Phone Photos: Glimpse into everyday weirdness

Today we have a special guest appearance, and a selection of recent interesting events.

Sooo, Matcha-kun is patient beyond belief. I love to mess with his hair (that truly black, never-been-bleached colour that some Asians have) and am generally a pest. Yet somehow he doesn't mind (much). I twirl my hair bands into it, and he comes out looking far better than I do!

Another Matcha-kun trait is that it takes a great deal of effort to wake him. Which means that, if he decides to take a nap when I am hyper, there is a high risk of me staging impromptu photoshoots... with my wardrobe. The photos are used with permission, by the way.

I have written before about my love/hate relationship with vending machines. On the whole, I am now pretty much immune to drink machines... but unusual ones still catch my attention. Everyday I pass an icecream machine, selling this pumpkin and cookie flavored temptation. In the name of culinary science, I had to try it (because pumpkin!). The verdict: it tastes like a very rich cookies and cream icecream, not pumpkin-y at all. Sad.

On the topic of irresistible things, I saw this sign and am now obsessed. I want a giant coffee mug emblazoned with this phrase. Although I must say, I have cut back my coffee habit, which was getting waaay out of hand.

My parents (who are awesome, if a bit nuts) sent this fabulous t-shirt. Yes, it is indeed emblazoned with corgis. This makes the 4th corgi themed gift I have received so far, and am very pleased with this trend!

What else did they send, you ask? Well, that would be Jabba the Corg.

I hope everyone had a good week, the weekend is just around the corner!

Snow, Coffee and other Loosely Related Things

Snow in Tokyo is always a big deal. Each year they proclaim that it is the 'first major snowstorm in 13/20/100 years', when I perfectly recall that it snowed last year (and the year before) as well. Is it city-wide selective amnesia?

One thing snows means, for me, is a considerable uptick in the amount of time spent in cafe's, keeping out of the cold wind while also being out of the house.

I wish I could blame my increased coffee consumption on the weather, however it is much more closely linked with work (which has improved quite a bit, as I have gotten more used to busting out keigo at a moments' notice). The tech world is fueled by coffee and sugar, and I love both.

Bakeshop in Jiyugaoka remains one of my favorite places for brunch and a giant cappuccino on a cold Sunday morning. The fact that you can usually get a table is also a major plus (as are their really mouthwateringly delicious baked goods).

While exploring Sangenjaya, Matcha-kun and I came across Cafe Obscura, a charmingly tiny concrete bunker with a selection of interesting books and really top notch coffee. I also recommend their chiffon cake, which more closely resembles springy American-style angel food cake.

Keep warm, and watch out for the next storm tomorrow!