Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPp2r7mGZPU&feature=related

Now what's the most interesting thing you have ever eaten? Snake? Frog? Turtle? Scorpion? Or bat?

I have had all of the above before, although it's hardly a surprise considering my cultural heritage. But you know what? They all taste like chicken, well except scorpion, which is more like burnt potato chips with a kick.

As you know, Japanese eat raw stuff. I have no problem with that usually, sometimes I am too lazy to cook too. But as adventurous as I am, I hate having my food moving on its own on my dining table, not to mention in my mouth.

Once I almost fell off my chair when I suddenly noticed the prawn trying to make its escape from my plate. They call it "odorigui," which means eating while it's still dancing. The most disgusting example is abalones grilled alive in front of you, so that you can enjoy watching them slowly dancing to their final death. I just don't have the stomach for that!

Also I lose my appetite when it’s visually disturbing. For instance, I heard about this old Japanese restaurant famous for its loach pot (dojou nabe). But can you imagine having a pot of little fish with their beady eyeballs still attached staring up accusingly at you? Which one will you eat first then? That one there with kind of smiling eyes?

But the most traumatic experience I have ever had (so far) regarding food is pineapple. You don’t believe me? OK, let me tell you, I was about 6 then, my mum gave me a slice of pineapple and I took a huge bite, found it especially sweet and juicy, in fact, the most delicious pineapple I had ever had. And then I looked down at the half-eaten pineapple in my hand and saw many small white things wriggling around vigorously and obviously loving the pineapple very much too. 

Sorry, I don’t really want to be gross, not here anyway!!!

Well you can’t really blame me for still having my reservation about pineapples till these days. And since then I've also developed a bizarre habit of first making sure everything stays dead still in my plate before I even pick up my chopsticks.

All right, your turn now, tell me, what’s the next item on your “gotta try one day” list? Oh and by the way, I suppose we don't really believe in "you are what you eat," do we?

Can’t Stop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZPfzjp82sY

My uni is offering influenza vaccination shots at a reduced price. Many people have a cold now, and the main symptom is cough. In the class, office, café, train, you hear people coughing everywhere.

But the most common disease people have nowadays is commitment phobia. People don’t commit anymore, to their partners, their careers, even to their lives. 

Hey, why should you be trapped in a dead-end relationship or job, or a certain life? You can always find imperfection in everybody and everything. It makes perfect sense to keep moving on, and never stop.

And if you happen to be a control freak, when things are out of control, and you feel insecure or pressurized, the only thing that remains in your power is to end it all as soon as you come up with enough excuses.

If you are in a relationship and you don’t want to shoulder the blame, you can easily sabotage the relationship by constantly annoying, criticizing and hurting your partner, until your partner can’t stand you anymore and gives up on you.

That’s why unattainable partners are very convenient, like in a long-distance relationship or an affair. You are safe then, nobody has the power to hurt you.

Now if you are the shy type and content being alone, it’s not much of a problem. You can always take up writing, photography, or something.

But if you are the afraid-to-be-lonely type and thus a serial commitment phobic, you might then be labeled as being picky by your friends if you've got any, and promiscuous by your many exes. My suggestion is to befriend a psychiatrist or God, and tell her all your problems.

I think the best for everybody’s sake is pairing up all the people with commitment phobia so that they can play with each other and have all the fun they want, and we will have a much more peaceful world.

And just out of curiosity, is there a vaccination shot for commitment phobia? I would really hate to catch it!

Sex Bomb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KUJE2xs-RE

Let's talk about sex appeal today. But first, for those of you too cheap to buy proper porn, sorry, my blog will never be steamy enough to meet your personal needs. Please look elsewhere.

Now back on the topic. What do you consider sexy? Granted, it's subject to gender and individual differences. Everyone is different, although in general men are more visual than women. Men usually focus on tits, ass, and legs, while women prefer muscles. But there must be something we all have in common regarding what we consider sexy.

Forget about brains and personalities, we are talking about animal instinct here. When you are in a party, a club or anywhere people nowadays socialize when everyone is properly covered with something, preferably clothes, who do you rest your wandering eyes upon?

The most interesting person there or the sexiest? Or to put it simply, the one you want to talk to or the one you want to sleep with? I bet your eyes automatically follow the sexist creature around.

And it’s not just looks. It’s in the eyes, the smile, the smell, the way she carries herself, or as many might say, “there is something about her.”

But what exactly is this “something”? Is there a formula for sex appeal? Apparently the answer is yes. You have to be relaxed, confident, free-spirited, and speak well. In other words, you need to be yourself.

I believe sexual attraction, or sparks/chemistry/ pheromone, has little to do with appearance. Being genuine is the key. It’s all in the attitude!

Let The Good Time Roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua8JrNMzc2g&feature=related

After the shopping square, I sometimes go to the octopus ball (takoyaki, and "ball" describes the shape!) shop next to Peacock the supermarket. Although I always have the doubt at first, every time I manage to finish all 8 balls in the end somehow. And if you are into sweets like me, you might as well get yourself a red bean paste fish cake (taiyaki, again "fish" means the shape!) there too.

Next on my list is Next the shop, one of the few shops in Tokyo where I can avoid clothes that make girls look like Christmas presents. The traumatic task of decision-making in the shops often leaves me weak with hunger, so I usually have to get some chocolate ice cream shake in Godiva after shopping at Next.

On the street where Godiva is, you can find many interesting shops, especially the one which sells fun stationary and other weird but rather useless stuff in the basement.

And if you turn left at a small side street there, you will find my favorite Japanese teahouse, Kosoan, which is actually in an old Japanese house and has a traditional Japanese garden. I love sitting on their tatami, sipping the green tea, and looking out at the beautiful garden. It’s an entirely different world there. Almost Zen-like!

The funny thing is opposite this teahouse, there is a little Venice right there, with a bridge, a gondola and some fake Italian buildings. This sort of thing will only exist in Japan, I tell you. The country is a big Disneyland.

The final place worth mentioning here is St. Christopher’s Garden, which has a delightful English garden and an excellent store policy. It’s not allowed to use mobile phones, iPods, iPads, iPots and iPans (which will soon be available at your local electrical stores) and the like in this cafe, because we are supposed to enjoy our tea elegantly and chat with our friends diligently so that we fit in the exquisite setting.

But honestly, I do respect their policy. And I can also see the benefits of not using all the iStuff for once, and find the real "I" back without the stuff, even just for an hour or so while enjoying a cup of tea. But I am often by myself, hmmmm, I wonder if meditation or sleeping is allowed there...

Well, that's my town. Go on then, have a great time in Jiyugaoka!

I Want To Break Free

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Mc-NYPHaQ&ob=av3e

The first place I lived in Tokyo is called Jiyugaoka, or “Freedom Hill” in English, a trendy town full of lovely cafes, expensive boutiques, fashionable people and even more fashionable dogs.

I think it’s true that the first place you choose to live when you move to a new country is often the place you are most attached to. The same rule probably applies to humans as well and certainly to ducks. Now I still go back there sometimes and wonder around the familiar streets dotted with newly opened shops.

But I always follow the same route, starting at the south exit of the station, making a circle along the street of cherry trees, crossing the railway to the other side of the town, making several stops here and there, and finally get to the front exit of the station and take the train home.

My first stop is the bench on the cherry tree street. I usually sit there sipping a cup of cappuccino bought from the coffee wagon, watch the afore-mentioned fashionable people walking by, and sometimes play with their adorable dogs.

But be warned, some of the dogs there have more attitude than their neurotic owners, don’t lose a limb. Also, those benches belong to the homeless at night, so you might be actually sitting on someone’s bed when you are enjoying your cappuccino, don’t make a mess.

If you are hungry, there is a spare rib restaurant called Shutters on that street, their apple pie is to die for (before you die from eating too much of their famous but otherwise oil, soft yet curiously chewy BBQ ribs, that is.) One thing though, if you usually go everywhere alone like me, well sorry, you can’t order their lunch course because you need at least 2 people to order that!

After the coffee and apple pie, I am ready for the shops. I like this small shopping square next to the railway. Sometimes I have lunch sitting at the terrace of the Italian restaurant on the first floor. And the cinnamon rolls in the next-door bakery, Asanoya, are also my favorite.

There is a tiny shop on the second floor of this shopping square. They have lots of cute little stuff and the best thing about the shop is, everything costs 100-300 yen! So now I have a full stock of their bamboo trays and wooden bowls which I still haven’t found any chance to use yet…

One Day Like This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk2xaeXnxlM&feature=related

Rationalization doesn’t really make you feel better, but it can certainly keep you occupied. There are too many reasons you can find behind each breakup.

The common technique is to blame everything on the other party, which is fine because you can still think positively about yourself, stay sane and remain a saint.

Another technique is to use distractions, the more the better. Haven’t you heard that the quickest way to get over a man is to get under another?

Or, you can go and have a haircut, like many girls do, except that you will soon be bald if you keep it up.

But my favorite is to hang out with friends and just talk it out. It’s also the best way to find out who your true friends are.

I always cherish friendship, although most of my friends are not here in Tokyo, like the American ER doctor, the Brazilian professor, the Canadian writer, and the German trader.

One of them told me to stop being philosophical, and another suggested that I stop analyzing. So now what? Just sit at home and cry? On a gorgeous autumn day like this?

No way! This is when I have every excuse to go shopping! Don’t you know? Retail therapy is he best way to get over a man!

Big Gun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2KM-_zpCno

When a girl has her first close encounter with a guy, the most delicate matter is the size.

Now, does size matter? Sure it does, especially to the guys!

A small guy can actually behave big and tell a girl not to be frightened and he will be gentle, blah blah blah. And of course a big guy can behave small...

You see, it’s all relative. And it’s basically in his head, not hers. And to be honest, how he uses it is far more important! But unfortunately, most guys don’t know that.

For example, long-lasting is not necessarily good news, especially if he has no clue how to use it right. It would just turn into an exhausting bedroom marathon. On the other hand, wormy ones are out of question (and of her) for sure.

Also, there are many discussions on the issue of length vs. girth. Every girl has her preference, I suppose. But according to my private survey, most girls seem to favor girth. Here you go, that’s your answer.

But then again, you don’t have to believe me, I am not that experienced after all! :p