#no more japanese buffet food for me

[catcas22]

Literally Dreaming About the DLC

Had a disturbingly vivid dream about an Elden Ring sidequest, and decided to share it 1) to exorcise it from my mind 2) because there might be some potential here?

Content warning for implied dead kids.

Starts out galloping around Liurnia at night, on the lake just north of the Moonlight Altar. Hereabouts, I think:

Tarnished spots a large cluster of spectral animals ahead and investigates. In the center of the herd is a spectral dragon-hybrid, childlike but in a Ghost of Christmas Past sort of way.

The spirit appears morose and rather confused about her current state. When questioned, she drops a few poetically ominous lines about cold and dark, then mentions the name "The Hunter Michigain" [sic] before she clams up.

Tarnished goes to ask her buddy Kalé if he's heard any local gossip about this guy. Kalé explains that Michigain is a madman worshipping some kind of cold-affiliated entity. He sacrifices to said entity by kidnapping small children and leaving them down an abandoned mine to die of hypothermia (What the hell, my subconscious? I think I might have been drawing on SCP-4666 a bit).

Kalé then proceeds to recount an absolutely harrowing tale of how years ago, his three-year-old nephew was taken by Michigain. Against all counsel, Kalé's brother tried to go after the kid. Michigain broke the poor guy's legs and left him a few levels down the mine, close enough to the surface that those above could hear his agonized pleas for help. Kalé finally breaks and arms up to go spring the obvious trap.

Present day, Kalé recounts that he didn't get his brother or his nephew back, just a leg so mangled he can still barely walk on it. Kalé began the story trying to dissuade us from tangling with Michigain, but by the end of it he's ready for round two now that he has the Tarnished for extra muscle.

Kalé directs us to a set of ruins high on the Moonlight Altar, where we find the entrance to Michigain's mine. It's an absolutely hellish platforming puzzle, where we have to drop down level by level through the entire depth of the plateau, balancing on rickety mineshaft scaffolding while Michigain shoots at us with a gatling crossbow and his goons try to run along the rafters and tackle us off.

Thankfully, there are no visible dead kids, no environment-hazard live kids that we have to avoid friendly-firing, and no kids attacking us for whatever reason. There is, however, an omnipresent sound of sniffling and whimpering, always sounding as if it's just around the corner, sometimes louder, sometimes softer.

Kalé is with us. He moves at like 0.2 miles per hour due to the bad leg, and he'll die in a hurry if you leave him behind. But if you stick with him and draw fire, he's got a big hatchet and a box-fed dart gun, and he's quite effective at sniping the cultist highwaymen as they try to rush you.

Michigain looks like a sort of evil coureur des bois, wrapped up in layers of snow-dusted leather and fur. We never see his face. He never says a word. He fights with the aforementioned gatling crossbow, then switches to a pickaxe when we get close.

Before we fight him, we get a miniboss in the form of his two dragon-hybrid henchmen, both notably bigger and older than the spirit who initially tipped us off.

We finally face Michigain at the lowest level of the mine. The sounds of weeping children are loudest here. If we spoke to Ranni after triggering the quest and informed her of what was happening on her land, she shows up halfway through the fight the way Yura does for the Nerijus fight. She gives a monologue to the tune of "You merely adopted the dark, I was born into it" that I dearly wish I could remember verbatim, then wrecks the guy with Ranni's Dark Moon.

It was only in the process of writing this all out that I realized the two dragon-hybrids are definitely the specter child's parents, who sacrificed their own daughter for the sake of Michigain's cult.

[tmntkiseki]

Things that are official TMNT 2003 canon

Leonardo has the longest list of favorite foods, including rice, fish, salads, apples, and pizza (funnily enough, the list doesn't include sushi, although Donatello says in his profile that it's one of his favorites, alongside pizza)

Leonardo hangs Japanese lanterns in his room to make it more relaxing. He's also the only turtle to sleep in a traditional Japanese futon.

Raphael is the only turtle who doesn't have pizza listed as one of/his favorite food. (His favorite food is cereal.)

He also insists that the original Jurassic Park book is better than the movie. (I mean isn't the book always better than the movie?)

Raphael sleeps in a hammock because "sleeping on a mattress is for wimps." It should be noted that there are pillows beneath it, meaning he probably falls out of it on a regular basis.

One of Donatello's nicknames is actually spelled "Donny," not "Donnie" as it tends to be within the fanbase.

Donatello keeps a photo of April in his room, stating "she's kinda nice to have around." (I don't ship 03 Apriltello for obvious reasons, but there's no denying he had a puppy crush on her.)

Michelangelo is a Jimmy Buffet fan while Donatello is stated to enjoy The Roches.

Michelangelo has a drum set in his room that he plays "all night." He also has a working jukebox.

April likes most music. Except opera. She doesn't like opera.

April's hobbies include antiquing, martial arts, reading, and "talking to interesting people."

Casey likes Mexican and Italian food, along with pretzels and... beverages. He was definitely going to say beer.

Casey also apparently likes Mike Hammer books.

Shredder's favorite colors, in his own words: "Purple, the color of royalty, as it befits me. Black, the color of the void that only I can fill. Red, as it flows from the lifeless bodies of my enemies!"

Oroku "Food is a disease" Saki

Either Hun has a sweet tooth or there's a big pun going on here because his favorite food? Pound cake. (He also wants you to just call him "sir.")

[sohcah--toa]

bullet train/マリアビートル details ~

Hello!! I recently dug up the Bullet Train script (if you search it up, you should be able to find it relatively easily!! I'm not sure if it's completely reliable but it seems to be the first version) and listened to the soundtrack. (It's awesome, you should listen if you haven't already!!)

There's a lot of stuff here about マリアビートル, I hope you enjoy reading 🥳 (It's really ridiculous)

-- 1 ) LEMON'S CHILDHOOD // BACKGROUND(??)

I attached a photo for reference in the book!! :D (there's highlighter marks, I'm sorry) His backstory is tragic and aahh noo 🥹... I won't say much on it because we're all thinking the same thing. In the script, this is carried over when Lemon passes out because of the water. But apparently, in the final movie, this isn't shown a lot. In the book and movie, they aren't brothers and have a considerably colder relationship, so I can understand why the childhood scene in the cut is so much more wholesome. (Still supersuper cool though!!)

-- 2) "I'm forever blowing bubbles"

The original reason why this song was chosen for Bullet Train was because of Tangerine's West Ham United sticker (turns out, that's a football club). Hey!! But wait a minute!! There's a funny coincidence because Ladybug in the book was trying to become a football star. He has a quote that's like "my friend told me that someone like me could either become a footballer or a criminal, so I did both" and he says that his first crime was stealing a football.

The song delves into themes surrounding fortune as well!! I love their music selection 🙇‍♂️😤

-- 3) THREE ASSASSINS/グラスホッパー REFERENCES

Okay this part (in a way...) contains spoilers for Three Assassins, which is the first book of the "series"! ! The story revolves around a guy named Suzuki, who appears again in Bullet Train!! He kinda-sorta becomes friends with Ladybug and it's like 😊 they are so happy. To be completely honest, Suzuki's a bit traumatised but so is Ladybug, right?? Lovely friendship!!

It's also so interesting that he's reading a hotel buffet menu because his wife used to love eating at buffets and he adopted the habit of hoarding all the food as well. He's on the train to meet with his dead wife's family (which was extremely difficult for him after her passing).

-- 4) BULLET TRAIN REFERENCES IN THE MANTIS/AX

There's this other book in the series called The Mantis or AX for the Japanese version. This one isn't talked about a lot but if you like family stories, this book is so so soo good. It really pulled at my heartstrings when I first read it but I can't say too much without spoiling everything. Anyway, it makes a few references to Bullet Train and literally starts with the main character, Kabuto (an assassin), having a flashback to talking to Tangerine and Lemon during one of his missions, where they had the same target so they worked together. The Twins really respect him, actually, but find it funny that he's so careful around his wife (YES KABUTO, AN ASSASSIN, HAS A WIFE). Some characters reappear so.. :")) yay!!

-- 5) 777

Ladybug comes back!! He comes back in the latest book in the series; 777. So far, the Japanese reviews have been pretty positive and I think there's an English translation coming in November!! 🥳 I like how the title is 777; 7 like 7 tails in Nanao (七尾), car 7, his favourite number is 7 (if I recall correctly), 7 the "lucky number".

-- 6) THIS GUY

No one asked but I heavily dislike the Prince in the book. (to be honest, who doesn't...) He's just mean for no reason and likes ruining people's lives, makes fun of poor Ladybug (this really isn't that bad compared to the other stuff he does) and yeah, the list goes on. Also apparently he (heavily) tortures other schoolmates and it's not like he gets paid for it like the Twins or the other guys. He just does it for fun?? OK!! The premise of his character is amazing and it's great to see a villain that's actually just straight evil but since he's designed that way, we are validated when hating him ww. He talks about politics as well for some reason... keeps referencing historical tragedies.... man.

-- 7) ASAGAO/THE PUSHER

The Pusher is back too!! Weee~ (not really)

In the movie, it seems as though this entire part got cut out which, like, is reasonable. I attached a photo from the Grasshopper (2015) movie for reference hahaha. The guy in the black suit is the Pusher!! Yeah, he pushes people!! (not in the fun way!!)

He is in charge of protecting Wataru from the Prince's guy, although he's reluctant at first. He's obsessed with bugs and stuff. Whenever he opens his mouth, it's probably going to be about bugs. The Pusher's also strangely poetic. Maybe it's because he likes old bands like the Rolling stones? Oh!! And he gets mentioned in The Mantis.

And speaking of the Kimura family, Yuichi Kimura says something very true and it's:

"who do they gotta make the train toilets so nasty"

-- 8) LADYBUG IS COOL

This is very much a fact. In Mariabeetle, he gets kidnapped when he's 8 years old because he gets mistaken for a rich kid (after he lost a bet with his wealthy friend and had to wear his "rich person backpack"), then in the place he's being held captive, he escapes by HIMSELF since his dad isn't able to give the guys money for his son back (since they took the wrong person!!). But heyy he's resourceful and smart.

AND guess what?? He gets traumatised because there was this other boy being held but Ladybug didn't save him and it's haunted him ever since. This is also one of the reasons why he ends up helping the Prince even though he knows it won't do him any good.

Obviously, it gets worse from there. He makes it back to his family and they're pretty happy. Unfortunately, they're far from rich and Ladybug has to study extremely hard to get into a college. Spoiler alert, he doesn't. THE THING IS!! He studied so hard!! It's just that during his exam, some kid sneezed on his paper and he wiped it, smudging all his work and even his name!! Nanao! No!!

-- 9) TANGERINE BOOK RECS

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

"We perished, each alone."

-> He really loves that quote. A lot. Also he's a Virginia Woolf fan!!

2. Forbidden Colours - Yukio Mishima

-> He's also a Yukio Mishima fan... I wonder if he's ever read "The Sound of Waves". What would he think about it? Hahaha this will keep me up at night 😅 (<- SLANTED EMOJI!!)

3. The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea - Yukio Mishima

-> To talk about Article 41 of the Penal Code of Japan. (Mr Kotaro Isaka, the author, studied law, by the way!! It's interesting!!) However, here, Tangerine quotes Mishima on Article 41 ;)

4. Hemingway and Faulkner

-> Actually it's a collection so it's not really a book recommendation but these two people are real - Ernst Hemingway (the Old Man and the Sea guy) and William Faulkner. They didn't really get along, by the way, and even though they respected the other's work, they criticised more than praised. Sounds like the Twins.

5. Demons - Fyodor Dostoevsky

-> "Crime is no longer insanity, but simply common sense, almost a duty; anyway, a gallant protest."

I think the author is a heavy Fyodor Dostoevsky fan, just because he also referenced his works in Three Assassins.

6. Crime and Punishment ;D

-> "Science now tells us, love yourself before all men, for everything in the world relies on self-interest."

(CONT'D) yeahh this book was referenced in Three Assassins and one of the characters is obsessed with it. Glad to see that Tangerine is a fan too hahahaha.

-- 10) LEMON IS AWESOME

Opinionated text here but Lemon is plain awesome.

"Between the principal's name and Doraemon's gadgets, it was blindingly obvious which one was more important."

To each their own and I know he's a criminal but he seems like he has no enemies. Sounds very wholesome.

-- 11) HORNET THE MVP

She's in Three Assassins AND the Mantis!! Hypercool. In both books, the Hornet is a team of a male and a female. The female is eliminated (this word choice ww) by Ladybug but the male is still up and kicking, though Ladybug feels bad about it. They use poison needles, like the movie, but they trigger anaphylaxis, which is a really dangerous allergic reaction that causes body shocks.

-- 12) SUZUKI: PHILOSOPHER AND ECONOMIST

"If people knew that they might be killed by someone tomorrow, economic activity would grind to a halt."

... well 😅 take from that what you will.

(that's Suzuki!!)

Cela dit... that's all.... so long, I'm sorry. But thank you so much if you read until the end!! I hope you at least found it a bit entertaining!! :"))

[pukanavis]

"Mystery on a Moonlit Cruise" Track 6

Location: Party Hall

Ryui: Those testimonies were enough for you to figure out what happened?

Netaro: Yep, harnessing my genius intellect made it crystal clear.

Muneuji: Please share your conclusion with us, Netaro-san.

Nanaki: Who would’ve done something like this…?

Yukikaze: Was I right to assume that I did this unconsciously after all…?

Netaro: The culprit behind this mass slumber is…

Everyone: Gulp.

Netaro: No one!!

Ryui: …Huh?

Yukikaze: How can that be?

Netaro: It’s simple! This incident is nothing but a series of coincidences! Everyone that coincidentally happened to be in the party hall was coincidentally hit with a wave of simultaneous fatigue and coincidentally fell asleep! It was all just a big mishap.

Nanaki: A mishap…?

Ryui: On what fucking planet does that many coincidences line up!? I’m not playing your games, Yowa.

Netaro: But you can't say it's impossible! There’s an astronomical possibility of a phenomenon like this occurring~. Next question~.

Ryui: Tch…we’re not getting anywhere with this. I’m leaving.

Nanaki: Where are you going, Ryui-san?

Ryui: To look for some way to get this shit sorted out, obviously.

Nanaki: …Haven't we done enough?

Ryui: …What?

Nanaki: We’ve already shared our statements and while I understand how you feel, Yowa-san isn't wrong when he says that this whole thing could just be one unfortunate mishap…

If we keep digging into this, it might end up driving us mad with paranoia instead.

Ryui: …

If that’s how you feel then there’s nothing stopping you from sitting on your ass.

Nothing will change as long as you refuse to do anything. Things’ll stay the same as always, and you’ll get to keep hiding away from harm in that safe little bubble.

ーFlashback

Yukikaze: Would you rather not tell her yourself?

Nanaki: (I’m worried that I’ll end up making things weird…)

Nanaki: …Is there something wrong with that?

Ryui: Nah, it's fine. If that’s what you really want, I mean.

Nanaki: …

Ryui: …All I know is that I’m done living like that. See ya.

Muneuji: Ryui-san has gone off on his own.

Yukikaze: What should we do now?

Netaro: I for one am ready to clean up what’s left of the buffet! Using my brain for all that detective work is making my tummy grumble!

Muneuji: It would certainly be a shame to let the food grow cold. Will you be having a bite too, Nanamegi?

Nanaki: …

…I’ll pass.

Netaro: Why~?

Nanaki: After hearing what Ryui-san said…I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself if I end up doing nothing at all while he’s gone.

Yukikaze: Nanaki…

Nanaki: (Even a certain someone called out my tendency to throw up a wall and try to act like an adult.)

There’s actually something that I’ve had floating around in my mind.

It probably doesn’t mean anything, so I didn’t want to bring it up in fear of embarrassing myself or weirding everyone out.

But I’d like to share it now, if it’s okay—

Muneuji: I’m glad you’ve decided to bring it up, Nanamegi.

Yukikaze: Agreed, this is really cool of you. I’m proud to be your big brother.

Nanaki: Ah…I wasn’t expecting you guys to be so encouraging…this reaction is making me feel even more embarrassed…

A-Anyway.. I wanted to talk about what happened just before we arrived at the door to the party hall—

Location: Outdoor Walkway

Ryui: …Doesn’t look like anyone is tailing me.

(If Yowa couldn't detect any other intelligent life forms on the boat, then what are the chances that something from a different world is the one behind this...?)

Anything wandering around this far out at sea is gonna be a real pain in the ass to deal with. I should’ve packed a bottomless ladle with me. [1]

Ryui: Listen up. If you can speak, answer me.

I want to hear everything you know.

Back | ★ | Next

Notes 1. Ryui is referring to a hishaku, a Japanese ladle made from bamboo. It is believed that a bottomless hishaku can be used as protection against spirits that try to sink boats by flooding them.

[thebroccolination]

I remember one of the most influential moments I had on my body image while living in Japan.

One Saturday afternoon, my Japanese coworker and I went out to lunch, and as we left the buffet, stuffed to satisfaction, she said, “I shouldn’t have eaten so much. I’m already the fat one in my family.”

I was distracted thinking about something else, and I thought she was joking, so I made a noncommittal kind of noise. I’d only been in Japan for half a year at that point, and I was already tired of the extensive fat-shaming almost everyone took part in, so I just disconnected whenever it started.

Then I glanced at her and realized she was serious. She had a self-deprecating half-smile, and she didn’t seem to be setting me up for one of those, “No, but you’re so pretty,” responses. She was just stating a fact. This person, who probably couldn’t have pinched more than a pinky’s width of fat anywhere on her body, was ashamed of her size.

Meanwhile, I was twenty-three and deeply, profoundly hated my body. Back then, I would have given most anything to be her size.

And in that moment, I realized: it’ll never be enough.

No matter how petite, how skinny, how svelte, how toned, how whatever. The societies many of us live in profit off of the desperation of mass misery, and no amount of dieting would ever give me a pass from that misery. If I was thin, there’d be some other issue to “fix”, like “weird elbows” or something else that I haven’t even thought about because no one’s had the opportunity to tell me how much it costs to adjust it yet.

I realized in a mall on a Saturday that the joy I’d been chasing had to come from disengaging from the whole chase, not from changing my body.

And I mean, I’m not totally there yet, even over a decade later. It’s difficult to love what you’re repeatedly told is wrong about yourself, and I hated my body for much longer than I’ve been actively trying to love it. I cling to offhand compliments about my looks, and I feel a twinge of guilt whenever I enjoy the “wrong” foods, and I fantasize about how much easier or happier life would be if I looked the way my coworker looked then.

But at least I know to my core that it will never be enough for them. No size, no shape, no degree of perfection will ever be enough for the societies and cultures I’ve lived in that judge one’s morality by one’s body. Relatives of mine in the States over the holidays tortured themselves with “I was being so good so far” and “I’m going to be bad tonight” and it’s just so pointlessly cruel that we’re set up to think this way about ourselves.

I made a lemon-glaze cake over the holidays, and almost no one ate it because so many people were dieting.

I did, though.

I just love the irony that living in a culture so rigid about weight actually freed me somewhat from the chase for an impossible goal. I bought diet pills as a teenager, and I couldn’t believe as recently as last week that a woman I was attracted to was hitting on me, but at least I know I’m in this snow globe now, and it makes breaking out of it easier.

Since university, I’ve been committed to exercising to gain muscle because I wanted to lose weight. But now I do it mainly because I like the strength and the flexibility that comes along with it. My weight’s never hurt me or my immune system or any aspect of my life. My brain did that, and my brain was just reacting to a lifetime of fear-mongering.

It will never be enough until you disengage from the chase.

[kylamarieeeeeeee]

#3

Vanilla sundae - 3 / 10

(cr: Yem)

This was the only picture that we got when we were at the Food Club, Ayala Mall Manila Bay. We were too busy to take pictures, as we were so hungry. From Star City, we went to the Ayala mall to get our stomachs stuffed before going back to the campus.

I'm a food lover and my rating for this buffet is 6/10. If I remembered correctly, they offered 4 cuisines. Chinese, Japanese, American, Filipino. The one I liked the most, among the foods that I've tasted was the chicken feet and tempura. The chicken feet was really well cooked and soft. (Disclaimer: It's not gross and disgusting. It just tastes like the meat of a chicken but it just has a lpt of small bones.) The meat was falling off from the bones and it has a savory taste. It almost tastes the same as the Chinese resto King Chef. (King Chef is one of the main dominant Chinese restos in the Metro.) It was that good for me. It was even hot when I ate it, that added a factor that made it more delicious. I greatly missed the dimsums that we used to eat every Sunday with my friends. For the tempura, it was crunchy on the outside and soft inside! The dipping sauce was also good. It complimented the tempura nicely and added taste to it. I think I went back for the tempura twice and got a good amount of it. For the Filipino cuisine, I only tasted the Lechon, because it was the only food that I can't eat on a regular basis or in events. Sadly, the skin was more of tough and not crunchy. Though the meat was juicy, it was cold already when I ate it. Not being picky, but I don't prefer cold foods, particularly a dish or meat. The pastas that were served during that time didn't look appetizing too. I feel like it was bland and dry. That's why I didn't put some in my plate, though I got to taste the Carbonara. Unfortunately it really was bland and dry for me. Also, it was cold, didn't really like it. I like pastas that are saucy and warm.

For the dessert, vanilla ice cream with chocolate fondue and some toppers. - 3/10 for real. The ice cream was too sweet. It was like evap milk with a whole jug of condensed milk that was frozen. Felt like my throat was about to scream if I didn't drank water, after every spoon. Since we added chocolate, it was sweeter, but it made it edible for me. The other flavors didn't look like they tasted good too. I should've tried the Halo halo and topped it with ube ice cream instead.

One thing I regretted (sort of) was I didn't get to eat some gummies! Before eating, I was really eyeing that I'll eat it for dessert, but sadly I was too full that I forgot to come back and get some.

Extra:

I met my best and childhood friend, Julia and her parents at the Ayala Mall!!!!!!! So great to meet her after 6 mths or so. Sadly, we didn't get to chat much, since I wasn't allowed to stroll around the mall. But meeting her in person, and introducing her to the burikats was really nice.

[womanlalaboy]

So, as someone living near Tagaytay, I never understood why would anyone willingly subject themselves to hours of commuting and crazy traffic when we had a cooler alternative nearby. Tagaytay is just an hour and a half away from Imus; 1 hour if you happen to ride a bus that will take you to the afterlife should the driver feel like it. But a mandatory company outing forced me to give Baguio a chance, and boy, was it a treat!

I was impressed by The Manor's classic and chic architecture. The place had a grandeur that blended perfectly with its mountainous surroundings. But let me tell you this: the real highlight was the breakfast buffet! I'm talking about insanely delicious food that made me want to stay there forever. I became obsessed with the egg station, where those cooks whipped up omelets like nobody's business. And don't even get me started on the al fresco dining in the foggy garden. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Eating breakfast never felt so heavenly.

I loved the dangerous ride we had, similar to the exhilarating ones in Baler. Oh, our night ride was the most thrilling. It rained hard and we could not see anything. The car's air-conditioning broke so we had to slightly open the windows just to get a whiff of that cold Baguio breeze- small opening enough for the wind to enter, but also small enough for the rain to not pour inside the car. All the struggles were definitely worth it.

Oh, and Burnham Park is as busy as everybody said, but I surprisingly enjoyed strolling there. I had a great time sitting on a mini library watching the swan boats and the little humans wearing their adult-looking clothes. I wondered how lucky they are to be born at a time of improved fashion. I recalled how much of a potato and how shitty my fashion sense was. *cringes in jeje*

Now, let's talk about Good Taste Restaurant. It blew my mind with its impressive efficiency. They had serving robots that moved around flawlessly, creating a unique kind of ASMR experience. We took tons of videos of them. The staff also worked like well-oiled machines, serving food and cleaning tables with incredible precision. It made me wish for the same level of efficiency in my workplace, in my apartment, hometown, and community. Plus, the food there was divine! I wanted to eat more, but my stomach had its limits.

We also managed to squeeze in a visit to "Ilikha," although it was closing time. Despite the limited time, I caught glimpses of its magical charm. We also spend a few hours at BenCab Museum. It was amazing; its erotica collection, the historical Philippines and the Japanese occupation. Outside BenCab, I found peace looking at a tree filled with pink "parols," and thought that even when Leni Robredo did not get to be the president, I was well dam sure that her fight had inspired countless others. Those festive decorations symbolized hope and resilience.

It has not been that long, but I miss Baguio already. My older self could never even begin to understand, but I do now. Baguio really has its charms.

[teecupangel]

tag people you want to get to know better

tagged by @concerned-astronomer :)

Three Ships: (I... don't even know how I can pick 3 so I'll just pick the 3 most recent XD)

1. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad x Desmond Miles (Assassin's Creed)

My current OTP. Can't really be sure how they became my OTP but I just love writing them. The fact that they're both morally ambiguous (especially Altaïr during his AC1 days) makes it fun to think of different scenarios to throw them in. Definitely have the 'I'll kill for you' and 'I'll destroy the world/timeline to save you' vibes which I'm weak for. Also, the fact that they're centuries apart means I could easily add in time-travel fix-its which I'm weak for as well and the Bleeding Effect adds a touch of 'to be completely and wholly connected' setup that I can use whenever I feel like it. (To be fair, this is applicable to Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton as well and I do pair Desmond with them too but pairing him with Altaïr means more morally ambiguous/questionable setups XD)

2. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd x Byleth Eisner (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

Speaking of 'I'll kill for you' and 'I'll destroy the world/timeline to save you', this pairing is the one that got me back into writing fanfic. The sheer potential of the three routes and Byleth's time-bending powers scratched my 'time travel fix it' weakness and the fact that Dimitri dies in all other routes not his own just makes my angst-with-a-happy-ending heart go hhnngggnnn.

3. Mio x Noah (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)

The development of their relationship in the main game got me. I don't normally like canon pairings, especially in JRPGs, but this one... The short moments of sweetness between them, the angst building up and culminating into those huge scenes in Chapters 5 and 6, the anguish in Harry McEntire's voice as Noah in those scenes, the absolute fuckery that is an absolute spoiler and... ugghhh. They're one of the few canon pairings I wish will have a happy ending.

(honorable mentions: sterek (the movie reignited what had long been embers because fuck that movie), merthur (they are the once and future otp), ghoap (shipped them casually in OG, loved them in the reboot) and hibatsuna/1827 (the pairing that got me writing fanfics in the first place))

First Ship: I had to think which pairing would be my first ship and I have concluded that it's Loki x Mayura Daidouji from Matantei Loki (although I do prefer Mayura's characterization from the manga). Mayura is the reason why I love pink-haired characters and their pairing has cemented the whole 'sunshine x loner/arrogant ass' otp trope for me. (I still believe in the theory that Mayura is meant to be Sigyn)

Last Song: Tranquility by Sawano Hiroyuki

Last Film: Teen Wolf (2023 Movie)

Currently reading: ... does the mission transcripts of Call of Duty Modern Warfare II count? If not, I guess the 120+ pages legal document my boss made me read for work XD

Currently watching: Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, (rewatching) Leverage

Currently consuming: Plain white corn

Currently craving: An all-you-can-eat buffet that gives me a food coma for an hour or so then makes me regret all my life choices later at night

Tagging @scrysthea, @fanworldbuildingfun, @kitsunesongs, @escapism-and-disassociation and @princesslikesfanfics but no pressure whatsoever. And anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

[thedreamparadox]

What would your own Nightopias look like and what kind of Nightmaren would live there?

I used to have a few figured out for aesthetics forever ago (like, a decade easily), but none of them were ever actually reoccurring and were just cool one-off dreams I had one time. While I'm still fond of the concept of Serenity Island (take the play island from the Destiny Islands from Kingdom Hearts and then hollow out the underside of the island and put a really cool hollow coral save in there), and Frozen Hill has some neat art potential (being a snowy nighttime winter scape with a frozen over lake and a snow covered massive jungle gym and playground structure and lots of pine trees), I'd probably adapt one of my more reoccurring dreamscapes instead.

Since I gave Shay the giant Toys R Us (which has an arcade stapled onto it that will probably be relevant later), that leaves my other commonly reoccurring locations as the hotel/water park hybrid (that said arcade connects to) and a giant mall complex that either has an underground section or connects to an underground section. Given that I am very bad at names, I've just been calling these Lucidia Mall and Lucidia Hotel. (Personally, going by what I've been operating on for my own fic lore, I'd probably have a blue Ideya and a white one so running on the 'one level per Ideya not counting red Ideya up to a max of three' that leaves me with two.)

The mall is a complex that seems to go on forever, varying from about three to five floors, sometimes more with a very high ceiling. There's at least one really cool water fountain and a bunch of stores. It's not based off of any one mall in particular but has the vibes of about three different malls I used to go to frequently/went enough to know roughly what's there I've been to plus a lot extra. The stores connect in completely illogical ways and there's a store for about everything. The only ones I can really think of that stick out are the jewelry/shiny objects store that somehow goes on for two floors, the scale broken store that vibes roundabout a JcPenny's/Bed Bath and Beyond/similar department stores. Let's call the underground section as connected. It vibes with the energy of a Japanese market side street with lower ceilings and a general vibe. But I remember having a dream with a really rad buffet. Chinese buffet level stuff but with way weirder foods (blueberry syrup tea comes to mind along with ice cream shaped into roses). This would probably be the white Ideya aligned Nightopia.

The hotel is a mix of a giant indoor pool/water park complex and an outdoor one that may or may not have a zoo attached to it? I vaguely remember a dream where loose zoo animals were a theme. But yeah, giant water park, huge slides all over the place and lots of pools. It has an arcade in the basement. Of the two, this one works better for an actual Nightopia if we're talking in terms of level design before more space to fly around it. One of the hot tubs is super deep and has the stained glass motifs from the Stations of Awakening from Kingdom Hearts. Generally a cool place to vibe. Blue Ideya associated because water motif.

Nightmaren-wise? Spiders, definitely spiders. Not canon to the games but I've got arachnophobia for those to be a thing. Aside from that uh. Not really sure? I don't really have a ton of phobias that make for good specific Nightmaren. Maybe the scorpion ones because arachnids are kinda freaky. Maybe moths. The water park would probably have the slightly freakier fish-based Nightmaren. Maybe some Shleep and Kircle for the hotel for obstacles in the outdoor section. Zero idea for boss Nightmaren, I'd probably have to make original ones and I don't have the brainpower for that right now lol.

I guess I gotta actually give these things names because of the games uhhhhh.

Let's go with Shining Mall (since the ceilings are all arched glass and the overall vibes are VERY bright) and Hydro Hotel. Level titles of ~The Infinite~ and ~The Vacation~ respectively.

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 3.

after a good night sleep, we woke up to really beautiful snow view at the resort, this snowy scene never gets old. and of course we enjoyed the onsen once again, it was just so so amazing. we had breakfast at the resort’s restaurant which is japanese buffet style, and they use many local ingredients as well. i love the variety and all the food is really fresh and taste so delicious, i ate quite a lot and was fully stuffed and satisfied.

played in the snow again for a bit because it’s a rare chance and i really enjoyed it. XD while waiting for the next bus, we also had coffee and coffee jelly soft serve and just chill at the lounge area which is relaxing and comfortable. the bus ride going back to town is lovely, there’s less snow in town of course, and we arrived at our next destination with really nice weather without any snowing.

sannai maruyama ruins 三内丸山遺跡 is a popular tourist attraction in aomori, and it looks beautiful with lots of history to learn, hence we decided to visit the place to just walk around. they do have free guided tours but the timing wasn’t very suitable so we just roam around ourselves which is totally fine too.

the place has a indoor section which plays movie (in japanese) and display some artifacts with description, but the outdoor section is the gem, and it’s just so beautiful. my friend visited this place many times but never once when it is covered in snow, and she love the view as well. the outdoor site has lots of buildings that you can get into, to see the actual site of the ruins and artifacts, and the structures are beautiful in its own way and great for photos. it was an awesome walk, definitely highly recommended.

we decided to go to ASPAM アスパム that is nearby aomori station for lunch, there’s a japanese restaurant with a great view of the bay area on the 10th floor - michinoku cuisine nishimura みちのく料理 西むら. we ordered their set meals which is mainly seafood. i had the baked hotate with egg, fish soup and hotate sashimi with rice and pickles. my friend ordered the kaisen don which has so much fresh seafood on rice. the food here is really good, seafood is fresh and taste is so appetizing, it was so satisfying, and the bonus is the great view outside the window which is calming.

after lunch, we head to aomori station as we need to take the local train to misawa station for our next hotel for the night - hoshino resorts aomoriya 星野リゾート 青森屋. this resort is one of many resorts under hoshino group of hotels, and this place has lots of unique activities you can do during your stay, besides food and onsen. the resort does pick us up from the station which is very convenient.

the resort area is quite beautiful with a lot of greens and flowers and trees. there’s an entire area filled with many things like shops, games, an izakaya, a performance show, and an apple juice tap, which taste really nice. the shop has lot of local souvenir variety, but it’s definitely slightly more pricey. we couldn’t catch the performance as all seats were already booked. but the nebuta float decorations are still beautiful to look at.

we took a short rest in our spacious hotel room before going to dinner. dinner was awesome, it’s buffet style and half of the food is cooked freshly at each stall, which is so good, the smell increase our appetites and everything truly taste good. i enjoyed so much of sashimi, grilled seafood, tempura, vegetables, and many other japanese dishes. for some reason, japanese buffet is very enjoyable and the variety just makes me happy. it was definitely a very satisfying meal, and i discovered i really liked apple tempura so much, didn’t expect that.

after a fulfilling dinner, we decided to take a walk outside the pond area, it’s litted with japanese style lanterns, there’s also a foot bath in the area, with a shrine in the middle of the pond with beautiful light up nebuta decorations. it was a very peaceful and relaxing walk, even if it is dark, but it just feel so comfortable with the beautiful night view, we also got to see stars in the sky, which is impossible in the city, that made me feel so good.

the night is not complete without a relaxing bath in the onsen, there’s an outdoor onsen in this resort, with a view of a nebuta float, how amazing is that. while the onsen was quite crowded, it still feels so good and comfortable as the onsen is quite spacious. the bath amenities is also very complete, so it’s super convenient. i love outdoor onsen so much because the bath is hot but the air is cooling, it’s super comfortable and relaxing and you get to stay in the hot spring so much longer. a relaxing hot spring is the perfect way to end the night for a good night sleep.

to be continued...

[bilbobagginshome]

A Deadbeat’s Journal 20

A Jotaro Kujo x Blackfemreader

Jotaro’s thoughts,

The drive was long but unwinding. I felt the cooling breeze after the three hour drive and absolutely enjoyed the increasing lack of traffic as I drove.Reaching the hotel though is the most relieving . I park, observing the lot.I notice a distinct quietness, only six cars parked and I’m even happier that y/n rightfully thought that the tourism season has just ended.

I think it would be best to just rest today. It's already approaching lunch and the aroma of grilled fish dances around my nostrils. The receptionist checks me in and confirms that the lunch buffet is ready. The room is wonderful with a large spacious and most importantly with a balcony overlooking the beachview. Just as I had confirmed with the virtual room tour.Complimentary fruits that y/n would have begun snacking on are nicely displayed in a sisal basket that she would have insisted we take home.

After a cooling shower and changing to a simple slightly oversized white dress shirt and white linen trousers with some flip flops , I head to the lunch room .There are quite a few more people than I expected, a family of six in one corner who were in calm discussions, two white americans who were loudly conversing although based on the continuous fluctuations of their voices, it seems that they are constantly attempting to adjust their volumes.In the middle sat a older white man who was with his trophy wife, a black woman,  considering  their rings. The wife shamelessly stares at me. I feel queasy .

I head to the barbeque section , choosing lobster and the mouth watering barbequed mackerel that I had wafted earlier.They offered mashed potatoes and this thick gravy that seemed good enough so I smothered it around my food. Looking back , I discover a vacant seat away from the crowd and as soon as I sit down and only a few bites into my food, one of the Americans comes beside me.

First of all, who approaches someone in the middle of their lunch? Maybe in the pool or even whilst taking a walk but not when one is attempting to alleviate their hunger. Secondly, I absolutely hate that aside from my brooding nature, I also got my good looks from Sadao. 

“Hi. I’m Mikayla and you are?” She enthusiastically questions. Now that she’s closer, her voice seems the pitcher of the pair and her valley girl accent makes my teeth knaw.

“Jotaro.”I hope I put enough ‘stop talking to me’ energy in my tone but rather than that , she pulls the chair opposite me.

“Oh how exotic, Are you Japanese?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing here?”

I answer honestly which leads to an unprompted Ted like talk on how beautiful Kenya is. She isn't wrong and I would have entertained her were I not only hungry but also tired from driving non-stop for three hours. My listless hums seem only to propel her loud mouth and despite the lovely made food, I keep gulping a bitter taste. After the end of another rant, she questions,

“And why are you here alone? I wouldn’t have been able to travel alone.” Her voice suggests faux concern.

“My wife was busy and I left her in Mombasa.”I lie and I can see her eyes sharpen in disbelief and slight annoyance.

“Wife? Who is she then, can I see her?” She asks coyishly though I know she has begun a battle to figure out whether I’m lying . I know that I shouldn’t prove her wrong but for a moment I imagine introducing y/n as my wife and the woman beside me seething with jealousy at the absolute beauty she is so I willingly show her my homescreen of y/n sleeping alongside Samosa.

By now, the family of six quiet mummerings had all but dimmed to listen to our conversations and from the corner of my eye notice the teens silently chuckle at my uninvited guest’s unmasked shock.

“Well I’ll let you carry on with lunch.” She says whilst rising , schooling her face to hide the obvious embarrassment she feels at attempting to flirt with a married man. I go on to add another helping . This time getting some potato wedges and ribs. Suddenly the food no longer has a grey aftertaste and after filling myself with sweets . I head for an afternoon nap.

 * * *

Waking up to a wonderful evening breeze is literally luxury living . I don’t think I’d get over the beach even though my apartment is just another beach house.After washing my face , I head to the beach bar and order a tequila to warm me up as the breeze is even more chilling once you leave the room . There are quite a few more people at the beach, most however are not from the hotel . A group of teens are playing beach volleyball. Others are swimming in the deeper areas of the beach whereas some have decided to lounge in the hotel's white gazebos . The Americans seem annoyed at my appearance and whisper to themselves as I lounge. I don’t care. She embarrassed herself when she came over.

I picked up the book y/n gave me and it's so engrossing I didn’t even realise that it was almost dinnertime. One of the staff jolts me back to reality and with a teasing smile, reminds me of the approaching hour. Walking around the hotel while reading would be hindering in more ways than one so I bookmark the page, surprisingly I’m almost halfway done. Granted it's a light novel but still.

I notice the same group as lunchtime, with a few more guests who are only here for the dinner course.The barbeque is even more abundant and the seafood buffet even more appetising .This time I opt for some macaroni and cheese with shrimp , prawns and another mackerel. A salad just to balance out the carbs and I’m off to the table with my room number. I reply to the trophy wife’s husband nod and continue reading my book while eating . Luckily it went without a hitch ,I enjoyed the varying beverages, surprised by the sweet tasting bungo juice and plan to recreate it on my own at home.

As I drift off , I think that I should call her. She seemed a bit sad and the guilt is beginning to settle in. But I need this time away, not only to sort my feelings but to understand where I’m headed in my career. I feel somewhat disillusioned, there is a lot more paperwork than I expected. Moreover, grant organisers are controlling , only interested in the underlined project and are unwilling to be flexible whenever other obstacles or more aid is needed until relentless nagging on my part.The Speedwagon Foundation has been beneficial in connecting me in many aids but I’m tired of it to be honest . I’m not fulfilled nor happy with my current position. I’m thinking that as my grant ends, I should just do research work. The classmates I recently phoned who do freelance research projects seem more fulfilled and besides the huge pay cut , it has little cons. Moreover, I have more than enough to sustain myself. Mom , Dad and Gramps have been funnelling millions in my trust fund since I was a child not to mention my personal investments. 

But y/n . She needs me doesn’t she? Or would she be willing to move around with me?But knowing her, she’d need a powerpoint presentation as to why we should live a nomadic lifestyle. Also, a ring. Do I love her enough to willingly spend the rest of my life with her? The fact I’m questioning this is enough of an answer. I know she won’t willingly go with me nor will she stop me. I don’t expect her to wait for me. Why am I even thinking of marriage when I haven’t even taken her on a date yet. Wait, maybe she doesn’t even see me romantically But that’s on her for making me develop feelings for her . She shouldn’t have created domesticity in the quiet home. She shouldn't have made us parents . She shouldn’t be attentive whenever I speak, offer solid advice whenever I’m anxious and smile whenever she gets the dry jokes that others usually don’t.

I love her. But I love myself too.

                                                                   * * *

That instructor guiding me in Kayaking this fine morning is an equally fine man. Dark, a tad short yet has that lean muscle that is always appreciated and a smile that almost rivals y/n. You can feel the warmth as he guides the interracial couple to their raft and instructs on the least stressful way to row the boat . The boats are two seaters and he kindly seats ahead of me for I am alone. Why is me being alone both cringy and embarrassing ?

He says we are to row to the point where the smaller silky sharks begin  residing and at first,it seemed simple but  my muscles begin to wear out .The boat is also small and I need to slightly squeeze myself and balance lest the boat will topple over. Moments like this are when I despise my height. Anyway, after a few mishaps from the others, we row back now. I'm facing the approaching shore and he is repeatedly praising my form . If he wasn’t so glaring straight, I would have flirted.

Everyone  removes themselves from the safety garments as though they have offended them somehow. After having casual small talk , he says that he knows a guy that can rent him a yacht and teach me how to operate one.After thanking him, I head back to the hotel alongside the other group and after a quick rise dive into the pool. I’m glad this pool is deep enough to dive in . I’ve always hated the usual no diving policy that littered the hotels in Mombasa. Y/n barely knows how to dive and I’ve told her it's because of those policies. If you are building a pool just to make it deep enough to dive, the whole appeal of swimming is also attempting to dive as well as an olympic diver.

Anyways enough about my rant, the two teens who have approached me , fraternal twins fittingly called Andy and Candy want to learn how to dive and after a glance from their smiling parents who nod in approval, I teach them the basics, by the time lunch rolls by , they are practically better than me. The flexibility of youth.

“So Mr Kujo, what do you do?”Candy asks as we approach the buffet this time held outside.

“I’m a marine biologist and just call me Jotaro, you are ageing me with the Mr”

“Ok Jotaro. But what does a Marine biologist do, like anatomy work? I thought we already knew everything about the ocean.” She curiously peers at me , a pout of confusion.

“Well, we are in the midst of a global warming that could be irreversible, our work is to ensure things like coral reefs and what sustains the ecosystem of the oceanic environment plus her inhabitants are not damaged due to this.”I explain, hoping I don’t come off as preachy as I approach their table.

“So that means like work.”Andy responds

“Alot of it” and they groan in despair.

They explain that since joining form 1 , all they have been told is to start choosing their career path and they feel overwhelmed. After a formal introduction to their family , we sit down . The oldest two, another boy and girl, though not twins , are in their second  and third year of University. Angel does Accounting and finance whereas John does Business Commerce. 

“So, Marine Biology , does it pay?” The patriarch asks with a auto lilt on his voice

“Yeah, if you have grants coming in, which I’m fortunate enough to have.”

“But you need connections to get your applications approved.”The mother considers with a gentle yet deeper voice.

“True.You can’t get far without necessary links and to create such links for some it takes years.”

“Okay enough about that boring talk. I’m on holiday. Why did you not chat up the pretty woman that was talking to you yesterday?” Andy mischievously questions and his older brother, Mwashigadi smacks his head , but not without a slight smirk that was immediately hidden .

“Yeah, She seemed interested.We couldn’t hear all you guys said but we definitely heard her whispering to her friend about how hot you are.”The oldest sister,Chanel, brazenly adds to which Candy eyes her with a disapproving look.

“Well , I’m married.” I lie and the table seems shocked at the revelation. I can feel y/n’s slight tug on the ear at once again misrepresenting our relationship but I can’t lie, she does the same thing and it's a solid enough lie.They ask to see the famed ‘Mrs Kujo’ and I unlock my screen to show them.

“Hold on , and she’s Kenyan too , Jotaro, you just keep surprising us.” Chanel nods at Andy who claims that she's ‘very beautiful’. It feels like a warm towel was on my heart with the way they ogle at her beauty.. I told them that she was a lawyer and the compliments kept flooding in . Martha, the mom, handed me her business card for she works as a consultant in the field. 

After slight banter, I leave the hall early, promising the kids to dive one more time with them. I head back to get the book , some shades , a towel and a bucket hat. After reapplying the sunscreen and placing the business card in my suitcase . I head out. 

I taught the twins a few more diving skills and as they were content, they let me off their shackles to continue reading by the beach and by the time the lamps of the gazebo are switched on, I’m reading the end of the book. Somewhat ironic she gave me this book unknowing that I’m mulling over making a personal change myself.

Mr Handsome Instructor approaches me and says that he has acquired the yacht for the remaining days of my stay for three hours a day at a considerable rate.I approve of this and he questions why learning how to steer a boat. To be honest, I just want to learn something new and I tell him so. Though somewhat unconvinced , Mutisye shrugs in acceptance and leaves for home after closing up the kayak warehouse.

While dining with the twins' family, they inform me that they were headed to Watamu early in the morning . I exchange numbers with the parents and Candy who is mildly interested in what I do and after another lighthearted dinner filled with funny anecdotes the twins supply on boarding life in high school including a potential arson incident,they bid me goodbye as we head to our respective rooms.

I decide to journal. I bought a small book back in Mombasa and I vividly recall y/n journaling a few times and I thought I should do the same. Reading what I write feels like uncasing my deepest thoughts and it feels relieving . Though still unsure, I know that I don't what my career path to be stagnant and it should evolve as my interests continue to develop.

Third Person Narration.

Jotaro woke up a bit later than expected though not too late to miss breakfast and be late for his boat lessons.He felt the hotel emptier now that his friends had left but the breakfast was absolutely delightful and he was grateful that the chef who was making personalised eggs, had made his omurice perfectly though he did question if eating it with bread is still omurice or just omu.

After a stomach filling breakfast, he quickly headed to the gym for a light workout.He didn’t get those muscles just for them to deflate during the vacation.After the gym, he headed to the beach and Mutisye was just moving the yacht closer to the beach. He gave Jotaro a warm smile and greeting and after insisting on wearing the heavy safety gear that Jotaro hated, he began teaching .

Jotaro, despite being competent in a lot of things, tends to error a lot whenever he’s learning something new. This was no different. The first hour was solely spent on repeated attempts to manoeuvre the boat and he slowly got the hang of moving the , at first, heavy transportation device during the later parts of the second hour of the boat . Considerable improvement had been made on the third. He wasn’t as loose with the wheel and at least he knew exactly when to pump in the brakes.

Mutisye was a proper instructor, firm enough when giving instruction yet willingly heaped compliments at the slightest display of improvement.After the third hour, Jotaro thanked him, though slightly embarrassed that he hasn’t drastically improved.

“There is a phrase in Swahili that says this, ‘Droplets of water gradually fill a bucket.’Your improvement might seem miniscule now, but will prove to be worthwhile in hindsight.” 

The makings of a great teacher Mutisye continues to prove to be. 

After a casual conversation once they alight from the boat,Mutisye asked,

“Hey, there’s a club that’s starting to pick up. Want to join me and my friends tonight?”

“I haven’t gone clubbing in a while so I don’t really know.”

“It’ll be fun, I’ll make sure you don’t get scammed out of a couple of drinks and there are really pretty women.”He wagged his eyes as he insisted on the preposition.

“Sure, but only for a few hours.” He finally agrees.

“Let me tell them that I’m adding someone.” He says as he pulls out his phone. Though Jotaro insists, Mutisye refuses to let him help anchor the yacht. After confirming the meeting time Jotaro headed for lunch. There is practically no one aside from the couple. The Americans are no longer there. However the buffet is still a delight. Jotaro decides on rice with coconut creamed fish and tomato soup and despite how seemingly hot it is, it remains comforting enough.

                                                       * * *

Jotaro decided on a simple shirt and shorts with sunnies atop his head, The orange sky cast a brillant golden glow in the ocean and as he slowly breathes in the salty air, he noticed Mutisye coming up to him with the most outrageous style he’s ever seen

He simply can’t look away from the distressed white vest and the almost miserable skinny jeans combo. Now that he’s looking at his face, he wears a slick back cap in the most awkward angle. And let's not mention the neon high tops, and the obviously fake large silver cuban chain link.Jotaro pondered whether he was being elitist by considering those are his only white outfits but he himself is wearing the cheapest outfit and does not look like every teen in the horrid early 10’s of the 21st century.

“Why are you dressed so boring? Do you not want girls looking your way?”Mutisye tsks whilst looking up and down in slight annoyance.

Jotaro simply thought that the man had the audacity to question him on his picking up skills despite Mutisye willingly walking out of the house looking like he jumped in a time machine to the present day. He simply answered that he’s not interested in picking up anyone and Mutisye guided him to his parked car at the hotel front.

“Too bad you’re married. The girls here love a man like you. It definitely helps that you are rich and handsome. Total Jackpot.” He stated as he coughed the engine.

Jotaro, attempting to lie the car seat a little lower says

“I’m really not interested. I have a wife you know.”

“Yeah and I have a girlfriend. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Slimy. He remained silent at that and after a short drive , they pick up two of Mutisye’s friends waiting in an isolated, rusted bus stop after formal introductions and a sligh look of intrigue from one of the boys, they turn up the radio and amp up the pre gaming with cheerful yet heavily explicit dancehall and loud cheering whenever Mutisye overspeeds.

After an almost frightful drive on Jotaro’s part they finally arrive at the club. From outside the base and cheers are clear and despite the beautiful ocean view in the beachside club, no one was outside, too busy enjoying the almost blinding neon lights and sharing the same air. At least it's not too cramped, Jotaro thought as he tried to walk through the crowd. 

Some of the patrons look at him and the group with muted smiles and longing stares. As soon as he sits, just barely able to sigh , a waitress in the most skin tight and cleavage showing outfit goes onto them . Jotaro orders a beer , cold and despite the glances sent as she takes the orders of the clearly drooling Mutisye, he ignored her, hard and she huffed while she walked away.

“Bro, that girl was interested in you! You should have flirted with her.” Jonah says .

“Not interested.”Jotaro inwardly questions why guys with biblical names are the most unhinged because Jonah decides to walk up to a girl, attempting to grind on her and she, after she  looked back at his cheeky smile , scoots closer to him and he sends a thumbs up to the table. Mutisye is the least interested in his friend's catch and instead sweet talks the waitress, already bored with Jotaro and she vibes with him heavily. After a few whispers and a heated stare , Mutisye rises up and says,

“I’ll be gone for a few.Take care of Mutua for me.”

Mutua,to Jotaro, is an enigma. He seems as lively as his friends yet does not engage in any clubbing activity except dancing . But he's a very pretty boy. Lean .yet muscular and tall. A bit heavier than a Kenyan trackstar but still not close enough to a heavyweight. After he comes back they get into talking. To this point, they are tipsy, Jotaro smiles as he talks and Muua continuously gives him a one up that is extremely provocative.

He finds out that Mutua’s  almost done with university and pursues a degree in mechanical engineering.Returns his heated stares willingly and the liquid courage whispered to his ear. Jotaro asks.

“How old are you?”

“26. Why?” Mutua coyishly replies, at this point it's been an hour since they last saw either of the other parties and the smile on his face is enough to tell Jotaro that Mutua is into him.

“Bathroom?” Jotaro asked with a slight smirk and Mutua eagerly rose up., following him with a hand slightly tugging his shirt.

                                                  * * *

They walk out of the bathroom more scruffled than they came in.Unknowingly to them Mutisye , who himself was still annoyed that the club owner had demanded him to get out , went out looking for them and found them heavy breathing whilst silently laughing outside the men’s washroom,

“Where have you guys been, I’ve been…oh?”He punctuates the end with a teasing lilt to his voice.

“So you decided to have some fun, where are the girls?” He questions , looking around the nearby area. Mutua’s hitches and Jotaro remained silent, smiles wiped off both of their faces

Mutua accidentally trips and Mutisye quickly helps him up , paraphrasing his anecdote. Turns out he was flirting with the club owner’s girl , complaining that it should be illegal for pot bellied men to still become younger girls sponsors*

“Hey why are you limping? Did you get hurt?”Mutisye worriedly glanced over to Mutua after the long rant that ended  in the parking lot. Jonah decided to go home with the girl from earlier and bids them.

“Hey , what happened? I told you to look over him Jotaro, he’s the fragile one here.” He irritatedly questions as he opens the door.Suddenly Mutisye stills, and with a sharp glare looks at both of them. He notices a bite mark on Jotaro’s neck , no lipstick. He realises that they don’t remotely smell like any strong women perfume his entire outfit is currently smothered with . A look of utter disgust stoically remained over his face , then he asked,

“Are you a f*****?”

Jotaro looks back at him with an eyebrow raised, a slight smirk endows his face and responds,

“What do you think?”

Mutua at this point was shaking, eyes downcasted , too scared to look at the glare Mutisye sent him.

“I thought you stopped this shit. It was fine in high school but even now, seriously? Why are you always whori-”

“HEY! What’s that supposed to mean? Can’t you accept him for who he is ?”

“I’m not speaking to you homo, I’m speaking to him . This is Kenya. F***are tortured and killed here. I’ve been telling him to get his act straight but he still doesn’t act better.”

“He chose to come out to you and you repay him by referring to him as a slur?” Jotaro questioned, silently fuming at how Mutisye forced Mutua in the car and locked him in.

“This is my cousin and therefore my responsibility.And It's not natural to act that way . Besides, wasn't he just a one night stand to you?”

At this Jotaro punches Mutisye’s face hard. But Musinya relented despite how his cheek almost hollowed out, he stayed up. 

“I’ll not fight with you. Better yet I’m not speaking about this again. You’ll have someone else teach you how to steer the boat. Goodbye .” 

“So you refuse to admit that you’re wrong for treating him this way?”

“I’m not wrong. He’s lucky I didn’t beat the gay out of him to begin with.BTW, wouldn’t your wife be disgusted to find her husband engaging in homosexual acts?”

“Firstly I don't have a wife, the woman I’ve been referring to as my wife is my close friend. Secondly ,She accepts my sexuality as it is unlike you, she doesn’t judge.”

“Maybe not to your face but she’s inwardly disgusted.” Mutisye huffed and got in the car, refusing to even say one last word for someone he had at least considered a friend at first.Mutua mouths an apology and Jotaro nods back and watches Mutisye desert him in the parking lot.

Back at his hotel room , he decided to call y/n

“Hey.”

“Hi, how’s your trip?”

“Great, just went clubbing.”

“Really was it fun?”She excitedly questioned

“Yeah” He lied with a wry smile.

“By the way. I wanted to ask you something.” He quickly added

“Sure.”

“You do know I’m queer right?”

“I mean, the ‘queer rights’ sticker on your laptop was a dead giveaway but yeah, I’ve always known.Thought you came out a while back , Is this like a second unveiling? Are you going through an existential crisis?”

“Oh…and you have no problem with it?”His heart beat like it was imploding on his ribcage.

“Your sexuality? Because of my religion? My faith has nothing to do with you or your orientation. Why bring this up? Is something wrong ?”y/n sat up, preparing her body to listen.

Jotaro narrated the incident. she listened keenly,a bit jealous at Mutua,and responded

“He’s the problem. A lot of youths in Kenya are accepting . He’s a relic when it comes to these matters.”

“So you aren’t mad at me for sleeping with him?”

“Isn't it your body ? I’m a bit confused.”

Nevermind. He thought, slightly annoyed at how unphased she was.

“Anyways I’m swearing off sex. I’m a celibate man.When I find the right person,I’ll break my celibacy.”

“Haven’t you been these past couple of months?” She mockingly questions.

“Haven’t you too?” He jeers back.

“I’m actually a virgin.” and the pin drop silence afterwards makes y/n slightly panic.

“Looking back,” Jotaro muses, “ The signs were there.”

And this ensues a collection of highly invasive questions that are completely out of character for Jotaro. But he’s still slightly shocked. 

“It's okay , a bit shocking but nonetheless okay.It’s good to wait for the right person. I know I did.”He reassured

“Really, can you tell me who it was?”

“No.”He deadpanned.

“You literally just asked me if I’ve gone till third base.”

“Okay fair enough. They were my high school sweetheart.”

“Was it Noriaki?”She curiously considered

“It's absolutely despicable to make me even ponder about Noriaki as anything but a friend.” Jotaro replied, a slight cough expelling the inappropriate and to him, a tad disgusting, thought.

“Why?”She slowly smiled as she waited in response, 

“He started washing his ass in college.” He  countered and y/n squealed in absolute laughter, muffled microphone leaving out the hitching of her voice as she attempted to compose herself.

“Nooooo why would you expose him like this?”She rhetorically questioned as she finally got her breathing to be less sporadic.

This cues in an entire onslaught against Noriaki and co. . Jotaro switched to video just to watch her fall to her bed in glee as he narrates bizarre events about his friend group. By the time the call ends, his heart felt like lava, a euphoric rush making his head woozy.

                                    prev masterlist next

[thehungrykat1]

Banqueta Wednesdays at Marriott Cafe Offers Unlimited Steak and Elevated Street Food Buffet

Most of us grew up enjoying Filipino street food, from the classic fishballs and turon, to the more exotic isaw, kwek kwek, and adidas. Most of these delicacies are quite familiar to me, but as I grew older, I encountered them less frequently, especially since street food is seen to be less hygienic. That's why I was happy to find out that we can now enjoy all these classic favorites at a cleaner and much safer environment with Marriott Cafe's Banqueta Wednesdays!

Marriott Cafe is Marriott Manila’s all day dining restaurant located at the ground floor lobby. You can now enjoy unlimited steak, seafood, and Filipino street food favorites in a refined setting every Wednesday dinner from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm at the Banqueta Wednesdays for only ₱2,999 nett per person.

Banqueta Wednesdays is the ultimate night market with a wide variety of Filipino street food stations, unlimited steak and international buffet selections at their open-theatre kitchens. 

You can start at the appetizers and salad stations which offers various breads and Asian starters like kimchi, spicy fish cake, mushroom dinakdakan, itlog na maalat at kamatis, and others.

Then head over to the main buffet table where you can get some Baked Penne, Vegetable Casserole, and Polenta together with a few wraps of Shawarma.

The Seafood Paella is one of the highlights here with its delicious combination of crabs, mussels, and prawns on a bed of flavorful paella rice.

Just beside this is the carving station which has this gorgeous Porchetta as the centerpiece. The skin is so crispy so make sure you get a few slices for yourself.

They also have a pasta station where you can ask for Grandma's Pomodoro that will be freshly cooked for you a la minute.

Next, make your way to the Japanese station where you can find a colorful selection of sushi together with Takoyaki Balls and Okonomiyaki.

The main attraction at Banqueta Wednesdays is the Banqueta Display right in the center of the buffet area. Here you can find an assortment of Filipino street food favorites like chicken isaw, pork isaw, fishballs, vegetable skewers, and okoy.

Other exotic items available include pork ears, kwek kwek, tokneneng, pork barbecue, and adidas or chicken feet. These are items that you do not typically see in a five-star hotel buffet but Marriott Cafe makes these accessible to everyone during Banqueta Wednesdays. They even have some Balut and Penoy eggs.

Marriott Cafe goes one step further because aside from all the Filipino street food, you can also enjoy unlimited steak, crabs, prawns, mussels, clams, and squid.

Just pick the items and skewers you like and hand them over to the grilling station. These will be cooked right on the spot and delivered straight to your table.

Now these are items you don't see every day at five star hotels! These classic Filipino street food dishes also bring a sense of nostalgia for those who used to eat these during their childhood.

Of course, you can also enjoy the more luxurious side of Banqueta Wednesdays with unlimited servings of steak to go with your choice of seafood.

Don't forget about the other international stations at Marriott Cafe like the Chinese station. Here you can find Chinese roastings including roast pork and roast chicken. There's also several dimsum specialties to choose from.

The Paluto station is also a must visit with its live fish that you can cooked according to your liking. Have it steamed in soy sauce or cooked Singaporean style with sweet chili sauce.

To make Banqueta Wednesdays even more authentic, there's a small sari sari store offering Samalamig beverages like buck panda, sago't gulaman, and melon drinks. Make sure to grab some street snacks too.

The Dessert station offers many ways to complete your steak and street food buffet. You can get some fruits, brownies, cookies, egg tarts, and Filipino desserts like sapin-sapin, kutsinta, cassava cake, and more that you can dip inside the grand Chocolate Fountain.

There are also several cakes and pastries to choose from including Brownie Pie, Swiss Strawberry Roll, Chocolate Mousse, and Swan Puff Diplomat. You can also get as many scoops of gelato as you want at the Gelato station.

Guests can also order Marriott Cafe's Drink of the Month which can be served in alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions. This comes with a very cute stuffed toy that you can bring home with you.

Banqueta Wednesdays is available every Wednesday until December 18, 2024. For inquiries and reservations, you may call them 8988-9999 and (0917) 584-9560. Enjoy an elevated street food buffet experience only at Marriott Manila!

Marriott Cafe

G/F, Marriott Hotel Manila, Newport City, Pasay City

8988-9999 / (0917) 584-9560

www.marriottcafemanila.com

www.facebook.com/marriotthotelmanila

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! MS and I caught up at the Japanese restaurant which serves salmon hotpot. We shared spinach in sesame sauce and bonito flakes as well as grilled mini aribiki sausages. For mains, he chose grilled cod with rice which comes with miso soup and pickles and I tried their oyako donburi (chicken, onions and scrambled eggs with rice). We loved how the creamy sesame sauce added a delicate flavour to the spinach. Aribiki sausages seem to be less greasy than other sausages so there's less of a jelat (bloated, saturated, full) feeling after eating them. We enjoyed the crunchy skin and mild savoury taste. MS said his cod was good. As for my oyako donburi, tender chicken pieces and smooth, fluffy eggs paired very well with rice. The bill came up to under $62, which was reasonable given the quality of our meal.

After telling my parents about the coffee shop with the Japanese stew stall, they made their way there, tried the food and liked it so much, they asked to meet me when I feel like eating there on WFH days. So we did just that! After they were seated in the airconditioned section, I placed our orders. They wanted miso salmon stew with rice; I tried tomato chicken stew with soba (buckwheat noodles) and ordered an extra portion of soba for Pa to take home because he likes it. Finally, I ordered cucumber salads for all of us. The tomato chicken stew is delicious; the sauce tastes similar to the gravy served with Hainanese pork chop. The chicken, carrots and potatoes are very tender and the celery still has some crunch. What an enjoyable meal!

For all the talk about weighing ourselves and not being obsessive about it, I'll be very frank. I gained weight on purpose because, at 47yo, it isn't exactly healthy to remain a US size 00. But because, like family and close friends, I'm very active and don't eat fastfood often, my weight often dips below what I deem as optimal. I need to weigh myself daily so as to consume enough calories. My meals tend to be very filling and nutrient-dense so I don't snack a lot; when I do, fruit and nuts are enough to keep me full till the next meal. If I must name the foods that keep me fullest, it will have to be seafood and fish. My cousin, K, can pack away a lot of food but when I took him to a buffet and he fell in love with the seabass, he couldn't eat any more after finishing a plate of it.

K was so apologetic because I was paying for our meal and, because it was quite expensive, he wanted to justify the expense by eating as much as possible but, after the seabass, he just couldn't. I didn't mind, because I would rather he enjoys the meal. Now why would I say fish and seafood are the most filling - I often cook at home and dine out once a day. 6 Hokkaido scallops stirfried with celery eaten with a bowl of rice can keep me full till the next meal. The same goes with seabass baked with plenty of garlic, bakchoy and rice. Everytime I eat fish, especially white fish and seafood as a protein, man, I'm stuffed. Why we focus more on fish and seafood is because in the 1980s, the first centenarians appeared in Japan and we wanted to emulate what they did so as to stay healthy for as long as possible.

My parents feel the same when I treat them to lobster noodles; after downing that, dimsum and some vegetables, they don't have room for dessert even though both of them have a sweet tooth. When we're full, we're less inclined to snack and, if we do, these snacks tend to be light - fruit and a small quantity of nuts. Some people try to restrict calories for main meals but then get too hungry and snack a lot. Family, friends and I do the opposite; we have filling main meals and are usually too full to snack a lot. So I have the opposite problem; I have to weigh myself consistently in order to not lose the weight. Come at me if you want, I don't care. 下次见!

[candycryptids]

*evil boops you*

For any and all blorbs you can think of! Do they like BBQ? If so, what kind of sauce? What kind of meat? With or without slaw? Beans? Gimme the nitty gritty!! *grabby hands*

WAUGH IVE BEEN EVIL BOOPED…

😈😈😈 <- that’s me revving up the evil blorbo headcanons

Chuu likes buffet style barbecue so she can get a lil of everything but she favors brisket and anything off of Talia’s plate. Doesn’t super care for most slaw or any beans (would rather just have a dressed salad, Mayo isn’t her fave) isn’t super interested in eating meat off the bone, so Talia sometimes cuts her meat off the bone for her. (Exception for Ribs, which is like a built in handle, AND usually is cooked so it falls off the bone easily.) Gets 3 ice cream cones (each a different flavor) one after the other for desert lmfao

Tuesday (assuming he can eat XD) likes ribs 😤 hickory barbecue sauce. Smoked meats… sloppy sandwiches with pickles ….! Takes a heaping helping of slaw and politely eats pinto beans, crushes barbecue baked beans (they’re different…) gets the swirl option from the ice cream machine and makes an aesthetically stunning cone- eats only about half of it before it starts critically melting

Ishi is kinda take or leave it on barbecue- though they’re hard pressed to turn down fresh grilled meats, or ah. The name of it has suddenly escaped me. Japanese style restaurant with its own grill top where YOU grill your own meats. NOT hibachi….. damn…. Anyways. They’re not crazy on beans at all but coleslaw is decidedly ‘ok’, it’s just not their first pick!

Mochiie prefers dry rub/seasoned meats over sauces 🤔 Beef is great but goat and lamb are the best. Always gets slaw (cooling/neutralizing flavor!) is kinda neutral-positive on beans. He’ll have any kind it’s just not a selling point. Thinks about getting ice cream and then kinda nails. Has apple pie for desert instead, no ice cream

Tangy is getting everything. She’s not picky. Favorite is hot links with barbecue sauce and a big roll she can rip in half and stuff with cinnamon butter. Constantly bumps into Chuu at the ‘complimentary Ice Cream Dispenser’. They swap tricks to filling and piling high cones and chocolate sauces. Chuu once stopped talking to her for the time she saw Tangy stuff a pickle spear into her ice cream though (it was a dare and she didn’t do it again but she claims it quote ‘wasn’t actually that bad!’)

Colette crushes a rack of ribs. Or a tomahawk. Likes light sauce to savor the meat. Dominates her food (bones picked clean. And everyone else’s.) gets a polite amount of coleslaw and outright skips beans unless they’re black eyed peas n bacon. Also gets the peach cobbler if it’s available.

Levraut WANTS the big fancy steak but can never afford it and ends up with just a half rack of ribs instead. Gets beans and coleslaw cos it comes with it and kinda nibbles on both, dared Tangy to try a pickle in her ice cream just because they were both already kinda fuckin around. Gets a cup of barbecue sauce to dip stuff in rather than having his food smothered in it. Also dips his bread in it.

For fun; some side cast tidbits under the cut

Gemmini likes barbecue sandwiches- sloppy joes or brisket, but she’ll also sneak meat off someone else’s plate if they got sausage. She won’t admit out loud she likes em but. She does. Drowns things in barbecue sauce. Refuses coleslaw and beans outright. ONLY gets ice cream if they have strawberry (they never do). Will competitively eat if Skunk is there- he CANNOT be allowed to eat more than her. (This leads to some hilarious shenanigans)

Velivet would love barbecue but he’s got a lot of little ones to wrangle and make sure eat so he tends to get something that tastes good even if it gets a little soggy or room temp. Eats coleslaw to set an example for the kids to eat their greens…. Please.

Milos (Vel’s bio-son, 17’ish) enjoys brisket the best, with bbq sauce, doesn’t enjoy coleslaw but has been convinced to eat at least two bites. Likes baked beans. Gets a moderate ice cream cone of plain vanilla.

Elise (Vel’s adoptive kid, 8’ish) has to be coerced to eat something OTHER than the Coleslaw and Beans, actually. Frequently gets Milos’ leftover slaw. Will pick at plain sausage.

G’mifi (like 3, Vels adoptive kid) and gets no beans, a little bit of slaw, and a little bit of plain undressed brisket or sausage. She absolutely destroys her meats and somehow STILL ends up grubby with barbecue sauce.

Finnigin (Vel’s adoptive son, like 15) wants a barbecue sandwich, any kind, no pickles, is proud of the fact that he eats all his coleslaw even if he magically vanishes his beans onto someone else’s plate. Shares some of his ice cream cone with Mifi when Vel isn’t looking.

Chilala (9 3/4’s, adopted by Vel) is too busy trying to be ‘in charge’ of things to eat Barbecue. Vel would love it if she’d just. Sit. And eat her roll and shredded pork. Maybe even her mackedcheeze and coleslaw.

Ty for the distraction/break I gotta get back to cleaning now djdnddnsjsns

[richs-japan-tabi]

May 17 - Odaiba

We began our excursion today by visiting the Fuji Television Museum. While traveling on the train there, the beautiful skyline of Tokyo as well as the infamous Rainbow Bridge could be seen. I will elaborate more about the significance of this bridge in the academic reflection, but it was incredible. This "museum" had a gift shop and an observatory tower that had a pretty amazing view. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of any of their shows, so I didn't like the merchandise. Also, while the view was amazing, I had just recently seen the view from Tokyo Skytree's Observatory, making this one seem less impressive. More observant readers may notice that I put "museum" in quotes. This is because at some point they had removed the actual museum. Thus, the beginning of the day was a bit disappointing.

While the museum visit may have been unexciting, the same could not be said about lunch. Today we had an included Japanese BBQ lunch. Situated on the rooftop of one of Odaiba's many tall buildings was an all-you-can-eat buffet of meat with all-you-can-drink soda to wash it down. Not only was it a fun experience grilling our food, but the view from the rooftop was, once again, breathtaking.

Once my stomach felt like it was about to explode, we made our way to a guided tour of Odaiba. We visited the Statue of Liberty (yes you read that right) and a one-to-one scale Gundham. The Statue of Liberty made me feel like I was back in New York, which was strange considering how different Tokyo is as a city. The one-to-one scale Gundham, on the other hand, made me feel like a little kid again. Its scale was like nothing I had ever seen before and I got to take some great pictures of it!

Finally, the last and favorite part of today's excursion was TeamLab Planets. TeamLab Planets is a digital art museum that uses projections, creative lighting, water, and interesting gardens to offer a unique sensory experience. However, those words alone are not enough to describe the feeling of this place. Even the pictures I took will give a bad representation of the exhibits. However, I can not recommend the experience enough to those who are even somewhat interested based on my description.

Academic Reflection

The first reading's main topic of discussion centered around post-industrial leisure centers. In the 1980s, Japan had an economic boom and was at its pinnacle of economic growth. For this reason, architectural projects were often taken with little consideration of failure. During this bubble, office space became an increasingly expensive asset as businesses continued to expand. For this reason, many looked to reclaim the land that was originally used to garrison Edo's coastlines during the 1800's. As this was shown to be ineffective, its purpose shifted to being a series of waste islands. In the 1980s, investors wanted to use this land for more office space, but as the economic bubble collapsed in the 1990s, investors' focus shifted. The idea was to create a large-scale entertainment and leisure area, similar to a theme park.

With this knowledge in mind, many of Odaiba's unique features and attractions can be easily explained. For example, the Statue of Liberty was originally purchased from the French for two years. However, it became such a beloved icon of the city that a replica was created and put in its place. The idea to attract domestic and international tourism explains the Statue of Liberty, giant-scale robots, and the abundance of massive shopping plazas. Even knowing all of this before going, I couldn't help but feel the wonder, similar to Disney, that city planners tried to create.

The other reading discussed Fuji TV as a media conglomeration. Contrary to popular belief, Fuji TV is a massive media conglomeration that doesn't solely rely on films and series. Rather, it relied on TV actors and advertising to diversify its content. The CEO of Fuji TV himself envisioned the company as a digital media factory. The company's success can be attributed to this mindset of production.

[gracelaramusings]

Day 2: Palaces and Princesses in Seoul

The beauty of being a rower (yes, I had to get that in, somewhere, as soon as possible) is it makes jet lag much easier. Why? Used to getting up at ungodly hours, feeling tired but knowing you can push through it, precisely the skill-sets needed to cope with a 7 hour time difference. Alarm at 8am (so late!), up and about, ready for the day.

I love buffets. I first walk around and try to find the hidden corners, the yummy stuff that most people don’t notice. I mosey around and lift the covers, taking in all the sights and scents of the new and strange foods. Then I do my best to find a knowledgeable English -speaking kitchen team member who can take show me around and tell me, as a Kosher-style pescatarian, what I can and can’t eat. Following which, I take lots of little servings of all the oddest things, so I can explore new cuisines and flavors. Chopsticks as breakfast cutlery? Of course! Tofu and curries and fermented thisses and thats, divine! Kale and fresh apple juice, a glorious cappuccino, and I’m set. Breakfast should never be rushed. And on a first morning? It is the time to figure out what we plan to do the rest of the day, and even the next, if possible.

There’s a billion things to do in Seoul. So my objective was to find the most special Seoul-only things. After all, we only have two days! The palaces are the clear go-to, and that indeed was what we chose to do our first full day here. The largest King’s Palace, one of a few.

The cool thing about the Seoul palaces is you can rent a period costume and gain free entry to the palaces as you stroll in fancy wear. Since Yuval was not much in to dressing up, and I enjoy watching others more than dressing up myself, we skipped the rental and went straight to the palace. On our way, we already saw a pair of women dressed in the royal do’s. Lamenting I did capture them on camera, as I crossed the road and approached the palace gates, I hundreds of beautifully clad women- and men!- a sight to see. From braided ribbons in their hair to puffy undergarments that made their skirts wide, it was a perfect people-watching place. The guards were in their special garments, too.

One of the disadvantages of being so spontaneous that you buy a ticket to an exotic destination just the week prior is the fact that you don’t have much time to read up on history. I love knowing history. I’m the sort of person who reads all the signs in a museum. And sometimes even takes a picture of the sign so I can read it later. What I learned quite quickly is how viciously evil the Japanese conquerors were, and that many of the original buildings were burnt to the ground, or dismantled and sold. It seems only after the Olympics were held in Korea that the country began to realize- and act upon- how precious their heritage is, and that it must be reconstructed for all to see and celebrate. So, slowly but surely, they are reconstructing. Beautiful bright colored buildings, stone walkways, ponds, plum trees and more are all about. Too bad we were too early for the plum blossoms!

We stayed long enough to enjoy the changing of the guard of the King’s Palace- yes, even in Korea! Booming drums, marching music, colorful costumes and flags. A sight to see!

From the Palace, just a short walk away was a neighborhood with traditional Korean houses. Many of the dressed up people continued on to there as well, so it was lovely to stroll around amidst the fancy costumes and traditional homes- where people actually live, so the many signs asking visitors to please keep quiet were everywhere. Just roaming around in such places is wonderful.

Since I was formally the navigator, of course, pondering our next step, I had to find a vegan restaurant. It turns out the one that was not-too-far also seemed not-so-impressive so I was not feeling the need to actually eat there. Instead, we continued on to a traditional market. Food stalls, dumpling dough makers, traditional Korean clothing, vintage stores, shoes, fabrics— you name it, with a colorful map describing each of the sections. Huge. You could absolutely get lost inside. We eventually exited somewhere, and made it to the subway somehow, and ventured back “home” after a full and wonderful day.

We topped off the night by trying out an electronic golf session. Hitting golf balls against a screen indoors. Hmmm. Golf is apparently really big in Korea. I do not like golf. We were the clueless, hyper ones in a room where a few wannabe real golfers were hitting far more impressive shots than we, in silence. I accepted my suck, and the fact that I don’t enjoy golf. Rowing, on the other hand…

Fortunately, full and wonderful, after a long day coupled with jet lag, meant that it is perfectly ok to simply call it a night. And that is precisely what we did (after some wine, snacks and desserts!)