the 👏 ramen 🍜 and 👏 cum 💦 in 👏 my 👨 mouth. 💋 At 🍆 work 🏢 one 😤 day 🌞 I 👁 decided 👯 I 👁 would 👪 go 🏃 to 💦 my 👨 local 📰 ramen 🍜 shop 🏢 and 👏 take 👊 home 🏡 a 👌 new 👌 flavor. I got 🍸 home 🏡 and 👏 as 🍑 I 👁 got 🍸 through 😩 the 👏 door 🚪 my 👨 pants 👖 were 👶 already 👋 coming 💦 off. 📴 I 👁 was 👏 dripping 🌧 wet, 💦 and 👏 horny 😉 as 🍑 hell. 🔥 I 👁 lay 💏 starfish on 🔛 my 👨 bed 🛏 and 👏 began 🔘 to 💦 pour the 👏 ramen 🍜 all 💯 over 👏 my 👨 body. 💃 It 💯 was 👏 so 💯 warm 🔥 and 👏 burned 🔥 my 👨 body 💃 but 🍑 I 👁 didn’t 👏 care, 💅 I 👁 just 👏 wanted 😍 the 👏 salty 😋 foreign mixture all 💯 over 👏 my 👨 tight 👉 and 👏 firm 🚬 body. 💃 I 👁 shoved my 👨 tiny 😑 fingers deep 😱 into 👉 my 👨 tight 👉 pussy 🐱 and 👏 masturbated 🍆 for 🍆 hours. 🕐 I 👁 was 👏 in 👏 total 💯 and 👏 pure 😩 ecstasy. That was 👏 until 🙄 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 came 💦 through 😩 the 👏 door. 🚪 I 👁 was 👏 shocked to 💦 see 👀 him 👴 home 🏡 so 💯 early, 🕐 and 👏 he 👨 was 👏 too, 😡 for 🍆 the 👏 sight he 👨 came 💦 upon 👦 could 🔒 only 🕦 be 🐝 described as 🍑 disastrously 😱 unique. It 💯 only 🕦 took 👫 seconds 🕑 for 🍆 him 👴 to 💦 become 😌 instantly rock 🗿 hard. 🍆 I 👁 could 🔒 see 👀 his 💦 muscles twitch as 🍑 he 👨 gazed upon 👦 me 😭 all 💯 wet 💦 and 👏 dripping 🌧 with 👏 ramen. 🍜 His 💦 pants 👖 flew off 📴 and 👏 he 👨 mounted on 🔛 top 🔝 of 💦 me. 😭 Neither of 💦 us 👨 cared 😍 at 🍆 this 👈 point 📍 that 😐 the 👏 ramen 🍜 had 💋 cooled. It 💯 didn’t 👏 matter 🙅 anymore. 🔥 We 👥 just 👏 wanted 😍 this 👈 moment. The sex 🍆 lasted for 🍆 hours, 🕐 and 👏 I 👁 came 💦 many, 👬 many 👬 times. 🕒 Right 👌 as 🍑 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 began 🔘 to 💦 climax 😰 deep 😱 inside 💠 my 👨 pussy 🐱 I 👁 pushed him 👴 off. 📴 What 😦 the 👏 fuck 🍆 was 👏 I 👁 doing? 📌 What 😦 the 👏 actual fuck 🍆 was 👏 I 👁 doing? 📌 Everyone 👥 knows 👃 that 😐 this 👈 is 💦 the 👏 last 😍 situation 🎮 a 👌 deep 😱 southern Texas girl 👧 like 💖 me 😭 wanted 😍 to 💦 happen. 😱 My 👨 dad 👴 had 💋 warned 😤 me 😭 this 👈 day 🌞 might 🔍 come 💦 the 👏 day 🌞 he 👨 walked 🚶 in 👏 on 🔛 me 😭 watching 👀 Hentai 👯 and 👏 twiddling my 👨 bean. "Jessie, you 👈 know, 💭 never 🙅 have 👏 sex 🍆 with 👏 ramen 🍜 noodles 💯 nearby, that’s 💪 how 💯 you 👈 get 🔟 pregnant 🍆 with 👏 one 😤 of 💦 those 🐥 damn 😤 Asians, 👌 and 👏 damn 😤 you 👈 know 💭 whattle happen 😱 to 💦 you 👈 if 👏 that 😐 happens" Fuck you 👈 dad, 👴 you 👈 racist fuck. 🍆 I 👁 wanted 😍 this 👈 anyway. 🔛 I 👁 needed this 👈 anyway. 🔛 I 👁 was 👏 ready. 😏 I 👁 was 👏 primed to 💦 go. 🏃 My 👨 boyfriend 👬 climbed back 🔙 on 🔛 and 👏 finished 👅 deep 😱 inside 💠 my 👨 pussy. 🐱 It 💯 was 👏 beautiful. 🌄 Nine 🍆 months 📆 later 🕑 I 👁 gave 🎁 birth 👑 to 💦 my 👨 first 👆 child 👦 ファック私の愚かなパパ chan, he’s 👨 a 👌 great 👍 little 👌 kid 👦 and 👏 I 👁 love 😍 him 👴 so 💯 much. Three years 📅 pass 💯 and 👏 now 👋 I’m 👌 on 🔛 my 👨 third Japanese child. 👦 How 💯 did 👏 this 👈 go 🏃 so 💯 far? 🌌 That’s 💪 when 🍑 the 👏 Japanese government 💩 called 📲 me. 😭 They 👥 wanted 😍 to 💦 being 😑 me 😭 in 👏 for 🍆 questioning. They 👥 wanted 😍 me 😭 to 💦 help 💁 them 💦 rebuild the 👏 dwindling Japanese population. It's 🕛 a 👌 serious 😐 problem 😊 for 🍆 them 💦 and 👏 they 👥 desperately needed my 👨 help. 💁 The 👏 foreign minister I 👁 spoke with 👏 even 🌃 mentioned free 💜 Hentai 👯 and 👏 ramen 🍜 for 🍆 the 👏 rest 😪 of 💦 my 👨 life. 👤 How 💯 could 🔒 I 👁 ever 👏 say 🗣 no? So I 👁 moved 📦 my 👨 pretty 👰 little 👌 ass 🍑 to 💦 Japan 🍣 and 👏 have 👏 been 👏 living 🐙 here 👏 since. 👨 I 👁 love 😍 my 👨 life 👤 here. 👏 Every 👏 day 🌞 me 😭 and 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 go 🏃 to 💦 a 👌 new 👌 Ramen 🍜 shop 🏢 and 👏 purchase 🛒 our 💩 daily 🕢 bowl. 🍀 We 👥 then 😮 take 👊 a 👌 beautiful 🌄 walk 👣 through 😩 our 💩 local 📰 park, 🌲 admire the 👏 trees 🌲 and 👏 grass. 🌱 My 👨 boyfriend 👬 always 🔥 remembers 🐘 to 💦 bring 🚶 bread 🍞 for 🍆 the 👏 local 📰 ducks. We 👥 named 📛 one 😤 Guss, we 👥 both 🌜 love 😍 Guss and 👏 remember 💭 to 💦 see 👀 him 👴 every 👏 day. 🌞 He's 👦 a 👌 good 👌 little 👌 duck. We then 😮 head 💆 back 🔙 to 💦 our 💩 home, 🏡 take 👊 off 📴 all 💯 our 💩 cloths and 👏 proceed to 💦 pour our 💩 bowl 🍀 of 💦 ramen 🍜 over 👏 each 👏 of 💦 our 💩 bodies. 😍 He 👨 fucks 😤 me 😭 like 💖 no 🙅 one 😤 else. 😩 I 👁 cum, 💦 then 😮 I 👁 cum 💦 again, 😬 and 👏 again, 😬 and 👏 again. 😬 It's 🕛 never 🙅 felt 😎 like 💖 chore 👷 for 🍆 me. 😭 And 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 loves 💘 it 💯 more 🍗 than 👉 life 👤 itself. 🚝 Before 😂 we 👥 finish 🏁 we 👥 remember 💭 to 💦 shove 😠 a 👌 tiny 😑 bit 😁 of 💦 ramen 🍜 deep 😱 inside 💠 me 😭 before 😂 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 finishes. I 👁 don't 🚫 think 💭 this 👈 is 💦 the 👏 life 👤 for 🍆 me 😭 though. It 💯 eats me 😭 up 🔺 inside 💠 that 😐 all 💯 I’m 👌 capable 😡 in 👏 life 👤 is 💦 breeding little 👌 Japanese babies 👶 through 😩 sex 🍆 with 👏 ramen 🍜 noodles. 💯 I 👁 think 💭 I’m 👌 more 🍗 capable 😡 than 👉 that. 😐 I 👁 want 👏 out. 💯 I 👁 want 👏 a 👌 change. Can you 👈 help 💁 me? 😭 Can 💦 you 👈 help 💁 me 😭 from 👉 the 👏 life 👤 I’ve 👏 created? 💯 I 👁 don't 🚫 want 👏 to 💦 be 🐝 a 👌 ramen 🍜 breeder anymore. 🔥 I 👁 don't 🚫 know 💭 where 😐 to 💦 turn. 💃 I 👁 don't 🚫 know 💭 where 😐 to 💦 go.

[thequeenofsheba-blog]

NY June restaurants report back

ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 2021

We came to NY in late June for a week to see friends, family and have some good food and I thought worth putting together a little write-up.

The highlights were the two Mexican spots we went to, Claro and Atla (the lobster burrito and rctic char tostada are not to be missed). Both absolutely fantastic when it came to the food. And at Atla the drinks were also fab. The brunch drinks at Claro weren’t unfortunately (balance of each of them was off). These places really stood out compared to the general level of Mexican food that you historically get in NY. Can’t recommend them highly enough.

The next highlight of the trip was the sushi. For years I have complained about NY’s sushi besides one or two places as most are overpriced and not superb. But this time we went to Nakazawa and Noz for the sushi counter and both were fantastic. Nakazawa- the sake selection was excellent, as was the service, and quality of fish as well as combinations of flavors in the nigiri. Overall excellent bites, and the trio of uni was really excellent. Overall, amazing value for money given the quality. Really a fab meal.

Noz- the one negative was a very unhelpful and slightly snarky host (eg only one example- we liked one sake very much and asked if he knew where we could buy a bottle of it in NY if possible and he suggested we “google it” and walked off). But the food was fantastic, the meal started off not quite as punchy and I was worried we would be disappointed compared to Nakazawa, especially given the significantly higher price, but boy did the meal pick up. Huge diversity of truly excellent fish, very interesting point of view on the temperature of the rice he uses, and delicious plated dishes in the meal.

Thai Diner was also delicious, and very authentic tasting. The Pad See Ew the other shrimp was excellent, as was the rotisserie chicken. The Massuman curry was the only slight disappointment. Great drinks as well.

I loved the food at Gem. It was super light, interesting, subtle, delicate, and then some dishes were super punchy. The chef is going places and people should taste his food.

Llama San was excellent, perhaps the best Nikkei I have ever had. Really fantastic. The only issue I have with the place is how “hip” it is, and the overall snootiness of the wait staff.

Cote. The beef really is excellent, and the overall meal was just delicious. The service is annoying though, with slightly too many rules on what an entire table needs to order. But still, fab beef and well worth going.

We also went to Shabu shabu macoron for the beef. While the quality of it was good, and I say that comparing it to shabu shabu in Japan, some of the bites were very similar. And we arrived at 8:15 pm, 15 mins late for our booking, and were then rushed through over a dozen courses within an hour, which massively impaired our ability to enjoy the meal. The pacing was just so so off and we asked them to slow down and they said they couldn’t because they wanted us out by 9:30…

We decided to come to Momofuku as a throwback. I am sad to saw the ramen really wasn’t impressive, especially compared to the quality of ramen you can now get in any. The pork belly bao was yummy, and the shishitos were very good. But overall, unimpressed with the place at this point.

Di An Di was terrible. The food was such sub-par Vietnamese that I can’t understand how they have any guests honestly. I barely ate my main, the pork belly, it was so bad. Yes, I live in Asia, but this was bad even compared to Western standards for Vietnamese.

Jacob’s Pickle was ok for brunch. Not the best friend chicken you get in NY by a long shot, and the restaurant is blasting disco music at noon, which impaired our ability to catch up with my grandparents.

Hudson Smokehouse was amazing for BBQ. It was one of the best bbq spots I have been to, if not the best, in NY, while acknowledging that bbq in NY is never that good.

We went to Upland for lunch, it’s our second time there after a visit right when it opened- the Cacio e Pepe unfortunately is not as good as it once was. Burger was yummy though.

Paul's Da Burger Joint- these are unsophisticated but yummy burgers. But as someone who doesn’t live in the US, the sheer amount of meat you get is just too much. And it might be an unfair comparison but these burgers don’t stand up to a Minetta Tavern burger.

[foodtheoryblog]

Blog Assignment #2: Soups

 Select a soup and tell us why you chose this soup. Is there a story behind it?

Provide a recipe for the soup, following the guidelines discussed in week 2.

Document your making of the soup, through the use of multimedia.

Complete a sensory evaluation of your soup. Following the guidelines and criteria discussed in week 3.

Have someone else try it. What did they think?

Answer and Discuss the following questions "What were the challenges involved? Was it a success? What would you do differently?"

Reflect on your experience. What did you take away from this experience? Did you learn something? How can you apply this to your future culinary endeavors?

For this weeks culinary blog I chose to make a Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with bokchoy. When I was back at the University of Guelph I really enjoyed making udon noodle soup with bokchoy and tofu, and I’ve never had the chance to make it for my family. I saw recently that we had rice noodles in our pantry, so I thought it would be a cool idea to share a similiar recipe to my udon soup with my family after all this time. 

 https://theforkedspoon.com/ginger-garlic-noodle-soup-with-bok-choy/ 

Above, I have a picture of the fresh ingredients I used. When grovery shopping we could’nt find star anise so I skipped that ingredient in the recipe. 

Here I was sweating the shallots, garlic, and ginger. This is a really important part of the cooking process as it is fundamental in creating a really strong and delicious flavour. It smelled fantastic. 

This was the finished product before serving. 

This is what my serving looked like. I added sesame seeds, chilli flakes and freshly cracked black pepper. I love ramen, pho and udon soup and was very impressed with the way this recipe turned out.

Throughout the process of making the soup, it was definitely a beautiful smell, from the shallots to the garlic and ginger it was very rich and almost mouth watering even at that point. When eating the soup it was nice getting a bite of all of the ingredients. The mushrooms added a nice contrasting texture to the noodles and the bokchoy. I also love bokchoy in soups because of how they absorb the flavour and the liquid, and become juicy but remain leafy at the same time. I really liked how the chicken stock didnt over power the flavour of the garlic, ginger and onions and rather complimented it, and wasn’t too salty either. If I were to redo is though, I did notice that the broth didnt remain clear when serving and I think that is due to the rice noodles. Next time i would rinse them I think so that they dont make the broth foggy. 

My family really enjoyed it. They thought it was a very interesting dish because they normally eat foods with a different flavour pallete than this. If tthey eat soups it will usually be more of a blended vegetable soup like butternut squash or a creamy soup like potato leek. They found that the chilli flakes made it a little too spicy for them so next time they won’ garnish with them. I made this for dinner as an appetizer, and they had pork with grilled vegetables and salad afterwards and they all said to me that they would have been happy just eating the soup I had made for dinner if they had known how good it was going to taste!

The only challenge I had was that the noodles absorbed alot of the liquid, so towards the end we struggled trying to find enough for second servings. Overall, I do classify this as a success because it was both fun and yummy! My family enjoyed it, and I made enough to last for a coouple days too so I think that the leftover will be delicious. As I mentioned earlier, if I were to do this again I would rinse the noodles before adding them to the soup to keep the broth clear. I also would use white pepper next time for the aesthetic purposes, and would love to actually use the star anise and green onion in the future to get the full effect. I think for meat eaters this would be nice with sliced grilled pork or grilled tofu on top for vegetarians. 

In the future I would love to learn how to cook more specialty foods or soups ,iek this one. Hopefully I will be able to use more interesting ingredients as well like star anise so I can broaden my flavour pallette. I would love to learn a more traditional and authentic version of this dish. 

[themessyhand]

14. what I have made so far (sponsored by the quarantine)

Cinnamon Buns ★★★★★ - Was relatively easy and delicous!! Its more of a morning bun than a typical cinnamon bun. The cinnamon sugar did explode out of the muffin mold so definitely less of the filling next time. I halved the recipe and used active dry yeast instead. Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya ★★★★☆ - Easy and good. I had to use short grain rice (because I didn't have long grain) but not sure if its a staple in my recipes. Easy Matcha Cream Cheese Pound Cake ★★★★☆ - Easy and super delicous right when its out of the oven. I may have overbaked it because it became a lot more dry once it cooled to room temp (and its supposed to be a room temp cake). Tapioca Pearls ★★★☆☆ - Took waaaaaaaaay too long to make and the consistency wasn't as good as store bought (I mean obviously?) but I am not sure if it was worth the effort... ended up buying boba at my local 99 Ranch which takes 5 mins to make Rotibuns ★★★★★ - OMG!! I was so proud of myself when this came out awesome!! I love rotibun but the one store near me that sold this closed :( anyways, turned out amazing except for the top coffee part which I wish was a little thicker (was too thin)

Xinjiang Style Rice Pilaf ★★★★★ - First time a cooking dish came out this good (I ususally bake if you cannot tell)! I loved the softend garlic and I think it would taste good without the cumin. Half Baked Cheese Tart ★★★★★ - OMG TASTED LIKE 85 DEGREE BAKERY'S Hokkaido Cheese Tart but then again I haven't eaten that in a while so maybe its more of a substitute for that cheese tart... It was easy to make too but I totally forgot to add water to the egg wash ahahahah *facepalm* Chinese Chive Pockets ★★★★☆ - Easy to make but the dough wasn't what I expected... Though you pan fry the dough, its not as crunchy as I would have liked it so it came out pretty soft... tasted good though! Xinjiang Style Rice Pilaf ★★★★★ - First cooked dish I am truly proud of. I made it twice already (the second time wasn't as good as the first one as the rice was too mushy) and my family likes it too! The garlicy oniony... ugh delish!! I am interested in trying it with different meats like chicken. Jjapaguri with steak ★★★★★ - Does this count as a recipe when we are really mixing two ramen packages together?? Also don't judge that this is also was made popular by Parasite, ok? Because it tasted great!! I loved the combination. I honestly am not the biggest fan of jajangmyeon but with the spiciness... it just MWAH! I made it for the first time with Jolie and we both have bought more ramen packages to make it again and again hahaha! Chinese Steamed Pork Buns baozi ★★★★☆ - I had a sudden craving for Chinese steamed chicken mushroom buns and this recipe hit the spot!! For the filling, I did a mix of this pork one and the one on this recipe. The filling need to be a little saltier/flavorable but I am glad everything turned out soooo good mainly because I have seen more complex boazi recipes but this one is super easy. I will need to learn how to do them pleats tho... Black Sesame Rice Balls (Tang Yuan) ★★★☆☆ - Tang yuans are one of my fav desserts!! I was so excited to try this but I think I should have blended the sesame maybe two seconds more and maybe try a recipe where the sesame is more oozing. This recipe is makes pretty dry sesame inside the ball and I actually added more butter than the recipe to make it into somewhat of a paste (probably even add more). What a mess haha... Peach Financier ★★★★★ - I didn't have any peaches on hand so what I made is technically just a financier. Its a very delicious recipe and tastes very close to Madelines (does everyone eat those or is just local to me??). Cream Cheese Garlic Bread ★☆☆☆☆ - Its a Korean street food recipe from the very famous Nino. I don't know if I overkneaded the bread or something but it did not rise very much and the filling did not taste good. Its a super sweety and lightly savory bread and it was not my style. My mom's bf liked it tho so I guess it did not go to waste... Choice Cheesecakes ★★★☆☆ - My first attempt at making a recipe from a very old book! The crust on this cheesecake is delicious and I would maybe... double the recipe for that next time because it was super crumbly (most of it didn't really form into a dough) and didn't even cover my whole cake pan. I would also cut the sugar down by like half. It was wayyyyy too sweet. I also need to adjust the baking time. I followed instructions to a T but after all the baking time, my center was still not baked but the sides were pretty brown. I might just make a totally different cheesecake recipe next time. “Burnt” Basque Cheesecake ★★★★★ - Wow... this recipe is straight up wow! Its such a simple recipe of doing everything opposite of a good cheesecake and somehow I like this better than any cheesecake I have ever had. I brought a piece for my coworker too and she liked it! My own thing is the bottom burns too much and creates this thick black layer that doesn't taste that good. I like mine lightly browned to balance the sweetness with the savory of the burnt parts so I usually remove the bottom layer (after letting it set). Little Toast Stuffed with Meat Floss and Mochi ★★★★★ - Disclaimer: I did not add the mochi to this bun; I just could not fathom the combination of mochi and pork sung togher (also waste of mochi imo). This recipe uses poolish instead of the tong zhou method to make bread. I was a bit worried it would not turn out well because the only method of making fluffy bread that has worked for me is the tong zhou method, but EVERYONE IT TURNED OUT AMAZING. It is less messy and takes less active time to make so it will definitely be my favorite method to make bread. YUM YUM YUUUUUM Dan Dan Noodles ★★★★★ - OMG THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS. I didn't get to add the Sichuan peppercorn but I will definitely do that next time. I loved the combination of everything. I also made my own noodles using a recipe on handmade noodles (Authentic Dan Dan Noodles From Scratch and but rolled and cut by hand). Croissants ★★★★★ - I was so surprised that these croissants came out great!!! Mainly because I really messed up the dough in the begginning (I measured it incorrectly because recipe is in cups and I sometimes miscount how many cups of flour I already put in), but BOY WAS I DELIGHTED WHEN IT TURNED OUT SUPER WELL. It was so delicous and pretty easy (takes a while do to the rises you have to do). I still have half of it in my freezer :)

[sashagilljournalist]

Review: Veganuary at Banana Tree

The annual month-long celebration of veganism is upon us – Veganuary. As someone who made the decision to eschew animal products seven years ago, I rejoice every time January rolls around. Supermarkets bring out sandwiches which aren’t stuffed with the uninspiring falafel-hummus combination, restaurants reinvent their vegan offerings (gone are the days of ‘house-salad-but-will-you-hold-the-cheese’). The bourgeoning population of vegans has demanded better food options, and boy, did they deliver this year. First stop – Banana Tree.

When Banana Tree reached out to me to review their vegan menu, I was absolutely thrilled. I have been to their Oxford branch several times, lured in by the promise of authentic Indochinese food. Almost half of the menu is, or can be made, vegan, so needless to say I was already thoroughly infatuated. We popped in for lunch on a Friday and were pleasantly greeted, and my request for a seat with better lighting for photography was politely accommodated (I know, I am that person).

It was difficult to narrow down what we wanted to eat from their vegan options. Seven years as a vegan has left me entirely incapable of making a choice when there are more than three things on the menu that I can eat. But we eventually did come to a decision, and agreed to share the mains and sides between us, tapas-style, so we could each get a proper serving of everything. And while I regret not getting one of everything on the menu, I will take it as an excuse to go back. Stat.

First, Banana Tree’s exclusive Veganuary special – the Pak Choi Noodle Soup. I am a noodle soup aficionado. I adore them all – pho, ramen, wonton noodles, laksa (Banana Tree has a version of this, and I promise you, it is glorious), even minestrone when it is studded with curls of macaroni. Banana Tree’s new noodle offering packs a punch. The broth is intensely flavourful, and is almost as magnificent on the nose as it is in the mouth, throwing notes of citrus into the air. Resting just below the surface of the golden broth are nests of rice noodles (which are, in my opinion, the best noodles to deploy in an Asian-style broth because of how liquid clings to it). Tofu puffs, spongey and saturated with the soup, bob happily in the broth. I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of pak choi, but when it was left to languish in the soup, it wilted ever so slightly and took on a lot of flavour – LIFE. CHANGING.

I vehemently believe that there is no dish on earth which cannot be enhanced with a crowning of crispy shallots, and Banana Tree’s noodle soup is no different. If I were on BBC’s desert island discs (dreaming big), crispy shallots would be my luxury. No question about it. I will be going back for another round of this, and I urge you to do the same. Be quick though, it is making only an ephemeral appearance on the menu this January.

I mopped the plate up with utter fervour, which considering how stuffed I already was, is a testament to its deliciousness

The other main we picked was their Thai green curry, invigorated with lemongrass and tendrils of bamboo. It came served with a perfect dome of jasmine rice. I mopped the plate up with utter fervour, which considering how stuffed I already was, is a testament to its deliciousness. A little serving of house salad, with a crisp clarity of flavour, provided that well-needed brightness to counteract the silky curry. Can someone please get me the recipe for that dressing? It was phenomenal. The final embellishment to the dish was a side of Asian crackers. And while they looked magnificent, glossy and speckled with black sesame seeds, they proved disappointing otherwise. I found them far too hard and rather bland. I assume this was their way of substituting the traditional prawn crackers, the ones which cling to your tongue and taste like the underbelly of the ocean, but these vegan versions fell short.

I am a stickler for authenticity. As someone who grew up in Singapore, satay holds a particularly special place in my heart. Far too often, I have had vegan incarnations of this dish which bear only a passing resemblance to their Asian antecedent. Satay sauce isn’t made up of peanut butter and chilli paste! But Banana Tree’s satay sticks, and sauce, were perfect. So perfect that my dining partner, a self-confessed carnivore, asked the waiter to confirm they were vegan. If you aren’t a big fan of meat substitutes, perhaps this wouldn’t be your jam. But if you are a newbie vegan or even vegan-curious, this would be the ideal dish to cushion those meat-withdrawal symptoms.

The satay is served with ketupat, little bundles of compressed rice, as is traditional. For the uninitiated, ketupat are diamond-shaped cakes of rice, cocooned in interlocking coconut leaves. Banana trees’s version is a little simpler, avoiding the pomp and fuss of weaving the leaves., leaving them as little cylinders. I did notice, however, that they opted for glutinous rice rather than a regular medium-grain.  I must admit that I rather preferred it. It was bouncy, chewy, and dangerously easy to eat too many of, especially when drowned in the satay sauce.

There is truly no better way I can envision eating broccoli.

Amidst all this delicious chaos, we needed something lighter. It was decided that we needed something more vegetal. After much umming and ahhing, we picked the edamame with garlic spiced salt, and their stir-fried broccoli. The edamame was, well, edamame. I felt like the garlic salt didn’t quite add much – and would have rather liked it to be a touch more punchy and salty. But perhaps my palette was spoilt and petulant after that transcendent noodle broth. The broccoli, however, was skyscrapingly tasty. And – my favourite bit – included the broccoli stems. Broccoli stems are a highly-underappreciated bit of vegetable in the culinary world. Why do people throw them away? Here, they were sliced into little discs and fried with the rest of the florets in a briny sauce. There is truly no better way I can envision eating broccoli.

Banana tree has a whole list of other vegan menu items for Veganuary participants, or indeed anyone who likes good Asian food. After all, don’t we all? I have tried some of their dishes on previous occasions and have never been disappointed (the monk fried noodles cures all ills). So, hop on down to George Street to fill your bellies – just remember to be good and hungry.

Disclaimer: I was offered a free meal at Banana Tree in exchange for my candour, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Originally Published in The Oxford Student, 17th Jan 2020

[nothingnoteworthy]

Chapter 2: “Home”

Althea did not enjoy sharing her apartment with a demon. She didn’t enjoy many things, but this was high on the list of things she disliked. She did what she could to ignore the presence. Kept to her own spaces. Cooked. Worked. Cooked at work. Work was cooking. It was a steady chopping, peaceful counting, the smoothness of a knife slicing through carrot pieces, even, crunchy, smells nice. Cool round pieces in her hands. Sizzling with the onions and garlic in the pan. Smells sweeter now, better. Celery went next. It was stringy and less pleasant to cut. But it felt nice whole. Althea preferred putting it into a food processor, letting the machine chop it so she wouldn’t have to deal with the strings much. She dropped the chunks into the pan, stepping back and watching everything soften for a few minutes. Kept her eyes on the pan. Refusing to look up. Whenever she did, Caroline would be looking back. With those big, fake eyes. Dead eyes. Cold. They were there now and Althea knew they were. Ruining the light from the window. Tainting the smell coming from her pan. Awful.

There wasn’t much choice to living with her either. If Caroline was allowed to leave than someone would die. Many someones probably. So she had to stay. Althea just wished there were more rules. Maybe they could keep her in a closet. Chain it shut. Throw those prepackaged microwave burritos that she shoved in her face by the dozen through a small hole. Gross unreasonably sticky burritos. Althea could make better ones. Not necessarily authentic, but she could cook meat and put it in a tortilla. And it wouldn’t be sticky. Why were they sticky? The thought made her skin crawl, trying to consider any possible reason why the burritos were sticky. Sweat kept popping into her mind and that wasn’t making it much better. That was grosser than just thinking about them being sticky to begin with. Maybe if you fried them they wouldn’t be sticky but you still knew that they would be if you put them in the microwave. And how could you eat them knowing that? And- 

“Excuse me, Althea? May I get something to drink?”

The sound made her jump and push her back into the corner. She relaxed slowly. Wren. Gentle, sweet Wren. Warm brown skin and warmer brown eyes. Eyes that never forced contact. She kept to her own space. Looked at your forehead, your nose, your cheeks, off into the clouds and the sky and wherever it was that she went when her face went soft and her mind vanished from the space she stood in. Her arms flexed, squeezing her fingers into her elbow, trying to warm her hands. She’s the only one that found herself very cold. Althea disagreed.

“Sure. Careful. Pan’s hot.” Althea cracked the cap of a box of vegetable stock, careful to keep it away from her. Stock always smelled too much. But it was better than making it herself. That would be messy, and she didn’t have much time as it was. Plus she would have to deal with possibly greasy bags and that was, unacceptable. Greasy textures were the worst. Slimy and sticky at the same time. Boxed was easier, better, faster. It flooded over the vegetables, covering their smell for just a moment. Her knife moved again. It was faster with squash, squash was softer, and the thick rings gave the soup a touch of pretty yellow. She watched Wren out of the corner of her eye, pouring cranberry juice into a narrow glass. Sweet but mostly bitter. It bit you, dried you out. Wren flowed too often towards bitter things. Took too much bitterness in. She avoided sugar, sweet, soft and light. Chocolate was sometimes, but only when it too was bitter. Heavy and Strong. She had plenty of sweetness on her own, smiling at Althea with a bright warmth. But still. Althea wanted to bake her cake. Instead, she decided to bake buttery, fluffy biscuits. Sweet was what she wanted, but savory would do.

She finished the soup in a hurry. Squash went in, then broccoli, then chicken that she’d baked and pulled. Done, ready to be alone, simmer and combine. Then flour. Soft and dusty. It got everywhere and cleaning it was a nightmare. But it was lovely when she was working with it. The butter was less fun. Only flour made it doable. And quick choppy movements. Buttermilk in the center. Mixing again. Sticky but not the wrong kind of sticky. Not the right kind either. Neutral, good and neutral. Althea flicked her eyes towards Wren, perched on the edge of the couch, glass loosely clutched between her hands, with the demon just a bit too close. They were talking about the show. About nothing. Too close. Made folding the dough easier. Pressing flat. Cutting. She stopped, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. A laugh too sharp. A quieter snort. The loud echoing noise of the door being opened and closed.

“It’s me!” Eliana tossed her keys onto their hook, stretching her arms and taking a long breath in. “The restaurant’s going to be packed tomorrow, remember. Tourists are going to start pouring in again. It’s the season!“

Eliana matched Althea’s height but always came across as slight and graceful. Her energy pushed her across the room, slamming into her favorite chair with an electric laugh. The woman was as gorgeous, flawless dark skin, luxurious thick curly hair. All goodness and light. A living sunshower chasing the demon back to the corner of the couch. Wren relaxed. Eliana made her feel safe. Althea understood. Their friend was the real hero of the bunch. The kind that you got a poster of to put on your wall. Althea had one, though she had to order hers custom. When Eliana saw it, she laughed for days. Buying the poster was a good idea.

“I stopped at Mom’s afterwork to hang out and watch tv. Mostly that show where they mess up each other’s cooking with crab outfits or firecrackers or somethin, you know the one right, Althea?” A rich voice, smooth. Althea nodded.

“Yeah. That one and the grocery store one are the best” She hummed. The other poster on her wall. She actually learned her biscuit recipe from the host’s other show. She jumped, remembering her biscuits, tearing the pan out of the oven. Still that pretty golden brown. She needed to remember to set timers. When the house was full it became too distracting to cook without the annoying beeping. Shrill, incessant noises were better than burnt biscuits. These were okay. A little smear of butter and they’d be good. Nice, warm, filling. Tumbling into a soft white napkin in a little metal basket with birds decorating the metal rings. Set gently at the center of the table.

“Hell yeah the grocery store one. I left when they made this one chef use top ramen to make spaghetti. I don’t think that ended well.”

Althea pretended not to notice Wren nearly sliding off of the couch, holding herself up by sheer thigh strength alone, watching the table. No one liked bread quite like Wren liked bread. Especially fresh baked, buttered bread. No matter how often Althea baked Wren always looked at it like she was fresh out of the desert again.

Althea checked the soup, waving at Eliana when she was pleased with the consistency. Wren was first up, as always, lingering by the entry to the small galley kitchen, waiting for Althea to serve herself first. Althea grabbed her favorite bowl and carefully spooned in the right ratio of broth and fillings. Too much broth and she’d leave a puddle to splash around the yellow porcelain. To little broth and she’d be left with mushy vegetables. Maybe a string of chicken or two. She rested the bowl on a small plate, carrying it to her corner of the table. The heat pulsed from the bowl, steam twisting up, carrying warmth and humidity and the deep, comforting heaviness of a warm meal.  The best times were always centered around food. Everyone gathered around it. Close. Together. The fastest track to peace.

Althea gingerly picked up a biscuit, shuffling it in half with a butterknife. Wren sat in the chair next to her, using a bowl that was probably meant more as a serving dish than as an eating one. She grinned at Althea, already grabbing a biscuit and dropping it on a napkin. She bit her biscuit whole, smiling, clearly delighted. If only it was that easy to keep the smile there. Just bake and bake and bake until every bad memory was buried in flour and butter. Eliana had a spoon in her mouth before she hit her chair, nodding approvingly at Wren. As long as it was kosher Eliana wasn’t hard to please either. Althea had never had much problem getting either her or Wren to eat anything that she cooked. It was comforting. She didn’t think she would get rid of the nervous prickling when she watched them take that first bite, but it would go away quicker and quicker. Like Wren’s biscuit. She sheepishly wiped the crumbs off her lips before grabbing another. This one she was a little slower with, lightly spreading butter between two halves.

“Thank you Althea. I could eat nothing but biscuits.” Wren hummed.

“You already do eat nothing but biscuits.” Eliana replied. Wren laughed, quieting with the withering look Caroline was sending her. She set her biscuit down, opting for slow sips of the soup from a deep spoon.

“I could totally do it too though if there was enough butter. For the calcium.” Eliana was still grinning, taking careful spoonfuls of veggies visibly trying to keep the spoon from overflowing with broth. “Although, I guess multivitamins could be used for calcium. But that’s less fun. And less delicious.”

“Are you saying my biscuits need butter to be good?”

“Oh No, I- oh wait you’re playing with me. How cruel. Caroline can you believe this?” Eliana dramatically draped herself against Caroline, resting a hand on her heart. “I’ve been betrayed. How will I ever recover?”

Caroline rolled her eyes, but put on a smile anyway. “How could you, Althea. Our poor, sweet Eliana. She may die from this you know. History has a lot of records of young women dying from heart break.”

“Most of those are like. Plays.”

“Hush Eliana, let your death come quietly. The records are official, from hospitals at the time. That certainly were not speaking from ignorance or mind control or any combination of the two.”

“Oh yeah, yes. Very official. So sad. Am dying.” Eliana nodded, stretching her jaw and making loud exaggerated groans. Caroline raised a hand to her own face, as if dabbing tears away from her eyes. Both seemed intent to carry this on as long as possible. Althea narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

“Oh no, that’s sad. And I think, Dead people don’t do whatever it is you’re doing with your face.” Wren chirped, wiping a spot of broth off their face. “Then again, maybe they do if they’re dying of heartbreak. I’ve never seen that happen.”

“Just say the word and I can show you.” Caroline smiled, batting her eyelashes. Elthea shoved herself back up.

“Thanks for being a creep mate. That’s one way to end a joke. Hope you’re ready for an exciting night of not sleeping. I for one am glad that my life is controlled by adhd and thus I would be awake anyway.”

"Yeah, yeah. Can't we just sit here while Wren eats biscuits." Caroline snarked rocking the chair backward. "You don't even use the night properly. What's the point if you're just going to intentionally attract attention. Why not use the daytime."

"We do, when we can. But some of us work during the day." Eliana pushed her chair in, carrying an armful of dishes to the sink.

"Yeah, because they don't want to do things the right way. I mean. Come on. Don't certain people just deserve to lose a few bucks? From my experience, they hardly notice anyway. Don't you agree Wren?" Caroline cooed, standing up and leaning over the table, managing to make herself tower over the others despite being the shortest.

"I, well, No. That wouldn’t be right. We're trying to be the good ones." Wren muttered, getting up to help Eliana clean the kitchen.

Caroline smiled and murmured so softly Althea could barely hear her. “Try harder.”

<- Last Chapter  I  Next Chapter ->

[of-another-broken-heart]

My swollen lymph node situation is improving finally. Swollen still, but much less than yesterday. The bug bites have died down and are drying out or something. They aren’t as big or itchy. 

I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. Woke up to boss making a text request about someone from last month. Turned out everything was in order, but he and the client were both absolute crap and keeping/checking their own records, so I had to get up and waste time triple-checking for them. 

I do think I’ve come down with a bit of a cold. 

I made myself a double batch of cheesy ramen and dumped the leftover green beans from dinner in it. That was brunch. Then, yesterday, I picked up some weirdly out-of-season super-on-sale refrigerated canned chocolate cinnamon rolls. So I baked  some of those when mom was home on her lunch break. Basically they were normal cinnamon rolls, but instead of the usual super-sweet white sugar icing, it came with a smooth chocolate icing. Still sweet, but not the hyper-sugar sorta sweet of the white icing. The can had 5 rolls in it - enough for everyone to have one. Even the kids’ glutton father. 

I’ve just kinda been... coasting thru the day. I’m really tired. 

yesterday lil sis wrote me a note to apologize for how she behaved/snapped on Saturday night. I didn’t find it until later in the day, but between the note and chatting with her/ taking her along to the grocery store, I learned some things. Mostly that she doesn’t want to eat meat/ can’t eat meat because she’s seen too many horror documentaries about how the animals are butchered. The exceptions are: fish (they don’t make the cut for empathy, I guess - that seems to be a common trend), hamburgers (she “doesn’t know why” but I’m sure it’s because it’s her favorite fast food thing), and processed/breaded chicken (it’s not visually recognizable as meat due to the breading and shapes, I guess. I get it, mostly). She says she wants to be vegetarian - but she hates vegetables. Except corn and carrots, basically. She is very insistent lately that she be allowed to eat a whole can of creamed corn as a meal replacement whenever she doesn’t want/like what’s served for dinner. She’s expressed this [desire to go vegetarian / aversion to meat] to mom before, apparently, and lil sis  says mom is really, really resistant to a more vegetarian diet for lil sis. I haven’t witnessed this conversation, but I believe it. Mom is very stubborn and annoyingly closed-minded when it comes to food things, plus she has the stress of managing a whole household’s food on a pretty tight welfare budget. 

I’m in the middle. I understand the financial inability to add a completely separate food list to a household’s grocery shopping when that household gets by primarily on food stamps. But I also don’t think it’s impossible to make a few swaps and adjustments to compromise and make sure everyone has food they like and will eat. The main concern is: lil sis primarily likes to eat noodles. After that, high-starch low-nutrition vegetables (corn). Then, sweet fruits (apples, strawberries, peaches, grapes). Obviously, when the household is tight on cash, the boxed pastas are the cheapest and most filling, so those are the “best” option. And we always have pasta in the cabinets. But the nutrition of that option is bullshit. It’s practically all carbs - no dietary fats, no protein, very little vitamins and minerals. The canned creamed corn isn’t much better - it’s also primarily carbs and starch, with some added sugar and animal fat in the form of the cream. Fruits: more of the same, with a greater shift to natural sugars and fiber. But still: little to no protein, and incredibly scant amounts of vitamins and minerals. And no, she doesn’t take supplements or multivitamins. Lil sis is quite bad at swallowing pills (when she was prescribed antibiotics, the first few days were stressful, tedious hell). She even refuses the delicious gummy ones. 

So, I mean. Until she authentically experiences having to afford to feed herself, she’s never going to fully break away from her opinion that mom can ~totally~ afford a full separate fresh-veg/fresh-fruit grocery list. But, also, mom’s too stubbornly resistant to the idea of letting lil sis eat less meat to make any meaningful grocery list swaps. So I scratched my constantly-misfiring brain and perused some sale items in the grocery store, to try to bring home some more nutritionally valuable things that lil sis can eat. She still likes yogurt, so I had her pick some out. There were some protein granola things that she was pretty sure she’s like - so I picked a couple of those up. (Mom usually gets the “snack” versions that are just granola, sugar, and chocolate bits) Strawberries were BOGO, so I bought two little tubs of those, with the note that each one should last about three days. (Despite putting my initials on them to keep her father out, I think he’s gotten into them already - he also ate the fruit cups I bought for lil sis a week or two ago. She never even knew they were in the house before he’d eaten all of them) 

Anyway. idk. There was also some chitchat with mom before I went to the grocery store with lil sis yesterday. And lil sis was saying some hardcore socialist/ancom shit without knowing it. (mostly she was getting at the idea of the Universal Basic Income) And mom was being predictably super-defensive of her Murican Capitalism (”But if everyone gets their basic needs met, literally no one will work ever again!” etc). I genuinely wanted to get into an explanation of how mom was wrong, and basically advocating for the death of anyone who couldn’t contribute “enough” “meaningful” labor (and we actually did touch on it briefly when mom brought up a handicapped acquaintance of ours) but I did not have anywhere near the energy to go through with it. I felt a bit proud of lil sis for not being brainwashed by capitalist propaganda (even from her own mom). 

goddamn I’m hungry today. Recapping the grocery adventure from yesterday sure didn’t help though. 

[tartagliaxx]

@quixoticmirror (self tagging so I can find your asks on mobile in the future a little faster!! ;w;)

Oh goodness,, i'm glad you're getting to enjoy it ! :D have you ever done something called a rain shower? (aka just step outside in your clothes and walk around and then head back in for a proper shower after) assuming it is safe for you to do that! i did it sometimes and still do, and i just find it weirdly calming and very fun (and the nap + hot food after is vvv good) :"D . but i totally mood everything you said it's just?? Idk it hits the brain jus rite... it's just so very soothing ! (Also silk pajamas? good taste !! I used to wear those all the time as a kid and idk they rly give you that nostalgia; i'm viet <living in the states now> so i totally get it !)

I loved artic monkey's AM album SO much I loop it a lot tbh gjkfgkf but I have yet to listen to the songs you recc'd, i've been out all day so I'll try to remember to do it some time tomorrow when i'm (not listening to the genshin summer ost over and over oops)

Ahh I see ;o; it's okay ! my belief is to do what makes you happy as long as it's not adversely harming you.. no judgement here ! i understand the lack of choice :^) but i hope you can fill your time with other things that keep you happy! (just a personal gripe of mine just bc i found the internet to be absolute toxic sometimes and sometimes.. u just gotta not be there for a little, but im not tryna tell u what to do ! again, as long as it's keeping you happy i really see no issue!) . I went to a japanese restaurant and overall it was honestly delicious !! ^w^ thank you I did enjoy it a lot ! But I'm quite tired now ^^; so I'm probably gonna get a long rest for the night. i hope today went good for you too ! ;w;

regarding the asks, the ‘from my darling : quixoticmirror’ tag should function the same way, at least, if tumblr is being cooperative so you could just tap that to see all of our interactions.

i digress. i actually wasn’t allowed to do that as a child bc i live in the city which is heavily polluted plus i was also kind of sickly. the most that i could do was stand outside under an umbrella and just let the rain hit my hands. it’s always something i wanted to do though. my silk pajamas are black and gold winnie the pooh themed. it’s one of my best impulsive buys ever lolol

am album superiority 😌 i think i just found out about it last month or so? arctic monkeys isnt unfamiliar but i didnt enjoy their songs as much i do now before. guess im back at it again w inconsistent music tastes ahsvhaha

tbf the time i spend on my phone are all dedicated to things that are more or less positive? like just chatting w friends, writing my tension away and just scrolling through fan content. it’s been p fun and chill as opposed to when im having classes and everything’s just stressful. speaking of japanese food, im kinda craving some now 😭 it’s been almost a year since i had some good authentic ramen and stuff. anw, i hope you have a good night’s rest mwah ✨

[ah17hh]

I can’t stop having sex with instant ramen noodles via /r/emojipasta

I can’t stop having sex with instant ramen noodles

Yeah, you 👈 read 📘 that 😐 right. 👌 I 👁 can't 🚫 stop 🚫 having 👬 sex 🍆 with 👏 Instant Ramen 🍜 Noodles. 💯 It's 🕛 really 😍 fucked 😩 up 🔺 to 💦 be 🐝 completely 😡 honest, 😇 and 👏 it 💯 all 💯 started 💢 when 🍑 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 suggested we 👥 start 🔘 experimenting a 👌 bit 😁 in 👏 the 👏 bedroom. I 👁 suggested we 👥 try 😐 anal, 🍑 after 👀 all 💯 I’ve 👏 been 👏 hinting lately that 😐 I’ve 👏 been 👏 yearning 😡 for 🍆 him 👴 to 💦 shove 😠 his 💦 seven 🔥 inch 📏 cock 🍆 into 👉 my 👨 tight 👉 bleached 💦 asshole. 🍑 I'd 🙏 be 🐝 such 😳 a 👌 good 👌 anal 🍑 slut 😈 for 🍆 him. 👴 But 🍑 that’s 💪 not 🚫 nearly 👣 what 😦 he 👨 suggested instead. He wanted 😍 to 💦 face 😀 fuck 🍆 me 😭 while 🕗 I 👁 had 💋 my 👨 mouth 💋 full 🌝 of 💦 Instant Ramen 🍜 noodles. At first 👆 I 👁 thought 💭 there 👌 was 👏 no 🙅 way 💫 I’d 😗 ever 😠 do 👌 it. 💯 I 👁 yelled in 👏 protest, how 💯 dare he 👨 think 💭 I’d 😗 ever 😠 do 👌 that? 😐 I 👁 mean, 😏 it’s 💀 not 🚫 like 💖 I’m 👌 a 👌 prude, I 👁 fuck 🍆 him 👴 silly 🙃 in 👏 each 👏 and 👏 every 👏 way 💫 he 👨 desires. But 🍑 like 💖 this, 👈 no, 🙅 there’s 💩 no 🙅 way. That was 👏 until 🙄 he 👨 brought home 🏡 some 👨 Tonkotsu Instant Ramen 🍜 noodles. 💯 He 👨 spent 😵 all 💯 night 🌙 preparing it. 💯 The 👏 noodles 💯 were 👶 cooked 🍳 to 💦 perfection, a 👌 half 💀 marinated egg 🍳 succulently placed in 👏 the 👏 authentic Japanese bowl, 🍀 topped with 👏 seaweed sheets 👉 and 👏 seasoning. It 💯 was 👏 the 👏 perfect 💯 bowl 🍀 of 💦 ramen. 🍜 So 💯 I 👁 sat down 🔻 at 🍆 the 👏 kitchen 🐶 and 👏 started 💢 to 💦 eat. 👉 Fuck 🍆 me 😭 it 💯 was 👏 delicious. That was 👏 until 🙄 he 👨 started 💢 to 💦 take 👊 off 📴 his 💦 pants. 👖 No! 🙅 I 👁 protested, this 👈 was 👏 way 💫 too 😡 far. 🌌 But 🍑 it 💯 was 👏 too 😡 late, 💤 my 👨 mouth 💋 was 👏 full 🌝 and 👏 his 💦 dick 🍆 was 👏 hard. 🍆 He 👨 proceeded to 💦 slowly 🐌 penetrate 👉 my 👨 mouth. 💋 I 👁 gasped 😫 to 💦 air 💨 but 🍑 all 💯 that 😐 came 💦 in 👏 was 👏 the 👏 taste 👅 of 💦 tonkotsu broth, and 👏 the 👏 faint taste 👅 of 💦 my 👨 boyfriends 👬 eager precum. 💦 I 👁 was 👏 stunned, stuffed 😜 and 👏 starting 😫 to 💦 get 🔟 horny. How was 👏 this 👈 turning 🔄 me 😭 on 🔛 I 👁 thought? 💭 I 👁 couldn’t 😲 understand. 📚 Maybe 👏 it 💯 was 👏 the 👏 hard 🍆 dick 🍆 sliding down 🔻 my 👨 throat, 😝 or 💁 the 👏 delicious 😝 ramen, 🍜 maybe 👏 a 👌 combination 🔗 of 💦 the 👏 two. 💏 It 💯 was 👏 all 💯 so 💯 tantalizingly exciting. 💦 I 👁 started 💢 to 💦 swallow the 👏 ramen 🍜 and 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 yelled out 💯 in 👏 ecstasy. I 👁 continued to 💦 slurp 😝 down 🔻 my 👨 noodles 💯 again, 😬 and 👏 he 👨 lurched forward 📲 shoving his 💦 cock 🍆 further 😵 down 🔻 my 👨 tightening throat. 😝 I 👁 told 🗣 him 👴 to 💦 fuck 🍆 me 😭 harder 💥 as 🍑 I 👁 took 👫 another 🔄 bite 😈 of 💦 my 👨 delicious 😝 ramen, 🍜 and 👏 instantly he 👨 came. 💦 There 👌 was 👏 cum 💦 all 💯 over 👏 the 👏 inside 💠 of 💦 my 👨 mouth. 💋 The 👏 mixture combined with 👏 the 👏 ramen 🍜 can 💦 only 🕦 be 🐝 described as 🍑 exquisite. 😍 Salty, 😋 smooth 😭 and 👏 rich 💲 with 👏 flavor. 😵 Days 📆 pass. 💯 Then 😮 months. 📆 We 👥 never 🙅 spoke of 💦 that 😐 day 🌞 since. 👨 I 👁 think 💭 we 👥 both 🌜 knew 👓 we 👥 had 💋 gone 🏃 too 😡 far. 🌌 There 👌 are 🔢 limits 💃 after 👀 all. But I 👁 couldn’t 😲 stop 🚫 thinking 💭 about 💦 the 👏 taste 👅 of 💦 the 👏 ramen 🍜 and 👏 cum 💦 in 👏 my 👨 mouth. 💋 At 🍆 work 🏢 one 😤 day 🌞 I 👁 decided 👯 I 👁 would 👪 go 🏃 to 💦 my 👨 local 📰 ramen 🍜 shop 🏢 and 👏 take 👊 home 🏡 a 👌 new 👌 flavor. I got 🍸 home 🏡 and 👏 as 🍑 I 👁 got 🍸 through 😩 the 👏 door 🚪 my 👨 pants 👖 were 👶 already 👋 coming 💦 off. 📴 I 👁 was 👏 dripping 🌧 wet, 💦 and 👏 horny 😉 as 🍑 hell. 🔥 I 👁 lay 💏 starfish on 🔛 my 👨 bed 🛏 and 👏 began 🔘 to 💦 pour the 👏 ramen 🍜 all 💯 over 👏 my 👨 body. 💃 It 💯 was 👏 so 💯 warm 🔥 and 👏 burned 🔥 my 👨 body 💃 but 🍑 I 👁 didn’t 👏 care, 💅 I 👁 just 👏 wanted 😍 the 👏 salty 😋 foreign mixture all 💯 over 👏 my 👨 tight 👉 and 👏 firm 🚬 body. 💃 I 👁 shoved my 👨 tiny 😑 fingers deep 😱 into 👉 my 👨 tight 👉 pussy 🐱 and 👏 masturbated 🍆 for 🍆 hours. 🕐 I 👁 was 👏 in 👏 total 💯 and 👏 pure 😩 ecstasy. That was 👏 until 🙄 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 came 💦 through 😩 the 👏 door. 🚪 I 👁 was 👏 shocked to 💦 see 👀 him 👴 home 🏡 so 💯 early, 🕐 and 👏 he 👨 was 👏 too, 😡 for 🍆 the 👏 sight he 👨 came 💦 upon 👦 could 🔒 only 🕦 be 🐝 described as 🍑 disastrously 😱 unique. It 💯 only 🕦 took 👫 seconds 🕑 for 🍆 him 👴 to 💦 become 😌 instantly rock 🗿 hard. 🍆 I 👁 could 🔒 see 👀 his 💦 muscles twitch as 🍑 he 👨 gazed upon 👦 me 😭 all 💯 wet 💦 and 👏 dripping 🌧 with 👏 ramen. 🍜 His 💦 pants 👖 flew off 📴 and 👏 he 👨 mounted on 🔛 top 🔝 of 💦 me. 😭 Neither of 💦 us 👨 cared 😍 at 🍆 this 👈 point 📍 that 😐 the 👏 ramen 🍜 had 💋 cooled. It 💯 didn’t 👏 matter 🙅 anymore. 🔥 We 👥 just 👏 wanted 😍 this 👈 moment. The sex 🍆 lasted for 🍆 hours, 🕐 and 👏 I 👁 came 💦 many, 👬 many 👬 times. 🕒 Right 👌 as 🍑 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 began 🔘 to 💦 climax 😰 deep 😱 inside 💠 my 👨 pussy 🐱 I 👁 pushed him 👴 off. 📴 What 😦 the 👏 fuck 🍆 was 👏 I 👁 doing? 📌 What 😦 the 👏 actual fuck 🍆 was 👏 I 👁 doing? 📌 Everyone 👥 knows 👃 that 😐 this 👈 is 💦 the 👏 last 😍 situation 🎮 a 👌 deep 😱 southern Texas girl 👧 like 💖 me 😭 wanted 😍 to 💦 happen. 😱 My 👨 dad 👴 had 💋 warned 😤 me 😭 this 👈 day 🌞 might 🔍 come 💦 the 👏 day 🌞 he 👨 walked 🚶 in 👏 on 🔛 me 😭 watching 👀 Hentai 👯 and 👏 twiddling my 👨 bean. "Jessie, you 👈 know, 💭 never 🙅 have 👏 sex 🍆 with 👏 ramen 🍜 noodles 💯 nearby, that’s 💪 how 💯 you 👈 get 🔟 pregnant 🍆 with 👏 one 😤 of 💦 those 🐥 damn 😤 Asians, 👌 and 👏 damn 😤 you 👈 know 💭 whattle happen 😱 to 💦 you 👈 if 👏 that 😐 happens" Fuck you 👈 dad, 👴 you 👈 racist fuck. 🍆 I 👁 wanted 😍 this 👈 anyway. 🔛 I 👁 needed this 👈 anyway. 🔛 I 👁 was 👏 ready. 😏 I 👁 was 👏 primed to 💦 go. 🏃 My 👨 boyfriend 👬 climbed back 🔙 on 🔛 and 👏 finished 👅 deep 😱 inside 💠 my 👨 pussy. 🐱 It 💯 was 👏 beautiful. 🌄 Nine 🍆 months 📆 later 🕑 I 👁 gave 🎁 birth 👑 to 💦 my 👨 first 👆 child 👦 ファック私の愚かなパパ chan, he’s 👨 a 👌 great 👍 little 👌 kid 👦 and 👏 I 👁 love 😍 him 👴 so 💯 much. Three years 📅 pass 💯 and 👏 now 👋 I’m 👌 on 🔛 my 👨 third Japanese child. 👦 How 💯 did 👏 this 👈 go 🏃 so 💯 far? 🌌 That’s 💪 when 🍑 the 👏 Japanese government 💩 called 📲 me. 😭 They 👥 wanted 😍 to 💦 being 😑 me 😭 in 👏 for 🍆 questioning. They 👥 wanted 😍 me 😭 to 💦 help 💁 them 💦 rebuild the 👏 dwindling Japanese population. It's 🕛 a 👌 serious 😐 problem 😊 for 🍆 them 💦 and 👏 they 👥 desperately needed my 👨 help. 💁 The 👏 foreign minister I 👁 spoke with 👏 even 🌃 mentioned free 💜 Hentai 👯 and 👏 ramen 🍜 for 🍆 the 👏 rest 😪 of 💦 my 👨 life. 👤 How 💯 could 🔒 I 👁 ever 👏 say 🗣 no? So I 👁 moved 📦 my 👨 pretty 👰 little 👌 ass 🍑 to 💦 Japan 🍣 and 👏 have 👏 been 👏 living 🐙 here 👏 since. 👨 I 👁 love 😍 my 👨 life 👤 here. 👏 Every 👏 day 🌞 me 😭 and 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 go 🏃 to 💦 a 👌 new 👌 Ramen 🍜 shop 🏢 and 👏 purchase 🛒 our 💩 daily 🕢 bowl. 🍀 We 👥 then 😮 take 👊 a 👌 beautiful 🌄 walk 👣 through 😩 our 💩 local 📰 park, 🌲 admire the 👏 trees 🌲 and 👏 grass. 🌱 My 👨 boyfriend 👬 always 🔥 remembers 🐘 to 💦 bring 🚶 bread 🍞 for 🍆 the 👏 local 📰 ducks. We 👥 named 📛 one 😤 Guss, we 👥 both 🌜 love 😍 Guss and 👏 remember 💭 to 💦 see 👀 him 👴 every 👏 day. 🌞 He's 👦 a 👌 good 👌 little 👌 duck. We then 😮 head 💆 back 🔙 to 💦 our 💩 home, 🏡 take 👊 off 📴 all 💯 our 💩 cloths and 👏 proceed to 💦 pour our 💩 bowl 🍀 of 💦 ramen 🍜 over 👏 each 👏 of 💦 our 💩 bodies. 😍 He 👨 fucks 😤 me 😭 like 💖 no 🙅 one 😤 else. 😩 I 👁 cum, 💦 then 😮 I 👁 cum 💦 again, 😬 and 👏 again, 😬 and 👏 again. 😬 It's 🕛 never 🙅 felt 😎 like 💖 chore 👷 for 🍆 me. 😭 And 👏 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 loves 💘 it 💯 more 🍗 than 👉 life 👤 itself. 🚝 Before 😂 we 👥 finish 🏁 we 👥 remember 💭 to 💦 shove 😠 a 👌 tiny 😑 bit 😁 of 💦 ramen 🍜 deep 😱 inside 💠 me 😭 before 😂 my 👨 boyfriend 👬 finishes. I 👁 don't 🚫 think 💭 this 👈 is 💦 the 👏 life 👤 for 🍆 me 😭 though. It 💯 eats me 😭 up 🔺 inside 💠 that 😐 all 💯 I’m 👌 capable 😡 in 👏 life 👤 is 💦 breeding little 👌 Japanese babies 👶 through 😩 sex 🍆 with 👏 ramen 🍜 noodles. 💯 I 👁 think 💭 I’m 👌 more 🍗 capable 😡 than 👉 that. 😐 I 👁 want 👏 out. 💯 I 👁 want 👏 a 👌 change. Can you 👈 help 💁 me? 😭 Can 💦 you 👈 help 💁 me 😭 from 👉 the 👏 life 👤 I’ve 👏 created? 💯 I 👁 don't 🚫 want 👏 to 💦 be 🐝 a 👌 ramen 🍜 breeder anymore. 🔥 I 👁 don't 🚫 know 💭 where 😐 to 💦 turn. 💃 I 👁 don't 🚫 know 💭 where 😐 to 💦 go.

Submitted February 08, 2020 at 08:34AM by SeymourMcCarthy via reddit https://ift.tt/2SwS7mO