my narc mother threw a tantrum today because she didn't get (to brag about) a gift at work today. not only does she have history with consistently losing/breaking/not even using the things that I have gotten her since childhood but that aside she has always been a very volatile person and likes to accuse me of doing the strangest things. for example a package camein the mail with someone else's name and address on it and instead of thinking "this was delivered to the wrong house" she brilliantly concluded that I was committing mail fraud. she also has accused me of stealing strainers or ceramic pans out of the cabinets to pawn them. it's as if she chooses random items that she hasn't used in ages and decides to forget that there were probably either broken by a housemate or they're so old that they had to be thrown out.
needless to say that in the past 5 years incidents like this have only increased and this is not the first time that i haven't gotten her a gift because of my refusal to reward behavior like this. I'm going to have to gentle-parent her through her feelings when she gets home later as we live together and I'm already burned out and ready for a smoke.
I have half a mind to tell her to ask "natasha" to get her something. natasha was an imaginary "adopted child from russia" that she would bring up as a child and through my tween/teen years to guilt me into doing things and it likely contributed not only to my performance anxiety and compulsive urge to be perfect ,but to my several mental health issues that stem from abandonment as well.

In light of recent discussions regarding the delivery of story in Penacony and how HSR is akin to a “visual novel” with narration, I thought it would be interesting to investigate how much of HSR’s story delivery actually takes place in a narrated visual novel style, since the game does feature that type of delivery, and whether or not Penacony has made any significant changes on this front. I'm tallying these because these tend to be the least interactive sequences to look at visually, leading to a heavily expository feel to the scene.
The scenes I consider a "narrated visual novel" sequence:

• HSR has many sequences that feature a still pre-drawn picture, series of pre-drawn pictures, or a pre-drawn animated picture on screen, presented with story text and narration dubbed overtop. Basically this encompasses artwork that is not rendered by the game engine with 3D models and textures etc. For example, this still artwork of a bird in Robin’s hand with narration over it (screencap courtesy of Rubhen925's playthrough videos):

https://preview.redd.it/l0q5s2y3830d1.png?width=1844&format=png&auto=webp&s=c810723c1cc9d4ab6e75740df013ce02b2bdf519
What I do not count as a "VN" sequence:

• Any sequence with live in-game rendering, such as still camera shots of in-game scenery or of characters standing and talking
• Picture of an object (e.g. Sparkle’s flower buttons) since these are usually characters handing items to other characters.
• Phone texting, in-game texts like books or letters, or dialogue sequences talking to NPCs without any audio. Even though it is the most literal “novel”-like delivery where the player must read to get story bits, they’re also usually optional and can be skipped rather quickly.

I’m only counting the times VN-style scenes are used in the main story quests of each patch and not any side quests, companion quests, events, or Simulated Universe.

THE TL;DR AND OVERALL CONCLUSION:

Penacony 2.1 and 2.2 has significantly more VN sequences, overwhelmingly so. I have provided a chart below depicting the number of seconds spent in VN sequences over the course of the patches. Penacony 2.2 alone has 4271 seconds (1hr 11min 11sec) of VN screentime, which eclipses that of all previous patches combined. Penacony 2.0+2.1+2.2 features 6237 seconds of VN screentime (1hr 43mins 57sec), which is 3.92x that of 1.X's VN scene usage (1590 seconds). Penacony also has more individual instances of VN segments, totaling to 27 scenes in 2.0-2.2, which is more instances than all of 1.X (18 scenes in 1.0-1.6).
https://preview.redd.it/2br8oonc830d1.png?width=1752&format=png&auto=webp&s=597d9ae079e6cecb37dfc522d8683bd9a4928a54
However, Penacony is also a much longer story, naturally leading to more dialogue and cutscene time than in previous patches. There aren't many ways to correct for this exactly to see proportionally how long is spent in VNs, nor easily done as it would involve parsing every instance of voiced dialogue or cutscene-equivalent in the main story. If we were to take some rough numbers though, Penacony Acts 2 and 3 are roughly 10 hours long in total playtime if just doing the story, with ~1 hour 43 minutes spent in VN sequences. This equates to roughly ~17% of the runtime being visual novel narration in the past 2 patches, which is fairly significant. By comparison, all of 1.0 content (Herta Station, Belobog, Luofu Act 1) would take roughly ~15 hours to complete if ignoring side content and SU and events, with only ~17 minutes of VN time, leading to only ~1.8% of the time spent in VN sequences.
In conclusion, Penacony definitely exhibits more visual novel style than the previous patches based on the amount of time spent in visual novel-styled sequences. Moreover, the VN style variety in Penacony is more limited than in previous patches, featuring largely still shots with some particle animations and no animations in the scene actors (see my breakdown below). This leads to Penacony’s VN style feeling more static than in previous patches, with a heavier emphasis on the narration rather than the visual presentation in these types of scenes.

The Breakdown

Ok so now for the breakdown. For all this “research,” I’ve used the HSR playthrough videos by the youtube channel Rubhen925, which have cutscenes on autoplay and thus pretty good consistency in cutscene timing behavior. I have also included linked time stamps for the start of these VN sequences in the respective playthrough videos in case people want to take a closer look. I’ve also included a brief note about each VN, as there is some variation in the artstyle of these pre-drawn VN sequences.
I’ll put a disclaimer here and say that I may have missed one or two sequences, as I sifted through the footage watching the videos at 2x speed and skipping through sequences of combat or active gameplay, so there is a margin of error here. With that being said, here is the detailed breakdown, with the total time count in each header:
1.0 Herta Space Station Main Arc – 0 minutes

• None

1.0 Belobog Main Arc – 12 minutes, 48 seconds

• Gepard recounts the founding of Belobog city (multiple pics) – 40 seconds 6:53-7:33
• Cocolia under the influence of the Stellaron (multiple pics) – 62 seconds 1:10:21-1:11:23
• Cocolia argues with the Stellaron (very animated with multiple angles) – 67 seconds 1:02:28-1:03:35
• Svarog’s databanks about a previous Supreme Guardian’s Stellaron research (*background animated, multiple sequences) – 292 seconds 31:49-36:41
• Natasha takes the orphans to the overworld (single still shot) – 77 seconds 1:25:53-1:27:10
• Bronya’s inaugural speech as Supreme Guardian of Belobog (multiple pics) – 176 seconds 1:29:47-1:32:43
• Seele and Bronya argue as the Express leaves (*very animated, almost a cutscene) – 54 seconds 1:47:27-1:48:21

1.0-1.3 Xianzhou Luofu Main Arc – 4 minutes, 15 seconds

• Kafka talks about the script and our future encounter with Nanook (single pic) – 65 seconds 1:17:17-1:18:22
• Luocha heals Xueyi (single pic, some particles) – 26 seconds 1:28:49-1:29:15
• Fu Xuan recounts the events on the Luofu (game render screenshots with filter, also these are optional scenes for recap) – 164 seconds 4:32-7:16

1.4 Topaz Belobog Arc – 4 minutes, 46 seconds

• Bronya recounts her conversation with Topaz about Belobog’s debt (single shot, old film stylizing) – 51 seconds 23:16-24:05
• Topaz’s message to Bronya about her motivations (Numby animated) – 235 seconds 1:02:26-1:06:21

1.5 Huohuo and spooky Luofu arc – 2 minutes, 13 seconds

• Cirrus recounts the feud between the General of the Luofu and Ignamar (single still shot, some action particles) – 97 seconds 48:12-49:49
• Smol Huohuo (*adorable*) – 36 seconds 50:16-50:52
• A general note about the Huohuo arc is that there is a large amount of in-game text that needs to be read for clues to solve puzzles, but this is less visual novel delivery and more just a gameplay mechanism

1.6 Ruan Mei and Dr. Ratio Herta Space Station arcs – 2 minutes, 28 seconds

• Ruan Mei’s log about the bug (single shot) – 91 seconds 50:37-52:08
• Ruan Mei talks about the cake cats (single shot) – 57 seconds 1:05:41-1:06:38
• Note for this patch specifically – most of Ruan Mei’s logs are rendered cutscenes of her doing stuff with a filter over them, so I didn’t count these. There’s also the TV broadcast segments in the Dr. Ratio arc that don’t quite fit a VN description either as they are more akin to full-on animations and presented as recordings in the game world

2.0 Penacony Act 1 – 2 minutes, 12 seconds

• Silver Wolf relaying Sam’s message to the express (some animations with Silver Wolf’s signature styling) – 107 seconds 4:16:06-4:17:53
• Mourning Firefly getting unalived (single still shot) – 25 seconds 4:42:22-4:42:47
• Firefly’s photo doesn’t count

2.1 Penacony Act 2 – 30 minutes, 34 seconds

• RIP Duke Inferno (single still shot, animated fire) – 325 seconds 15:00-20:25
• Kakavasha part 1 (single still shot) – 283 seconds 52:20-57:03
• Kakavasha part 2 (single still shot, animated sky) – 245 seconds 2:09:14-2:13:19
• Kakavasha part 3 (single still shot) – 209 seconds 3:09:52-3:13:21
• Kakavasha part 4 ft. Jade (still single shot, but continues into a black screen while Aventurine has a monologue) – 366 seconds 4:01:35-4:07:37
• Aventurine recounts the cornerstone plot and tricking Sunday (multiple pics) – 90 seconds 4:20:55-4:22:25
• Kakavasha part 5 (multiple shots, animated rain) – 183 seconds 4:56:38-4:59:41
• Acheron speaking to an unknown man – 133 seconds 5:24:44-5:26:57
• Note for this patch – there are radio sequences from the IPC’s news broadcast, I don’t count these as VN sequences since they’re accompanied by black screens with no images and primarily intended to deliver audio playback as simply audio playback.

2.2 Penacony Act 3 – 1 hour, 11 minutes, 11 seconds

• Firefly recounts the events from her perspective (multiple game render screenshots with filter) – 160 seconds 31:04-33:44
• Firefly and Blade in the car part 1 (single still shot) – 228 seconds 35:13-39:01
• Baby bird (single still shot) – 347 seconds 1:18:27-1:24:14
• Acheron and the hooded figure part 1 (single shot, animated rain) – 385 seconds 2:20:44-2:27:09
• Sunday goes to church (single still shot) – 449 seconds 2:27:15-2:34:39
• Sunday’s quiz (interactive sequence of shots, the playthrough has all VN sequences conveniently back to back) – 340 seconds 4:12:29-4:27:09
• Mikhail’s story (sequence of shots) – 528 seconds 5:03:20-5:12:08
• Firefly and Blade in the car part 2 (single still shot) – 162 seconds 5:24:18-5:27:00
• Acheron and the hooded figure part 2 – 362 seconds 5:29:00-5:35:02
• Black Swan recounts the events and reveals the truth (sequence of still shots, interactive, video only includes the correct option dialogue) – 543 seconds 7:22:37-7:31:40
• Baby bird, Robin’s perspective (single shot) – 50 seconds 7:41:10-7:42:00
• Acheron and the hooded figure part 3 (multiple shots with some animation) – 379 seconds 7:53:17-7:59:36
• Acheron and the hooded figure part 4 (single still shot, animated rain/smoke) – 158 seconds 8:06:04-8:08:42
• Concluding monologue, Robin/Sunday flashback (single still shot) – 180 seconds 8:31:52-8:35:52
• Of note, this particular act has a lot of dialogue that occurs on black screens leading into VN segments, so I have lumped them in the timings since the entire scenes together can be interpreted as a “VN-styled” sequence

Afterword

I spent way too much time on this but it was also entertaining rewatching old story :)
Edit: idk why it shows a youtube embed, reddit is weird :/

There are so many delicious foods to eat on Thanksgiving, and it can be hard to narrow it down to just one or two favorites!
If you’re a Thanksgiving newbie, check out this list of Thanksgiving foods that start with L and introduce your taste buds to all of the scrumptiousness that awaits you!
Whether you plan on eating them in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner or as part of your own personal feast, try these tasty treats on your holiday table!
If you’re wondering what to serve at your Thanksgiving feast this year, consider the following list of Thanksgiving foods that start with L.
Listed below, these healthy dishes are delicious and nutritious ways to give thanks this holiday season.

1. Lobster

The holiday season means that it is time to celebrate, relax, and enjoy the company of family and friends. What better way to celebrate than with a scrumptious feast?
If you are searching for a mouth-watering dish to serve for your feast this year, look no further than lobster!
Lobster is a traditional dish served on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, its popularity has also made it an appetizer that can be served any day of the year.
Lobsters are available fresh or canned at most grocery stores or seafood markets. There are so many different ways to prepare lobster that it is hard not to find one that would suit your needs perfectly!

2. Linguine

Linguine is a type of pasta that is shaped like long, flat noodles. It can be served with various sauces or toppings, and it's a popular dish for the holiday season.
Served with butter, garlic, and olive oil, this dish is similar to clam sauce but has a more subtle flavor. Linguine can be served on its own as an appetizer or as part of a larger meal.
Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl, reserving a cup of the cooking water in a small bowl.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until foaming subsides; add garlic and cook, occasionally stirring, until fragrant but not browned (about 30 seconds), about 2 minutes.

3. Lima beans

Some people may not know that lima beans are traditional Thanksgiving foods that start with L. It's true! Lima beans (aka butter beans) are easy to make and taste delicious, especially when paired with ham. They're also high in protein, making a great side dish for vegetarians.

4. Lionfish

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and if you're looking for some new, exciting Thanksgiving foods that start with L to put on the table.
There are lots of options. One example would be lionfish. This delicious fish can be prepared in various ways and makes for a tasty alternative to turkey or ham.
It's easy to find at most grocery stores, so all you need to do is pick up your ingredients, get cooking and enjoy!

5. Lychees

Let's talk about lychees. This delicious fruit is often a staple in Asian dishes, but it has also become more popular in Western cooking.
It looks like a little yellow grape with a tough outer shell that needs to be peeled away before you can eat the flesh inside. A great way to start your day!

6. Lamb

A rich and savory dish that pairs well with all of your favorite fall vegetables. Lamb is one of the most popular thanksgiving foods that start with L, but it's common to serve lamb.
Lamb is healthier than ham because it contains less fat and cholesterol than other meats. Plus, it also tastes delicious with cranberries and mashed potatoes!

7. Lasagna

This dish is perfect for feeding a crowd and can be made in advance to save you time on the day of the feast for Thanksgiving foods that start with L.

8. Latkes

Crispy and delicious, these potato pancakes are a delightful side dish to any meal. The latke is a dish that is traditionally served during Hanukkah but can be served at any time of year.
Latkes are typically made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, salt and onions. The mixture is then pan-fried in oil. A typical garnish for a latke might include sour cream or applesauce.

9. Lemonade

It's not a holiday without the traditional pumpkin pie, but some other Thanksgiving foods start with L to consider.
Which is Lemonade, Refreshing and comforting. However, Lemonade is a staple for many people during the warmer months.
Nevertheless, it's also an excellent drink to enjoy on cold winter days. Whether you enjoy lemonade with a little bit of vodka in it or prefer iced tea with a generous helping of freshly squeezed juice, this beverage can be enjoyed all year long.
Besides being delicious, lemonade offers some health benefits, such as aiding digestion and providing Vitamin C.
This tangy beverage should be at the top of your list when you're looking for something new to try this Thanksgiving holiday!

10. Loin

The loin is a meat cut that comes from a pig's back and lower part. It's usually roasted, grilled, or smoked. In French, it's called filet, which means a thin strip.
The loin lies between the backbone and ribs, as well as in front of the sirloin and behind the tenderloin. Another term for a loin is pork chop.
Pork chops are often eaten fried or grilled with bacon. They can be served with applesauce or caramelized applesauce.
When buying pork chops, it's important to look at them closely to ensure they're not too dried out or stringy.

11. Lynchburg Lemonade

• Ingredients include
• Sweet Tea
• Triple Sec
• Fresh Lemon Juice (tablespoons) Instructions: Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Serve cold over ice cubes and garnish with a lemon slice!

12. Leek

A leek is a type of onion with a milder flavor than other onions. Leeks are used in soups and stews and as an ingredient in making curry sauce, and they will surely serve you perfectly for your Thanksgiving foods that start with L. They also work well with potatoes, spinach, and cream.
Slice off the root end of the leek, cutting up to one inch away from where it starts to flare out into green leaves.
Rinse thoroughly under cold water or soak in boiling water for a few minutes until it is softened but not colored. Trim off any tough parts from the green leaves near the white part, then slice them thinly crosswise.

13. Lahana Sarmasi

Start by chopping onion and green pepper into small pieces. Please place them in a medium-sized pot with vegetable oil, then add tomato paste and salt to taste.
Add water to cover the vegetables, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
After cooking time is up, remove the pot from the stovetop and stir in sugar (to taste) before leaving it to cool for 30 minutes.
When cooled down, mix in raisins, almonds, and pine nuts before adding rice; ensure the rice is well mixed before returning it to the pot.

14. Lovage

Lovage is an herb that tastes like celery, with a flavor similar to parsley but more intense and more like celery. It's often used in French cooking.
The leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a side dish (often boiled, braised, or sautéed). The seeds can be roasted, ground into a powder, and mixed with water to make a refreshing drink of Thanksgiving foods that start with L.

15. Liqueur

The liqueur is often used to signify a special drink enjoyed on holidays and other occasions that you want to fill your tables with Thanksgiving foods that start with L.
However, Liqueurs are typically sweet and are often made from fruits, nuts, herbs, or spices. One of the most popular liqueurs is Amaretto, made from apricot kernels.

16. Latte

I love a good latte! I like to start my day with one in the morning or have one with an afternoon snack and then end it with a cup of hot cocoa after dinner. Lattes can be enjoyed any time of day.
I love that lattes are easy to make at home. All you need is some whole milk, a teaspoon of espresso, a tablespoon of hot water, and some sweetener if you want it.
Nevertheless, You can make them as strong or as weak as you want by adjusting how much water you add too.
I also like that latte's come in different flavors and combinations, so there is always something new to try when you want your occasion to be special with Thanksgiving foods that start with L.

17. Lakoocha

Lakoocha is a traditional Russian dessert made of dough, oil, and honey;

18. Limeade

The tangy limeade is a refreshing drink for hot summer days. All you need to do is squeeze some fresh lime juice into a glass of water and add sugar if desired.
Also, a few ice cubes will help keep it cold while you sip on this delicious drink. If you want to make iced limeade, place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over ice and enjoy!

19. Lavash

Lavash is thin, unleavened loaves of bread that are usually baked in a large clay oven called a tandoor. They can be used as Thanksgiving foods that start with L for serving guests.
The word lavash is derived from an Armenian word that means bread. Like many other cultures, Armenians wrap their traditional dishes in lavash before serving them to guests.
Their cuisine often includes dishes like kebabs or kabobs wrapped up in lavash before being eaten.

20. Lumpia

The Filipino dish, Lumpia, is one of the Thanksgiving foods that start with L, an egg roll with a savory filling wrapped in a thin wrapper and deep fried to create a crispy exterior.
Lumpia is usually served as an appetizer or as part of the main meal. The word lumpia means spring roll in Tagalog, reflecting that this dish has been around since ancient times in Southeast Asia.
L lumpia is typically made with ground pork, carrots, onion, garlic, and chili peppers in Filipino cuisine.
The mixture is then rolled up into flour wrappers that have been cut into strips before being dipped into hot oil to fry them until golden brown. This cooking method makes for a crispy outside with a moist inside and flavorful filling.

21. Lollipop

The lollipop is one of the most iconic sweet treats in America. In fact, more than 100 billion lollipops are made each year in the United States.
However, did you know that this confection has been around since at least as early as 1796? Believe it or not, Thomas Adams is credited with being the first person to put a stick into a ball of candy!
In addition to being a popular treat for people of all ages and backgrounds, lollipops also make great props for wedding photos and party favors for birthday celebrations. Plus, they're perfect for stocking stuffers too!

22. Lingcod

The lingcod is a type of fish that lives in cold water. It has a light, delicate, and meaty texture. There are many different ways to prepare this as one of the Thanksgiving foods that start with L, and it can be used in soups or stews as well as baked on its own.
The skin should be removed before cooking because it can become tough after cooking. The lingcod can also be grilled or pan-fried with butter and herbs, which will help keep the meat from drying out.
The best way to cook this fish is by baking it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes per inch of thickness (when measured at the thickest part). This ensures that the flesh is moist and tender without being dry or overcooked.

23. Littleneck

A littleneck is a type of clam found in the Atlantic Ocean and used as one of the common and popular thanksgiving foods that start with L. The name comes from its small size, which is about half that of a cherrystone clam.
This small bivalve mollusk has a hard and shiny exterior shell. Littleneck is often eaten steamed or raw as sushi, but they can also be used to make clam chowder or pasta dishes.

24. Limburger

This cheese is perfect for those who love a strong flavor. It's tangy, salty, and slightly pungent. This cheese has been aged for at least six months to help develop its complex flavor profile.

25. Lard

Lard is an animal fat that can be rendered to make cooking oil and soap. Lard has a higher melting point than butter, so it’s also often used in frying food.
Lard is also often used in desserts, such as pies and biscuits because it makes them flaky and crispy. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, lard can be replaced with vegetable shortening.
But it’s important to read the labels of any replacement product before using it because some contain hydrogenated oils, which are high in saturated fats and low in trans-fats.
For healthier alternatives to lard, try coconut oil or margarine made from plant-based fats such as soybean or sunflower oil instead!

26. Loaf

Many different types of Thanksgiving foods start with L, including quick-bread loaves, yeast-bread loaves, and sweet-bread loaves.
It's possible to find traditional versions or versions with nuts or raisins for some added texture or sweetness.
Bread can also be shaped into a round shape instead of a loaf. This is called a bâtard or boule. The word loaf comes from the Old English word hlāf, meaning bread.

27. Liverwurst

This German specialty is made with a mixture of pork and beef liver, bacon, and spices. It's typically served as part of a charcuterie platter or on rye bread.
Liverwurst is best when it's cooked to an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give it that nice brown color and a slightly crispy crust.
The taste of liverwurst depends largely on how much bacon is included in the recipe, which determines its saltiness.
A good rule of thumb is that if you want to make something sweet for your Thanksgiving foods that start with L, liverwurst is a go, and you must use less bacon than you would for something savory (or add sweetener ingredients).

28. Land Cress

A delicate green herb with a peppery flavor, land cress is not to be confused with watercress which belongs to another genus entirely.
The plants of land cress are delicate, so it is best when eaten raw in salads or sandwiches.
Another way to enjoy it is by mixing it into fish sauces and using it as a garnish on soups. It does not keep very long, so you should use this herb immediately.

29. Loquat

The loquat, or Japanese plum, is a small fruit with a sweet and sour flavor. It is usually available in late winter and early spring. The loquat has green, leathery skin and yellow flesh.
You can eat them raw or cooked; they are often used to make jellies, jams, chutneys, and pies. Loquats contain high amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants.

30. Lemongrass

I can't think of anything better to eat on a cold, wintery day than a big bowl of thanksgiving foods that start with L.
The zesty, citrus flavor is perfect for warming up your insides while also providing a nice little vitamin boost. It's such an easy recipe too!
However, you need some chicken broth, fresh lemongrass, peeled ginger root, lots of fresh cilantro, and some salt (and pepper if you want) to taste.
Just add everything to a pot and let it simmer on low heat until all the flavors are well combined. I like to make this with lots of toppings like fried shallots, chopped peanuts, or even basil leaves that I can stir before serving.

31. Limoncello

The word limoncello literally means lemon honey in Italian. This sweet, citrus-flavored liqueur is perfect for any occasion, but especially on Christmas and New Year's Eve!
Limoncello is made by infusing lemon peels in alcohol, adding sugar to sweeten it, and then letting it rest for months.
It's usually served chilled or over ice with a splash of water or club soda. To make limoncello even more festive, add some fresh cranberries to make a cranberry limoncello!

32. Lettuce

Do you need a quick way to make your Thanksgiving dinner better? Try adding some Thanksgiving foods that start with L to it!
Lettuce has many health benefits, so it's a good idea to include this leafy green as part of your traditional menu. Here are some of the best Thanksgiving foods that start with L.
When it comes to lettuce, there are many different varieties to choose from. Green and red leaf lettuce both have a slightly bitter taste with a more bitter flavor when they're older.
Romaine is crunchier and has a more peppery taste which goes well with heavy salad dressings. An iceberg is milder than other lettuce and is a great choice for those who don't like the stronger flavors of other types of lettuce.

33. Lobscouse

This traditional Newfoundland dish is made with salt beef, potatoes and onions. Cooked in a pot or kettle, it's simmered together until tender and then thickened with flour.
The word lobscouse comes from the French lobster as this dish will be perfect for selecting from Thanksgiving foods that start with L.
It was originally made with lobster meat before salt beef became popular due to its affordability.
Lobscouse also has many variations depending on where you are in Newfoundland: it may be cooked in a large pot or kettle over an open fire and boiled for at least 4-6 hours; it might be served without vegetables (because they were scarce); and it might include carrots, turnip or parsnips.

34. Loganberry

The Loganberry is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. It was developed in 1907 by John Watson, who was a plant breeder from New Jersey.
The Loganberry typically has three to four times more sugar than other berries, with an intense taste that ranges from tart to tangy.
In addition to being delicious, the Loganberry is easy to grow and can be easily stored for long periods of time because of its high sugar content.

35. Lekvar

The word Lekvar is a common name for a fruit preserve made from whole quinces peeled and cooked with sugar.
The finished product has a consistency similar to that of jelly and can be used as a dessert topping or spread on cakes.
It also makes an excellent sauce when mixed with chicken, game meat, or pork. The name Lekvar comes from the Hungarian word lekvár, meaning fruit preserve.

36. Lox

You can't go wrong with lox when it comes to Thanksgiving foods that start with L. This cured salmon is delicious and packed with nutrients that will keep you energized all morning long.
Plus, it's super easy to make! How To Make Lox. Rinse a 1-pound salmon filet under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel on both sides.
Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl or dish. Combine one cup of sugar, one cup of kosher salt, three tablespoons dried dill weed, two tablespoons crushed black peppercorns, and four whole bay leaves in a small bowl and mix well to combine.

37. Lutefisk

This traditional Scandinavian dish is a gelatinous mass made from dried cod soaked in lye. It has a long history and was popular as a meat substitute during fasting.
Lutefisk is served traditionally with boiled potatoes, melted butter, and ground black pepper.
The taste and texture can be acquired for some people, but there's no denying that it's as appropriate to serve on Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving foods that start with L!
This traditional Scandinavian dish is a gelatinous mass made from dried cod soaked in lye. It has a long history and was popular as a meat substitute during fasting.
Lutefisk is served traditionally with boiled potatoes, melted butter, and ground black pepper.

38. Linguica

This dish is an American-Portuguese sausage made from pork, garlic, and red wine. The Linguica is a popular choice for those who like spicy foods because it has a hot kick to it. It’s commonly served with rice and beans or on its own as a breakfast meat.
Plus, this food is also great for outdoor barbecues because of its long shelf life and low price point. Try Linguica in your next meal today!

39. London Broil

Are you in charge of planning Thanksgiving foods that start with L? If so, congratulations! It's a big responsibility.
You may not know it but in addition to choosing food that everyone likes and making sure there are enough plates, silverware, and napkins on hand, you also need to consider the order of service.
For example: should the London broil be sliced ahead of time, or will people want to carve it themselves?
Will guests serve themselves from an entrée table, or will they be seated at their places with all their dishes set out for them?
And what about drinks? Which beverages will people prefer while they're waiting for dinner—water or wine? As you can see, there are a lot of decisions to make. But don't worry. London broil will always serve your guest right.

40. Liquor

This is obvious and will be needed for some of your guests. There are many different kinds of alcohol to choose from. If you know who will be coming, pick a type of alcohol that suits their tastes, whether that's wine, champagne, or something else entirely.
The liquor store is also where you can find all sorts of mixing ingredients, such as mixers like sodas or juices to go with it.!

41. Lahmacun

It's typically served with yogurt on the side for dipping or as a sauce for dipping. The dough is also sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds before baking it.
The origins of Lahmacun are not entirely clear, but some believe it originated in Central Asia. While others say, it was popularized by Ottoman soldiers who brought this dish back to Turkey from their travels to Eastern Europe centuries ago.
No matter what its origins may be, one thing remains true - lahmacun is delicious among Thanksgiving foods that start with L!

42. Limpa

It's officially falling. This means that it's time to break out the pumpkin spice, but also time to enjoy the last of summer produce.
One of my favorite things about autumn is that we can finally start making some of our favorite Scandinavian dishes, like Limpa bread.
Limpa is a white bread containing wheat flour, rye flour, and malt syrup. It has a light texture and a lot of flavor from the combination of grains in it.
It was first created in Sweden for Easter Sunday because it's a special type of bread that uses all three main ingredients in communion wafers: wheat flour, water, and wine; rye flour; and malt syrup or molasses.

43. Lalanga

The lalanga, also known as pomegranate, is a tasty fruit with a sweet and tangy taste. It's also one of the first fruits to ripen in late summer.
The name for this fruit comes from the Persian word for apple, and it was brought to India by traders, where locals called it lalang.
There are many different varieties of Thanksgiving foods that start with L, and lalanga is one of them, and lalanga are of different types too, but they all look similar with thin-skinned red or dark-purple fruit.
Lalangas are often eaten fresh or dried, but they can be made into jams and other desserts. Lalangas are high in vitamin C, making them an excellent food for the cold season.

44. Liederkranz

I love Liederkranz. It's a mixture of cheeses, apples, and nuts that is baked in a ring-shaped dish. It's traditionally served at Christmas but tastes great any time of year.
My mom makes it for me every holiday because she knows I love it so much. Nothing is better than biting into one of those thick slices with whipped cream on top.

45. Lupin Beans

This ancient legume, lupin beans, is relatively unknown in the United States. They are gaining popularity with chefs and heirloom food enthusiasts alike due to their meaty texture, earthy flavor, and ease of use.
Lupins can be used in many dishes, including soups, salads, or even rice replacement. Rinse and soak overnight in water to which you have added 2 Tbsp of salt.
Drain and rinse again before cooking for about 30 minutes until tender but not mushy. Flavor with butter, soy sauce, or garlic if desired (optional).

46. Lavender

The first letter of lavender is L for Lavender. Lavender is a perennial plant and can be found in many colors, including purple, white, blue, and pink. The leaves are used for cooking, but the flowers are also edible.
This herb has a gentle flavor that goes well with other herbs like thyme or rosemary. Adding it at the end of the cooking process is best because heat will cook away some of its flavors.
When making mint tea or iced tea, you can use lavender buds as a substitute for peppermint leaves.

47. Lady Apple

Mix one cup of apple cider with three tablespoons of brown sugar in a bowl. Peel and chop two apples.
Add the apples to the mixture and stir. Place in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, occasionally stirring until it starts to thicken.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and let simmer for 15 minutes or until it becomes syrupy. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream as a topping if desired.

48. Lentils

Lentils are an inexpensive and healthy source of protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Lentils are also a good source of fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels.
They are perfect Thanksgiving foods that start with L for people with diabetes because they have a low glycemic index and do not cause rapid spikes in blood sugar.
Lentils come in both green and brown varieties and can be served on their own as a side dish or mixed with other ingredients to make soup, casseroles, or chili.

49. Lemons

The quintessential lemon is a yellow citrus fruit that looks like a large, roundish lime. Lemons are high in vitamin C and low in calories; they contain both citric and ascorbic acid.
The juice of lemons can be used as a flavoring or as an ingredient in many Thanksgiving foods that start with L, including desserts like lemon meringue pie.

50. Limes

Lime is a citrus fruit that is round in shape and lime green in color, though they come in various shades of green, from yellow-green to dark green, depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
They are typically sour and juicy, with some varieties being sweeter than others. Limes are a great way to add some tangy flavor to your dishes.
Whether you want to use them for margaritas or want to squeeze a little juice on top of your dish, limes will give you that tangy flavor.
Juicing limes can be messy, which is more challenging than juicing oranges because they are much smaller.
Be careful when juicing limes because you can easily get seeds in your drink, and nobody wants that. If you don't care about the seeds, squeezing limes might be easier for you than any other citrus fruit.

51. Liver

This nutrient-packed and low-calorie food should be noticed. It is rich in Vitamin A, Iron, and Selenium. The liver is also a good source of Zinc, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Copper, and Potassium.
The consumption of liver can help build muscle mass due to its high protein content, which is perfect for Thanksgiving foods that start with L.

52. Lemon Basil

This recipe is a twist on traditional basil pesto. I wanted to use lemon because it's such an awesome flavor and in this recipe has that tart citrusy taste, which is perfect for fall.
It includes cilantro, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes, and basil. It's so simple to make and will be a great addition to your thanksgiving menu!

• Cup fresh cilantro leaves (leaves only) Cup fresh basil leaves (leaves only)
• Cup olive oil
• Cloves garlic
• Juice from one lemon
  
• A pinch of salt
  
• A few dashes of chili flakes
  

53. Lemon meringue pie

There is nothing more comforting or delicious to warm up with on Thanksgiving day than thanksgiving foods that start with L. Lemon meringue pie.
It has an airy, melt-in-your-mouth crust, creamy lemon filling, and a fluffy meringue topping that's baked to perfection.
You can make this dessert in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line the pie crust with parchment paper or foil and fill it with pie weights or dry beans so that it doesn't puff up while baking.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and remove parchment paper or foil along with weights and beans before adding the filling.

54. Lamb’s Lettuce

This type of lettuce is a cross between romaine and butterhead lettuce and has an overall soft appearance. The leaves are green or dark red in color and grow to be about five inches wide.
It features a mild flavor that blends well with most salad dressings, making it a favorite among chefs.
The leaves are crisp and can hold up to heavy dressings without wilting or becoming soggy like some other lettuces do when mixed with creamy sauces.
Conclusion
I hope this post has helped you with your search for new thanksgiving foods that start with L. It's important to keep in mind that only some dishes work for some families.
So be sure to make a list and try it out before you commit to anything. And, of course, if you have any occasion, please feel free to use thanksgiving foods that start with L. Happy Thanksgiving!

Vanilla is my one true love in perfumes, I have a major sweet tooth, and this release has been my most anticipated from any house in a long time, so of course, I had to purchase one of every sample in this collection. By the time it arrived, though, Pulp had announced an additional two fragrances in their collection, so this isn't a complete review at the time I'm writing this. Regardless, I've had each of these ones long enough to give them a bit of a fair shot each, so hopefully my reviews are helpful for those curious about this collection. I will say i am wordy, and love anecdotes, so beware

🌿Vaniglia Presto

Early Morning Spring Greenery & Sweet Vanilla Bean (Rapid/Early, 168-177 BPM) First Impressions
In the Bottle It's fresh! A sweet grassy smell with a bit of a light morning dew. This isn't usually my style of fragrance, but I'm actually looking forward to trying this one. It's a little bit fresh cut grass, a little bit walking through a leafy hedge after the rain On the Skin Smells similar to how it does in the bottle– delightful! The essence of fresh cut grass calms down pretty quickly on my skin, and its just light, fresh, and clean. It reminds me of peeling the stems of dandelion flowers and the smell on the inside. It's bitter for sure, but it smells like I am comfy rolling around in a field way. It's got a plant pollen smell. It doesn't change a whole lot on my skin, and is just a little sweeter upon drydown. 6/10 Glad i have this sample, and i can see myself reaching for it, but infrequently, and I don't know if I'll ever fullsize it

🍍Vaniglia Vivaci

Lively Tropical Fruits & Vanilla Orchid (Lively/Upbeat, 132-140 BPM)
First Impressions In the Bottle A hearty, but soapy fruit salad mix. There's a little bit of warmth to it, like a sunny day that I enjoy. It's a bit of a woody, earthy, fruity combination. Not very vanilla-ish. On the Skin Initially very soapy, and smells like the orange bottle of febreze (Hawaiian Aloha?) I don't get a lot in the way of vanilla at all, and am a little disappointed. It does relax down into a hand-soap vanilla tropical something, but I think I'd prefer this as a deodorant, or a hand sanitizer. I can't isolate any particular tropical fruits in this, possibly pineapple, but it comes off artificial. It's sharp, and I wouldn't likely wear this day to day. Maybe after a shower. I'll let this rest for a few days and approach it again, and hopefully let the fragrance develop. 4/10 Not for me, it's indeed super summery, and could be wearable for someone, but it's probably better suited to a hand cream, or in a diffuser than on my skin directly.

🍮Vaniglia Allegro (4.5ml rollerball)

Gourmand Notes & Golden Vanilla, Allegro (Bright and Cheerful, 109-132 BPM)
First Impressions In the Bottle I don't like this one initially, I haven't let the bottle rest, and it smells like a really dusty bookshelf in a bakery. I get a hint of gourmande-ness. It's a little more frosting-like, and a touch screechy. I'm a bit worried that I don't like this, and I normally adore gourmandy vanillas. On the Skin ...huh. there's a faint fruitiness that comes out on my skin almost immediately, and reminds me of Lorraine's in Wailuku, and her amazing fruit garden, and home baked banana cream pie. Am I crazy? This is a bit of a surprise to me as I was expecting a cakey, frosting-y gourmand. I do still get a bit of it, but it's a backdrop to that opening. It's slightly toasty, like a pastry dough or a graham cracker. A pie crust! After sitting on my skin for a while, I like this more and more. It's lighter, and I get more of that slight fruitiness as time passes. I think this will be a great fragrance to wear when you just want to smell effortlessly delicious without smelling like a slice of cake. Pairs really well with my various fruit scented soaps. 8/10, I wont get a larger size than my 4.5ml unless it ages particularly well, but i'm happy that I gambled and got it in the first place. Good gourmand for the summer.

🌶Vaniglia Adagio

Gentle Spices, Cardamom, and French Vanilla (Leisurely/At Ease, 55-65 BPM)
First Impressions In the Bottle This is pretty interesting in the bottle. It's the inside of a spice cabinet without being in your face spicy. It does sorta remind me of tiger balm after it sat on your skin overnight, not sure why. On the Skin This one makes me hungry. It smells like my home when someone is cooking, something sweet baking in the oven, and curry on the stove. I'm not usually huge on spicy notes, but I can see this one growing on me. It's a little clovey, but I mostly get Cardamom. Very wearable, I can see myself wearing this at the end of the summer. The french vanilla balances it from being too intensely curry. My mother makes cardamom french toast cupcakes, and layering this with a sweeter vanilla would probably make it smell exactly like that. After sitting on my skin for some time the cardamom develops and takes a very present position. It's a comfy scent, warm, cozy, and just sweet enough for me. 7/10 Once I get past the wafts of chicken curry, this turns into a very nice cardamom/vanilla fragrance. Nice! Not my favourite but a nice addition.

🌳Vaniglia Lento

Earthly Patchouli, Woods, & Balsamic Vanilla (Slow/Calm, 41-45 BPM)
First Impressions In the Bottle On the initial sniff it reaffirmed why I don't like patchouli for myself most of the time, but Pulp does such a great job with patch that does make it more tolerable. This has an unusual complexity that might turn this into one of my favourite woody scents as time goes on, or I'll hate it. I'm not sure. I get the impression I'd go absolutely crazy for this smell on someone else. It's androgynous, for sure. On the Skin I think I was right on the money on "loving this on someone else," or maybe when I'm feeling more like blending in with my local woods. This is easy to love for me since it's very obviously well blended, and another great, slightly spooky addition to Pulp's collection. If your heart is set on smelling like an ancient force of nature, this one is absolutely for you. Issue is that I wear woody fragrances so infrequently that I'll probably just keep this one shelved. 7/10 Ragh I want to full-size this one but I know I'll never wear it. I need someone in my life to wear this around me every day so I can have an excuse to sniff it.

🕯Vaniglia Grave

Liturgical incense, & Smoked Vanilla (Stately/Somber, 20-40 BPM)
First Impressions In the Bottle Whew that is 100% incense cannot deny that. I've never had much experience with incense, so it's not something I've taught my nose to enjoy. There's a local store near me that sells witchy oddities, steampunk costume pieces, and what looks to be fantasy artifacts. This scent would fit right in with there. I hope the smoked vanilla comes out on the skin. On the Skin Yes yes yes this is the vanilla of my dreams. Smoke notes drive me crazy and this is sufficiently vanilla enough that it satisfies my sweet tooth. The incense melts into the background and gorgeously compliments the vanilla. It's hauntingly beautiful. Definitely something I'd be happy to wear in the wintefall on a snowy night, but I honestly want to live in this scent. A basement in a cozy cottage in the woods, mid january, you cant see the moon tonight. You're by a woodfire, rolled up in a quilt and just about to drift off to sleep. 10/10 I am so pleasantly surprised by this one. I was dreading trying it on my skin since incense is a note I'm afraid to wear. I don't want to smell like a church, but this perfume blew me away. Absolutely going to full size this one. I want to chew on my arm like a feral dog, it does something to my psyche u cant explain.

In conclusion

I think my biggest takeaway is that I really can't trust how a fragrance smells in the bottle, because the only one that smelled great to me in the bottle was Vaniglia Presto, but almost immediately upon touching my skin they just transformed. I am a feral vanilla animal, and when i'm looking at this collection, expecting vanilla, and then not getting them in the bottle .. I must admit I was worried. But the vanilla is really just a super pretty base note to each of them. I think that this might be a great collection to introduce someone who doesn't like vanilla to more vanilla notes. Each fragrance is so complex, and I'm not nearly experienced enough to isolate notes. I had a great time sampling each of them, and I'm looking forward to how they develop over the next couple of months.
Thanks! Hope this is thorough enough! And that the formatting doesnt stink.

Hello basketball lovers, I have complied a list of best shoes for basketball, as a lot of Redditors are finding it difficult to choose the best basketball shoe for them. In this guide I have added basketball shoes for everyone.

Best Basketball Shoes 2024:

1. Nike Lebron NXXT GEN (best overall)
2. Under Armour Curry Flow 10 (the best traction)
3. Nike Lebron 20 (the best cushioning)
4. Jordan Zion 2 (best support)
5. Nike Zoom Freak 4 (best lightweight)
6. Nike Air Max Impact 4 (best budget)

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Nike Lebron NXXT GEN: (best overall)

The LeBron NXXT GEN is a hit because it is surprisingly light, had good bounce, and is super flexible, making it a top choice. It weighed only 13.12 ounces (372g), which is less than most basketball shoes, usually around 14.22 ounces (403g). Being lighter meant players could move faster and jump higher during games.
With its Zoom Air unit in the front, every step felt springy, helping players move quick and score points. Plus, it bent easily, following players' moves smoothly.
But, if you've got wide feet, it might not be the best fit because the toebox is a bit tight, measuring only 74.9 mm, while the average is 76.8 mm.
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Under Armour Curry Flow 10 (the best traction)

When it comes to dominating the court, the Under Armour Curry 10 takes the lead. Not only does it offer exceptional traction, but it's also praised for its breathability and lightweight design.
Stopping suddenly is a breeze, thanks to its multidirectional coverage despite lacking a traditional outsole. Plus, the grip it provided is solid and reliable.
Comfort wasn't compromised either, as the shoe's breathability was top-notch. Lab tests confirmed its ability to allow air and light to pass through the upper material effortlessly, earning it a perfect score from runrepeat.com
Weighing in at just 12.63 ounces or 538 grams, compared to the average of 14.22 ounces or 403 grams, this shoe's lightweight build is good for players to move faster and jump higher on the court.
However, it's important to note that the Curry 10 may not be the best option for those with wide feet, as the toebox measured only 97.5 mm wide, while the average is around 101.0 mm.
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Nike Lebron 20 (the best cushioning)

When it comes to cushioning, the LeBron 20 stands out for its blend of impact protection and ground feel, further enhanced by its 4.4 mm drop. Additionally, it provides protection from twists through its firm and stable base.
The midsole is slightly thinner than average, especially around the heel, measuring only 27.0 mm high compared to the average of 30.0 mm. This setup brings feet closer to the ground, enhancing court feel.
The LeBron 20 also excels in torsional rigidity. Its firm base provides excellent resistance to painful twists, scoring a perfect 5 in torsional resistance during manual tests in runrepeat's lab.
However, there's a downside in terms of breathability. The shoe scores only a 2 out of 5 in runrepeat's smoke test due to the relatively impermeable upper, which limits airflow.
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Jordan Zion 2 (best support)

Jordan Zion 2 is the best shoe for foot containment because it has a perfectly effective heel counter, an amazingly secure structure, and a twist-resistant base. All these features work together to hold the foot securely in place. You will not feel unstable or wobbly even if you move quite aggressively.
The heel counter is flawlessly able to hold itself in the face of pressure. No amount of manual squeezing could make it give up its shape and secure clasp on the rearfoot. This shoe needs 67.2N of force to be bent at 90 degrees which is AMAZING. A typical basketball shoe would only require 40.9N to bend at the same angle. The rigidity of its overall makeup reduced the chance of slipping to zero.
Unfortunately, those players who want something light won’t be happy with the Zion 2. At 15.2 ounces or 431 grams, this shoe is indeed heavier than the 14.22 ounces or 403 grams average.
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Nike Zoom Freak 4 (best lightweight)

The Nike Zoom Freak 4’s weight (12.3 oz or 348g) is below the average (13.7 oz or 387g) and Its outsole is actually harder than average, making it more resistant to abrasion.The above-average hardness even makes it a worthy outdoor shoe. This shoe is also a beast when it comes to heel support because of its stiff counter. Given all these benefits, I hail the Zoom Freak 4 as the best lightweight shoe.
Zoom Freak 4 needed 54.0N to bend at 90 degrees, this makes it more resistant than the typical shoe which would need only 41.9N. Players who need shoes that do so well with natural foot flexions might not be too happy with this pick.
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Nike Air Max Impact 4 (best budget)

You can get the Air Max Impact 4 for $90 (the average price for Nike shoes is $134), and it surely delivers a lot more than what you will pay for and offer the best value for money among all basketball shoes. The most notable thing in these shoes is the durability of its outsole which makes this shoe very effective for outdoor use.
The outsole of the Air Max Impact 4 is considerably harder than the average. This explained why the shoe works wonders outdoors. The cushion right under the heel is quite thick (33.3 mm vs 29.0 mm average). It compressed quite well whenever needed, effectively keeping your feet free from pain.
It’s just too sad that this shoe is not really the most accommodating of wide-footers. Its actual width of 101.1 mm isn’t really more spacious than the 99.9 mm average.
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Why get basketball shoes?

Logic says that because basketball involves a lot of running, it’s OK to play in your trusty running shoes. They’ve got traction. They’ve got a cushion. They even promise durability. But are these in the right amounts?
As opposed to running shoes, good basketball shoes provide the following:

• great multi-directional traction
• more lateral and ankle support
• more stable and grounded cushioning

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Great multi-directional traction
Basketball needs good traction because of the complex footwork that it requires. There are quick stops, jumping, and a lot of lateral actions. These are high-intensity movements that a shoe designed for running is not prepared for.
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More lateral and ankle support
A good basketball shoe withstands immense pressure from aggressive movements. The extra torsional stiffness and higher, more padded collar make this possible.
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More stable and grounded cushioning
Because of the complexity of their footwork, basketball players need to feel the court. Too much cushion can lead to dangerous movement miscalculations, slips, and falls. That's why basketball shoes on average have thinner and firmer midsoles compared to running shoes.

LPs

• C-Kan (🇲🇽) - Cualquier Parecido con La Realidad [Latin Rap]
• Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement (w André 3000, George Clinton, Thundercat, BJ The Chicago Kid, D Smoke + more) [Jazz Fusion, Young]
• Slum Village - F.U.N. (w Larry June, Cordae, Sango, Fat Ray + more) [Midwest Hip Hop]
• Cookin Soul (🇪🇸) - Raw Tapes Vol. 1 Beats [Beats]
• Heembeezy - Beezy Baby [L.A. Trap, Santa Anna]
• ALLBLACK - ROUND 1 (w 03 Greedo, Berner & R3 Da Chilliman) [Bay Area Rap]
• DJ Muggs - Silver Cloud [Boom Bap]
• Blockhead - Luminous Rubble [Boom Bap, Def Presse]
• Spice 1 - Platinum O.G. 2 (w Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, C.L. Smooth, DJ Premier, Conway the Machine, MC Eiht, Devin the Dude, Paul Wall, Lil' Flip, B-Legit + more) [West Coast Rap]
• evilgiane & Slimesito - Evilslime [Plugg, Surf Gang]
• Ras Kass, RJ Payne & Havoc - Guttr (w Method Man, Kurupt, Twista, Raekwon, KXNG CROOKED + more) [Boom Bap, Fat Beats]
• Chicken P - Hard Nigga Livin' (w Baby Money) [Milwaukee Trap, 10KP]
• Black Jack OBS (🇫🇷) - Strangulation (w Freeze corleone + more) [French Drill]
• Saigon & Fredro - The Jordan Era (w Pete Rock, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Grandmaster Caz + more) [Boom Bap]
• Chanceko (🇫🇷) - En roue libre [French Trap]
• OT The Real - PALE HORSE (w BoriRock, Merkules + more) [Philly Rap]
• Jadasea (🇬🇧) - Too Many Tears [Rap, 10k]
• Baby Neelou (🇫🇷) - Le Chemin du Cœur [French Trap]
• Jawnino (🇬🇧) - 40 (w MIKE, Jesse James Solomon, evilgiane, Airhead + more) [UK Rap, True Panther]
• Rouge Carmin (🇫🇷) - GRAND CARMIN HÔTEL [French Rap]
• samayusi (🇫🇷) - des cauchemars qui ont saigné [Rap]
• Curtisy (🇮🇪) - WHAT WAS THE QUESTION [Irish Rap]
• LAVILLE (🇫🇷) - LAVILLE 9 [French Rap]

Deluxe

• Jorja Smith (🇬🇧) - falling or flying: reimagined [UK R&B]
• NSG (🇬🇧) - AREA BOYZ DELUXE (w Stonebwoy, Blaqbonez & Slim) [Afroswing]
• AJ Suede - Ark Flashington [Portland Rap]

EPs

• Farruko (🇵🇷) - CVRBON VRMOR [C_DE: G_D.O.N.] [Latin Trap]
• DaBaby - Ghetto Superstar: The Intro (w Skilla Baby) [Trap, Interscope]
• Eladio Carrión (🇵🇷) - Porque Puedo [Latin Trap]
• 4batz - u made me a st4r (w Kanye West) [R&B, gamma.]
• Gloss Up - Not Ya Girl: Act 1 (w Jacquees, Hunxho & Skilla Baby) [Memphis Trap, QC]
• Rome Streetz & WavyDaGod - Buck 50 [Boom Bap]
• KPoint (🇫🇷) - Shottas [Rap]
• Valee & Black Noi$e - Partridge [Chicago Rap]
• gapman (🇫🇷) - Prochaine Chèvre 2 [French Rap, Sony]
• Nixon (🇫🇷), La Miellerie & G.A THE PLUG - OUTSIDER [Rap, [PIAS]]
• Key Nyata - DONT FOLD, Vol. 1 (w Denzel Curry & Lia Liza) [Seattle Rap]
• Papo2oo4 & subjxct 5 - We Don't Miss [NJ Rap]
• HELOÏM (🇫🇷) - DERNIER RUSH [French Rap]
• Acifiq (🇫🇷) - SI C'ÉTAIT AUSSI SIMPLE [French Rap]

Songs

• Kendrick Lamar - euphoria / 6:16 in LA
• Uncle Luke & Trick Daddy - Scarred (Remix) [feat. Pitbull & Trina]
• Gunna & Turbo - Whatsapp (Wassum)
• Casper Mágico, Anuel AA, Laur La L & iZaak - Toki
• Yeat - King tonka / heavy stunts (feat. Don Toliver)
• Kevin Abstract & Romil - Tennessee (feat. Lil Nas X
• G-Eazy - Lady Killers III
• Lil Tecca - Never Last / Number 2
• Maiya The Don & Flo Milli - Expensive
• Finesse2Tymes - Letter to the Devil / Traumatized (feat. NBA Youngboy)
• Lil Mabu & NBA Youngboy - ENGINE
• Bakar - React
• B.o.B - Steve Harvey
• Conway the Machine & Don Cannon - Ten (feat. Key Glock) / Rya Interlude
• PBE Pluto & BigXthaPlug - Alabama
• Trueno - THE ROOF IS ON FIRE
• Moneybagg Yo & Tay Keith - TRYNA MAKE SURE
• Mary J. Blige - Still Believe In Love (Remix) [feat. Vado, Fat Joe, Raekwon & Jadakiss]
• Hunxho & Mike WiLL Made-It - Come Over (feat. 2 Chainz)
• Ghostface Killah & Nas - Scar Tissue
• Chance The Rapper - Buried Alive
• Smokepurpp - HEY THERE DELILAH (feat. Lil Pump)*
• Jasiah, Denzel Curry & Meechy Darko - 5 Days
• $NOT - BULLY
• Bb trickz - Jálele alv (feat. Kevin AMF) / Soy la Más Mala de España (feat. Bryant LR)
• Rapsody - 3:AM (feat. Erykah Badu)
• Black Thought, Your Old Droog, & Madlib - REEKYOD
• 41 - Tweak
• Network the Narcotic & DJ Premier - Hardcore
• Afroman - Hunter Got High
• Trigga500k & BossMan Dlow - Ain't Goin'
• 310babii, OhGeesy & BlueBucksClan - rock your hips
• Aryeé The Gem & DRAM - FWM
• Darkoo & Dess Dior - Favorite Girl
• Ben Reilly - The Blocc 2 (feat. 03 Greedo)
• Prezi & Larry June - Game Recognize Game
• Fana Hues - Paper Tigers
• Mike Shabb & Boldy James - Big Piranhas
• Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh)
• Lancey Foux & Cash Cobain - Gotta Get U
• mynameisntjmack, Mick Jenkins & femdot. - High Kick
• Sango & Dave B. - Meanwhile
• Dave B. - Shots
• Perry Porter, Dave B. & Quise.Wav - Most High
• Wax & Eric Krasno - Higher (feat. Talib Kweli & Nigel Hall)
• YTB Fatt - One Mo
• Fatpocket - The Biggest (Remix) [feat. YTB Fatt]
• Ravyn Lenae - Love Me Not (feat. Ritz Reynolds) / Love Is Blind (feat. Solomophonic)
• Henny L.O., Fly Anakin, Big Kahuna & ewonee - Soda
• Pre Blaze & Sada Baby - Freaky World
• Taiku Nulight, P Money & Capo Lee - Style
• Ice Cream Social (Abhi The Nomad & shane doe) - Cell Reception
• Yuki Chiba - TEAM TOMODACHI (Remix) [feat. Duke Deuce]
• softboy ivo, Philanthrope & helmuth - Osiris
• Fonzse - Royalty (feat. Jme & PreeThe1st)
• Kamaiyah - No Pressure
• Stunna Girl - Paid & Put Up
• Kenny Allstar, Bawo & Sam Wise - Chop This Life
• CEO Trayle - What's Ya Point / Play It Smart
• ItsManMan, Lil Vada & 1TakeJay - GTFO
• OG Smoke & Peso Peso - 392
• OsamaSon - Just Score It
• Certified Trapper - Entourage / Win / Plane Jane
• AUDREY NUNA - Jokes On Me
• Kash Doll - Kash Kommandments
• Ocean Wisdom - Near Life Experience
• Soba! & che - Breaking Bad
• wolfacejoeyy - double tap
• Kanii & wolfacejoeyy - hate me
• Yawuh & Korralle - Matcha
• LaRussell, Mike G Beatz & Hokage Simon - Flipside
• Fashawn, Cap Kendricks, DJ Access & Lord Apex - Where the Sidewalk Ends
• Jansport J - People's Choice (feat. Coast Contra)
• Chanel Star & Yhapojj - Wish / Another Planet
• theKenyanTroublers - DYSBF! (feat. Osuwu Jr. & grouptherapy.)
• RXKNephew - Money Can't Replace Time
• Rob Apollo - SUPERBAD / DIGI GIRL
• Tooch MaGooch & Celly Ru - Girlys & Gangstas
• Baby Money - Shinin'
• Motion Mall - Free the Bitch (feat. Philthy Rich)
• bblink, Nettspend & xaviersobased - Slingshot
• J.Star & Big Sad 1900 - Jiffy
• M.V.T, Estee Nack, DEALB & Westham Hooligan - MARTYR
• Lil Bean - mtv cribs
• Siete7x - All My Life (feat. Wallie the Sensei)
• KNEECAP - LOVE MAKING (feat. Nino)
• Ace Clark, eLZhi & Jwalt - WARN YOU
• Stereotype & Lil West - OUTTA MY MIND
• Finch & Fritz Rango - Solstice (feat. Quelle Chris)
• Pagemuzik & Ransom - Spazz Out
• Deja Carter - So What (feat. ZayBang)
• Thizzler On The Roof - Thanks To My Haters (Bar Wars Cypher #13) [feat. KeepItPeezy, Lul Booga & Fully]
• PENPALS & EMERLD - Lupita
• Big Nitti & WifiGawd - Back End
• Struggle Mike, Rick Hyde & Fuego Base - PARASITE
• Suspect 95 - Rose Ba / Transition
• Doggystyleeee - ISSA ALOT OF MACC'N
• Chelo G - Pushin' Through Struggle (feat. Glockboyz Teejae)
• A-F-R-O - Wing Chun
• Fimiguerrero - Mandy
• Freddy Got Magic & Supa Bwe - 24Hunnid
• Snowsa - What's Da Move
• Formerly LEN, Chris Patrick & Ace the Abstract - 12FW
• $atori Zoom & Lunchbox - WHERE WE AT
• Mercury, Vayda & Biskhit - PERFECT
• Nate Brazier - Hard Too
• El Cousteau - Reassurance
• Nhale - On My Mind
• PLUMMCORP RECORDS - dracula flow 5
• BeMyFiasco - Don't Wanna Be Your Lover
• STOUT - SLOW DOWN / Trigger (Remix) [feat. Yaahn Hunter Jr.]
• Paco Panama - Pottstown

Old Drop Watches

2023 and 2024 Calendar

1968-69: You enter the league alongside the Milwaukee Bucks and proceed to go 16-66. One of the worst records in NBA history. On the bright side, you might be the #1 pick.
1969-70: You lose the #1 pick to a tiebreaker coin toss to the Bucks. That #1 pick becomes the 2nd-greatest scorer in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You get a consolation prize though. Getting beaten in 7 games by the Lakers.
1970-71: Settle into mediocrity to change the decade. Enjoy this middling futility for the next 5 years
1975-76: Holy shit you did it. Inside a decade of your young existence, you make the NBA Finals.....In which you get smoked in 6 by the Celtics juggernaut. Next year is your time though
1976-77: Your time to go 34-48 and miss the playoffs.
1977-78: Rebound into a first series 2-0 best of 3 loss to those fucking Bucks
1978-79: The best season in franchise history at this point. 50-32 and you breeze past the Kansas City Kings in the semifinals. All that stands in your way is the Seattle SuperSonics......Who go on to rip your heart out in Game 7 and then smoke Washington in 5 in the Finals.
1979-80: You are even BETTER this year! 55-27! and holy shit the Lakers clap your cheeks in 5. Remember that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar guy you got screwed out of? Yeah, the Bucks traded him to the Lakers back in 1975 thus making it your problem.
1980-81: For the first time in your history you win your division and take the 1 seed. 57-25! Nothing can stop you.
1980-81 Semi-Finals: You lost. In 7 games. To the Mickey Mouse organization known as the Kings
1981-82: You are in decline now and get swept by the Lakers in the Semis. Bet you wish you'd won that coin toss right about now.
1982-83: This is probably your last real chance at a championship for a while. 53-29 and just have to beat the Nuggets for a date with the Spurs. In typical Suns fashion you fucked it up.
1983-84: You are 41-41 and somehow crash-landed in the playoffs again. Just take the first round loss and get out.
1983-84 First Round: Wait what? You beat the Trail Blazers 3-2?
1983-84 Semi-Finals: AND you beat the Jazz in 6 despite them owning you in the regular season? A trip to the Conference Finals is in your future
1983-84 Conference Finals: The clock strikes midnight on the Cinderella story as the Lakers make you their bitch for the 3rd time in 5 seasons.
1984-85: Make that a 4th time in 6 seasons and they sweep you a 2nd time.
1985-88: You are trash after a decade of chasing a championship. But it won't be long before a new chance arises
1988-89: Alright fuck this shit you are here for BLOOD THIS TIME. 55-27!
1988-89 First Round/Semi-Finals: You destroy the Nuggets and Warriors. Now is the time
1988-89 Conference Finals: TIME TO GET SWEPT BY THE LAKERS AGAIN
1989-90: Another 54 win season and another shot at glory! THIS TIME IT WILL BE DIFFERENT!
1989-90 First Round: You squeak past a Jazz team and your prize is. Oh dear god not them again. NO!
1989-90 Semi-Finals: You DID IT. You finally beat those cocksuckers from Los Angeles in a series! In 5 games no less!
1989-90 Conference Finals: You turn this triumph into misery by being eliminated in 6 games by the Portland Trail Blazers. Fuck.
1990-91: You squander 55-27 again by being beaten 3-1 by the Jazz. It must be nice to have this many years of talent and not get a damn thing out of it.
1991-92: You sweep the Spurs. Remember that name. Course now Portland is back and bitch slaps you in 5.
1992-93: Shit needs to change! Heres a Charles Barkley to lead you to the promised land and by god does it work. Barkley wins MVP and you go 62-20
1992-93 First-Round to Conference Finals: You slay your sleep paralysis demon in the Lakers and edge past the Spurs and the team that robbed you of a championship back in 78 in the SuperSonics. For the 2nd time in your history you are going to the NBA Finals
1992-93 NBA Finals: You run into the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls 3peat buzzsaw and lose in 6. This definitely won't be the end of your window though
1993-94: It was the end of your window. Hakeem knocks you out in route to a ring.
1994-95: Last year was brutal for you guys. You get consolation though. Losing to the Rockets again. They win the championship again.
1995-96: You have a new sleep paralysis demon. It's name is the Spurs. Charles Barkley fucks off for the Rockets via trade.
1996-97: The SuperSonics also crush your balls in a vice because this is Phoenix and if you aren't regularly getting beaten by Seattle you are the Diamondbacks and you've won a championship unlike the other 3 teams in Phoenix. But at least you drafted Steve Nash.
1997-98: Lose to the Spurs in the first round again for reasons of Texas owns this franchise.
1998-99: Trade Steve Nash to the Dallas Mavericks after the 1998 NBA Draft because you are fucking idiots. Your reward for this incompetence is being swept by Portland
1999-2000: You actually beat the Spurs in a playoff series. Only to then lose to WHAT DO YA KNOW! THE FUCKING LAKERS. Least you drafted this Shawn Marion guy.
2000-2001: The Jason Kidd experiment ends as you lose another playoff series to your other overlords from California. The now Sacramento Kings.
2001-2002: You can't lose in the first round if you don't even make them!
2002-2003: Heres this Amar'e Stoudemaire guy. Oh and another First Round exit to the fucking Spurs
2003-2004: 29-53. You are trash. Something needs to CHANGE NOW!
2004-2005: The answer is to ask the Mavericks to give you Steve Nash back and make Mike D'Antoni the full-time head coach. He wins MVP and for the 2nd time in team history you go 62-20
2004-2005 First Round-Semi-Finals: You swept the Grizzlies and made Dallas pay for giving Nash back. Only a brick wall could stop you.
2004-2005 Conference Finals: It's name is the Spurs
2005-2006: It's ok because you came back on strong and have another shot at the crown with Nash winning his 2nd MVP in as many years.
2005-2006: First Round-Semi-Finals: You barely survive a double attack from the Los Angeles duo of the Lakers and Clippers and all that is in your way is the Mavericks team you crushed a year before
2005-2006 Conference Finals: Revenge is a bitch as the Mavericks assblast you in 6
2006-2007: 61-21. 1st seed for the 3rd straight season. For the love of god this has to be the year
2006-2007 First Round: You beat the living shit out of the Lakers in 5 games! The dragon is dead!
2006-2007 Semi-Finals: YOU LOST TO THE FUCKING SPURS AGAIN???????
2007-2008: It's time to make a move. Shawn Marion is tired of being dangled over the trading block like a juicy steak. SEND HIM TO MIAMI TO BRING IN THE WASHED UP REMAINS OF SHAQ
2007-2008 First Round: You didn't lose to the Spurs in 6 games this time! You lose to them in 5.
2008-2009: Miss the playoffs entirely as the most notable thing Shaq does is win All-Star Game MVP
2009-2010: Trade the malignant cancer to the Cavaliers and rebound to a 54-28 3 seed in the West.
2009-2010 First Round/Semi-Finals: You channel dark magic to slay your demons in the Spurs and Trail Blazers. Dare we hope?
2009-2010 Conference Finals: YOU. LOST. ANOTHER. FUCKING. SERES. TO. THE. LAKERS.
2010-2020: The wheels completely fucking fall off as Steve Nash leaves and you wander the desert until at last a new core forms behind DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker, and a MASSIVELY overpaid poorly aging Chris Paul
2020-2021: To no real surprise after barely being under .500 the season before you charge into the playoffs as the 2 seed.
2020-2021 First Round-Conference Finals: You allow the sports world to laugh at LeBron James crying like a bitch, obliterate the Nuggets and the league MVP, and then survive a series with the Clippers where Patrick Beverly tries to assassinate every member of the starting lineup. For the 3rd time in team history. You are going to the NBA Finals.
2020-2021 NBA Finals: You proceed to become one of less than 35 teams to blow a 2-0 series lead and you do it to the team that got Kareem instead of you all those years ago. The Milwaukee Bucks.
2021-22: You are destroying teams left and fucking right. Devin Booker is an MVP candidate. Monty Williams wins Coach of the Year. The hunger drives you to a franchise-record 64-18 record and no team that has been 8 games better than the rest of the league has EVER failed to win it all. AT LAST THE SUNS WILL RISE AS CHAMPIONS!
2021-22 First Round: Ok that series against New Orleans was a little disappointing but it's ok. The 8 seed is a tune-up series 99% of the time and Monty broke momentum by resting the starters. You'll be fine. It's only the Mavericks next. Beat them and worry about whoever wins the 2 seed-3 seed series.
2021-22 Semi-Finals: What ensues is perhaps the greatest travesty this franchise has ever committed against its fans. Up 2-0 the Suns proceed to be obliterated the rest of the series before a 43 point loss in Game 7. All the hype, statistics saying it was a LOCK, broken records, and everything is destroyed before your very eyes. Worse this might've been your last chance as Chris Paul's albatross of a contract has you deep in the shit and unable to pay guys like DeAndre Ayton. YOU BLEW IT!!!!!!!!!
2022-23: Congratulations! Robert Sarver has been removed from power! Celebrate this by massively overpaying DeAndre Ayton and then looking like you are running in place like a hamster on a hamster wheel. Jae Crowder is being a little bitch about Cam Johnson being on the team. It's time to make a move. Trade Crowder, Johnson, and Mikhail Bridges to the Nets in exchange for Kevin motherfucking Durant. He immediately gets injured 2 games after showing up. The end result is a 45-37 record and a team that wouldn't have made the playoffs if the Western Conference didn't shit itself.
2022-23 First Round: You expended all your luck to barely win every game you won causing the most unconvincing 5-game series win in recent memory against a Clippers team that had no Paul George and no Kawhi Leonard. You are going to do it again aren't you?
2022-23 Semi-Finals: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? You can't win in Denver. The refs hate you the entire series. The NBA refuses to suspend Jokic because fuck you that's why. AND YOU GET BLOWN THE FUCK OUT AT HOME TO LOSE THE SERIES A SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR? DO YOU HAVE NO FUCKING SHAME?
2023-24 Offseason: The fans are justifiably pissed at Monty Williams. This guy just stands on the sidelines being carried by high-end talent and turns into a potato when shit hits the fan. Get fucking fired and replaced by the massively overrated clown and ex-LeBron puppet that is Frank Vogel. Then send a bag of 2nd round picks and more bench pieces and the King of Choking to the Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal.
If you'd stopped here you might've won something. Instead, you listen to the cry for blood again. The fans are pissed at DeAndre Ayton. He is a bum they say. After so many years he should've become an elite big man they say. They aren't exactly wrong but what you do is ASININE. GET IN ON THE THREE-TEAM TRADE THAT SENDS AYTON TO PORTLAND, DAMIAN LILLARD TO MILWAUKEE, AND JUSUF NURKIC TO PHOENIX. CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE GOTTEN A BIG MAN WHO IS ALMOST 50% WORSE AT SCORING AND REBOUNDS AT ABOUT THE SAME CLIP.
2023-24 Season: What ensues is entirely predictable. You have no defense. Your bench is being carried by Grayson Allen doing his best bargain-brand Steph Curry impersonation. Bradley Beal is clearly getting old and Durant and Booker simply cannot score enough to consistently drag this team to victory resulting in a 49-33 season where you barely avoid the new-fangled play-in bullshit
2023-24 First Round: You get mauled by a Minnesota Timberwolves team that is somehow good and are swept in the first round. Half the fandom is blaming Devin Booker again like its somehow his fault that the front office thinks NBA team structure is a math problem they are only allowed to give wrong answers for. Another chunk of it pretends the writing isn't on the wall that this team is about to collapse. Then there's the realists that know its OVER. All the hopes. All the dreams. Lying in ruin yet again.
I've been critical of this team in the past as this is the 3rd or 4th year I've updated this Legacy of Failure but this may truly be the end of the window. This was it. All-in or bust. A team that hit 20 at blackjack and said "hit me" instead of taking their winnings. Now where are they. A team WELL over the cap sinking endless cash into 3 players without the skill pieces for it to matter. There is no defensive prowess. No bench depth. There isn't even a quality big man unless you count rebounding as all a center should be doing. It's just Booker, Durant, Beal...and Durant will be 36 next year and Beal is about to be 31 and in VISIBLE DECLINE. The only option I see at this point is to just launch the nukes into the rotten structure. Trade Durant and Beal for whatever you can get and tank your asses off in the hope you can form a more decently built core around Booker...course even if you pull that off you'll still have to contend with a multitude of resurgent teams like the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. You blew another golden window for success doing the same old shit that always costs you in the end.
and as a long-time fan of this team who knows damn well the Suns are the NBA equivalent of the Atlanta Falcons with the winning history of the Minnesota Vikings. I may legitimately cry if Oklahoma City, Denver, or Minnesota win this years Finals. The Thunder haven't won since they were the SuperSonics. Denver would be a repeat champion despite a history of being trash. Minnesota would be yet another fucking team leaving the championshipless club while the Suns remain entrenched in it despite having so many chances to win that they should probably be a top 5 team in terms of championships won. I can't take anymore of watching team after team finally win while the Suns keep punching us in the dicks.

So I thought someone asked for a meal list and grocery shopping list from this subreddit. It was on a different one but now that I’ve typed it out I don’t want it to go to waste.
This is my diet pretty much which got me to remission (this is not a cure nor an excuse to avoid the doctors. I still go for yearly eye exams, twice yearly neurology exams, and exercise daily when not pregnant):
Breakfast: pea protein smoothie: yellow pea protein, powdered peanut butter, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, oat milk, spinach, and banana. Blend til smooth. Youll be full til lunch. Decaf black coffee. Caffeine upped my anxiety and thus stress so it had to go.
For lunches: chicken thighs and I buy things like: asparagus, eggplant, sweet potato, and brusselsprouts.
Recipes: roasted asparagus with garlic and Parmesan. Literally just toss in oil sprinkle with garlic powder and parm, roast for about 20 mins at 425
Roasted eggplant with cumin garlic and onion powder. 40 mins at 425. Its amazing with a little tahini sauce.
Roasted sweet potatoes with chinese 5 spice (get it in the spice aisle). Cube potatoes skin on. Toss in sesame oil. Sprinkle with five spice and sesame seeds. Roast for 40 mins at 425. (People stop in my office to see what it is that I am eating when I bring this because it smells incredible and tastes amazing)
Roasted brussels sprouts with maple syrup: also ultra simple just keep an eye on it so they dont burn: cut sprouts in half, toss in oil and a little maple syrup (real if you can swing it - Aldi has the best prices here for it) roast for 25-30 mins at 425.
Chicken thighs: chicken thighs, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika. Bake with a little oil in a glass dish for 25 mins at 425.
I prep everything for the week this way I am not getting take out!
Sides for lunch: berries or grapes they help avoid the candy vending machine, a square or two of chocolate. I like milk chocolate too but just one a day. Plus lactose intolerant so if I eat too much I will feel it. But wanted to say I too am a heathen. Im not perfect with my diet just not bad. Sometimes I will change it up and do beef short ribs with different seasonings. I really enjoy korean bbq and the mccormick steak seasoning so I will split the pack and do half and half. I take 1 thigh or 1 short rib as my protein for lunches so I fill with veg.
Dinners: My husband often cooks these as he is home first. He doesn’t do anything too crazy. Lots of mushrooms, cabbage (bok choy usually), carrots, frozen peas and broccoli, and simple protein dishes. Easy throw it together and done meals. Weekends are for the fancy stuff lol. We eat fish (tilapia and salmon) about 3 times a week. His salmon is the best, and again simple. Its coated in grainy mustard and baked. If he makes tacos he does his own seasoning blend. If he does chicken wings its in the air fryer with pepper and cumin and he mixes vegan butter with hot sauce. Im from buffalo. They pass the test. So good.
Ive found in life salt is unnecessary if you add flavor so dont be afraid to open the spice cabinet and go to town.
Another fast and delicious recipe: curried chickpea salad. Jar of chickpeas drained, a small red onion chopped thinly, an apple pealed and chopped about the same size, 3 tbs of mayo (more or less depending on how much you like mayo), seasoning: curry powder, turmeric, chili powder to taste. Its a lot better for you than a potato salad.
Typical grocery list: -2 packs chicken thighs - one for lunches (so must have 5+ thighs) -2-3 packs fresh fish (each must serve 2 so buy appropriately) -1 pack red meat of choice- usually petite sirloin (again must serve 2 so buy appropriately) -1 pack ground turkey (used in tacos, meatloaf etc) -1 container spinach -Red onion -Sweet potatoes -Brussels Sprouts -Green beans -Zucchini -Eggplant -Carrots -Cabbage -Mushrooms: baby bellas, miatake (hen of woods) , blue oyster, and shiitake (never eat these ones raw) -Raspberries -Black berries -Blueberries -Strawberries -Bananas -Grapes -Oranges -vegan parm -Vegan butter -Vegan milk of choice (mine is oatmilk) -Honey mustard (good for salads and dipping) -Tahini -grainy mustard -Mayo -Spices: chinese 5 spice, cumin, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, italian seasoning, (if you are a taco person make your own at home dont buy the package ones look up recipes online trust me) -Rice (usually the 90 sec microwave rices not much just if appropriate for the meal) -Black beans -Chickpeas -Butter beans (like one can if needed — great to toss any left over stuff and vegan cheese to make a delicious side to any meal at the end of the week) -A chocolate of some sort -Frozen strawberries -Frozen blueberries -Decaf coffee or tea
Thats pretty much it. Obviously modify to your own tastes. I dont really eat bread or cereal. Weird I know. Eggs sometimes. I dont drink much other than water. Occasionally orange juice but really thats my husband mostly.
But yeah. That diet has helped get me to and stay in remission. Even now that I am pregnant the diet helps because its very nutrient dense. I skip the tahini though as it was suggested by my OB.

Hi guys.
Looking for some inspo really. I'm currently experiencing an extremely rough first trimester. Due to a mix of issues and pre-existing conditions, I am essentially on bed rest currently.
My partner is being very understanding of the fact I am so completely limited at the mo. Poor guy gets ready for work with me barely rousing and gets home to a partner who can barely stay awake after a day of zero productivity. He started a new job recently which is a short walk from the house and comes home each lunchtime to check on me etc, with no complaints.
I am a very passionate chef, adore cooking and I am the better at it so I tend to cook, he does the dishes. But after a day of feeling like shite atm, some evenings I can't manage to cook dinner etc even. Essentially I feel quite lame and useless that, after a day in bed, I am struggling to cook even a simple dinner. I am very maternal, acts of service is my love language and I am struggling with being so limited.
But, I do seem to feel best and have energy to move late morning. So I've settled happily into making him rather elaborate sandwiches each day this week. It's given me a sense of accomplishment in a pretty low confidence time and I am enjoying it. I can't be clear enough that I am doing this for me mainly. I am getting a lot of lift each day by seeing his face light up.
I am, however struggling to keep coming up with a combo to surprise him. Wondered if I could get some inspo please. If I get enough suggestions for next week, I will take food porn style photos of the creations and share here.
For an idea of the kind of stuff I am doing, this was this week.
M - Pastrami, pan fried chorizo, cornish cruncher cheese, homemade garlic aoili and chilli oil, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and onion.
T - Dirty BLT... Crispy fried bacon, tomato's fried in the bacon grease, lettuce, a seasoned mayo and on home baked rolls.
W - Tuna crunch w/sweetcorn, red pepper, cucumber, pickled garlic, red onion, spring onion in a dressing made with mayo, pepper, vinegar, a little cayenne, Tajin and hot sauce. Served on toasted garlic ciabatta with lettuce.
T - I did a sort of take on coronation chicken which we both like but sultanas are gross. A homemade curried mayo, roast chicken (I seasoned with curry flavours prior to cooking), red onion, orange pepper, spring onion and fresh coriander in home bake baguettes with salad.
F - Sliced beef from the deli, smoked cheese, a homemade mustard mayo, slightly caramelised red onions, rocket and cucumber on just rolls from the bakery as delivered today.
He doesnt like: Fish, aside from Tuna or cod. Mushrooms Eggs
But will eat most other things.
He really likes Indian flavours, spice and cheese. He is less keen on oriental flavours but can enjoy.
I tend to have a decent hour after I shower where I try and potter a couple chores and have been doing cooking and lunch prep then. Like I say, I am a more than decent cook so happy to try more challenging things and have a well stocked pantry for home cooking. Just struggling with ideas.
Hoping you guys can give me some things to try next week while I ride out this first trimester ickiness.
Please help, and also thanks for reading. It's long, I am autistic and over explain.
Thank you

https://www.reddit.com/GaylorSwift/comments/10m7vgd/could_scarlett_johansson_be_one_of_taylors_muses/
I have also had this theory for a long time and have been looking for other people with the same theory. Finally found this post here from a year ago but the commenting is turned off. Very difficult to find stuff when you google search their names together, which makes me wonder if some things are being hidden/removed....although I agree that if it's true they would have had to be very secretive/careful about it (but that wouldn't be unexpected given the circumstances). I kept thinking what if the Red/All Too Well/WCS muse was a woman, who could it be and what really jumped out at me was the lyric "Lost in Translation" as well as "Forever the name on my lips" (Scarlet red lips/both from red lipstick and maybe also kisses from Scarlett??).
"Scar" shows up in a TON of songs from pretty much every album and "scarlet" shows up in Love story ("you were Romeo I was a scarlet letter"), New Romantics ("we show off our different scarlet letters - trust me mine is better"), Maroon ("so scarlet it was maroon") and Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus ("will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon")
There are a lot of references to Scarlett's movies in the songs (Lost in Translation, Avengers "End Game", "Ghost" in the Shell, Under the Skin ("what should be over burrowed under my skin" from The Lakes). Scarlett also has said "I got turned down for two roles — the first was ‘Iron Man 2’ and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Gravity,'” Johansson said. “I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?'" This might relate to the lyric "He spends most of his flights getting pulled down by gravity" from Forever Winter.
Scarlett's tattoos are also interesting ("any snide remarks from my father about your tattoos will be ignored" - from "Ours") Scarlett has a tattoo of a horseshoe on her ribcage that says "Lucky You"...Lucky You was the first song Taylor ever wrote when she was 12 years old. Taylor sings about roses a LOT and Scarlett has a massive back tattoo with roses . Scarlett's daughter's name is also Rose. Most of Scarlett's tattoos are black and white, except for the one on her left forearm with a sun shining on water with clouds behind it (if this is a tattoo for Taylor, maybe it could relate to the lyric "the rest of the world was black and white but we were in screaming color" from OOTW). She has said this particular tattoo "makes me happy when I look at it, but the reason I had it done is very personal. Some things have to remain private." She also has a small tattoo of two interlocking circles with the letter "A" on her ankle ("I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss" from Cardigan?) Maybe the "A" is like the A for "adultery" in the actual book the Scarlett Letter?? In the book the woman is forced to wear that on her to shame her but the book is actually a criticism of the shaming. In the "I Bet You Think About Me" video, Taylor makes a dent in the icing in the cake that, combined with the existing decoration forms an "A."
In All Too Well the short film, the layout of the kitchen where they are fighting and dancing looks very very similar to the layout of the (small and fairly unique) kitchen in the NYC penthouse at Sutton Place that Scarlett owned from 2008-2022 (it was put on the market in July 2020 but the listing was removed before selling in 2022). The grown up Taylor with the red hair also looks a lot like Scarlett's character Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow). Taylor also plays a similar looking character with red hair in the "Babe" video with Sugarland.
I wonder if ScarJo could be William Bowery. In Long Pond, Taylor just says "William Bowery is Jo[e?], as we know." Everyone then assumed that it was Joe Alwyn, but I'm pretty sure that was never clarified or written out. I don't really know if she goes by Jo normally, but the only original song on Scarlett's first record "Anywhere I Lay My Head" is called "Song for Jo." I also heard on a podcast that William Bowery was registered for Grammy purposes as American, which wouldn't make sense for Joe Alwyn. Scarlett is known to be a very talented pianist and also sings.
It's also interesting that TTPD has a song (loml) referring to the muse calling her the "Love of My Life" ("about a million times"). In Dec 2019 when hosting SNL, Scarlett says "This place means so much to me - I have so many friends here and I met the love of my life here" (ostensibly this is to her then fiance/now husband Colin Jost, standing beside her (but if he's a beard, could it have been for Taylor?) The first time Taylor was on SNL was January 10, 2009. The host was Neil Patrick Harris (could relate to the "Legendary" lyric which happens twice in "loml") If Scarlett was in attendance it would have been in the audience - I haven't been able to find any evidence. But it does appear she was in NYC around that time and was photographed at a SodaStream event at the Grammercy Park Hotel (5 min car ride from where SNL is taped) on the same day.
Scarlett is in the music video for "What Goes Around Comes Around" with Justin Timberlake (2007). Justin says "This is THE ONE....and if she plays her cards right she might even get THE KEYS TO THE CASTLE" (curious if Taylor then used these themes in some songs/videos). Scarlett also does a series of perfume commercials for Dolce & Gabanna, all called "The One." In the Justin Timberlake video, a friend/contact of Justin's then says "you're telling me you're ready to lock it up and leave all the pretty girls to me?" and Scarlett says "I like girls...a lot" (this whole exchange starts around 3:19). Scarlett was also on a gameshow and asked which onscreen costar she would want to kiss again and she said "I would go round two with Penelope Cruz." Scarlett was married to Ryan Reynolds (who is now married to Blake Lively, one of Taylor's best friends) from 2008-2011.
In a social media video about Folklore, Taylor mentions that she's been thinking a lot about the movie "A Marriage Story," which is about divorce and stars Scarlett Johansson. It also co-stars Laura Dern, who is in Taylor's Bejeweled video (and on Jimmy Fallon Taylor goes out of her way to say "OSCAR WINNER Laura Dern" - possibly dragging Scarlett for not winning the Oscar (something she's never done). I feel like she might be dragging Scarlett also in "I Forgot That You Existed" when she says "in my feelings just like Drake" (Scarlett played charades against Drake on Jimmy Fallon in 2013. Drake wins and gets pretty excited about it).
Scarlett grew up in NYC, so this could explain some references to "hometown" in Taylor's lyrics that seem strange, especially if some songs may be written from Scarlett's perspective ('Tis the Damn Season, for example). She is also friends with Jared Leto from "My So Called Life," which might be referenced in Run, a Vault song from Red ("And my so-called friends, they don't know I'd drive away before I let you go") and 'Tis the Damn Season ("So I'll go back to L.A. and the so-called friends who'll write books about me if I ever make it") Scarlett would also be a great fit as the muse for "End Game " (big reputation) and Gold Rush ("everybody wants you, everybody wonders what it would be like to love you")
I saw a news article awhile ago (can't find it now) that talked about a fan mistaking Scarlett Johansson for Taylor Swift and her comment was something along the lines of "I guess that face cream is working!" (ScarJo is 5 yrs older) and something else about not being that tall (ScarJo is 5'3" and Taylor is 5'11"). It just struck me as odd comments for someone who ostensibly does not know Taylor well. There's also a chance that the song "Clara Bow" on TTPD references this encounter when it says "You look like Taylor Swift in this light" (although I think it's also about Taylor's anxiety about the next up and coming "it" girl who will overtake her, but it could be a double meaning).
Lots of other stuff I've thought about that I can't remember at the moment (and lots of other good stuff in the linked post at the top - I didn't repeat anything, just added to it). Nothing is a "smoking gun," but I think it's all very very interesting....and if nothing else, the fact that they very much run in the same circles but there never seems to be any documentation of direct interaction is very strange to me.

The building had a reputation for being haunted. Kids would dare each other to go inside, but unlike other places around town, they would actually see something- or at least claim that they did.
Little Jamie Curry, 9-years-old, went into the basement of the abandoned Leatherman’s complex on a dare and saw a zombie. He said he knew it wasn’t just some guy in an outfit because the zombie had a grapefruit-sized hole in its chest, and he could actually see right through the middle of the thing. He had run right past his group of friends who were patiently waiting outside, screaming and wetting himself as he went.
Another young kid from my town, Alicia DeSilva, 11-years-old, said it was all a bunch of garbage, that she wasn’t afraid of a run-down factory building, except for maybe the asbestos which her uncle told her “rots your lungs from the inside”. She had said she would even go inside it at night. Why not? After all, there were no such things as ghosts or boogeymen.
One of her friends told Alicia that if she went inside Leatherman’s main building at night, grabbed something from the basement and brought it back out for their mutual inspection, the friend would pay Alicia five dollars. Alicia had gasped. Five bucks was a good amount to someone like her. With five dollars, she could even get a kit so that she could finally fix her bike tire. They all met in front of the building, and Alicia disappeared into the dark fire doors on the side of the building, full of bravado and still laughing as she went inside.
Except unlike Jamie Curry, Alicia never came back out screaming and wetting herself, never had a chance to tell some unbelievable story about what she encountered in the fetid basement of that place. Her body was never found. The police were called after a few hours, and they searched the entire building from top to bottom. They were able to follow some fresh footprints in the dust that might have been Alicia’s, but when they got to the basement, the prints just disappeared- as if the person making them had simply gotten sucked up into the ceiling. And yet they did find one thing, the only real evidence left in the entire building that night. What they found still gives me nightmares sometimes.
One of her eyeballs was inside a snowglobe. The glass and foundation of the snowglobe were all intact, and there were no signs of foul play anywhere on the decoration. It was as if it had been manufactured that way- with that blue, staring eye floating lazily next to plastic mountains and white glitter snowflakes.
In my nightmares, I often see an old woman shaking that snowglobe, an old hag who cackles and whose split lips form into a dreadful smile as she stares directly at me. The eye and the glitter all hang suspended in the water for a moment, then begin to fall slowly, the eye spinning rapidly as it drifts down the front of the globe. And when it’s stopped, I see it is looking directly at me, and it still looks frightened.
***
OK, so that last paragraph was pretty dark. But what I’m trying to communicate is just how terrifying that place is. The kids in school know what’s going on, though, at least in a general way. After all, Alicia and Jamie came from among them, and they’re not the only ones. Others have gone into the building before. And Matt wants me to go with him tomorrow to look at it.
Maybe that’s why the dreams are getting worse. Maybe that’s why I’ve woken up screaming twice in the last few hours. Because there was something else, too, something else I saw in my nightmares. In that building, around the back walls, there were dozens of kids. Their skin was chalk-white, their hair and eyes all pure black. They were dead. And then thousands of “Missing” posters started to fly down, all of them of smiling children. I looked between the ones surrounding me and the posters and noticed that some of them showed these same kids. I turned to run but little rotted hands started pulling me down and then, I was sitting straight up in bed, yelling and pleading.
I really don’t want to go in that building tomorrow.
***
OK, so Matt and I went inside the doorway. No way was I going in the basement. But just the front doorway… well, that wasn’t too bad. I even stuck my head in and looked around inside.
Matt didn’t see it, but I did. There was something huge in the front hall. It wasn’t much more than a silhouette. It looked like a very tall, very thin man in a suit whose neck was all twisted and strange. It came off his chest like a snake’s, turning and curling back on itself, and at the end it had this reptilian face. Everything about the man was hairless and slimy. I could smell the strange stuff on his skin.
But by the time I had gotten Matt’s attention and pointed it out to him, the guy was gone. I don’t know how he disappeared so fast.
Matt was making fun of me as we walked home afterwards, pointing at random alleyways and asking, “Do you see him there, too?” and then laughing. It wasn’t that funny. I’ll prove to him there was someone in there.
***
I convinced Matt to come back with me. I need to see what’s in there. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but I told him an older kid offered to pay $10 for a souvenir from the place, and that I’d split it with him if he went with me. All of this was total crap, of course. But I want to see what was in there, and I definitely want these dreams to stop.
“You know, you’re lucky you have a friend as brave and manly as me,” Matt said, puffing up his little bird-chest. “After what happened to those other schmucks, everyone has been avoiding this place like the plague.”
“Yeah, but unlike all of them, you know it’s just a building,” I said. He gave me a funny look then.
“It’s just a building, but you know something actually happened,” he said. “I was talking to my dad about it, and he said maybe a homeless guy was living there, totally deranged, and maybe he cut out Alicia’s eye and kidnapped her.” He stated this was the seriousness of a news anchor recounting bits of total bullshit for the audience. I smiled at his grave expression, repressing an urge to laugh. He looked over at me disapprovingly. “It could have happened, you know. Homeless people are homeless because they’re crazy. My dad says so. Maybe one of them just went really crazy and started taking souvenirs off of people’s bodies.”
“I guess,” I said. We were most of the way through the old industrial part of town now. Shuttered factories and condemned buildings stretched out on both sides of the street. A fat, limping raccoon walked lazily out of a nearby alleyway. He gave us a sideways glance, stopping for a moment, then kept on maneuvering his round frame forward. Something that Matt had said had given me pause.
“You know,” I said, “it’s kinda weird that we don’t have homeless people out here. We have all these empty buildings, yet most of them camp out on the sidewalks on Main Street. I’ve never seen a single homeless person sleeping in one of these buildings, and I’ve never seen one even close to the Leatherman building. It’s like they have some sort of sixth sense to avoid the place.”
“Clearly they’re smarter than you and me,” Matt muttered. We were walking past the rusty metal chain link fence around the property. He looked pale and his eyes were wide. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Right then, my instincts screamed at me to run.
“Yes,” I said simply, walking in first, taking the flashlight out of my pocket. “I need to know. For sure. Either way, I’d like evidence. Either it is my imagination, or something supernatural actually exists within and around this building.” An old, musty smell permeated the huge hallway. I looked up and down it, wondering what was missing. Then I realized- it had no graffiti. It had to be the only abandoned building I’d ever been in without tons of graffiti scrawled on the inside.
In some places, the walls had begun to buckle, and whole sections were crumbling and coming down. Farther ahead, the ceiling had collapsed inwards, blocking half of the main hallway off. Downstairs, lights started turning on, and the entire building started to come to life. I looked at Matt, who was looking dazed.
“Bro, what the hell is that?” he asked. I had no idea.
“Someone’s in here with us,” I said. “Let’s go check it out.” He looked at me like I was insane.
“Are you mad? What if it’s cops? What if it’s tweakers pulling out all the metal?”
“We’ll be quiet, and just peek around the corner,” I said. “I think we’re meant to see this. Don’t you want to know what’s going on here?” He scowled.
“I’d much rather get home alive,” he said, but he followed me reluctantly. There was a rhythmic hum coming from the floors now, as if machinery were coming to life. A sign, dirty and covered in spiderwebs, pointed to a staircase on the right. I looked down it, seeing bright light flood into the stairwell corridor, despite the fact that there was no electricity running to this building. We started down the staircase to the basement level. There was a smell of ozone in the air, a cyclical rhythmic humming that popped and buzzed. I took a deep breath, wondering what I would see down here. Then I poked my head around the corner.
There were conveyor belts stretching against the basement, their legs embedded into the cracked concrete floors. Beams and pillars ran up from the floor to the ceiling every ten feet or so. And it looked like there were countless workers just sitting on each side of the conveyor belts, sitting in crooked wooden chairs with splintering legs and backs. But it was the workers who caught my attention most of all. They looked… strange.
“Does something look off to you?” I whispered to Matt, who had been standing behind me only a moment earlier. But I got no reply. I figured he was too engrossed in the bizarre nature of what we were seeing to respond.
The workers, if that’s what they were, looked blurred, as if in an overexposed picture with a long shutter speed. Their skin appeared to writhe and crackle, some of their heads constantly turned from side to side, and their limbs… all of them appeared to be missing limbs. I saw pale, white bodies without arms, without legs, even without heads, but they all still continued working in unison, moving in that jerky, blurred way.
“Jesus, Matt, do you see?” I asked suddenly, my eyes widening. “Do you see what they’re doing?” I looked forward in horror as I saw human bodies rolled down the conveyor belts. The people were still alive. They were naked, many of them crying and covered in blood. As they passed by the workers, the blurred hands quickly took pieces of their skin off. Glistening sheets of it were raised by other workers walking along between the lines, and they would give an admiring look at the large pieces of skin, smiling eerily as their heads writhed from side to side and blurred in my vision.
And I saw the kids from my dream, the kids from the missing persons posters, all in the corner. They were huddled, emaciated, with wide, staring eyes. They trembled and cowered as some of the workers came over to grab them and throw them on the belts.
I turned to get the hell out of there, and that was when I realized Matt was no longer behind me. I caught a glimpse of something dark and massive moving at the top of the stairs, disappearing around the corner. I was alone. I know I should have stayed and looked for Matt, but instead, I ran. I got out of that place and went home and hid under my blankets.
I thought 13 was old enough to deal with this, but it has gone way beyond what I thought.
***
Matt’s parents are calling. My parents stand at the bottom of the stairs, my mother holding the landline in her thin hand, my father looking disturbed. They tell me that Matt is missing, that he never came home last night. What should I tell them? Certainly not the truth. If I started talking about the things in that building, I would be forced into a psychiatric ward before the week was up.
The police stopped by and asked me a few questions. I told them all straight-up lies. “No sir, I haven’t seen him, and I have no idea what happened to him.” But what else could I say? That he was taken by something from a nightmare?
I have to go back. I have to try to rescue Matt. I shouldn’t have ran like I did, but seeing those things cutting up people like that… it scared the shit out of me. Tonight, once my parents go to sleep, I’m going to sneak out, and everyone will think I’m a hero if I bring him back. If I don’t, I’ll probably end up as just another stupid missing kid who ended up way over his head.
***
I went back. I made it out, but I think they’re coming for me. There was something in the basement.
All of the conveyor belts were gone, the lights were off, the rhythmic hum had disappeared. It was as if the other night was all a hallucination- except for, of course, Matt is still missing. His parents are freaking out, and I can’t even tell them I know what happened to him, kinda.
Going into the building alone was terrifying. My legs felt like wood, and I kept glancing behind me every second as if I were hearing imaginary pursuers. But I walked through to the staircase, and I saw nothing.
I went down to the basement, peeking my head around the corner. It was just a mostly empty basement, some broken furniture and old boxes stacked in one corner. I shone my light all over and saw no one. But there was a light coming from the far corner, a faint, glowing, orange light. A feeling of dread came over me.
I crept slowly forward, trying to find the source of that light. A faint smell of smoke and roasting meat seemed to creep through the air. Off past the last line of boxes, I saw what looked like a small crater on the floor. There was a hole there with glowing fire underneath. Cracks spiderwebbed out from it in all directions for a few feet. More curious than afraid now, I peered forward and looked down.
Beneath the abandoned building, there was another world. It had fire licking the walls and ground, and in the middle of this inferno, I saw Matt. His face was a map of blackish-purple bruises, his head was cocked at an unnatural angle, and I saw blood pouring out of his ears and nose. He looked up at me, and the bones in his neck grated together. I saw his spine was broken and his entire throat was crushed inwards.
“Help me,” he croaked. “You brought me here, now help me. You can’t leave me. They’ll come for you next…” All around him, I saw hands reaching up- the pale, jerky hands of those strange workers. They grabbed Matt and dragged him back down to the fire. I saw other horrid creatures in the flames, some laughing and insane, others shrieking in agony. Large, black insectile silhouettes moved through the smoke and flames. And then, like one, they started coming up towards the hole, coming up to the building where they would be free.
I ran then, and I never went back. I know now that Matt is dead. I can’t sleep. Every time I look out the window, I see shapes in the front yard- blurred humanoids with missing limbs, hiding in the bushes and trees, and constantly inching closer.

Just came back yesterday from my 12 days solo trip in Kyushu. The plan was listed here.
Most of the things listed in the itinerary were accomplished except for the time in Beppu. I didn't go to Beppu, the plan was originally to visit Beppu on the day after the earthquake happened on the Bungo channel, but I decided to skip Beppu in fear that a similar followup earthquake might happen and decided to go to Fukuoka one day earlier.
General thoughts:

• Kyushu is so much better with IC cards than Hokkaido. I kept using it for various things, especially traveling on buses/trams/subways (except Kagoshima).
  
• Also got the JR Kyushu 7 days pass. With the amount of Shinkansen I took it's a pretty good deal, even though I didn't use the full 7 days. Seat reservations from the machines work as intended. But the only ticket I couldn't reserve was from Kumamoto to Aso. That one probably needed to get booked early.
  
• The earthquake happened while I was in Kumamoto. I felt my bed shake and it was squeaking while the tremor happened, but nothing major happened when it's through. The phone's system (I use Android) sent out an alert a few seconds before the quake actually happened, then the NHK world app went off. It recorded in Kumamoto as a 3. I just continued to lay in bed while it happened (though I was awake and watching my phone). There's supposedly a smaller quake after the big one but I didn't feel anything.
  
• There's just a lot of stairs all over Japan, especially train and subway stations. I'm not exactly young anymore so sometimes I just opted for buses instead, if the destination was accessible. Also carrying luggage while walking up/down stairs is not fun.
  
• Google map is once again my friend. Though one thing I should've done was to also check the restaurant's opening days on top of hours when I was planning as I missed 2 restaurants as a result.
  
• I know Japan is pretty big on conservation and the environment but I really wish their toilet papers are made of sterner stuff.
  
• There's still some sakura flowers in bloom, even though I am supposedly arriving a bit late than sakura season. Also, it was after the Easter holiday, so technically it's a slightly lull time period for traveling.
  
• I felt this is more of a 'best of Kyushu' trip that tried to hit all the big spots in the region, but I had fun, so it was worth it.
  

Day 1

• Shin Shin was okay. I kinda expected more, probably a stronger taste of tonkotsu ramen. Most ramen places I usually just order the regular one and eat it as-is to get the "original flavor". I kinda wish it's stronger.
  
• The hotel I stayed in was Hotel Oriental Express Fukuoka Tenjin. Location wise it's a little to the north of the whole Tenjin region but still very close to the Tenjin subway station. The room was good, though it doesn't have its own restaurant, and breakfast is done at a restaurant nearby, though the reviews seem good (didn't eat there).
  

Day 2

• I ate breakfast at Bills Fukuoka. Made a reservation on Google but it's not required as there were still empty seats at 9am. The famous pancake does need around 15 minutes though.
  
• Walked to Kushida shrine from Bills. It was worth visiting, especially for the festival Yamakasa being quite impressive (be sure to check out both sides of this thing).
  
• Canal City was also nearby but I'm not as impressed, except for the fountain water show at the hour. For the anime fans there's a Jump store at the ground floor. It's still morning so maybe there's not many people there, but it's quite empty.
  
• For lunch I instead ate at Hakata Mizutaki Hamadaya Kouten, recommended by YouTuber Solo Travel Japan (either him or Solo Solo, I forgot), turns out this is the only store in the group that opens for lunch. Loved the chicken pot there, though I made a wrong turn and went to the Kitte mall first, and Kitte is not connected to the Amu plaza. So that was a bit of an adventure.
  
• Maizaru and Ohori parks were really nice places (especially the former for sakura viewing), though Ohori park is actually quite crowded even though it was a weekday. For the Fukuoka art museum, the fee was pretty cheap to get into the exhibits. There's more on modern art versus classical art but some of the modern ones look pretty impressive, though some are just weird.
  
• At this point in time I realize that I've planned almost half a day in these parks and by the 3rd hour I'm pretty much walked through all of them. It was like 4pm and I had nothing to do - I kind of wanted to find a shopping mall nearby to hang out and there's really none unless I take the subway to Tenjin (at least rest in my hotel) or the bus to Fukuoka Tower. I opted for the worst choice - dallying around the park area while waiting for the Yatai in Nagahama I planned to visit to open. Though I did check out this supermarket nearby that also has a value store and bought something there.
  
• Dinner at Yatai no Tamachan Bekkan. It was introduced by a Taiwanese YouTuber TommyTommy. Firstly, the food here was definitely good - recommend the fried ramen. But that day's crowd for a Yatai was pretty damn quiet because nobody there was chatty enough except for a Japanese couple and everyone else is a tourist who don't/can't really talk to each other. So I kinda feel the owner in a way, and if nobody is talking in a Yatai then it kinda lost some of its charm. Also Nagahama is a little bit off from the main Yatai area (Tenjin/Nakasu), and unless you want to walk, there is a bus that can take you back to Tenjin/Hakata area (#68 I believe).
  

Day 3

• Took the Nishitetsu ticket package to Yanagawa and Daizaifu. The package also includes the punting tour in Yanagawa, where the punting tour company also has a shuttle bus to the dock. Just take this package (3340 yen) and no need to worry about anything else if you ask me. You just show the ticket to the staff at the gate, and when you leave they'll tear off the part of the ticket you're visiting. Though you can't buy it one day in advance.
  
• Morning was in Yanagawa. As said, the ticket also includes the punting tour, so I just went directly for it. The tour takes about an hour-ish and the guide also can speak English decently while also singing local songs in Japanese and also other regions (ours sang one in Korean and Mandarin). It was fun. But do note the boat actually takes you to another corner of the town, and you need to take their shuttle to either go back to the station, or their dock.
  
• I got off at the dock first because I wanted to eat the boxed steam eel rice at Ganso Motoyoshiya. The restaurant is kinda hidden amongst streets of housing but just follow the map and you're good. It's a traditional Japanese setup and it was one of the better meals I've had in the trip. Besides the steamed eel rice is a specialty in the area anyway.
  
• Took the train to Daizaifu - you need to change trains once. The area outside the temple has lots of stores selling treats and souvenirs.
  
• I went to the Kyushu national museum first. It's a gigantic building that has lots of open space indoors, and there's only 1 main hall for me to visit then (also you need to take a long way up via escalators). But that main hall has an impressive number of artifacts that basically gives you a historical tour from Japan even from ancient area. And the special exhibit (a room inside the hall) was Japanese katana which was also impressive.
  
• Not so impressive is Daizaifu which was under renovation and instead we get a modern looking stage that acts as the shrine. It kinda takes away the charm unfortunately. I have no idea when they're done renovating.
  
• Dinner is really late for this day so I checked out Amu Plaza and Kitte mall. For Kitte mall, it has a Uniqlo, HMV books and a Surugaya. Amu plaza was a bit bigger and a bit more high class (though not as high class as the Hankyu department store also at the station). Also got my JR Kyushu pass here, intending to use it later after buying it via Klook.
  
• Dinner was at Offal Pot ROCCASHA, 9PM (though I went at 8:30). It's a Fukuoka specialty so I had to try it (also this was introduced by TommyTommyJapan). This I really want to recommend, probably had the best meal there but it's definitely better for groups, I think. Still, if you want to eat there, you MUST book it. Very unlikely that you can get a seat in here without booking.
  

Day 4

• I bought the Fukuoka wide area pass for this day from Klook. Now it's an e-ticket instead of an actual ticket and it allows you to take all of the JR trains within the Fukuoka region, but this excludes the Shinkansen from Hakata to Kokura, because that is operated by JR West and not JR Kyushu. It is a two day pass, but I only needed it for today. Still for 3500 yen, I think it's a good deal (at least we don't need to go thru the ticket machines with this).
  
• Went to Mojiko first but actually the first thing was to take the ferry from Mojiko to Shimonoseki. But anyway, for the train part it was Hakata to Kokura via Sonic, then Kokura to Mojiko via local. I'll talk about Mojiko later. For the ferry, it's just a couple minutes from the train station.
  
• In Shimonoseki I checked out the Karato market first. It was definitely worth visiting, the shops putting out sushi and you just point to what you'd want, then you take the sushi outside the market and face the strait while enjoying the food. Also you might want to check out the puffer fish sashimi, though I personally feel that it's more of an acquired taste.
  
• From the market you can walk to the Shimonoseki treaty museum. The city's the place where the treaty was signed by China (then the Qing dynasty) and Japan. Pretty historic place, and it won't take much time.
  
• Also checked out the aquarium across the market. The focus here is on the puffer fish and you get to see quite a few of them swimming around. Also has penguins, and I think a dolphin show though I didn't see that.
  
• Also wanted to mention that the ferry across this strait also has a different ferry to Ganryujima, which was the island where Miyamoto Musashi fought Sasaki Kojiro. I didn't take that because I didn't realize that island was here.
  
• Back to Mojiko and ate baked curry there. It's not bad, though as it's pretty popular, expect to get in line for the most popular one. I ate at Princess Phi Phi, though Curry Honpo Mojiko Retro was definitely more popular.
  
• Speaking of Mojiko Retro, it's quite underwhelming. The most impressive was the pedestrian drawbridge, which opens a few times a day. But there's like...3-4 buildings mostly built in red bricks, renewed or rebuilt that can really be defined as retro-looking not including the station. And they're not all placed together, so it's a bit of a mix of new and old in here. Maybe someone else would like this place more, but I wasn't too impressed.
  
• Went back to Kokura for the Kokura castle. I liked it, though like most castles in Japan the outside is traditional but inside is basically a museum. Still, the first floor has some interactive stuff that one might enjoy but they're all in Japanese, unfortunately. Most exhibits inside are also in Japanese and they rely on you to scan the QR code to get the non-Japanese descriptions.
  
• Went to Aruaru city for the Kitakyushu manga museum and some otaku stuff. It's just a walk via a corridor from JR Kokura station, so quite accessible. The shopping center has lots of second hand anime stuff there.
  
• Dinner was just some western restaurant in JR Kokura's shopping center. Nothing special.
  

Day 5

• Toughest leg of the trip, first day of the JR pass. Took a very early train to Sasebo. The goal is to take the 99 islands cruise, but there's only an hourly bus that's only a few minutes after getting off from the train. As I have luggage with me and I needed to use a coin locker in the station, I missed the bus because I didn't find the coin lockers in time (they are to the left of where you exit from the ticket gate). Had to take a taxi to get to the cruise port area as a result. The taxi driver was friendly and also tried to engage in discussion but there was an unfortunate language barrier.
  
• Also this day was also a US Navy open day. A big line was formed outside that area, and I asked the taxi driver what it is.
  
• For the 99 island cruise, I liked it. Takes about 45-ish minutes, and there's a recorded description in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean as the boat moves along. Get on the deck of the boat and there's ample viewing angles, it even has a lookout that you can climb on. The dock also has some restaurants and an aquarium, but I was just there for the cruise, so I took the bus back to Sasebo after.
  
• Sasebo burger was a specialty of the city, so I definitely had to check it out. The biggest name was probably Big Man, but there's a line, and there's not much seating plus I've read reviews that food takes a long time to come, so I checked out Sasebo C & B Burgers instead. Simply put, best burger I've had in a long time.
  
• Wanted to check out the Matsura train line because it cuts across Sasebo to JR Sasebo station and it looks like it's abandoned, but trains come about once in an hour or so, so I just checked out the station and left.
  
• Took the local train froM Sasebo to Nagasaki via JR and boy it's way more packed than I expected. There's some views of the sea en route to Nagasaki.
  
• For Nagasaki, the JR station looks very new, though the main street outside are getting renovated. The hotel I stayed in, Hotel Cuore was also getting renovated, unfortunately.
  
• Went to the Atomic Bomb museum, peace park and hypocenter. Definitely memorable places, especially the museum.
  
• Went from there to Mount Inasa. Took the tram and changed to bus #5 to get to the mountain, though I know there's a ropeway that takes you to the observatory, this feels like a better method and more accessible. Since the bus stop is relatively close to the observatory.
  
• Mount Inasa is awesome, and there is a crowd, but not as packed as Mount Hakodate. This also means I had visited 3 of the top 3 night views in Japan. Inasa, Hakodate, and Moya.
  
• Stayed a bit too long for my champon dinner at Daihachi and ate Turkish rice at some restaurant inside JR Nagasaki station.
  

Day 6

• Gunkanjima tour. I took this one and they had a Chinese guide (iirc Chinese on odd days and English on even days, refer to the site). Definitely worth a visit, and if you can, just follow the Chinese/English guide if you can get on the island. Their group work separately from the Japanese ones, so it's not as packed. Also protip, sit on the right side of the boat.
  
• Lunch was at Yossou, most famous for their chawanmushi. It's filled with all kinds of different things inside and the egg is really smooth. Recommended, though I didn't need to wait as a solo traveler, I feel that you might need to line up a little if you come in groups.
  
• Megane bridge was like a 15 minute visit for me.
  
• Glover garden was a nice place to stroll around in. Via tram, I got off at the last station instead of the one they recommended. This one has elevators that take you to the rear entrance, which basically means you're walking downhill instead of uphill, so better on my knees, at least. The views are not bad, though there's a couple buildings in renovation.
  
• Had a bit of time left, so I went to Chinatown (very not impressed - just a block basically, most shops closed). Also went to Dejima, which is a recreation of a past area in the city. I liked that a little bit more.
  
• Went to Daihachi before realizing it's freaking closed. Still determined that I need to eat my champon, I ate in ちゃんぽん 蘇州林. It was okay.
  
• Went by train to Kumamoto from Nagasaki. Took the Shinkansen to Takeo, then express to Shin Tosu (a very empty station that's basically built for the Shinkansen), then Shinkansen to Kumamoto.
  
• Stayed at Dormy Inn Kumamoto. Didn't stay around the JR station because the bus terminal is next to the hotel. Also Dormy Inn slaps hard. Free onsen, popisicles, shoyu ramen for a late night snack, multiple laundry machines with a status indicator that you can view from your room's TV? I'm going to seek out Dormy Inn the next time I visit Japan.
  

Day 7

• Now a slow day here to check out Kumamoto proper. Suizenji is a great place to visit. Love the little mount Fuji replica they made, as you walk around the park, the angles you see changes and the scene is a little different (obviously). I liked it.
  
• Also walked towards the Luffy statue once I'm done with the Suizenji. You can also buy a mini replica at the Lawson in the basement floor of the government building behind. The nice lady at the Lawson said that I can also get a card of Luffy somehow but the direction she pointed me at made me lost a bit so I dropped that idea.
  
• Wanted to eat ramen at 熊本拉麺 豚美 but turns out it's not open that day, thankfully before I decided to walk all the way back there. Instead took the bus since I wanted to go to Kumamoto castle after, so I got off at the city hall, and ate at Keika Ramen. Best damn ramen I had in the trip, though Kumamoto ramen is very heavy in garlic.
  
• Also take the elevator to the city hall's 14th floor for a view of Kumamoto castle.
  
• It was raining hard and I didn't have an umbrella so I went back to the hotel to repack my stuff and bring out an umbrella at around 4pm. Took the tram, and then walked to the Sakura no baba Josaien first for the ticket. The ticket center's closed. I panicked a little, but still moved on towards the castle. Turns out the castle closes at 5pm, but I can still purchase the ticket right outside. Also it's just me, but the Josaien felt very tourist-trappy and I didn't spend any time aside from wondering why I can't purchase tickets.
  
• Kumamoto castle area is mostly rebuilt and you're on a specially built walkway towards the castle instead of walking at ground level. Clearly the earthquake's damage is not fully recovered with the walls, but the castle is now reinforced and renewed. Outside, it looked awesome in black. Inside it's also a museum basically, and it also shows you the past history. But with limited time, I had to speedrun the castle.
  
• Dinner at Katsuretsu Tei Shinshigai. I expected more people there, but I didn't really needed to wait. The tonkatsu was great and the pork was flavorful.
  

Day 8

• Thanks to the location of the hotel I can just walk across the street to take the long distance bus to Takachiho. It takes around 3 hours (including a break midway). I booked for the bus via Willer Express.
  
• Had lunch in Nagomi, they cook the steak a bit and let you do the rest by cooking it on a piece of hot stone. The beef is delicious. If I could, I should've ordered for the A5 wagyu instead, but it was still great.
  
• Takachiho gorge is a little bit out there and takes about 30 minutes for you to walk from town. There's a lot of downhill walking towards the gorge, and the walk back, and it is a little tiring. There is a bus but it doesn't take you to the gorge, only about halfway. The gorge itself is...gorgeous (har har). There is supposed to be a boat ride but it was closed the day I got there. Still there's a few viewing angles for the gorge, so do spend a bit of time there (because the uphill walk with those hairpin turns on the way back definitely did my knee).
  
• I still had a bit of time, so I checked on what to do before the return bus arrives. I saw the Amaterasu Railway on Google map and the reviews say it's a 30 minute ride, so I walked there (more uphill!). I also saw that they have a museum which I asked about but the lady there doesn't seem to want me to get that ticket, so I only took the mini-train. The ride was 2000 yen and was definitely a bit more geared towards kids, and the conductor only explains things in Japanese, but it was a fun ride. I took the last train at 3pm.
  
• After taking the bus back to Kumamoto I ate at a sushi joint because Kumamoto's horse meat sashimi is a thing. Its taste is a little strong, but at least I tried it, I suppose.
  

Day 9

• Day trip to Kagoshima. Wanted to get the one day pass, but the tourist center lady suggested that I get the "cute pass" which also includes the ferry and buses on Sakurajima, so I bought that for 1200 yen. Note that Kagoshima has its own IC card and doesn't accept others, so you can't use your Suica/Icoca/whatever there.
  
• Took the tourist bus to Sengan-an. Also ate lunch there. It has a full view of Sakurajima, and you can also buy a ticket to the main building inside the park (I bought it as a combo). Can probably spend around 2+ hours there.
  
• Then went to Sakurajima after, also via the tourist bus. I mostly went to the Yunohira observation deck, which offers a view of the mountain and back to the city. Do check out the bus schedule, even though they stay there for an extended time, because there's little to do on the observation deck.
  
• Dinner I ate at Kagoshima as well, as I craved for some tempura I went to Nakamura in Amu plaza Kagoshima.
  
• That night I experienced the earthquake after I went back to Kumamoto (see above).
  

Day 10

• This day is supposed to be leaving for Aso, then Beppu. In the end, I only visited Aso, and changed plans to head back to Fukuoka via Kumamoto after.
  
• For mount Aso, taking the bus up there is a must unless you have a car, but first do make a stop at Kusasenri regardless. The volcano museum while worth having a look (very educational however everything is in Japanese). It'll tell you the volcano's level on that day, though you obviously can check out the website. If it's at level 2 or above, going further down the road or to the bus' last station near the top doesn't make a lot of sense because you won't get to see the volcano unless you choose to wait for the helicopter.
  
• But Kusasenri itself is a nice place to check out. It offers a viewing of the volcano which is constantly spewing smoke. It's also a big flat piece of grassland that you don't get to see often, I suppose. There's also a horse ride, but it's a 5 minute ride and it's guided. I don't think it's worth checking out.
  
• I had lunch there, but it's not really anything special.
  
• After my trip at Aso I hastily booked a hotel in Fukuoka near Hakata station and worked my way back to Kumamoto via local train, then to Fukuoka via Shinkansen.
  
• Had dinner at Ichiran. It's good, though at the same time...it is kinda the McDonald's of ramen?
  
• Checked out the Yatai at Nakasu. Definitely THE Yatai area to go to, though I didn't eat there, just walked alongside the Yatai stalls.
  
• The hastily booked hotel was Nest Hotel Hakata Station. It's kinda no frills, but I liked it enough that I wouldn't mind staying here again.
  

Day 11

• This day is supposed to be in Beppu, but now that I'm in Fukuoka, might as well check out some places and make use of my last day of JR pass.
  
• So I decided to head to Uminonakamichi. It's a giant park, plus an aquarium. I checked out the aquarium first - it's definitely one of the better ones (most impressive one was the one in Okinawa) I've been to. There's so many interactive stuff that you can do in there. Also the restaurant also offers you a view of the dolphin tank. I enjoyed my time there.
  
• For Uminonakamichi proper it's way too big to walk on foot. Maybe if I rented a bicycle (which I suck at), it's easier to traverse. One thing I definitely do want to recommend is the flower field. It's an impressive sight and is also where most people in the park go to.
  
• Had an early dinner at Hakata Issou. It's between Shin Shin and Ichiran when it comes to how strong the taste is, though initially there is a slightly pungent smell in the ramen. It is delicious however. Maybe it's because I ate it earlier than most people at 5pm-ish, but there were open seats.
  
• Bought souvenirs in Hankyu and Hakata station.
  
• Hotel was across the street basically from yesterday, in Hakata Tokyu REI Hotel. If you ask me I prefer Nest Hotel (and Oriental Tenjin) over it.
  

Day 12

• Basically just heading straight for the airport after breakfast in hotel. If I didn't mention before, the proximity of the airport to the city is very nice. Just two stations to/from Hakata, and 4 stations to/from Tenjin.
  
• One thing I didn't like about the airport is the split of domestic and international, and it's connected via a shuttle bus. I hope it gets better in the future.
  

And that's all! Hope this helps anyone going to Kyushu in the future.

What's good! I was hella bored so I made my ideal tracklist for his upcoming 'It's A Boy' with features and what each song may talk about. And yes, I called it a mixtape even though it's probably going to be an album. This may get long but if you can be bothered to read all of this, feel free to critique below! Features mentioned: Don Toliver + Kali Uchis, Travis Scott, Daylyt + Denzel Curry, Snoh Aalegra, JID, Tyler, the Creator (on production).
​
Track 1: Just like Yebba's heartbreak from Drake's CLB and Audio Hug from Summer Walker's EP, I believe the intro should be features purely. From a chronological standpoint, this song will cover the struggles of urban poverty and drug abuse experienced by both J Cole's parents whilst giving birth to J Cole; hence the namesake 'It's A Boy'. I said features (plural) as I believe Don Toliver and Kali Uchis would do a perfect role. Little is known about J Cole's father but he has stated he would spend time in Dallas, Texas. With this we can get an insight into who we was through Don Toliver. Kali Uchis would be perfect to outline J Cole's mother's postpartum depression, struggle with alcohols and drugs (which was mentioned by J Cole in the interlude 'Once an Addict') and her vocal style would be the perfect match for this. A hazy, cloud beat with psychadelic vocals and tempo changes to top it all off. By having both Don Toliver and Kali Uchis play the role of Cole's parents it also teaches them between right and wrong when bringing up a child.
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Track 2: J Cole's experience with cigarettes. During his interview with Bob Myers, J Cole explains how he used to smoke with older children at the age of 6. With his brother finding out and reporting to his mother, this song will outline the changes in motherhood and how his actions can hurt his loved ones. Much like his songs on the album: 4 Your Eyez Only, I see this song to be pure story-telling. No features, just J Cole doing his thing. I love when J Cole samples soul beats, for example Erykah Badu's 'Didn't Cha Know' on 'Too Deep for the Intro'. J Cole being Marijuana free since 2011, a sample from Amy Winehouse's 'Addicted' (which she talks about Weed) would be the cherry on top.
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Track 3: J Cole sets off to New York to puruse his music career. Throughout his discography, J Cole talks about how lit he gets in New York. This has trap written all over it and J Cole on one of the 'Might Delete Later' volumes states that he has been in the studio with Metro Boomin. The London was undisputedly a banger, as well as MAFIA by Travis Scott which features uncredited J Cole vocals. J Cole, Travis and Metro Boomin? YES SIR! Without a doubt this would be a song for the charts.
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Track 4: Despite the confusion, J Cole was one of the feature artists on Future and Metro Boomin's 'WE STILL DON'T TRUST YOU' on the track 'Red Leather'. He states he kept his nose out of the streets but loves to get a whiff so this will be a pure hip-hop track. Daylyt being one of the best battle rappers of all time, showcased his skills on 'Pi' off of J Cole's mixtape 'Might Delete Later' is most definitely returning on this track. Another feature artist? Probably the most underrated rapper right now in the likes of former Raider Klan member Denzel Curry. J Cole, Denzel Curry and Daylyt would be straight up OVERKILL. Daylyt and Denzel Curry being exposed to the streets more than Cole might give an anecdotal experience in the song relating to drugs as well. After all, 'boy' is also a slang term for heroin, so in this song the narrative is shifted to drugs and gang culture. A Conductor Williams or Uncle Al beat you say? DAMN. (no pun intended).
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Track 5: Wet Dreamz has always had mixed reviews. Some say it's top 3 on 2014 FHD, while others say it's too corny. Nonetheless, J Cole does not fail when it comes to love songs especially on his older projects. Both J Cole and Melissa have been couples since his arrival to New York. Unlike his typical love songs, this will be a back and forth between Snoh Aalegra (who will play as Melissa Heholt) and J Cole himself talking about their desires and futures as a couple. With a starting line sung by Snoh Aalegra along the lines of, 'It's a Boy named Jermaine...' this will kickstart the RnB vibe that will be on full display in this multi-genre project. To be frank, Snoh Aalegra, H.E.R., Ari Lennox and Summer Walker can all walk perfectly but given that Cole has already worked with Ari Lennox on 'Shea Butter Baby' as well as 'Pricey', Snoh Aalegra would be the perfect fit. Not to mention, she has worked with Vince Staples as well. I would like to see the exploration of lust, vulnerable emotion and mental unrest.
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Track 6: During his interview with Narduwar, Cole says that he had introduced Kendrick to Dr. Dre. Although I do not believe it was entirely Cole, I still believe this gesture by Cole is what keeps their friendship intact. In my opinion, J Cole is the better rapper, but there is no denying that Kendrick is a better artist. I compare this 'beef' to relighting a flame that has been put of for years: the flame being hip-hop. This so called beef has made grown men like Dj Akademiks lose sleep and worry about things that are the opposite behind disses and cameras. This leads me on to the next track being, 'It's a boy from Compton' as I assume how J Cole would've introduced Kendrick to Dr. Dre. Only Cole on this beat, I believe this track to be clearing all the rumours amongst them and further explaining the reasoning behind Cole removing his verse. Thematically, it would obviously cover friendship and brotherhood. A jazzy boom-bap sample would do just right seeming as though it would be about Kendrick.
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Track 7: Present day. Social Media era. J Cole has mentioned about the toll social media has on one's well being with Angie Martinez as well as Kevin Hart. In this track, 'social media' is personified as a controlling head that tempts J Cole into becoming this toxic conundrum. Assisted with a funk bassline provided by Bootsy Collins, JID will feature as the voice of 'social media' by creating this parallel. This goes deeper into being doxxed, illicit content etc. By comparing social media to drugs, this shows how the same 'bad energy' is constantly following someone set out to better themselves.
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Track 8: The last track on this mixtape I randomly made up. This will actually be about Cole's son and his steps towards fatherhood. Each song prior to this track has a message that leads to this point. No further explanation other than to expect a story telling masterpiece similar to the song 4 Your Eyez Only or She's Mine Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. A mellow beat with a slow tempo produced by Tyler, the Creator to heighten the short steps taken by Cole and not to rush in whilst raising a son.
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Yes. I am one bored MF. Peace.

The NBA as we know it is gone. The playoffs start tonight, so we are stuck with smaller slates from here on out. The good news? I love small slates.
More good news? These games will all matter, so unless a guy is truly hurt, he's playing. Playoff rotations get tighter, too, so bad players won't play as much, and everyone is naturally getting a higher ceiling and floor because their minutes will increase.
Unless it's a brutal housing, teams aren't as likely to sit guys in a mild blowout, either. Hopefully this ends up being fun. The first slate is admittedly super tiny, but here are my favorite plays so far:
Top NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday

• PG: De'Aaron Fox ($8.6k)
• SG: Keon Ellis ($4.5k)
• SF: Andrew Wiggins ($4.9k)
• PF: Keegan Murray ($5.5k)
• C: Anthony Davis ($9.7k)

Fox is my favorite PG. Curry has been better as of late and has a history of success against the Kings, but Fox projects better and averaged 51 fantasy points per game across three meetings vs. Golden State. He honestly might be the best play of the entire slate.
Not that we have to stack Kings, but I also really like Ellis. We need some cheap guys on this slate and he projects for 28 minutes. He also has a beatable matchup, as the Dubs are 21st in 3 point makes allowed per game on the year. I just think he has a good shot at 30+ minutes here and he saves me cash, so I will gladly look his way.
Wiggins saves us some cash and is looking at about 30 minutes, as well. He's done well (28 fantasy points per game) in 4 meetings with Sacramento and they also aren't stalwarts outside (18th most 3 point makes allowed per game).
Should we feel amazing about rostering guys like Ellis/Wiggins? On a big slate, no, but 2 gamer gonna 2 gamer.
Here's another King for you. I didn't set out to stack Kings (or this game), but the slate is tiny, so stacking a team or game to some degree isn't bad (nor totally avoidable). The reality is the Kings are going to keep a tighter rotation than usual AND they're still without Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk.
Murray is playing monster minutes and is going to get some good looks with the Warriors focused on stopping Fox/Sabonis. He played 43 minutes 2 games ago and has averaged 29 fantasy points against Golden State this year. It's a solid spot, he's a great price, and he should play a ton. I see zero reason to fade him on such a small slate.
The Brow is the top stud on this slate. Sabonis and LeBron are not far behind, so if one of them are crazy unowned by comparison, we can and should consider the pivot. But much like the plays above all look good and logical, he simply has the best raw points projection.
Davis should be extra motivated against his former team and he smoked them for 30 and 11 the last time he faced them. The Pels don't have anyone that can stop him, so while the numbers don't necessarily suggest it today, I think he may offer the highest ceiling on this slate.
My Strategy for April 16th
I am probably starting with the plays above as my main core. The only real reason I'd switch anything up would be injury news or ownership % swaying me.
I will allow myself to be swayed if The Brow comes in super chalky and LeBron or Sabonis are just way under-owned. There would just be a huge leverage opportunity and these guys project closely enough that we don't need to handcuff ourselves so early.
Unlike most NBA DFS slates, news is unlikely to shake up slates as much. We know everyone will play if they're not seriously hurt, so the value you see now is probably the value you get.
I'll also note that some guys who have had shaky minutes will ultimately be better plays than maybe they've been in recent memory. Jonathan Kuminga is one that stands out and meshes with that logic.
Both of these games are very stackable. The Lakers are 4th in pace, and both the Kings and Warriors are top 15 in pace. Both games have solid totals and tight spreads. If the ownership is flocking to one game, I'd definitely be a bit heavier on the other game.
That does it for me. It's 2 games, so there isn't much else to go over. Thanks for reading, and good luck!
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Trip Date: March 21-April 8
Interests: Coffee, Tea, Food, Anime, Gardens, Castles, Museums, Sakura
Priorities: trying good coffee, eating good food, minimizing waiting in lines, buying some chef knives, one piece, pokemon, Sakura.
Route: Tokyo > Nagoya > Kyoto > Yasugi > Hiroshima > Yufuin > Osaka > Hakone > Tokyo
Expenses (rounded to nearest $10):

• Transportation within Japan: $1300
  
• Luggage Forwarding: $80 (2 carryon sized luggages 3 times)
  
• eSim: Ubigi - $26 for 2 10gb plans
  

General tips to newer travelers or first timers to Japan:

• Get an IC card regardless of JR pass or not, physical or Apple pay, either work. There were some people who said IC cards were unnecessary, but we traveled using the booths for the first day, and after getting our Pasmo (for me) and loading a Suica onto my wife’s iPhone, traveling was immensely easier. No need to spend time calculating how much fare to pay, just tap in and tap out and it’s auto calculated.
  
• Make sure your card/phone actually scans/beeps when you enteexit stations. If you accidentally enter or exit without scanning, your card will have an error, and you will need to speak to an attendant to fix it. They will ask you for your last entry/exit station.
  
• Ubigi eSim: while I rarely had service outages, I never got the advertised 5g speeds and was stuck on 4g the whole time. Apparently this is a US Pixel specific issue (I have Pixel 7Pro). My wife has an iPhone 13 and she had 5g the whole time, but she had to change some privacy settings in order to use her web browser (apps worked fine). We both got the 10gb/30day plan and I had 800MB of data left while my wife had 2.8GB. I did all the navigation but I wasn’t watching videos or using social media unless on wifi.
  
• Prioritize what you want to do. Sometimes you may end up spending more time at a location than you expect, or maybe there is a longer wait for something, or maybe you just missed the subway/got on the wrong train.
  
• Google maps is wonderful for train/metro/subway, and a little more confusing when it comes to buses. My wife and I rarely used public transit before this trip so our time in Kyoto was very stressful because google maps would not match up with the bus lines perfectly and the colors/”platforms” were sometimes incorrect. Don’t pack the first 2-3 days of your trip with tons of locations to travel to because you’ll be using these days to learn the transit system.
  
• Learn some Japanese and Japanese culture/etiquette. There were definitely areas where we felt like some business owners and residents were weary of tourists. But knowing simple things like where to wait, how to say how many seats you need, or just simply being mindful of those around you will go a long way.
  
• Don’t be “those tourists”! You’re visiting someone else’s home. You should respect the rules of the house even if you were raised differently. I read plenty of reviews on google for places that were negative because “no one spoke english”. If you see people lined up for something, you should assume that it’s because they are waiting to get into the place/train/bus you are trying to get to. I could go on and on, but rude/ignorant tourists were by far the worst part of our trip.
  
• If you want to avoid the crowds, you will have to go early (or late) to popular tourist spots. The downside to going early is that a lot of the shops are not open yet.
  
• For those that are lactose intolerant, some places advertise oat milk/oat lattes. My wife had 2 incidents (out of 20+) where she believes they were using oat FLAVORED milk. If you’re really sensitive to dairy, just stick to black, or bring your own non dairy creamer, or use lactaid every time.
  
• Google translate works best when you understand how the Japanese language structure works. I have completed Pimsleur Japanese 1 and 2, I have been doing DuoLingo for almost a year, and I watch anime regularly, so I was able to start understanding how to word things better when using the translate functions. Sometimes I would type something into translate and they would give me a confused look, and then I would reword my questions using different words/sentence structures and then it clicked for them.
  
• Cards or cash? I see this asked often and I see a varying degree of answers. My personal experience is that I was able to use cards at a lot more establishments than I was expecting, especially since I went to more rural areas. I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum card and they were allowed at probably around 90% of the businesses I visited. If you have a physical IC card, you need cash to reload it. For 18 days, I brought 300000 Yen (Chase bank’s currency exchange was not bad) and I used about 135,000 Yen, over half of which was used to reload my IC card.
  

This was a re-do of our canceled 10 year anniversary trip that was planned for 2020. I was really bummed because that trip was timed PERFECTLY with the sakura blooms. I had hopes for this year as well, because all the reports up until the week before our trip were forecasting late March blooms again. Unfortunately, we missed the blooms and were, instead, given rain and strong winds for the first half of the trip. I booked our Ryokan stays first based on availability and pricing which is why the route may not look optimal to seasoned travelers. My initial concept was to book Ryokans as “rest days” in between the more active days of the trip and to also use the longer train/bus rides as down time. I wanted to end with Osaka/Tokyo as I had plans to purchase some chef knives and do some shopping and wanted to get a feel on the prices during my initial stay in Tokyo to see if I should buy in Osaka or not.
Days 1-3: Tokyo
Notable Coffee:

• Glitch - 8/10:this is made for people who prefer light/medium roasts with fruity and floral notes and enjoy drinking coffee black. My wife and I prefer darker roasts in the chocolate/nutty family with some milk. So while we didn’t particularly enjoy our brews, we definitely appreciated the time and effort they take to make you a special cup of coffee. It can take a while if you come at the wrong time because they walk everyone through their coffee process so if you have a bunch of people lined up in front of you who like to ask questions and don’t know what they want, it will be a while.
  
• Fuglen - 10/10: apparently this is a tourist hotspot and is especially popular with Chinese/Taiwanese tourists. There is a guy who seems to regularly sit in the front in a military outfit (he was there both times we went). The coffee jelly was AMAZING (best I had). This was the first time my wife could have non dairy milk (oat) with her coffee and she loved it. It was in the top 5 coffee spots in Japan for us. The waffle was good, but we didn’t get it the second time we visited.
  
• Kielo Coffee - 9/10: Another spot with non dairy milk and it was really tasty. The vibes were nice as well - chill and relaxed.
  

Notable Food:

• Himuro Ueno - 8/10: our first meal in Japan after landing. They went a bit heavy on the beansprouts for my wife’s miso ramen. Gyoza was excellent. Eggs were amazing (theme for the trip)
  
• Tonkatsu Hasegawa - 10/10: I believe you need reservations to dine here, but I saw a couple people walk up and try to get seats (not sure if they were successful or not). Best Tonkatsu we’ve ever had. We never ate katsu for the rest of the trip because we were certain it would not live up to this place.
  
• 銀座すし和 - 9/10: our first sushi spot in Japan. It is underground and there is only 1 person running the whole thing. He speaks no english and there is no english menu. It takes about 10-15 minutes for him to finish 1 person’s order. We both ordered the medium sized meal (for 1.5 people) and everything tasted fresh.
  
• Boulangerie Jean Francois - 10/10: we made the mistake of stumbling across this bakery at the basement level of Ginza 6. I say mistake because we loved their baked goods so much that we compared every other baked goods to this place. Their cinnamon rolls, butter croissant, regular croissant, and curry bread were the best we had.
  
• Yasubee - 8/10: Known for their Tsukemen, but they have ramen options as well. I was confused because they price the small, medium, and large serving sizes all the same. I got the large size (maybe it was XL?) Tsukemen and my wife got a medium ramen. They go HARD with their noodles… I only finished about 80% of my meal and I actually had to sit for 45 minutes after my meal at a starbucks because I was in such a massive food coma. Amazing noodle texture, and the eggs.. Holy moly people weren’t kidding about the eggs in Japan.
  

Touristy Spots:

• Square Enix cafe - 7/10: our only cafe experience and it will probably be our last. I know it’s not as well done as, say the Kirby cafe, but as much as I LOVED Final Fantasy 7, this was just not worth the price. The drinks were very tasty, but you don’t get a lot of it (ice takes up most of the space). I’m glad I experienced it, but themed cafes are just not my thing.
  
• Sensoji Temple - pretty cool temple grounds with cool gates. Lots of vendors all around the temple area. Easy to get to and worth a stop if you’re in the area.
  
• Nakamise Dori - right next to Sensoji Temple, so you might as well walk around there after. Tons of food and souvenir vendors but you’re probably better off buying things at Don Quijote price-wise.
  
• Gundam Factory - they decommissioned the moving Gundam at the end of March, so I’m glad I got to see it before they did.
  
• Cup Noodle Museum (Yokohama) - if you aren’t doing the ramen making workshop or the cup building workshop, you can probably walk through the whole place in 30-45 minutes. The lines for the instant noodle kitchen was insane when we went. We only bought admission tickets to look around.
  
• Akihabara - just wow. I didn’t think I could get sensory overload, but I did. The malls here are either super tight and tall, or super wide and tall and LOADED with signs. Not only that, but there are simply SO many people walking everywhere. It makes Vegas look like child’s play. When taking videos, try not to point your cameras at the cafe girls. They all looked away/turned around when they saw people with cameras shooting the streets.
  
• Tsukiji Market - cool to walk around, hard to figure out what you want to eat and where to get it. Lots of people are trying to buy things and if you don’t assert yourself at some of the shops, you’ll never get help. Stopped by a couple knife stores and the prices weren’t great. Had some “onigiri” from a random shop outside of the market and it was really delicious.
  

Other thoughts:
This was our first international flight over 5 hours so I wanted to make our arrival as frictionless as possible. We got Ubigi esims for my Pixel 7pro (US unlocked) and her iPhone 13 (US Unlocked) so we wouldn’t have to pick up a pocket wifi. I opted to forgo JR pass, as the calculator said we would barely be saving money and I read that the JR Ticket lines at the airports are always packed and slow moving (for obvious reasons). And I opted to use the Keisei Skyliner and book a hotel in Ueno to avoid needing to transfer stations.
We arrived at Narita Airport around 5pm. When we landed, immigration only had two lines: 1 for Japanese residents and 1 for tourists. Everyone in the tourist line had to line up and do the same things regardless of if you had a QR code or filled out the hardcopy paperwork. Everyone had to scan their face and fingers. I noticed that the customs agents seemed to work quicker for people who had QR codes (maybe due to illegible or incorrectly filled out paperwork).
We headed straight for the ticketing booths on the B1F and I headed for the Skyliner Ticket booth. The Keisei information booth was much longer. The JR Line was even worse. I waited about 10 minutes before getting to the front of the line and purchased our Skyliner tickets to Ueno. They had no Pasmo Passports or any IC cards at the booth. The lady told me I had to pick one up at Ueno station. We boarded the Skyliner and arrived at Ueno station around 7pm. Information booth was closed and the JR office had no IC cards.
I had to shift gears a bit for one of the days because I was planning to visit Shinjuku National Garden and Yoyogi park for the Sakura. Unfortunately, we had wind and rain instead, and no blossoms in sight. So we opted to explore more of the Taito city area and take it easy. I am not a rain person so my spirits were quite low, but we got umbrellas and trudged on!
Day 4-6: Nagoya and Kyoto
Notable Coffee:

• Kitaoji Roastery Lab - 8/5/10: run more like a roastery than a cafe, but they know how to make a good latte. We were the only ones there and we got to see them roast 2 batches of beans while enjoying our lattes and iced coffees.
  
• % Arabica - 10/10: this was maybe our favorite coffee spot in all of Japan. Perfectly steamed milk and beans that are strong enough to burst through the creamy milk in perfect harmony. They are opening another 2nd location right across the street in April that looks to serve food as well. I’m note sure if the new location will be replacing the original location or not.
  

Notable Food:

• Funaokayama Shimizu - 10/10: our first kaiseki dining experience and it did not disappoint. Reservations only, as the place only seats 6. Chef Shimizu doesn’t talk much besides explaining the dishes he was presenting to us with the help of google translate. Top 3 meals for us in Japan. Everything was done so well and the flavors were immaculate. My wife’s favorite dessert was this orange juice jelly that he built inside of an actual orange. Located in a residential neighborhood, so it’s a little disconcerting to get there if you’re walking from the closest bus/metro stop.
  
• Charcoal-grilled eel Togawa sakae - 10/10: we actually wanted to eat at Atsuta Houraiken in Nagoya, but there was a 3 hour wait when we arrived at 11am, so we found this place nearby. They were fully booked for lunch already but were willing to make takeout boxes for us. We took these to the nearby Parco mall to eat. I was curious to see my wife’s reaction as she is not a huge unagi fan, but this unagi bowl changed her mind. They pack it with extra eel sauce and some onion/salt packets for the egg. Not cheap, but so so good.
  
• Yamamoto Menzou - 10/10: We typically aren’t udon people because the texture of the udon in the US isn’t very good. It’s usually too mealy, or thick, or the broth is too bland. But this place? Amazing. They seem to require reservations but we came at a down time and they were able to seat us right away. We had the spicy udon and spicy miso udon with burdock and chicken tempura. This was one of the only places that used white meat chicken that we tried in Japan and it was cooked perfectly. I wish I had ordered more. The burdock tempura was interesting. It was very firm and crunchy like a carrot. The texture of the udon noodles here were to die for: wonderfully chewy while somehow feeling like an al dente noodle. Was a perfect compliment to the broth.
  
• Ramen Tanaka Kyu Shoten - 8/10: everything here was pretty delicious, but it is definitely overpriced. This was the first place we dined at that we felt like we were paying tourist prices. Eggs were more yellow vs the orange we were used to seeing, but still cooked perfectly. Gyoza was okay and the karaage chicken was good.
  
• Pizzeria Da Yuki - 10/10: neapolitan style pizza has become our go-to in recent years and this place knocks it out of the park. They just changed locations about 150 meters away from the previous location. The menu is extensive and their dough has the perfect amount of chew and bubbling. We definitely felt underdressed here.
  

Touristy Spots:

• Nijo Castle: very cool castle with large grounds and gardens to walk through. Several Sakura trees, so I bet it'd be awesome to walk through when in bloom. Admission includes the ability to walk through the castle. We were planning to skip this in favor of west Kyoto (Arashiyama areas) but the rains changed our minds and we're glad we got to see this castle.
  
• Kiyomizu Dera: Very cool to walk around without hordes of people. We arrived around 7am and there were maybe 10-20 other people at the time we went. Kodaiji Temple: cool stairway to the main entrance. Again, no one around here early so you can take some cool photos.
  
• Sannenzaka: there were already people lined up to take photos here despite the gloomy weather. We couldn’t see the temple through the fog and clouds. No shops were open.
  
• Ninenzaka: cool to walk through while it was empty, but sad that we couldn’t explore the shops. Pick your poison I suppose.
  
• Philosopher’s path: was really looking forward to walking here with the trees in bloom but it was still a nice walk. We saw some fat neko here.
  
• Kinkaku-ji: Cool golden temple with a nice garden and short “hike”.
  
• Fushimi Inari: we got here around 5:00pm and there was still a decent crowd, probably because it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to peek through. We ended up taking a random path out of the hallway of tori gates because we saw several people go that way, and we ended up hiking up the backside of the trail. It was very cool to see the forest of bamboo, and we met a friendly neko that gave me a headbutt of affection, so that was the only reprieve of taking a very difficult (for us) hike up to the top. At one point, we were confused about where to go and this kind old man pointed us in the right direction. We went back down the normal path and it was significantly easier… so do with that information what you will. Definitely less people at the top, but not an insignificant amount of people either.
  
• Takumi-no Yakata: very cool place to learn how to brew teas. For 1000 yen, you can pick a tea to learn how to brew and drink and also pick a tea snack. This is where I learned I don’t like gyokuro tea. For whatever reason, it hits the umami centers of my tongue really hard, so it tastes almost like broth to me instead of tea. Wife learned how to whisk matcha so now I don’t have to whisk it up every morning for her haha. They are able to communicate effectively in English and Chinese here.
  
• Nakamura Tokichi Honten: if you want to try this place, I recommend stopping by here first before you explore Uji. There is a kiosk you put your name and party size into and it prints out a ticket for you to track where you are in line. When we got there around 11:30am it was a 3 hour wait. We explored Uji in the meantime and came back with an estimated 30 minute wait left (total time was about 3 hr 15 mins). I wasn’t impressed, but I also didn’t get the parfait. I got the mochi, jelly, and icecream dessert along with matcha latte and my wife got a traditional matcha.
  

Other thoughts:
Overall, we liked Kyoto the city, but we encountered so many awful tourists here. For example, there were some American teens who were crossing the rope boundary at Kinkaku-ji to grab yen on the ground to toss into the statue bowls for good luck and constantly yelling at each other to miss their tosses. We also had unpleasant experiences on the buses where tourists would cut the lines that Japanese residents were waiting in to get into packed buses and then proceed to act like ass hats (super loud nonstop conversations, watching tiktok on their phones at full volume, etc). We skipped west Kyoto because we were tired of wandering around in the rain, and spent a half day out in the rain at Uji instead. We were thinking that mud+rain would make everything less enjoyable in Arashiyama. We discovered how much we love warabi mochi, and I am so so sad we didn’t buy more Hojicha warabi mochi here.
Day 7: Yasugi

• Ryokan - Saginoyuso 8.5/10: Amazing stay here and they are very accommodating. Mainly booked this because I wanted to visit the Adachi Museum. My wife has several tattoos so I wanted to book Ryokans with private onsen in the room to avoid any discomfort. It’s so nice to be able to soak in the comfort of your private quarters instead of having to walk down several hallways to get to a private one you can book. Kaiseki meals were amazing. Dinner is served in your room, and breakfast is served in a communal dining/banquet area.
  
• Adachi Museum - 10/10: amazing garden with some cool art and sculptures. We sat and had coffee in one of the tea rooms, but you can probably skip it and find a bench to sit on in various areas of the museum. The views from the tea room were amazing, but at 1500 yen per drink (free refills) for pretty bad coffee, I don’t know that it’s worth it on top of the price of admission.
  

Other Thoughts:
We really wanted to visit Himeji castle, but after our hike, we were wiped and just wanted to get to the Ryokan and chill. Really cool view of Mount Daisen from the train on the way to Yasugi. There wasn't much else to do in Yasugi, and this Ryokan is literally across the street from the museum. I think I would try and stay in Matsue if we visit again. Pretty rural area in the mountains, but almost no tourists here aside from the tour groups stopping by the museum. If you stop at Okayama station, make sure to pick up the wasabi flavored nori snacks. We didn’t find those anywhere else and they were one of our favorite snacks of the trip!
Day 8-9: Hiroshima
Notable Coffee:

• Obscura Coffee Roasters Hondori - 10/10: one of the few places that have dark roast beans in their main rotation. This was one of the only places we actually bought beans from. Loved the vibe and ambiance in this location (they have another location closer to the peace park). Our second favorite coffee place after %Arabica.

Notable Food:

• Kome Kome Shokudo - 10/10: my wife picked this place out as she was wanting karaage. It was the best Karaage we had all trip. Skip the sizzling steak plate and just get the karaage chicken. I also tried the minced tuna don and it was okay. Their specialty is the karaage chicken and it was by far the best we had in Japan. Perfectly crispy outside with juicy chicken on the inside. They cut out all the gristle which we loved. They also have takeout option for their chicken.

Touristy Spots:

• Miyajima Island: I initially ruled this out because my wife gets motion sick and the ferry ride from Hiroshima is about an hour long. But I found that if you take the train to Miyajimaguchi Station, the ferry ride from there is only 10 minutes and apparently the ferry is bigger as well so it’s less rocky. My wife was fine for both ferry rides and we got to “enjoy” the hike up Mt. Misen and the street food. We took the Daishoin path up and it took us just over 90 minutes which is what the suggested time is for the hike. We didn’t have tickets to take the ropeway down, but there are signs indicating that you can pay for the ride down after you get to the base of the ropeway. Just know that if you take the ropeway up, you still have to hike for a bit to get to the top of Mt. Misen. We saw a woman in a nice dress and fur jacket and leather boots walking up from the Gondola and we were thinking “she does NOT know what she signed up for dressed like that…”
  
• Peace Memorial Museum: very sobering experience. It takes a while to get through because there are so many people in there that you get bottle necked sometimes. If you’re in Hiroshima, there’s no reason not to visit. The park and dome are right
  

Other Thoughts
The oysters weren’t my cup of tea. I tried them deep fried in a ball and grilled with Yuzu miso sauce. I think they taste too much like the water they were farmed in? Not sure how else to describe it. They don’t taste like the ocean like the oysters I’m used to, but they taste like… what you would expect brackish lake water to taste like? We also didn't do too much in Hiroshima because there was super strong winds on top of rain, so we mainly just explored the areas next to our hotel.
Day 10-11: Yufuin

• Ryokan - Yufuin Yasuha 8/10: special blue colored water (aoyu) that makes your skin silky smooth. The private bath in our room was not as smooth as the other ryokans we stayed at so it was slightly less comfortable if you’re going in naked. You can’t control the amount of spring water that goes into the bath, only the amount of cold water, so make sure not to leave it on too long or else you’re stuck with a lukewarm bath unless you ask the staff to resupply your bath. The welcome mochi and cold towel were amazing after sweating on the bus. Kaiseki dinner was good but one of my beef slices was super chewy. Meals are served in a communal area with partitions and sliding doors separating diners.
  
• Ryokan - Ryunohige 10/10: This was by far the best ryokan experience we had but it should be because it was also the most expensive haha. There are only 10-15 rooms in the whole Ryokan I think and every room is isolated from each other. Dinner area is in a communal area with separate, closed off rooms. Our favorite server in all of Japan was here. This was our 2nd favorite kaiseki meal after Shimizu’s and it introduced me to hojicha gelato (soooo good!). The breakfast was not as good as Saginoyuso’s breakfast though. The views here from the outdoor onsen were amazing, and Mt. Yufuin peeked through the clouds during my last soak before checkout.
  

Notable Coffee:

• Ordinary Day Coffee - 9.5/10: Really chill place to get coffee after walking around Yufuin all day. I didn’t confirm, but it seemed to be run by a husband and wife. They use manual press espresso extraction and the flavor was excellent.

Touristy Spots:
There is one main road that has all the stores, shops, restaurants with a few more off the side streets. When you’re at Yufuin Station, it’s easy to see where to go. On this street, some of our favorite food were: sweet potato, fries with chili salt, chicken tempura, Warabi Mochi, and Mochi dango. Yufuin Cider is a must try as well.

• Comico Art Museum: pretty expensive for what it is. I was fine with it because Takashi Murakami is one of my favorite artists and his art was one of the main exhibits.
  
• Kinrin Lake: smallish lake at the end of the path with a few cafes/restaurants around it.
  
• Flower Village: cool if you like Ghibli, smells like a poorly maintained petting zoo. Stores are very small and cramped. Random assortment of caged animals you can feed and several animal cafes
  
• Oita River: there’s a long path where you can walk along the Oita river. This is where we finally saw Sakura in full bloom on some of the trees.
  
• YUFUIN strawberry farm: you need reservations to access this location and I didn’t find out about it until the day we were walking around so I couldn’t get in. But if the strawberries in the dango that I ate in the Yufuin area were any indication of the quality, you should definitely try to get a reservation here.
  

Other Thoughts:
We decided to fly from Oita Airport to Osaka instead of taking the train as the airfare was actually cheaper than a train ride. We asked the host at Ryunohige about when we should get to the airport, and he said we could take the 10am express bus from Yufuin station to the airport and we would be fine for our 12pm flight. I was a bit anxious because I’m used to needing to get to the airport at least 2 hours early. But we trusted him and it took us less than 5 minutes to get from the bus to our gate. We should have spent more time outside of the gate because that’s where all the food and shops were but we rushed through and then just ended up sitting at the gate for 45 minutes with not much to do. They board people in a very efficient way, with window seats going first in general boarding. Took maybe 15 minutes to board the entire plane. Highly recommend flying in and out of here. So many people with dogs in Yufuin! It seemed like mainly Korean tourists and Japanese residents in the Ryokans we stayed at.
Day 12-14: Osaka
Notable Coffee:

• Lilo Coffee Kissa - 8/10: very cool vibes in this shop with 2 floors. They have all the brew methods you can ask for for their beans. Coffee jelly is good (but not as good as Fuglen). Mainly light/medium roasts with fruity/floral notes here though.
  
• Cafe Ciao Presso - 6/10: coffee wasn’t great, but the views from the 17th floor and the fact that it’s not jam packed with tourists was really nice. They have some “panino” sandwiches which weren’t bad.
  

Notable Food:

• Mizutaki Iroha - 9/10: the best sukiyaki we’ve had. It is definitely a bit on the sweeter side - but it might be possible for you to request for them to add less sugar. They cook the meat for you and then leave you with a tray of veggies to cook afterwards. Beef was SUPER tender. It is very pricey though. I don’t think I would come back, as there were other sukiyaki places for half the price. But if price isn’t an issue for you, definitely give it a try. Lots of autographs and pictures on the wall so I assume a lot of celebrities dine here.
  
• Sumibiyaki Unagi no Nedoko - 10/10: hard to compare this with Togawa sakae because we had a dine-in experience, but it was amazing. We had reservations for dinner and I believe they are required as we saw several people turned away. This was also not a cheap dinner, but unlike Mizutaki Iroha, this was worth every penny. I would dine here again in a heartbeat. We both ordered the eel bowl set and the hostess gave us instructions on how to eat the meal to best appreciate it.
  
• Mugito Mensuke - 10/10: we got here 45 minutes before opening on a rainy day on a Wednesday and were the first in line. We both got the Guinea Fowl ramen, and while we didn’t care for the actual Guinea Fowl meat, every other component of the ramen was top notch. This was our favorite ramen experience for sure. The chashu bowl is also a must get, as they cook the chashu while mixing it in a bowl using a hand torch. The eggs here were the best eggs we had all trip.
  
• Sakamoto Sushi - 10/10: I actually had to wake up twice at 5am (PST) to reserve a table at this location because they open reservations on tablecheck on the 20th of every month and I miscalculated which day that would be in the US. But it was so worth it. Chef Sakamoto was our favorite chef all trip and was so accommodating and interactive. We actually met up with my cousin and her husband on this leg of the trip and the 4 of us got the prime seats right in front of Chef Sakamoto. He and his wife know some English but rely on google translate. Very affordable omakase and I would go to Osaka again just to dine here.
  

Touristy Spots:

• Wada Knife Sharpening Class - highly recommended for anyone who is a home chef or interested in knives. The class includes a knife for you to take home and a trip to the knife museum and Yuji is amazing at explaining the history and all the intricacies of bladesmithing in Japan. There are two sharpening masters at the shop who help guide you in the knife sharpening process and at the end of the class, you can pick out a handle and you set your knife in the handle yourself (with assistance).
  
• Dotonbori - go at least once to experience the sheer amount of people and food stalls. We didn’t end up eating anything here though as the prices seemed a little high compared to the areas immediately outside of it. We also didn't want to wait in the lines.
  
• Shinsaibashi - So. Many. Stores. Also, people seem to not give a damn here. I saw an old lady just sitting at the end of the strip on the floor with her shoes and socks off next to her 8 shopping bags. Lots of cool looking places to eat as well.
  
• Shinsekai - we only came during the day but it seems like it would be similar to Dotonbori.
  
• Expo ’70 Commemorative Park - pretty cool park that I think would be awesome to visit when the Sakura bloom. There’s a neat museum in the park (need to pay for it) that details the creation of the park. Reminiscent of large regional parks we have in California, with a lot more things to do. Shopping and small amusement park at the south entrance to the park. 90% of the visitors looked to be locals.
  

Other Thoughts We came to Osaka to eat and shop for knives. Nara was supposed to be a part of the trip too but we were just so over the rain and we got our deer fix on Miyajima Island. We definitely spent a pretty penny here (knives are expensive haha). Overall, the vibe is definitely younger here and a lot more people are smoking everywhere. It was also the first time we noticed trash on the streets. For shopping, I would recommend Umeda over Shinsaibashi. Namba walk also had a ton of food in the underground area. There were several bento style shops that had massive lines of people with baskets overflowing with food which I assumed were discounted due to the time (around 7pm). We grabbed a box of tuna sushi for about 800Y from one of the stands and it was excellent quality.
Day 15: Hakone

• Ryokan Mizunoto - 7/10: a lot of families at this Ryokan. Definitely a different vibe compared to the other 3 Ryokans we stayed at previously. There are several private baths you can “reserve”. Kaiseki meals here were good and they give you the option of grilled or hotpot for the meats portion of the meal at dinner and we chose grilled. There were also free snacks/foods at various times: dango, meat buns, ramen.

Touristy Spots:

• Owakudani - The souvenir and egg store were flooded with people when we went. Really annoying when groups of people would just stand at the entrance/exit for no reason just loitering. Eggs come in sets of 4 for 500 yen. They taste like normal eggs but have a black shell. They come with a packet of salt.
  
• Open Air Museum - It was okay.
  

Other Thoughts:
It was very gloomy when we went so there weren’t any good views of anything. We didn’t end up doing the loop because we weren’t going to go on the ship and the gloom and fog didn’t offer any views. Overall we weren’t impressed with Hakone compared to Yufuin. I’m sure a lot of the charm was lost because of the weather, but there are just way too many obnoxious tourists here too. We were stuck on the ropeway ride and subsequent railcars with a group of really obnoxious people.
Day 16-19: Tokyo
Notable Coffee:

• The Roastery - 8/10: the baked goods here were some of the best we had in Japan. Donut and cinnamon rolls were amazing. Coffee and lattes were decent but not super remarkable compared to our favorite coffee shops in Japan.
  
• Koffee Mameya Kakeru - 9/10: this was a very interesting experience. They offer an omakase coffee experience where they serve you coffee 4-5 different ways based on your course selection. Our barista informed us that it would take up to 2 hours. We didn’t have the time to spend here so we just opted for some a la carte options. If you are into the science of coffee, and want to experience all the different preparations of coffee, including alcoholic drinks, I don’t know where else you can go to have this experience. Baristas were fairly fluent in English.
  
• Little Nap Coffee Stand - 9/10: great place to stop by next to Yoyogi park. Excellent coffee stand. Don’t sit in the outside bar area though - the bathroom vents to that counter.
  

Notable Food:

• Harajuku Gyozaro - 6/10: Very skippable. Pretty much only tourists ate here. Gyoza was very forgettable. I guess a lot of people like this place because they serve beer, but the food itself was very meh.
  
• Sobahouse - 5/10: this was a big disappointment for us considering its Michelin star rating. They have a bunch of rules about how to dine there to help facilitate moving as many people as possible through the restaurant as they have limited seating. We were 14th in line for dinner and their ticket machine showed that 80% of the menu was sold out. No eggs available. Chashu bowl was easily the worst I had in Japan. Chashu was tough and chewy and lacked flavor, and the rice wasn’t cooked well. Broth was very interesting - deep seafood flavors with a punch of clam (as advertised). But I wouldn’t come here again. Very good price point though!
  
• Shewolf Diner - 9/10: We were craving fries and this restaurant was attached to our hotel so we came here after the disappointing sobahouse dinner to get our fry fix. Really really tasty fries. Highly recommend the truffle if you’re into truffle.
  
• Sushi Mogana Okachimachi - 9/10: One of the best tempura we had in Japan, along with very good quality sushi. You order from your phone after scanning a QR code.
  
• Nogata Ramen - 9/10: wanted to eat near the Meguro River Cherry Blossoms Promenade and wandered into this place. Their broth is extra garlicky and oily, so ask for less if you need to. They offer pickled beansprouts that have a little kick to them and they were super tasty. The egg was excellent. Chashu don was very tasty with a good char taste. Skip the gyoza.
  
• Bifuteki Kawamura - 9/10: Not sure how much of it is marketing but they give you a full explanation about what is allowed to be called Kobe beef or not. Really good dining experience here, but also the most expensive of our trip. The garlic fried rice was bursting with flavor. We had the standard kobe beef course and it was definitely some of the best steak I’ve ever had. I can’t help but wonder if there aren’t cheaper alternatives though.
  

Touristy Spots:

• Shinjuku Gyoen - a must visit during sakura season.
• Yoyogi Park - if you don’t want to pay a (nominal) admission fee, you can come to this park for free
• Meguro River Cherry Blossom Promenade - very nice walk. Not very crowded after 8pm. Probably get better pictures during the day though.
• Cat Street - nice area to walk around that isn't super crowded. Lots of shopping and food stalls. I wish I tried the lobster rolls.
• Shibuya Scramble - Nice to see from Shibuya Station walkway
• Kappabashi Street - Tons of shops here. I wish we had more time to explore. Picked up some knife sharpening stones and a knife here.

Other Thoughts:
This was mainly the shopping portion of the trip. The mega donquijote in Shibuya was wild. 7 floors of merchandise. Tax free on the top floor. I only was able to last through 2.5 floors and I was just too tired and overwhelmed to keep going haha. It was at the end of the day so I would probably start earlier there next time. We visited multiple one piece stores and pokemon centers throughout Japan, and we noticed that 90ish% of the things can be gotten at any of the stores. There was a custom shirt making station in the Shibuya Pokemon center that I didn’t see in the Ibekuro, Osaka, Nagoya or Osaka ones. Claw machines games were a money sink. I was surprised at how much of a premium Kirby souvenirs demanded compared to all the other anime/game souvenirs. We saw massive lines at Narita for China Air but everything else was smooth sailing. We flew ANA and it took us about 20 minutes to pickup our forwarded luggage, check our bag, and get through security. They have showers and a room that you can rent. And it seemed like all the stores and restaurants in the airport were priced the same as outside of the airport, which was a big surprise coming from American airports. So you can save some of your souvenir shopping and dine in the airport without fear of being price gouged.

LOOK AHEAD TO SEASON TEN! REVIEW GUIDE FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON INCLUDED!

A loud welcome to everyone reading this, whether you're a seasoned veteran, a hopeful rookie, or just an unwitting spectator! Hopes are high for another great season of USF competition!
Included in this inaugural issue of SHITPOSTERS' GAZETTE is a review and guide for all the faces that'll be expected to compete for the crown during the upcoming tenth season of the United Shitposting Federation.
One important competitor from Season Nine is notably missing from this list: TyRoland06! He won Week One and Week Ten on his way to the World Shitposting Champion title. Ty has announced that he's decided to hang it up and retire from USF competition - despite winning the championship last season! I wish him well in whatever he decides to do from here on out. This does present a small, but interesting wrinkle: the World Champion title is effectively vacant right now.

GO ALL OUT!

We'll be going in order of regular season standings. A "part time competitor" is defined as someone who attempted less than six weeks last season. Let's not waste any more time!

FUNVET (FUNVETERINARIAN300): "Riding High alongside the Maple Leaf"

--- S9 RS finish: 1st, 144 points [won weeks 7 and 9]
Remarkably, FunVet has done it again: Scoring points every single week of Season 9. This brings his streak to twenty weeks of competition, and he's now a two-time USF MVP. My back catalog of USF stats may only extend to Season 8, but it's definitely an achievement to be that consistent for that long. However, the regular season loses its meaning when the playoffs come around.
And maybe don't fuck around and find out. We would've had a full 32 competitors in USF Madness if you hadn't fucked it up.
Regardless, FunVet will once again be one of the top favorites to compete for the title this season. Will he exceed his failed runs from S8 and S9? That remains to be seen...

CHARLOTTEWOLFIE (CLEANMASTODON4876): "The Perennial"

--- S9 RS finish: 2nd, 132 points [won week 11]
Wolfie will again be a contender for the playoffs. However, their playoff appearances thus far have been very predictable... Wildcard bye, then completely overrun in the quarterfinals. I'm not convinced that it won't happen again this season. That is, if they even show up... Wolfie left the USF server after getting blown out in the recent USF Madness competition and I'm unsure if they will make an attempt at Season 10 or if Wolfie is simply going to retire.

DUBBLEDAN: "What Comes Up... Must Come Down"

--- S9 RS finish: 4th, 119 points [won week 2] [missed week 4]
While Dan finally picked up his championship back in Season 8, it seems like everything since has been a slow return to normal. Going for the back-to-back didn't end as expected, much like the poster he beat for that title.
I'm expecting him to make the playoffs, though predicting anything beyond that - for anyone, mind you - is a fool's errand.

OBSCRAFT (OBSIDIANCRAFTER): "The Eviscerated Michigander Returns"

--- S9 RS finish: 5th, 109 points
Jesus F'in Christ. 273 to 1,389. You got beat down in the finals by Ty like Iku Nagae using a Forever Beam. Still, you'll return once again, from what I hear. Take this spare quarter and press START...

JYINGLING21: "Mystery Wedge"

--- S9 RS finish: 6th, 96 points [won week 5]
Jyingling's always had this mysterious aura surrounding him.
Despite having next-to-zero TOUDS or USF Discord presence whatsoever, he remains as an active poster. He's akin to the Mike Harmon or Johnny Sauter of the USF, someone that the rookies must battle in order to show their skills...

FIREBALLFLAREBLITZ: "Cooking Up Another Fireball?"

--- S9 RS finish: 7th, 91 points [won week 3, week 4]
Fireball took a two-win season and ended up in a fireball, defeating Prism but ultimately losing to Ty in the quarterfinals. Fireball remains a strong playoff contender this season.

HARMONMJ13: "Slayed Dragon"

--- S9 RS finish: 8th, 59 points [won week 8] [missed week 7]
You left Season 8 with a very mid 15th place. Then you walked into Season 9, and left THAT with a shiny 9th-place playoff position!
What did you do with that? Blow it like most of your city's sports teams and choke to the same person you beat in the regular-season tiebreaker! Brilliant!
Are you gonna repeat the agony, just like the Cubs and the Sox before you? Or will you finally get some excellence... at someone else's expense!?

ALAN NADEAU III (ALKYDONHORVINGWARD): "Hes ma Shillelagh"

--- S9 RS finish: 9th, 59 points (lost tiebreaker)
Although you STARTED your USF Career in S6, you FINALLY clue like Edge smacking someone in the face with a steel chair that you won fucking points that round. With that said, you almost got away with getting the playoff post record...
...but Ty beat you to the punch at the Final like McIntyre being a Mule. Can you repeat your ass clenching feat last season with passion? Helv sure hopes you do and bring out the Undertaker's cursed urn for it as well.

PRISMFIRE (INNERBEAUTY67): "Brick Walls Will Not Stop PRISM"

--- S9 RS finish: 10th, 56 points
In Season 8, Prism ran through every possible roadblock in her path. Despite riding a rollercoaster of absolute hell all season, she managed to advance to the semifinals in her rookie campaign. Last season, she ultimately reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated.
Now with Natasha, will Prism reach the finals? Or will new roadblocks get in her way?

RED5478: "Calling Out - In Transit"

--- S9 RS finish: 11th, 34 points [missed week 3, week 7]
You may have seen the announcement Red made a couple months ago, which stated that he won't be competing in Season 10.
However, Red's made it clear that he's NOT retiring - at least not yet - and that he might return in Season 11.

SEADRAGON1983: "Double Sixteen"

--- S9 RS finish: 12th, 32 points
I guess all you need to do in order to make the playoffs is finish 4th twice. Weeks 7 and 8 in particular. Other than that it was a sea of DNPs.

MAGOAT (CURVEDCASHEW328): "Magoat Was Not The GOAT"

--- S9 RS finish: 13th, 29 points [missed week 5, week 7] [DSQ week 11]
Magoat's the first one that ended the regular season on the outside looking in. Outside of a Week 11 blip, he had a decent season. Far from being the GOAT, though...

STEVEFROMLATVIA: "Carrying the European Torch"

--- S9 RS finish: 14th, 28 points [missed week 1]
Together with RemoteMeasurement10, Steve is pretty much carrying LauchLachs' banner of European USFers. While he just missed the Season 9 playoffs, I hope he'll be sticking around.

KURZOV (YOSHINION): "Lessons Learned"

--- S9 RS finish: 15th, 27 points
Oh wait, that's me. Damn. Week 11 was one hell of a show. Came close, but not close enough. Trading out Season 8's "Koakuma the Sportsball Succubus" for more recognizable fare in Season 9 helped a little bit, but not much.
Other than that, Season 9 was another season of being utter shit at shitposting, beyond the creatively bankrupt Week 3. Will this idiot not be shit for once? We shall see.

THEMUSICMAN04: "Even Coat"

--- S9 RS finish: 16th, 24 points [missed week 4]
Aurora's decided to drop the AuroraStolialis nickname, and just stick to his subreddit username. Goodbye Aurora, hello TMM04. His Season 9 performance played out in much the same way as his Season 8 performance.
Despite this lack of change, it's hard to really make any judgement calls as to how most folks will perform, including TMM. As we saw in Season 8, folks can absolutely appear out of nowhere...

ATLANTICCOASTJOEY (NASCARJOEY): "Not Youngster Joey"

--- S9 RS finish: 17th, 19 points [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: 19 points from Week 7, DNP Week 8, DNP Week 9, DNP Week 10
Instead of pestering protagonists about top-level Rattatas or whatever, Joey had another middle-of-the-road season. He finished in 17th, stuck between two full-time competitors despite submitting posts across only four weeks.
Whether Joey chooses to stay on his current "compete every now and then" path or go "full-time", he'll probably contend for points.

BOTBASH11: "Groundhog of the USF"

--- S9 RS finish: 18th, 11 points [missed week 1]
BotBash11 is... certainly a competitor. He returned to the USF after a long period of absence. He debuted in Season 2 (Spring-Summer 2020) then dropped out for a couple years.
Out of nowhere, he returned - competing for pretty much the entirety of Season 9. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

ISOLATEDBAMAFAN: "Red Replacement"

--- S9 RS finish: T-20th, 7 points [missed week 3, week 4, week 10]
Bama seems to be taking the inverse path of Red. He decided to shift out of being a mod on the sub's Discord to focus more on his other interests, including the USF.

HELVETICA28 (MCBB14): "Reused 2011 Riot Reference"

--- S9 RS finish: T-20th, 7 points
Well, that didn't go well. Despite the fact that you tried to post something every week. You finished behind multiple folks who weren't around the whole time. Where do you go from here? Better off here than making everyone on the CONTINENT choke on the wildfire smoke. (I had an image here - of one of the smoke from last year's wildfire(s) reaching all the way to Yankee Stadium - but it stopped working.)

PROFESSIONALAD865: "Who are You, Again?"

--- S9 RS finish: T-22nd, 6 points [missed week 9, week 10, week 11]
Season 9 rookie. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

REMOTEMEASUREMENT10: "Plakat Balkanskog Sranja"

--- S9 RS finish: T-22nd, 6 points [missed week 1, week 3, week 4]
RM10 is the first USF competitor hailing from the Balkans. An interesting perspective, though the timezone differences might cause him trouble...

VOLBILL (NATIONALKING372): "...Even if you LOLunteer..."

--- S9 RS finish: 24th, 5 points [DSQ week 11]
You had a good run going in Week 11... then you threw it away. What was it, over 700 upvotes? I've only got two words for you: Fucking Idiot.

VALOR (CHASE1738): "Ever Forward Got Stuck Again"

--- S9 RS finish: 25th, 4 points [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 1, DNP Week 2, 4 points from Week 4, DNP Week 7, DNP Week 8
Another "part-time" season in the books for Valor. Floater in the deep...

MELEEIGHT: "The Disappearance of Melee Suzumiya"

--- S9 RS finish: 26th, 3 points [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: 3 points from Week 1, DNP Week 2, DNP Week 5
Bringing up the rear is Melee, with a surprising change of pace in Season 9. After coming off an 8th place playoff run back in Season 8, I think a lot of folks expected Melee to try to keep the momentum he finally found after his playoff win.
However, he only submitted during Weeks 1, 2, and 5. Will Melee return?

ABJECTKNOWLEDGE286

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 2
Season 9 rookie. Possibly a one-and-done. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

CCS80

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 1, DNP Week 2
RETIRED - Not expected to return.

DUMBGAMERS22

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 3, DNP Week 4, DNP Week 9, DNP Week 10
I have very little to say about most of these folks who only posted a couple of weeks. Yes, despite DG22's history in the USF, I don't have much to say. I expect that he will probably return in Season 10.

ILLOGICALCANADIAN: "Are You Awake This Time?"

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [missed week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4]
IllogicalCanadian decided to jump into the USF ring in Season 9. While he didn't earn any points, it seems hopeful/likely that he will attempt at least part of Season 10.

KENITOHMENARA

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 1, DNP Week 2, DNP Week 5
Season 9 rookie. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

NATASHAPON3

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 11
Natasha is directly linked to Prism (awkward wording, but for the purposes of the USF that statement works). Where Prism goes, Natasha will probably follow going forward.

PESKYBIRB666

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 5, DNP Week 11
Season 9 rookie. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

REDTAPEZ

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 9
Returner from Season 8. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

TXAG70 (BULLMUSCLE)

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 1, DNP Week 2, DNP Week 7
It's the community's favorite Aggie. What else do I have to say? Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

WINDOWS66

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 1, DNP Week 2, DNP Week 10
Returner from Season 8. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

WOMBATZEPPELIN

--- S9 RS finish: DNP [part time competitor] --- S9 appearances: DNP Week 10
Sbinalla returns! WombatZeppelin made an attempt in Week 10 but didn't post for Decision Week. Unsure of intent to compete in Season 10.

MONTECILLOS

--- Did not participate in S9
It seems that Season 10 will bring another old face back to the USF: Montecillos. Monte was around from the very beginning of the competition, and competed in the inaugural playoffs. He also created the weekly points structure that's used in the USF regular season to this day.

"Bwoah. It's shitposting time." -Montecillos, maybe 

AVERAGE TEX-MICH FAN (GERMANNOOB2)

--- Did not participate in S9
A new season brings new rookies. Tex-Mich, as I have want to refer to him as, signed up for the recent USF Madness, made a surprising run all the way to the finals, and seems to be pivoting towards a Season 10 debut.

BENA (BENABRAMOWITZ18): "Shooting the Stupid Juice"

--- S9 RS finish: DSQ ("50th"), 47 points [DSQ week 9, suspended for remainder]
Well, BenA went and did it again, and he got disqualified in week 9 (for an unoriginal post). He would have made the playoffs, had he gotten through the regular season without any problems. The USF Council has decided to give him another chance. Taking words from another community: "Don't Fuck It Up."
​
In honor of the upcoming season, a gift from Helv:

"Glee english hawthorn / before shatted shitposts / flung a yellow laundry"

GOOD LUCK, HAPPY 10TH SEASON, AND REMEMBER, NOT EVEN GOD CAN SAVE YOUR TEAMS FROM BEING SHAT ON!!!!!

Hello all! I hope anyone and everyone reading this is having a good day in our crazy reality. Below you can find a little about me, my writing style, and how I approach writing. Feel free to peruse, and if you think we'd be a good match, let me know!
You can call me T! I go by he/him pronouns. My availability is at least once a week and more. I'm always open to communicating with my partners and letting them reply when possible. I typically aim for 200-300 words in a reply. I usually don't go lower than two hundred. Unless it's more of a back-and-forth dialogue type thing. Details are super important to me from my partner, so I do my best to give them myself.
I run my replies through Grammarly before I post them (including these request posts!), so at the very least, I hope my post is grammatically correct (*chuckle*). I write in the third person/past tense style and ask that my partner does the same; this is a requirement for writing with me. What I look for regarding my partner is someone that gets invested in a story, likes putting details in, and is open to the idea of adult themes and content enhancing a story and romance and not being a detriment to the work. I enjoy writing erotica and feel it enhances the narrative.
I'm looking for someone who feels the same way. In return, I put a lot into my stories and ideas to make them as thrilling and engaging as possible.
I can't stress that enough. I'm looking for partners interested in crafting a long-term story, world-building, and don't shy away from the adult aspects.I put a lot of work into my writing, and this is both a hobby and a passion for me. Even if I primarily do fandom writing, these characters are significant to me. If you're the type to ghost more often then not, please think twice about messaging me and wasting my time.
Please note this story will have adult content and be NSFW. I don't do Fade To black and I do want romance in these stories.
I am 18+ and all participants and characters must be 18+"
-__-
DC
Popular Pairings
Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Selina Kyle (Cat Woman) Dick Grayson (Robin/Nightwing)/Koriand’r (Starfire) Dick Grayson (Robin/Nightwing)/Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle) Clark Kent (Superman)/Lois Lane Olliver Queen (Green Arrow)/Dinah Lance (Black Canary) Siggy/Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) Steve TrevoDiana Prince (Wonder Woman) Barry Allen (the Flash)/Iris West Arthur Curry (Aquaman)/Mera Of Xebel Hal Jordan (Green Lantern)/Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire) Shiera Hall (Hawkgirl)/Carter (Hawkman) Garfield Logan (Beast Boy)/Rachel Roth (Raven) JokeHarley Quinn Constantine/Zatanna
Lesser Known
Roy HarpeJade Nguyen (Cheshire) Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Talia Al Ghul Roy HarpeDonna Troy (Wonder Girl/Troia) Wally West (Kid Flash/The Flash)/Artemis Crock Scott Free (Mr. Miracle)/Big Barda Tim Drake (Robin/Red Robin)/Stephanie Brown (Batgirl/Spoiler) Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle)/Traci Thirteen Vin Stone (Cyborg)/ Jinx
Wild Cards
Jon Kent (Superboy/Superman)/Mary Marvel (Shazam) Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Harley Quinn Waylon (Killer Croc)/June (Enchantress) Kate Kane (Bat Woman)/Renee Montoya (The Question) Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern)/Soranik Natu (Green Lantern) Ted Grant (Wildcat)/Hippolyta David Cain/Sandra Wu-San (Lady Shiva) Teth-Adam (Black Atom)/Isis Knockout/Scandal Rex (Metamorpho)/Sapphire Stagg Tatsu Yamashiro(Katana)/Jefferson Question/Helena Wayne Or Bertinelli (Huntress) Adam Strange/Alanna Emiko (Red Arrow)/Damian Wayne-Al Ghul (Robin) Doctor Freeze/Nora Kent Nelson (Doctor Fate)/Inza Kara Kent-Danvers (Supergirl)/Querl Dox (Braniac Five) Billy Bastion (Shazam)/Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) Nathaniel Adam (Captain Atom)/Bette Souci (Plastique) Leonard Snart (Captain Cold)/ Lisa Snart (Golden Glider) [Incest] Hank Hall (Hawk)/Dawn Granger (Dove) Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm)/ Caitlin Snow (Killer Frost) John Stewart (Green Lantern)/Mari Jiwe McCabe (Vixen) Guy Gardner (Green Lantern)/Tora Olafsdotter (Ice) Clark Kent (Superman)/Maxima Jason Todd (Red Hood)/Artemis (Amazon) Cisco Ramone (Vibe)/Cynthia (Gypsy) Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)/Alec Holland (Swamp Thing)
Genderbends
Fem Lex LuthoClark Kent (Superman) Fem Clark (Super Woman)/Lex Luthor Fem Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Clark Kent (Superman) Fem Clark Kent (Superwoman)/Bruce Wayne (Batman) Ted Kord (Blue Beetle)/Fem Micheal Carter (Booster Gold) Micheal Carter (Booster Gold)/ Fem Ted Kord (Blue Beetle)
Open Pairings (No Specific Person)
Vic Stone (Cyborg)/Open John Henry Irons (Steel)/Open Nubia (Wonder Woman)/Open Leonard Snart (Captain Cold)/Open Komand’r (Blackfire)/Open Kara Danvers (Power Girl)/Open Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)/Open M’Gann M’orzz (Miss Martian)/Open Cassandra Cain (Batgirl)/Open Floyd Lawton (Deadshot)/Open Digger Harkness (Captain Boomerang)/Open J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter)/Open Jason Todd (Red Hood)/Open Jim Gordon (Batman)/Open Beatriz da Costa (Fire)/Open Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm)/Open Jessica Cruz (Green Lantern)/Open Eel O'Brian (Plastic Man)/Open Natasha Irons (Steel 2)/Open Ruby Sokov (Red Lantern)/Open Ted Kord (Blue Beetle)/Open Connor Hawke (Green Arrow)/Open
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Marvel
Popular Pairings
Reed Richards (Mr.Fantastic)/Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Mary Jane Watson (Spinerett) Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/ Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) Logan Howlett (The Wolverine)/Ororo Monroe (Storm) Ben Grimes (The Thing)/Alicia Masters Thor Odinson (Thor)/Brunhilde (Valkyrie) Hank Pym (Ant Man)/Janet Van Dyne (Wasp) Scott Lang (Ant Man 2)/Hope Van Dyne (Wasp 2) Vision/Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) Remy LeBeau (Gambit)/Anna Marie (Rogue) Wade Wilson (Deadpool)/Elsa Bloodstone Luke Cage (Power Man)/Jessica Jones Scott Summers (Cyclops)/Jean Gray (Marvel Girl) Peter Quill (Star Lord)/Kitty Pryde (Shadow Cat) Doctor Stephen Strange/Clea Matt Murdock (Daredevil)/Elektra Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)/Bruce Banner (Hulk) Steve Rogers (Captain America)/Sharon Carter (Agent 13) Clint Barton (Hawkeye)/Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird)
Lesser Known
Tyrone Johnson (Cloak) /Tandy Bowen (Dagger) Otto Octavius (Superior Spider-Man)/Anna Maria Medusa/Black Bolt Danny Rand (Iron Fist)/Misty Knight Flash Thompson (Agent Venom)/Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) Hank McCoy (Beast)/Abigail Brand Madelyne Pryor (Goblin Queen)/Alex Summer (Havok) Marc Spector (Moon Knight/ Greer Grant Nelson (Tigra) Nico Robin (Sister Grim)/Megan Gwynn (Pixie) Beta Ray Bill (Thor)/Lady Sif Crystallis Amaquelin (Crystal)/Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver) Richard Rider (Nova)/Namorita Adam Warlock (Warlock)/Gamora America Chavez/Ramone Watts (Alloy) Cassie Lang (Stature)/Nathanial Richards (Iron Lad) Patsy Walker (Hellcat)/Damion Helstrom (Hellstorm) Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)/Amanda Sefton Michael Morbius (Morbius)/Martine Bancroft Kamala Khan (Miss Marvel)/Kareem (Red Dagger) Betsy Braddock (Psylocke)/Warren Worthington III (Angel) Rocket Racoon/Lyla (Furry) Namor (Sub Mariner)/Lady Dorma Jane Foster (Thor)/ Sam Wilson (Captain America) Ultron/Jocasta Eddie Brock (Venom)/Anne Weying
Genderbends
Steve Rogers (Captain America)/Fem Tony (Iron Woman) Fem Steve (Captain America)/Male Tony (Iron Man) Fem Erik (Magneto)/Male Charles Xavier Fem Charles Xavie Fem Erik (Magneto) Fem Victory Creed (Sabertooth)/Logan Howlett (Wolverine)
Wild Cards
Otto Octavius (Superior Spider-Man)/Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) X-23/ Flash Thompson (Agent Venom) Nick Fury/Maria Hill Miles Morales (Spider-Man)/Cindy Moon (Silk) Jennifer Walters (She Hulk) /Matt Murdock (Daredevil) Eric Brooks (Blade)/Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Darcy Lewis
Open Pairings (No Specific Person)
Maya Lopez (Echo)/Open Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier)/Open James Rhodes (War Machine)/Open Ava Avala (White Tiger)/Open Tony Masters (Taskmaster)/Open Roberta De Costa (Sunspot)/Open Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099)/Open Shang-Chi/Open Cindy Moon (Silk/Open (White Males Preferred) Shuri/Open (White Males Preferred) Linda Carter (Night Nurse)/Open Okoye Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)/Open Dani Moonstar (Mirage)/Open Loki Odinson/Open Johnny Storm (Human Torch)/Open Drax (The Destroyer)/Open Emma Frost (White Queen)/Open (Black Males Preffered) Forge/Open Armando Muñoz (Darwin)/Open Hela/Open Piotr Rasputin (Colossus)/Open Amadeus Cho (Brawn)/Open Agatha Harkness/Open T’Challa (Black Panter)/Open Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman)/Open Riri Williams (Ironheart)/Open Maddy Cho/Open Sam Wilson (Captain America Or Falcon)/Open Colleen Wing/Open Crystallis Amaquelin (Crystal)/Open Jennifer Walters (She Hulk)/Open Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver)/Open Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)/Open Kate Bishop (Hawkeye)/Open Billy Maximoff (Wiccan)/Open (Female Pairings) Tommy Maximoff (Speed)/Open (Female Pairings) Robbie Reyes (Ghost Rider)/Open Raven Darkholme (Mystique)/Open

Chapter 2 - Robed Man
It didn't take long for a small crowd to gather before the stall. Lei could see some of his regulars smiling up at him while the others were mostly drawn here by the little commotion. Surely they heard about his food, but it took more than curiosity to waste a couple of coins on a street delicacy, considering the times being as they were.
Still, there's always business to be done in the mornings. The street had plenty of people with deep enough pockets, after all.
Fat oil, in. The hot pot sizzled with the touch of the liquid, producing the first delicate trail of smoke. The onions were more than ready to dive in, and dived in, they did. Lei grabbed hold of the handle with one hand, swirling the onions with the art of a master chef.
Seconds passed as the onions turned brown and soft. The peppers followed suit, and Lei added more oil for good measurement. Butter would've been his first choice, but not only it was hard to find, the ones he came across were either too expensive or tasteless. So he had to settle with the second-best alternative.
The strong smell of fat burned with the underlying sweetness of the onions, and peppers. As he was about to saute the mix, he couldn't help but to glance at the gloomy fatty who stood by his side. While Lei could understand Fatty Lou's concerns, he couldn't let him spill the mood by standing there like a brooding beast.
"Cheer up a little, will you?" Lei came up with a quick fix and squeezed Fatty Lou's wrist. "Now that you're here, let's show them how it's done, Hasty. Do your thing."
Fatty Lou stared intently at the hand holding his wrist before his face eased down to a little smile. He nodded and took a step in, looming over the crowd with his big bulk. He lingered in that same spot for a few seconds, breathing steadily. Then he stretched his arms to both sides and squinted up at the sky.
"Heavens, we're blessed!"
The crowd took a step back at the same time, even the ones strolling about the streets stopping as if a strong wind had slapped them across the cheek. Some shopkeepers craned their heads to see about the owner of this mighty, yet somehow captivating voice, only to stiffen.
"This…" Fatty Lou said, closing his eyes and cupping his hands as if in prayer. "The mixture of fragrances is almost tingling my nose. Not too strong, but sharp enough to leave you wanting… Can I taste it? Can I really dare taste such a novel dish? I'm not sure. I'm hearing it now… a voice within me whispering into my ears, saying that should I try this dish once, then I might never go back again. Will this one dare? Am I… worthy enough?"
Lei almost slipped as he was about to add the mashed redseeds into the pot. He gave a quick glance at Fatty Lou, and found the man had already flung the apron to the backside of the stall, and raised both hands to his chest, eyelids squirming while he took deep, long breaths from the pot.
"Are you?" Fatty Lou's eyes snapped open as he jabbed with one thick finger into the crowd, face twisted up in cold rage. "Are you worthy enough for such a heavenly dish?"
The crowd whispered among themselves while Lei's regulars exchanged strange looks. Those looks seemed almost saying, 'Is this the same dish we eat every day, or something entirely different?', while the others had in their eyes the sort of twitch one would get when they are nervous.
Lei didn't mind the fatty. Quite the opposite, he was more than happy and proud of such novel marketing attempts. The man had in him the gift of speech, but his Father kept a tight leash round him to prevent him from becoming something other than a butcher.
The eggs splashed into the mix as the wood's smoke blended gently with the dish. Lei gave them a slight twist with the stick but didn't poke it too much, as the dish had to look messy. It resembled a modern painting, the play of the colors and the mixing themes made little sense at first look, but Lei wasn't done with it, yet.
He reached down the stall to pull out his treasured bottle. Inside was a powder as dark as the night. A single sniff from it would make a man sneeze for days. Used sparingly, it could give a wholly different layer of flavor to any dish.
"You don't know," Fatty Lou said with a wave of his hand. He sunk into his knees while pinching the bridge of his nose. If Lei didn't know better, he could've thought the man was about to cry. "How can you? Who are you to know? Masters? Hardly seems so. Then crooks? No, it wouldn't be it. Is this what they call the courage of the ignorant? The rashness that seldom produces the spark of a genius? Tell me! Does the dish say anything to you? Can you hear it?"
Let alone the crowd, even Lei wasn't sure if the dish had anything to say. Still, he leaned an ear close to it and heard it sizzling. It was not long before he plastered a longing, zestful expression over his face.
Might as well act the part.
He added the black pepper powder. It looked different, but Lei learned the hard way it was the same thing, all in all. After that came the salt, a little sprinkle from over the top so to make sure each part got its fair share. Then he closed the pot's lid and crossed his arms to watch the crowd.
It was becoming quite the sight, he must admit. For most days he'd have not more than a dozen people eager to try what many called strange-looking, weird-tasting dishes, and a few more who'd only watch from a certain distance just for the curiosity's sake, yet today all the street had its eyes on him — on Fatty Lou, being honest.
But you wouldn't want all the eyes on some man speaking utter nonsense rather than the real business itself. So, Lei pulled the lid with gentle care, and they crossed eyes with Fatty Lou in muted understanding. Fatty Lou gave him a slight nod before taking another step closer to the stall, waiting eagerly for the first taste while the others watched, eyes glinting, the dish to come alive.
The salty smell splashed across the crowd, smoke curling round them in beautiful waves. The mixture was thick with a reddish color, almost a paste but had enough juice to dip into it. The onions and peppers had near blended into the redseeds, and that much was to be expected. They were in just for the extra flavor, after all.
Lei heard and saw a few from the crowd gulping heavily. Wasting no time, he took the bread from the sac, cut it into halves, and stretched them open before filling the insides to the brim with the dish.
Fatty Lou snatched the first one out of his fingers. After the first bite, his face melted. All his wrinkles, all the doubt and the nervousness, slipped away and eased down. His brows were dangerously close to touching each other in this blissful daze. He licked his lips up with a practiced fashion and down his chin, and swiped a finger over his cheek on which stuck a little piece of pepper, jerking it away, and catching it in the air before it could fall, then smacked those lips of his loudly.
When he finished it, he closed his eyes as if to savor the taste and keep it fresh in his mind.
For a second everything went still. The crowd, and the onlookers, even the birds and the bees seemed frozen in shock. Lei, too, was busy staring at Fatty Lou, stomach wrenching as he thought if should he take the second one, or not.
"How blind are you?!" Fatty Lou glared out into the crowd, the edges of his eyes creasing. He was trembling, shaking. "How blind are you to not recognize this sudden gift, this fruit of a genius that somehow found its way to our lowly city? Is this reality, or am I dreaming? Surely this sight before my eyes must be an illusion. Some Master at work, perhaps? This lowly Lou can only bow his head to this Senior. This one has but a little wish. Should I… No! Would you let me, oh, honorable senior, taste this piece of heavens that fell before my eyes one more time? I wish for nothing else…"
"Can't be that good, right?" said a man with a long face in the crowd.
"I don't know… but I want to try," said the other who stood by him, one hand under his chin as he stared at the pieces of bread Lei had unwittingly raised high enough that everyone could see it.
An old man mustered his courage to come near the stall, holding in his trembling fingers a single silver coin. "Young man, how much—"
Fatty Lou snapped his head at him with a frown as deep as the wrinkles mapping the old man's face.
"Er…" the old man stuttered, glancing round himself as if in an effort to understand what had he done wrong. Then, light dawned on his eyes, and he smiled sheepishly. "Master, how much for a single bread?"
Fatty Lou nodded in approval.
"Six coppers would be more than enough, Sir," Lei said politely, trying hard not to rub his hands together. They were itching.
After the first real sale, the others came crashing down like a downpour. From left and right reached different hands, holding coppers, holding silvers, pressing tight into each other while Lei sweated under the endless assault, couldn't say he was happy or wasted.
Thankfully, he'd have time for a breather between each patch of the dish, and he almost smacked himself when he remembered he forgot to check the process.
[Feed 1000 People]
[Progress: 999/1000]
One more, and we'll see about this thing. Please be something good.
He prayed a silent prayer before pouring himself back into the work yet again. The coins piling up on the side was a sight to behold, he had to say. And it wasn't even the best part. As he gazed at Fatty Lou who stood by the side, happy gulping another piece of bread, Lei couldn't help but admire the man's thinking.
A breakthrough, was it? I'm thinking it was something like that.
Other than spending nearly all the evenings together, Lei and Fatty Lou had collaborated to spark some interest in Lei's novel dishes before — two times, to be exact, but neither of the times yielded such a grand result. Today Fatty Lou has outdone himself. Who would've thought to use guerilla marketing to sell some Menemen here in the Old City? The dish had quite the following in Turkey and had different shapes and forms in other countries, but it was, simply put, a basic dish that anyone could cook.
I was always bad at marketing. One of my few flaws, people often said. It seems they were right.
Lei sighed when he remembered the first shop he'd opened in the US. Though that venture had left him broken as bones, he could say with confidence he'd learned many things. It was hard managing a small business, especially when you're alone, and the same was true even here.
But with a man like Hasty Lou by his side, it seemed the good days were near — only if he could convince Master Li to save the fatty from being overworked in the slaughterhouse, of course. Still, the thought of cooking pizza or things like chicken curry made his blood boil in excitement.
As Lei was busy dreaming about the riches waiting for him in the future, the bustling noise of the crowd suddenly went still — so still that you could hear a pin drop. Then came a clapping noise.
When Lei raised his head up to see about this change, he saw a man who was clad in robes as blue as the sky, different patterns embroidered all over it.
Behind him stood three men all dressed in a brown-colored robe with a single patch sewn over their chests, depicting a cauldron. Their faces were stern and cold. The crowd inched away from them at each passing second, daring not to look straight into their eyes. And the air grew close all of a sudden, and closer still as the man approached him.
He looked a simple man, but it did seem there was something about him. An air of command, a sense of weight. A man used to giving orders, a man used to being above. His dark eyes were set deep in his skull, and there were gentle creases round them. His long, dark hair wrapped into a tight bun over his head, put in place with a single, golden clip.
Didn't know why, but Lei couldn't stop the shaking of his fingers while facing him. He glanced doubtfully up the heavens and saw the sun blazing as hot as usual, but the shaking wouldn't stop. It was as though he was dropped dead into a blizzard, shivering senseless, heart pounding in his chest.
It was then that a familiar face broke into his sight, an elderly man with a face twisted up in fear — Fatty Lou's father, Master Li. He reached almost in an instinctive motion to Fatty Lou but stopped at the last second, instead staring fearfully into the eyes of the robed man.
"H-Honorable cultivator," said Master Li as he puffed hot air into his trembling hands. "T-This is the young man I told you about."
"A different talent, indeed, Master Li." The cultivator beamed at Master Li before clasping his hands on his back and nodding to Lei. "Can I try your novel dish, Little Brother?"
Lei was about to say something, but Master Li urged him from behind the robed man, shaking his head pleadingly.
"Well, of course, Honorable Cultivator," Lei said as he clasped another bread tight in his hand, making sure the portion was ready and hot.
The cultivator waved a hand over the bread, taking in the flavors. Then he scowled. "Pepper?" he asked, but raised a hand when Lei opened his mouth. "Hold it there, Little Brother. I'm not finished."
He took the first bite. Not too big, not too small. He chewed on it for quite a while, his face strained in focus. "Redseeds, interesting," he commented. "And onions with a touch of pepper under them. Who would've thought they could blend so perfectly? I can taste the eggs too, but rather than drowning the dish with their texture, they seem to have added another layer to it. Spicy, but not overly so. The balance was something of a miracle, I have to say."
"I'm grateful for your generous praise, Honorable Sir," Lei said as he cupped his hands, and bowed his head, trying hard not to hear the thumping in his chest. At least the man genuinely seemed interested in his dish, but that didn't change the fact he probably had the power to cease their existence with a mere flick of his finger.
"Oh, I'm never stingy with my praise, especially not to my Little Brothers," the robed-man said and smiled a little smile to the three men who stood behind him.
Their reactions were… mixed, at best. The one on the left nodded with vigor, the middle one had a certain twitch on his cheeks that made him look like a man who got kicked in the nuts, and the one who stood on the right seemed indifferent.
Can mean anything, you're saying. Shit.
"I've plenty more if your Little Brothers would be interested in tasting my dishes, Honorable Sir," Lei said. "It would be my pleasure."
"Oh, you mean them?" The robed-man jerked a thump back to his so-called Little Brothers and shook his head. "They'll have more than enough chances to taste your dishes, don't you worry."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't get the meanin—"
"Master Li, this fatty is your precious son, then, eh?" The robed man licked his lips as he beckoned Fatty Lou to come closer. "Healthy body, and I'm thinking he must have good bones, too, considering the size. He'll have to adapt, but I saw men half his size who labored their way into the Inner Sect."
"Y-Yes!" Master Li came up quick as the wind, a fawning smile creasing his lips. "He can be a babbling fool here and there, but he'll do as you say, Honorable Cultivator, you can count on my word."
Fatty Lou shifted nervously under the robed man's scrutinizing gaze. The man stared at him as if he was weighing cattle for his farm. In the end, his smile widened, and he clapped the fatty on the back, sending him sprawling onto the ground face-first.
"We'll work on that." He chuckled and turned at Lei. "But you, Little Brother, you don't worry yourself about these things."
Lei wasn't sure what to think, or what to say, or if he should think or say anything at all. A shiver down his spine made him tremble, but the cold was no more, and the only thing that could possibly make him feel this way was standing before him, a robed man a little fat on the sides.
"Can I ask why?" Lei said with a wince.
The man took another step in, round the stall, and patted him on the shoulder. "Because you, and I, Little Brother, we're no simple men. I knew from the very first time I've laid my eyes on you that you have something burning inside of you." He poked him with a finger over his chest. "Some call it talent, and for some it is disposition, but if you ask me, I call it desire. A certain longing comes from within, that makes your blood boil and your neck strain. The reason of your existence, a calling that beckons you from beyond the heavens."
"From beyond the heavens…" Lei gulped down heavily.
"Yes," the robed man said. "You, and I, Little Brother. We both can hear that calling, can't we?"
"Can we?"
"We can, of course, for we're cooks with passion." The robed man smiled deeply at him. "But you're still lacking. Even then you almost achieved to breathe life into this meal, making it more than mere food. If you learn how to wield spiritual energy, then I'm sure you can rise high enough to touch the ranks of Immortal Chefs, the so-called legends who hold sway over the line between life and death."
"Immortal Chefs?" Lei took a step back. "You mean like a cultivator? You want me to become a cultivator?"
The robed man nodded. "We can't let you waste your precious gift, now, can we? Better we're on our way as quickly as possible. Seeing you here, in an old street wasting your talents makes my heart bleed in regret. Come now, Little Brother, we've serious work to be about."
[Previous] -- [Next]

I had five days off (including the weekend) for Easter and all my friends and my boyfriend already had plans, so I took myself on a hastily planned solo trip to France.

Section 1 - Biography

Age: 27
Occupation: Editor
Hometown: Big east coast city in the US
Number of PTO days: like 9 weeks lol? i get about 5 weeks of proper vacation and then accrue a ton of overtime which usually works out to about 4 additional weeks a year, which is lit tbh

Section 2 - Assets and debt

Retirement balance: Technically zero I guess? I pay into a pension currently but won’t gain access to it unless I do at least 10 years at my current workplace. I should be able to roll it over into another pension plan if I love though. Since I’m an American working in Europe, I don’t really have access to any tax advantaged savings accounts so I’m basically just putting all my money into my taxable brokerage and assuming I’ll eventually gain access to a pension. I have about $100k in my brokerage rn, which is honestly crazy. I just like didn’t spend any money for two years and managed to put $50k in it somehow??
Savings account balance: US account - $216.87 (At the moment I have $20k in I-bonds and $11k in T-bills, which account for my actual savings)
Checking account balance: US account - $7,258.94; EU account - €9,522.95
Credit card debt - I have two US-based credit cards but I pay any balances in full every month
Student loan debt - None

Section 3 - Income

Main job monthly take home: €3917
No side gigs currently (with my current job I’m actually not allowed to earn outside income which is wild, but public sector things I guess!)
I don’t get any money from anyone at the moment (outside of my birthday at least) and I don’t usually dip into savings for anything. I will however likely be taking a big pay cut this year to move to Paris (discussed in the travel diary below), so I’ll probably be earning like €2300 net a month, which is painful, but also I’m in great financial shape so if I need to dial back what I’m adding to savings for a while that’s fine

Section 4 - Travel expenses

Transportation:- €219.90 in train tickets (across 7 different trains) and €3.60 in bus tickets
I have the Carte Avantage Jeune for French trains which costs €50/year and gives discounts on most trains so that’s accounted for in the prices I paid
The tickets I bought before the trip started were:
- train to paris - €69
- paris-rouen - €14.80
- paris to home - €69
Accommodation: In total: €181.66
- Airbnb in Rouen (1 night) - €29.53
- Hostel in Caen (2 nights) - €61
- Hotel in Paris (1 night) - €91.13
Pre-vacation spending - outside of the above I think it’s just my ticket for the Rothko exhibit (€16)

Diary

Day 1

• 10am - I get to the train station (having packed my bag half an hour before) and stop by my go-to boulangerie for a cinnamon bun (technically it’s an escargot), brie sandwich and caramel buerre sable (€11.00). It turns out my train is delayed by 30 min :(
• 10:40 - Our delayed train finally leaves. Ii get a shockingly chatty neighbor (considering it’s Europe) an hour into the trip. She’s off to visit her son and they’re going to prague for easter. Also she’s a psychologist.
• 1pm - We arrive in Paris. I take my time since I have several hours to kill, so I wander. I spend so long trying to decide where to stop for a coffee. The 8th arrondissement is terrible for reasonably priced beverages.
• 3pm - I finally stop at a brasserie for a café allongé. While I’m alternately enjoying the sun/shirking the rain, I also order a chocolate mousse (yum) (€8.70).
• 4pm - Time for my job interview of sorts! I’m trying to move to Paris in the fall and this opportunity is the most interesting one to come up so far, even though the salary isn’t great. Since I was passing through Paris anyway, I agreed to come in person for this test. It’s actually a practical exercise that I have 75 min to do. I eat a proffered dark chocolate and get to work.
• 5:30pm - I finish the test and walk to the train station. I’m feeling pretty good about how it went! I find a babrasserie nearby and drink a glass of white wine and complementary peanuts (€6.50).
• 6:40pm - Time for the train to Rouen, on which i finally eat my sable from this morning.
• 8:30pm - I arrive at the airbnb. My phone has stopped working for some reason so t god the host comes out to get her pizzas that she ordered because I would have been stranded otherwise. We have a nice chat, as she’s very friendly and her apartment is charming and cosy. I’m jealous, as my current apartment is not those things. I refuse to think about how low her rent or mortgage must be here. Pain!
• 9pm - I walk 5 min and get pizza from the same place she did. Neopolitan and a jug of water (€8.90). As I’m eating it, I think, “perhaps I actually didn’t want anchovies?”, but too late to go back now.
• 9:45pm - I return and settle in with Barbara Pym (Less than Angels). Soon I’ll have finished her oeuvre and then what will I do??
• 11:30pm - bed time

Day total: €35.10
Day 2

• 9am - I wake up more or less, futz around the apartment for a while, drink some fruit tea, pack my bag so it’s ready for later and head out. I also realize my phone wasn’t working because i needed to top up the data so I do that (€20 but not really vacation spending and not counted in the total in the title as it’s a monthly bill)
• 10am - wander for a little bit, get cash from an ATM (€30 - not counted in total spend), go to the boulangerie/patisserie that the airbnb host recommended and have a café allongé and a raspberry croissant (€3.90).
• 11am ish - I walk over to the Musée de Beaux-Arts, which is free! You have to buy a ticket for the temporary exhibit, but I skip that. There are lots of nice impressionist works and a special exhibit of david hockney art for the normandy impressionism festival.
• 1pm - lunch! I order the menu formule for fun but have immediate regret when my appetizer comes out because i am an idiot and didn’t think through the implications of ordering a goat cheese and smoked salmon parfait. The taste is good but it’s way too rich for me and the texture is kind of disturbing. I eat it on bread, which is probably a faux pas but I persevere. I don’t finish it. My kir normand is delicious though. The eggplant lasagna is in line with my expectations and I follow up on the meal with an espresso (€22.50). I go to the bathroom afterwards and end up talking to yet more chatty french people!! I’m hitting hall of fame numbers here.
• 2:30pm - I walk over to the Saint-Ouen Abbey and feel a bit sick from the parfait 👍🏻 then head to another church/
• 3pm - I accidentally walk into active mass at the cathedral (church #3), having forgotten that today is Good Friday. The hymns are beautiful but I sneak out after a few min.
• 3:23 - I buy an apple at Carrefour (€0.84)
• 3:38 - I buy pajamas shorts with bugs bunny playing baseball (€25) from a boutique and then go to another cute store and try stuff on, none of which fits me. I also try on the pajama shorts (the changing room was blocked off at the other place) and they’re too small :( so I go back and trade for a medium, thankfully still with bugs bunny.
• 4pm - Then, I head to the place du vieux marché and visit yet another church, this one modern and stunning on the inside. On my way back to the airbnb, I stop at a drug store and find some fave lotion with spf 50 included, which i feel like I've been seeking for months (i guess the pharmacies near me hate me) (€15.90). When I get back to the apartment, I spend a few min charging my phone and buy my train ticket to Caen (€21.10).
• 5pm - On the train. I respond to the email informing me I’ve moved onto the next stage of the recruitment process after the test yesterday :-)
• 7pm - I check in at the hostel and chill a bit. They put a hold on my card for one night’s cost (not counted as it’s never actually taken out of my account, since I don’t trash the room) and charge me the city tax (€1.60). I chat with the other person in the room and she gives me some recommendations for the city including an Iranian restaurant that i decide to go to for dinner.
• 8:15 - I walk over to the restaurant. Kind of weird vibes as I walk the streets but maybe that’s just because it’s much less pedestrianized than Rouen? I will have to see it tomorrow in the daylight to make a real decision.
• 8:30 - The restaurant is cozy and the food is good. i get the vegetarian “assiette découverte”, which is a cold potato egg thing of which I was skeptical but which is quite nice plus moussaka, saffron rice and a little salad. I drink water (France is my ally because tap water is mandatory and free, as it should be!) and a cheap glass of red wine, generously poured. I have a pistachio pastry for dessert. A nice meal and I make knowing eye contact with another woman who is eating alone. The thrill of mutual recognition. I also finish my book. (€20)
• 9:15 - I stroll back to the hostel. There are more people out in the city now so it seems a bit livelier, but I’m still not convinced.
• 9:30 - I do my duolingo and my nyt games and go to sleep at around 11:15.

Day total: €110.84
Day 3

• 4am - Wake up for no reason. The joy of hostel life. Fall quickly back asleep
• 7:12am - Wake up well before my alarm and doze for a while.
• 7:55 - Think to check the train times to go to Bayeux and realize that there’s a gap of an hour and half between trains this morning (sncf!!!), which is a pain in the ass, so i rush to get ready and basically run to the station to make the 8:24 train. I leave my stuff unlocked in the room, so I hope no one steals it!
• 8:18 - I make it on the train and while sitting (before it leaves), I buy my ticket. €6 for a 15min train ride seems kinda steep but ok…
• 9am - I stop by a hipster cafe in Bayeux for a cappuccino and a cinnamon bun (€7.50).
• 9:15 - The big thing to do in Bayeux is see the Tapestry of Bayeux and its associated museum. Very interesting! (€12)
• 10:45 - I explore the town a bit. It’s quite charming imo. Also, my boss is from here or the greater town area, which is fun. On the way to the cathedral, I stop by a small art gallery that is free and has an exhibit of mostly work by art students. There’s one painting of the sea that I especially like.
• 11:20 - The cathedral is beautiful, of course. I’m particularly struck by the couple of “modern windows” that gleam from the outside.
• 11:50 - Train back to caen. It’s only €4.10 this time bc it’s a different train (??), so my discount card applies.
• 12:15 - I buy two bus tickets as I’m now finally going to the seaside at Ouistreham (€3.60).
• 1pm - Off the bus and I find a place where I can fulfill my one mission for this whole trip: oysters and a glass of white wine. I order 9 N°3 Normandy oysters. it comes with bread and a little salad and i enjoy every moment. (€23)
• 2pm - I see two kids eating ice cream and decide to follow their lead. I get a chocolate ice cream cone (€2.50). Then I spend an hour or so walking along the beach, reading the D-Day related plaques and looking at the ocean (really the English Channel but whatever). At one point, there are some people playing the bagpipes right near a monument to a Scottish piper who disembarked with the D-Day forces. I assume it’s a tribute and I find it quite moving.
• 3:20 - Bus back. I use the second ticket i bought in Caen.
• 4:05 - Back at the hostel and no one stole my stuff! I chill for a few min to charge my phone. I also make the tragic decision to skip the museum I wanted to go to tomorrow, which I think would have been very interesting, about WWII and the D-Day landings, because unfortunately the transit situation tomorrow is way messier than I thought it would be, so I’m gonna opt to take the train at 10am, so that I get back to Paris before night fall and also so I don’t have to pay ~€65. I book the tickets. (€35.90)
• 4:35 - I walk the streets of Caen! First I stop by a little community arts center type place and look t a free exhibit about the Orne river and its communities. I grab a free poster from it, since they’re being given away. Then, I visit some churches (ofc) and then walk around the whole castle complex in the middle of town, which is very cool except for the fact that it’s essentially a construction site on the inside ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ One of the churches I go into has gendarmes with big guns keeping watch at the door, which is not reassuring. Overall though I’m happy to correct my impressions from yesterday, as actually the city is very pleasant. I guess it’s just over by the hostel where it’s a bit weird. That being said T do still maintain that Caen is too car centric. So many parking lots and what feels like tons of traffic (outside of the pedestrianized center part).
• 6:45 - I finally settle on a place to stop and order a glass of red wine and a cheese board. Once again, I’m mistaken for German by the bartender, who is amazed that I am in fact American. Truly everyone thinks I’m German when I speak French. It’s quite odd. While I eat/drink, I start My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (€18.40).
• 7:45 - I stop at the grocery store and buy an apple and two bananas (€1.80)
• 8pm - Chaos move time!! I pass an oyster bar and head inside for 6 more oysters and a glass of white wine. I am unstoppable (€17).
• 8:30pm - “Home”. First thing’s first, taking a tums ;) Perhaps the second glass of wine was a mistake but it was really good so #NoRagrets and my stomach settles down basically immediately after I take them. I had intended to eat my apple tonight but now i’m not feeling it so I’ll have it tomorrow.
• 9:30 - A new girl comes into the hostel and is very eager to talk which is nice. She’s from china and is studying in Paris.
• 11:30 - Sleep!

Day total: €131.80
Day 4

• 8am - I’m awake but not ready to get up yet so i set the alarm for 8:30, although I turn it off before it rings. As I’m packing my stuff up to leave, I realize the clocks changed last night, which explains why I feel a bit off – I did not sleep for long enough! Mais ça va. There’s a giant ball of hair lying on the bathroom floor when i enter to brush my teeth, so that’s gross. Hostels 👍🏻
• 9am - I eat one of my bananas and then check out of the hostel. There’s a cute cafe that’s open just a few min away (and has almost the same name as my last name) so i head over there and order a long black and “ouef à la coque”, which i understand to be egg and toast. It turns out to be a soft boiled egg (my French egg vocab is not up to par), which i’m not mad about (€7.90).
• 10:10 - I make it to the train station and find a seat. The train is very crowded, no doubt due to the terrible schedule today.
• 12 noon - I arrive back in Rouen. I have 1.5 hours until my train to Paris, so I go in search of lunch. First, I eat the second banana, not out of any actual desire, but purely because it’s only getting more banged up the longer it stays in my bag. I see an osteria with outdoor tables and decide to eat there. I’ve been quite lucky with the weather as the sun is out again! I have a light lunch of rigatoni with tomato sauce and burrata (and just water to drink), during which I finish My Man Jeeves and start Transit by Anna Seghers. Afterwards, I order an espresso and then pay. Naturally, I managed to splatter tomato sauce on my shirt but life goes on (€15.90).
• 1pm - There’s time to get something at the patisserie next door (which has the same name as my first name! Big day for me and my names). I decide on a chocolate and vanilla tart and take it to go (€4.90). Then I take a looping walk back to the station and pass by La Tour de Jeanne d’Arc, which is apparently a donjon, a word I find hilarious.
• 1:30 - I settle in to my seat. The overhead rack doesn’t fit my backpack, so it seems fairly useless to me. So many trains have terrible overhead racks and I don’t understand why. I’ve also had terrible luck with getting seats facing the direction of travel. Woe is me etc. The woman next to me smells like old people, which I know is probably not very “politically correct” to say but is nevertheless the truth. At a certain point, I realize there are free seats facing the direction of travel so I move and take one fro the rest of the journey.
• 3:30 - I arrive at Gare Saint-Lazare and get on the metro to go to the hotel. My boyfriend lent me his Navigo card and it still has 5 rides on it, so I don’t pay anything for the metro.
• 4:30 - After waiting in the metro station for several minutes due to a sudden and torrential downpour, with thunder and lightning and the whole shebang, I get to the hotel and check in. It’s apparently 4 stars, which I did not remember at all lol. The concierge is visibly taken aback by the price for the room and says as much. I found a good deal (for a nice hotel in Paris) and I’m not complaining! He process the payment and gives me the key (€91.13).
• 5pm - I chill for awhile to wait out the rain and so call my dad and chat with him for a while. we discuss the fact that bitchiness does not need to be grounded in truth.
• 5:45pm - I walk the streets, first up rue mouffetard, where i stop to buy a Lebanese (I think) cheese pie (€1), then over to the Jardin des Plantes — the roses aren’t in bloom yet but there are many beautiful flowers all over — and then across the Seine and into the Marais.
• 7:20pm - I pick a bar with a free table outside and order a glass of sparkling wine (not champagne). The waiter forgets about it, so I get it very late which is fine, I’m not in a hurry. It is however pretty typical Parisian service. Cancel me if you must. While i’m sitting, I give €1 to a homeless guy. There’s a very gregarious man next to me and I can’t help overhear his enthusiastic exchanges with his conversational partner. I read more of Transit (€5.90).
• 8:10 - Heading back to rue mouffetard for some cheap eats for dinner. It has turned into a beautiful blue-skied evening, so I walk back instead of taking the metro. While walking, I reflect on the fact that French women all have great coats and that everywhere I go in Paris, I hear American accents. I pay €5 for a crepe with potatoes, an egg, and emmental and I eat it in the street (no bev sadly). I should definitely eat a vegetable tomorrow, but whatever I’m on vacation!! i eat my apple from yesterday to conclude.
• 9pm - Back at the hotel and time to wind down for the evening. I call my mom and then take an overdue shower. Like almost every hotel in Europe, the shower design is terrible and I get water all over the floor. Alas. I carry out my duolingo and nyt games tasks before reading for a bit and trying to sleep by 11.

Day total: €132.73
Day 5

• 7am - Tragically my alarm goes off. I wish I had arranged thing so that I could have slept in a bit today to fully take advantage of the nice hotel room, but it is not to be. I do however make the calculation that i can snooze until 7:30, which I do.
• 8am - After i pack up my stuff and check out, I go to a boulangerie around the corner for a quick breakfast. I get a café allongé, a croissant, and a little beignet thing (€3.40).
• 9:15 - I take the metro (no charge again thanks to the bf’s card) to the Louis Vuitton Foundation and have to wait in line for a few minutes, as my ticket is for 9:30 (I paid €16 for it last week). The Rothkos are amazing, but the museum is pretty crowded (the exhibit closes tomorrow). I also spend a good amount of time marveling over how rich people dress their children and eavesdropping on kids make remarks about the art (adorable). My goal in situations such as these is usually to follow the flow of the crowd such that i can seize any openings to actually look at the art properly. I also regret the modern tendency to feel the need to photograph every piece of art. Your photos are gonna suck and you’re in the way of people who are actually trying to look at them with their eyes. I understand this makes me sound like a bitch but c’est la vie. This is no nearly as bad as the big Rembrandt exhibit I went to in Amsterdam last year; there, people were deranged with the photo taking and it was even more crowded, so all things considered, this exhibit is pretty well managed.
• 1pm - I’m more or less finished at the museum, so I walk to the metro and take it back into the city proper. I got off at the arts et metiers stop and decide to get falafel for lunch. I order a lunch deal that includes the sandwich, a mint tea, and baklava (€10.50). The guy at the falafel shop is the first person on this trip to correctly guess my nationality. A prize for him!
• 2:45 - I wander for a bit after eating but honestly my bag is pretty heavy, so I’m not that motivated to take full advantage of my remaining afternoon in Paris. I’m not far from a bar that i went to with a friend last June that was nice, so I walk over there and order a virgin spritz (€6).
• 3:30 - I do a little window shopping and browsing at thrift stores but don’t buy anything. I think about buying a Burberry trench for €125 but don’t in the end (something I kind of regret). At one point, it starts raining and I duck into a bag store, where I have a fun conversation with the woman working. Afterwards, I walk up towards the train station and sit in a park for a few min.
• 5:45pm - Early dinner at an Indian restaurant to avoid eating a sandwich on the train. I get a naan platter which is two pieces of naan and a sampler of four different vegetarian curries. It’s nice but I kind of regret not getting the butter paneer because i was scared of being basic. I don’t think the woman running the place would have judged me (€9.50).
• 6:30pm - I just head to the train station an hour early as i need to charge my phone and don’t really have time to complete any other activities. I chill until the track gets announced and then board the train. Good bye France!

Day total: €29.40

Trip Totals

Transport: €223.50
Accommodation: €181.66
Food + Drink: €222.54
Fun / Entertainment: €28
Shopping: €25
Other: €16.90
GRAND TOTAL: €697.60

Reflection

This is pretty typical for the kinds of solo trips I do! Five days is about perfect to for me to be on my own without getting sick of my own company. I did a longer solo trip last year in Italy that was a lot of fun but very exhausting and there I made more of an effort to make friends with people in the hostels and that kind of thing (and I finished that trip by visiting a friend after 8-9 days on my own). This trip was short enough that I could sustain myself on the casual interactions that I had with strangers, and I had plenty of those! I really like France, so I always have a good time when I go and i had never been to Normandy before. It's beautiful, but I need to go back with a car because there were plenty of places I wanted to visit but couldn't because of the transportation options. I don't usually track my expenses in such detail, so it was interesting adding up the totals to see how much I actually spent.

Hey everyone! I had a lot of fun posting my MD last year, so I decided to write up my first big girl vacation.
Aside from random day trips, this is my first-ever solo trip and my first time in Japan. I had a lot ~feelings~ leading up to it--can I handle solo traveling, will the language/cultural barrier make me feel isolated, do I even "deserve" to spend all this money on myself (this in particular I've spent a lot of time in therapy unpacking 🥲)--so join me on the financial and emotional journey!!

Section One: Bio

Most of these details are the same as my last MD, so I'll try to be brief.
Age: 24
Occupation: Paralegal (same job, still unfulfilled ✨)
Hometown: Originally a Midwestern city; currently live in NYC
Number of PTO days and how you accrue them: Current balance is 17 days. After your first year you accrue 18 days each calendar year with that amount scaling up based on how long you've stayed with the firm. We have lots of paid firm holidays, so I only used 8 days of PTO for this trip due to us being off for Good Friday.

Section Two: Assets + Debt

Retirement Balance: $7,117.41 in my 401k and $1,072 in a Roth IRA.
Savings account balance: $2,201.17 in a regular account and $12,798.98 in a HYSA as of 03/18 (thank you all for pointing out how insane it was that I didn't have one in my previous MD lol).
Checking account balance: $511.11 in my regular checking account and $500 in a Charles Schwab checking account (that I opened just for this trip to take advantage of 0 ATM fees!) as of 03/18
Credit card debt: None! I pay off my balance in full every month.
Student loan debt: $5800 for public unsubsidized loan (which I make no payments for on the SAVE plan, at least for now) and $12,000 for private loan (which my parents are paying off as a gift) both for my liberal arts bachelor's degree.

Section Three: Income

Main Job Monthly Take Home: ~$2900 after taxes and 8% contribution to my 401k--I'm paid $25.50 per hour and my paychecks vary.
Any Other Monthly Income Here: For full transparency, my parents still pay for my aforementioned private student loan, health insurance, cell phone, Spotify, occasional Ubers, and now therapy, in addition to other gifts like flights home to visit. They did not contribute to this trip, but it would be very difficult for me to afford it without their financial assistance.

Section Four: Travel Expenses

Transportation:
$1547 for a round-trip, nonstop flight from JFK to HND in economy--ideally would have been booked with credit card points, but I didn't have many at the time. I booked a non-refundable ticket partially because I am cheap, but mostly because I wanted to force myself to take this trip & not chicken out. Please do not follow my example.
Accommodations:

• $275.16 for 4 nights ($68.79/night) in Shinjuku (Tokyo)
• $218.52 for 3 nights ($72.84/night) in Kyoto
• $352.35 for 3 nights ($117.45/night) in Asakusa (Tokyo)

I booked these right after I booked my flight. I originally planned to stay in hostels to save money & potentially meet other solo travelers, but the places I was interested in weren't that much cheaper than business hotels in the same area. For me, 100% worth it to spend more for privacy and peace of mind!
Pre-Vacation Spending:
I did an Am*z*n order for travel essentials:

• $19.99 power bank
• $39.99 travel pillow
• $13.99 for 3 pairs of compression socks
• $31.99 for 6 compression packing cubes
• $25.99 foldable duffel bag
• $34.99 Bluetooth headphone jack adapter (to use my Airpods with the flight entertainment system!)
• $24 for AirTag to put in checked bag

This all totaled $190.94. I also paid $52.72 for pocket wifi for 11 days--I would have just done an e-sim, but sadly my phone is too old for it--all for a total of $244.66 before I even got to the airport (ouch!).

Travel Diary

Just a note that anything charged to my card will be exact amounts that were converted to USD. I won’t count any individual cash purchases in my daily totals—just cash withdrawals—but will put the price in yen for my daily entries. For reference, the current exchange rate is about ¥150 = $1. For my grand totals, I'll be splitting my cash withdrawals 50/25/25 between food, shopping, and entertainment--I cannot be bothered to do the real math.
DAY -1:

• I'm on a Tuesday 1:50 AM flight which made planning this trip very weird. I’m in a rush to finish getting ready, so I get delivery for dinner ($19.62).
• I’m lowkey freaking out as I say goodbye to my roommate—I can’t believe I’m doing all this ALONE—but calm down in the Uber to JFK ($0 courtesy of the bank of mom & dad). While I wait to board, I grab two liters of bottle water. ($13.78)

DAY 0:

• Board flight and take off only 10 minutes behind! I usually get motion sick on long flights, so my mission is to do everything I can to prevent throwing up. I get up constantly to move around, meaning I don't get much sleep, but I don't throw up. Mission accomplished!

💸 DAY -1 & 0 TOTAL: $33.40
DAY 1:

• Land in Haneda at 5:30 am. Customs and baggage pickup all go smoothly, but I take forever finding my pocket wifi. I locate an ATM and take out ¥30,000 in cash ($203.67).
• I freshen up (scent of the day is Atelier Cologne’s Bergamot Soleil), add ¥5000 to my digital Suica card ($33.58), and take the subway to Shinjuku. I knew Japanese transit was nice, but wow am I impressed by the trains!!!
• I get to my hotel around 9:00 am and drop off my bags. I planned nothing for today, but I eventually decide to wander around Don Quijote. I find a Kirby plush section and send pictures to my younger brothers; they immediately request which ones they’d like me to bring back. I’m confused why they’re up past their bedtime but I’m no snitch!
• Walk to eggslut to get breakfast. Horrible coffee, but good sandwich! ($9.97)
• Wander around Hands. I want to buy a coin purse for all my yen but only find fancy expensive ones, but do find an umbrella I like ($29.29). I sit in their bathroom for 30+ minutes to give my feet a rest.
• More wandering around department stores. I find a jacket in Uniqlo that I really love but hold off on buying it.
• It starts raining, so I run into a 7-Eleven to get some tea (¥120) and dry off. I’m shivering despite the fact that I’m wearing a very warm wool sweater, but on the bright side, my new umbrella works great!
• Walk back to Uniqlo to rectify my horrible mistake ($42.36). I wear the jacket out of the store and realize it has pockets inside the pockets! Incredible.
• I’m hungry again, so I get lunch at Sushiro. I order 3 different kinds of sushi with raw squid and realize that I hate raw squid. Most of the other sushi isn’t that great either, but I’m happy to have a cheap lunch ($8.79)
• Rain finally stopped, so I walk to Shinjuku Gyoen for a change of scenery (¥500). I watch a gaggle of artsy high schoolers do a photo shoot with a mostly-bare sakura. Never change, artsy high schoolers!
• Finally time to check-in! I flop into bed and turn on the TV. So glad to be horizontal again.
• Wake up from nap (sleep?) 4 hours later. I think about grabbing dinner, but I’m so tired I just eat the remainder of my plane snacks. I try to stay up but pass out again 30 minutes later.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $327.66
DAY 2:

• Wake up to my alarm, fall back asleep, and wake up again around 10 am. Frankly, could sleep more as I’m pretty exhausted, but I decide to sit upright in bed a few more hours before I gather the strength to go outside.
• I’m feeling a little sick, but thankfully I remembered to bring some cold meds from home (possibly illegally?) just in case. I take my time getting ready and picking out my perfume (scent of the day is Snif’s Golden Ticket) while I wait for my Dayquil to kick in.
• Walk to Kirimugiya Jinroku as I’m craving some hot broth to relieve the sickiness—I burn the roof of my mouth, but the udon and tempura are so amazing that I don’t care (¥1450).
• I feel sleepy all over again but press on to Koenji for some thrifting. Most of the stores stock overpriced 80s American vintage, but I still have a good time browsing. I am, however, horrified to hear Shawn Mendez and Imagine Dragons—these are our great cultural exports??? I think not.
• My stomach is a little upset so I decide to grab some tea (¥140) and take the subway back to rest.
• As I lie in bed, I’m frustrated again that I have no good way to keep track of my coins—where does a woman buy a reasonably priced coin purse??? I go on the Hands website and see that they sell coin organizers for ¥1000 (yay!) but are out of stock at most stores nearby (boo) except for the Shibuya location. I decide to head there tomorrow.
• Fall asleep around 7 (oops!), wake up at midnight, and decide to go back to bed instead of heading out again. My appetite and energy are completely gone.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $0
DAY 3:

• Wake up around 9 am and start getting ready. I’m frustrated I’ve been slow-moving—being by myself means I don't feel pressure to do as much, which is nice, but I’m already feeling some FOMO. Scent of the day is Diptyque’s Philosykos which immediately brightens my mood—the power of perfume!
• Konbini breakfast of hojicha, cod roe onigiri, and an egg sandwich (¥613). I’m not usually a fan of egg salad (or anything with mayo), but Japanese mayo and eggs really are amazing!
• Walk to Meiji Jingu. I no longer regret sleeping so much the past 2 days—I feel so reenergized by this beautiful weather!! I get there around 11:30, later than I wanted, but it’s not as crowded as I thought. I get a fortune (¥100) that seems positive and a charm to stay safe while driving (¥1000)—I barely drive these days, but I need all the help I can get. I take a moment to sit and people watch—I could stay here all day!
• …but I can’t, so back to walking. I pay ¥500 to go inside the gardens. Most of the plants are dead but it’s still nice.
• I walk by the donated sake barrels (very pretty!) and out the exit towards Yoyogi Park. I look around for sakura, but no dice—lots of buds, but no blooms aside from one tree. I give my feet a rest and watch a giant crow/raven(?) terrorize some ducks. (Seriously, there are so many huge black birds here in Tokyo! No one warned me!!)
• I’m starving and a predictable tourist, so I decide to go to Kura Sushi to see if it’s any better than Sushiro. When I get there it’s a 120 minute wait(!) but I say screw it; there’s no way it’ll be that long for a party of one. (Reader, I was wrong.) There’s a lot of cool teenagers in the waiting area and they all have bangs—should I get bangs?? I do have the forehead for it. Much to think about.
• Finally eat two hours later. Dare I say it’s worth it? 20 decent-quality pieces for ~¥2100 is a good deal! ($15.31)
• Walk around Omotesando, then down Cat Street to Miyashita Park. I hang out on the roof a bit but am very intimidated by all the cool kids there!!! These girls do school uniforms way better than I did—the ties with the oversized sweaters and sweatpants under the skirt with scrunched socks is all very much a vibe.
• I figure I’m obligated to do Shibuya Crossing and see Hachiko. It’s WAY smaller than I thought and filled with people. Glad I did it, but happy to never go back again.
• I remember my mission from yesterday and head to Hands. I find my coin organizer, then get distracted, and walk out with mascara, two lip tints, and travel sizes of J-Scent’s Hojicha and Yuzu—these are $50 apiece back home! ($67.27) I get a tax refund of ~¥900 in cash.
• I'm tired and my feet hurt, but I decide to stop at a bar I saved called Grandfather’s. Very moody basement bar with a very talented DJ! People are chainsmoking and I think about how cool and chic it would be if I had a smoke, but I don’t smoke and don’t want to embarrass myself by coughing up a lung, so I settle for two Sidecars and some chips (¥2640). I stare enviously at a man who lights his cigarettes with matches. So cinematic. So cool.
• While I’m there, I chat with an older Japanese woman who is delightful. She tells me this bar has been here for 50+ years and the guy doing the music is the owner—she had a boyfriend who worked here 20 years ago, so she used to come all the time, but the owner does not remember her!! I am deeply offended on her behalf. It starts to get crowded and I’m a little tired, so after an hour and a half I thank her for the wonderful convo and add her on Line.
• I take the subway back and think about ~keeping the good vibes going~, or even buying a pack of smokes to practice (???? sober me hates cigarettes, but tipsy me sure does love the idea of them!), but I realize I stink and am grossed out. Never mind, smoking is deeply uncool!
• I swing by the konbini for snacks and bath salts as I feel like taking a hot soak (~¥900). My hotel room has a Japanese unit bath where you’re supposed to shower outside the tub (there’s a drain in the floor for this), THEN get in the tub once you’re clean, but as I am a disgusting American, I shower inside the tub before filling it up.
• Enjoy my bath with some matcha ice cream—this is the height of luxury!!!—before heading to bed.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $82.58
DAY 4:

• Wake up at 9:30, feeling a little hungover. Yes, I only had two drinks; I am sadly a lightweight and a failure to my Irish ancestors. SOTD is J-Scent’s Yuzu which definitely helps wake me up.
• I leave for Kyoto tomorrow, so I try to reserve a seat for the train there on the app, but every card I put in gets rejected. 😭 After that crushing defeat, I head out around 12:30 and take the subway to Ginza.
• I’m starving, so before I do anything I go to Yomoda Soba for soba and curry. Possibly the fastest meal of my life? (~¥900)
• Time to shop! I visit the 12-floor Uniqlo flagship, expecting it to be extra cool and big, but it isn’t that much different than the 5th Ave flagship back in New York—dare I say it is worse because of how small each floor is! I do get a nice discount on some Heattech, a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt though ($41.43).
• More wandering! I step inside Itoya which is a delight, and get a goshuincho ($10.93). In hindsight I really should have thought about getting one before I went to Meiji Jingu. Oh well!
• I visit some stores, looking for this shade of Canmake eyeliner, and I cannot find it ANYWHERE. What gives?? I take it as a sign to head back.
• I decide to walk the extra 15 mins to Tokyo Station to buy tickets for the shinkansen tomorrow. I wait in line and get my express ticket & seat reservation, realize the price seems suspiciously cheap, and after some Google learn I ALSO need to buy a standard train ticket, which means waiting in line. Again. ($95.17)
• Subway back to Shinjuku! I stop by the same Donki from my first day to get two Kirby plushes for my brothers ($33.37).
• I grab a bottle of tea from the lobby vending machine (¥140), drop my shit, and flop in bed. I am hangry and do not want to deal with figuring out dinner tonight—decision paralysis is a bitch. I see I have a gyoza place saved and decide to head there for dinner. Thank you, past me!
• Wait outside Gyoza no Fukuho for about 20 minutes, then order boiled & pan-fried gyoza (pan-fried is definitely the way to go!), cucumber with miso paste (so simple! so good!), and shochu with soda and lemon. So far being on my own has been a blast, but being the only person dining alone makes me wish my friends were here to experience this. (¥1420)
• Pit stop at the konbini for dessert and this low ABV peach drink (¥809) before I go back to my room. I planned on doing Omoide Yokocho, Golden Gai, and some lesbian bars in Nichome at some point during the first third of this trip (I was VERY optimistic on how quick I would adjust lol), but I’m not feeling it. I contemplate what to do for my last night here…and fall asleep with my makeup on, peach drink unopened. I guess the answer is nothing!

💸 DAY TOTAL: $180.90
DAY 5:

• It’s a travel day! I wanted to get packed last night, but past me decided otherwise, so I am rushing to leave. I do remember to put on perfume—SOTD is 1900 L’Heure de Proust by Les Baines Guerbois. As I tidy, I do a quick taste test of my peach drink (very sweet, but good) and check out at 10:00 am on the dot—at least I’m not late?
• Quick konbini breakfast of pickled plum onigiri, egg sando, and tea ($3.48) before I take the train to Tokyo Station.
• I get lost trying to find the normal entrance, then get lost finding the Studio Ghibli store (which I finally figure out is in the basement—there’s a line to get in, to which I say fuck that, but I have a nice time gazing at the merch from outside), then get lost again trying to find a place to buy bentos (turns out they’re past the shinkansen entrance—I get a bento with eel, my favorite, and tea for $11.62), then get lost finding my train station platform…and miss my train. I find a station attendant and ask if I’m able to change my ticket—he says I would have to pay again to reserve a seat, but with my ticket I can walk onto the next shinkansen and sit in the non-reserved section. Crisis averted!! I’m able to get a window seat (on the side facing away from Mt. Fuji—normally a bummer, but it’s so cloudy you can barely see it anyway) and enjoy my ride to Kyoto, surprisingly motion-sickness free.
• It’s still rainy and gross and I don’t feel like dealing with the bus with my luggage, so I grab a taxi ($9.92). My driver is chatty and I feel insecure about how little Japanese I know, yet pleasantly surprised that I’m able to pick up bits and pieces of his Japanese mixed with English.
• The front desk has me pay a tourist tax ($3.97) before I can get to my room and unpack. It seems like it’s going to be rainy and gross for the rest of my trip, so I’m not motivated to spend much time outside. I try to reframe my mindset to think about how “atmospheric” and “peaceful” the rain will be.
• I decide to have dinner at a sukiyaki spot near the Takase River, but they say they’re full, so instead I put my name down at Huromon Chiba down the street. While I wait, I watch some drunk businessmen yell at passerbys as they walk home—it’s 6:00 pm on a Sunday, but hey, we’ve all been there.
• Finally get in an hour and a half later. Only when I’m given an English menu do I realize that half of it is organ meats. I’m a little hesitant, but when in Rome, right? I don’t mind tripe in my pho—what’s some fourth stomach and heart?? Everything is delicious and I leave absolutely stuffed. (~¥4300)
• I planned on staying out later (Kyoto at night is gorgeous!), but I’m so tired from all the meat that I head back to the hotel.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $28.99
DAY 6:

• Good morning! A running theme in this trip—I wanted to get up early as I plan on hiking to the top of Mt. Inari today, but I am a sleepy woman and struggle to get out of bed. (So sleepy I forget to put on perfume!!) While I wait for my skincare to sink in I decide to buy my Tokyo DisneySea ticket for Thursday ($72.12).
• Eat hotel breakfast then off to Fushimi Inari! It is PACKED at the bottom, mostly with elderly European tour groups(??). Thankfully past the first few stretches of torii it clears out. I was worried about the hike as I am very out of shape, but it’s a breeze aside from the final stretch of stairs. It’s rainy and foggy, so you can’t see much from the top, but still very scenic!
• Along the hike up and down I pick up some souvenirs. At the main shrine I get a goshuin (¥1000) and a fortune (¥200)—bad luck, so I tie it up and leave it behind—and at shrines on the mountain I get a torii-shaped ema (¥1000) for my mom to use as a Christmas ornament (probably sacrilegiously?) and a charm for back pain (¥800)—happy to report that since my previous diary it hasn’t been an issue, but not taking any chances!
• Lunch is udon at Inarinadai Dohachi (¥670). The broth is oddly sweet but otherwise very good!
• My feet are killing me, so I take the train back to the hotel. Once I get there I draw a piping hot bath to soak my feet, then realize I left my fucking umbrella at the udon place!!! They’ve already closed for the day, so I'll have to go back tomorrow. 😭
• I go to Nishiki Market to eat away my sorrows. I get grilled tuna and grilled octopus (¥1000), takoyaki (¥550), and a strawberry daifuku (¥350). It’s really crowded and the food is all just ok (except for the daifuku—the strawberry really helps cut through the richness of the red bean!).
• What IS exciting is the Snoopy store & cafe!! I am not immune to overpriced character merch. I pass on food from the cafe, but walk out with a postcard, chopsticks, and chopstick rest for my roommate and a small dish for myself ($18.43).
• Wander around Teramachi Street. I stop into a random drug store and see they have the eyeliner I want in stock—fucking finally!! I’m so excited I head straight to check-out. (¥715)
• At this point I’m pooped, so I decide to go back to the hotel and get in bed, even though it’s only 8:00 lol.
• TOTAL: $90.55

💸 DAY TOTAL: $
DAY 7:

• Wake up at 5:30 am and cannot fall back asleep. I figure I have plenty of time before I have to get moving, but get stuck in a TikTok binge and only start getting ready at 7:30. So much for waking up early! SOTD is Hermes’s Un Jardin Sur Le Nil.
• I skip hotel breakfast and head to 7/11 instead for curry bread, salmon onigiri, and hojicha (¥513). It’s been raining all morning, but thankfully my hotel has umbrellas guests can borrow.
• Time for some temple/shrine hopping! Walk 30 mins to Kiyomizu-dera and it is uphill the. entire. way. My calves!!! It’s worth it though—it may be crowded and rainy, but it’s beautiful! I pay ¥400 for admission, ¥900 for two charms, and ¥500 for a goshuin.
• Walk down Sanenzaka and Ninenzaka, which are surprisingly empty. I take a break in Maccha House and get a matcha tiramisu and hojicha latte ($7.95).
• Back to temple hopping! I stop by Ryozen Kannon temple (¥300), which apparently is a memorial to fallen WWII soldiers. I remember my grandma’s nutjob husband talking about how he thought it was so ridiculous there were protests at a temple for WWII soldiers because people were ~so offended~ they commemorated convicted war criminals. I do some panic googling and realize he was talking about Yasukuni Jinja, not this place—to my knowledge there are no major war criminals commemorated here? I enjoy the giant Kannon statue with a mostly clear conscience.
• Walk across the parking lot to Kodaiji, pay the ¥600 entrance fee and get a goshuin (¥500). My favorite of the day!! The temple is nice, but the real appeal are the grounds surrounding it. At this point it is pouring rain, so for most of my walk I am the only person around. I enjoy the scenery in their small tea house with matcha and red bean mochi (¥500).
• The rain lets up, so I check out Maruyama Park. Most of the sakura just have buds, but there’s a few plum blossoms on their last legs. I can’t imagine what the park looks like in full bloom!! I curse the bad weather and my poor timing.
• Google Maps says I can get to Chion-in by walking uphill, but I end up in a random Buddhist temple next door—I only realize when I climb a bunch of stairs and reach a dead end. The top has a great view though! The magic of ~getting lost~.
• Finally find my way and enter through a back road. The main temple is HUGE and gorgeous on the inside! I can’t figure out where to get a goshuin, so I move on.
• Walk to Yasaka Jinja. I’m a little underwhelmed, especially since it’s so gray outside—I imagine it’s prettier at night with all the lanterns lit. I get a special pink(!) goshuin which makes up for it (¥500).
• At this point I’m starving, so I decide on zarusoba at Gion Ishi. Not my favorite—even though it comes with wasabi, without broth or dipping sauce it’s pretty bland. The tempura that comes with it is amazing though!! (¥1400) It’s at this point that I remember my lost umbrella again—by the time I take the subway towards Fushimi, the udon place will be closed again, so I consider it lost forever. RIP 03/20/24 — 03/25/24 😭
• I’m cold and my feet hurt, so back to the hotel I go. I spot a Miffy Kitchen on my walk—so cute! I get a Miffy-shaped anpan and a chocolate strawberry milk bread ($4.15).
• I enjoy my snacks while soaking my feet in the hottest water I can tolerate. Of course, this is when it decides to be beautiful and sunny outside.
• Lay down in bed and oops wake up 2 hours later. I decide to wander around Gion again. While there are some bougie historical areas, most of it is just normal urban sprawl—even kind of seedy? Lots of host clubs. While walking down an alleyway I pass by either a normal-looking geiko or a very fancily dressed normal woman. We both stare at each other for an uncomfortably long time.
• Check out around Pontocho Alley—this time I 100% spot a geiko (or maiko? can't fully tell)! Very cool; her kimono looks extremely heavy. I think about getting real dinner at one of the restaurants here, but decide to head straight to a bar I saved called Bar Beetle.
• I wait outside for a good 30+ minutes (and make friends with others in line!) before I can grab a seat. I enjoy a Moscow Mule, a highball, and salami & cheese ($21.83) to some great records. The owner asks if I have a request—I ask for anything by Prince, but he already has Raspberry Beret queued. Our minds! So in-sync! In the bathroom I see a sign saying his dream is to open a bar in Brooklyn, so we have a nice chat about that—I tell him I will be one of the first to go when it opens!
• I leave after last call, thanking the owner profusely. I grab a melonpan, chocolate taiyaki, and Pocari Sweat to wolf down in the hope of preventing a hangover ($3.19). I planned on packing when I got back, but I’m so sleepy and drunk that I tell myself that I’ll handle it in the morning.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $37.12
DAY 8:

• Wake up feeling tired but fine? Than you Pocari Sweat! I take my time getting ready (SOTD is Parisian Musc by Matiere Premiere) and still manage to be out the door before 9:50 am.
• Konbini breakfast of egg sando, cod roe onigiri, and warm hojicha (~¥600) before I take a taxi to Kyoto Station ($11.91). Really sad to be leaving!
• I grab a reserved train ticket ($95.05) with plenty of time to grab food and find my platform—I eventually decide on pork katsu ($8.68).
• Take the shinkansen back to Tokyo. I manage to spot some of Mount Fuji—there is still a lot of cloud cover, but hey, I’ll take it.
• By the time I'm done navigating Tokyo Station again (a scary thing to relive) and take the subway to my next hotel, it's just in time for check-in! I unpack and change, then have a crisis over how I look, realize it’s the bad lighting, still feel weird, but decide to soldier on because I am #brave, then take the bus to Ueno Park an hour and a half later. #justgirlythings 😙✌️
• I stroll down Sakura-dori in Ueno Park. There’s a couple sakura scattered around that have started to bloom, including a weeping cherry, but nothing close to full bloom—damn you, cold snap!! There’s still lots of people picnicking under the trees. I admire their dedication.
• After checking out some closed temples/shrines, I head to Ameyokocho—lots of neat little restaurants and izakayas! I stop at a yakitori place for dinner. I get various kinds of chicken and pork, smashed cucumbers, and grilled squid with two oolong shochus. ($20.11) Even though I'm seated in the back corner, completely isolated, I still have fun.
• I’m borderline drunk, and after passing by some karaoke places, I say fuck it, let’s do some karaoke alone! I get a lemon highball to accompany one hour of my renditions of Beyonce, Madonna, and No Doubt ($17.14).
• Long walk back to the hotel. It’s at this point I have my first true emo moment on this trip. I’m having so much fun, but I miss being around familiar people, I miss my apartment, I miss NY!!! I don’t cry (gotta stay hydrated!), but I do get very wistful as I listen to Karen Carpenter the entire way back.
• Konbini stop! I get some pistachio cannoli thing, matcha baumkutchen, chooclate chip crepe, and a bottle of Aquarius (no Pocari Sweat in stock here—here’s hoping this helps me get in shape enough to tackle The Mouse™ tomorrow) ($4.37). I enjoy my dessert in bed while streaming Fantasy High. Really helps to lift my mood! I nod off in the middle of the episode.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $157.26
DAY 9:

• Up bright and early! The Aquarius worked, thank god. I’m aiming to leave by 7:30 but don’t actually start heading to the subway until 7:45. I speedwalk while eating my crepe (and enjoy my SOTD, J-Scent's Hojicha, which smells also very edible).
• As I’m sitting on the train, I’m wondering why I took one day out of my precious vacation time to do this, but then I spot Space Mountain. Never mind! We are so back! Inject this shit straight into my veins!!
• I get in line for the entrance around 15 mins before opening. So many girls around are wearing their school uniforms—why? Are they required to? Do they just like wearing their uniform on days off? Whatever the reason is, again, these girls know pull them off!
• Finally enter around 9:40. I immediately pay for an express pass for Journey to the Center of the Earth ($9.92) and snag a 40th Anniversary Pass (similar to old Fastpass…those were the days) for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for around the same time.
• I wander around for a bit--the park is so beautiful! I pass by Soarin’ which has a THREE HOUR wait already.
• I’m hungry, so I get in line for a gyoza bun (delicious) and iced oolong tea (bad—tastes a little like Coke?) ($5.29). When I leave, the line is nearly an hour long. Insanity!
• Stand in line for Aquatopia for about 45 minutes. It’s a cute ride, but wouldn’t have waited that long under normal circumstances.
• More wandering! I get a kick out of the Cape Cod/New York areas—so cute!
• I’m hungry again, so I mobile order fried chicken (which is basically a breaded chicken thigh—so good!), fries, and a black tea ($8.47). While I eat I’m able to book a new 40th Anniversary Pass for the Nemo simulator ride around 4:30.
• By the time I finish eating it’s time for 20,000 Leagues and Center of the Earth. Center of the Earth is incredible but about 30 seconds too short in my opinion. 20,000 Leagues is possibly my fave of the day? It’s so atmospheric—you really feel like you’re underwater.
• I check out the Little Mermaid-themed kids area. Gorg! It started raining so it’s nice to hang out somewhere dry. I hear an instrumental of Part of Your World and get emo thinking about Howard Ashman.
• No time to be sad! Time for another ride! Temple of the Crystal Skull has a single rider line, so I skip the 150 minute wait. Really wish more rides here had them!
• At this point I’ve ridden everything on my list (that are open, at least—so many are closed for maintenance!!), so I think about buying a weeknight passport for Tokyo Disneyland. Is it ridiculous to spend an additional ¥6200 for only 4 hours at another park? Perhaps! But I’m on vacation, the wait times don’t seem too horrible, and it’s supposed to rain for the rest of the day so hopefully people will leave…I think it over while I look for a place to buy an umbrella. (If only I had my old one with me! Fly high, queen!)
• Find a poncho ($5.95) and reach the level of delulu where I say fuck it, let’s go right now! I cancel my Fastpass for Nemo. I keep getting an error when I try to buy tickets through Disney, so instead I buy it through Klook ($72.18).
• Get to Disneyland at 3:00 pm sharp! I have 6 hours to cram in as much as I can. This is my Super Bowl. First stop is Roger Rabbit! 40-minute wait turned out to be close to an hour.
• I’m peckish and notice a popcorn stand has no line, so I get a bag of pistachio popcorn ($2.65). It just tastes like kettlecorn.
• I scarf my popcorn down while waiting in line for Pinocchio—it’s only a 25 minute wait and I’m a sucker for classic dark rides.
• It’s at this point that I must make a big decision: do I aim for Splash Mountain, Monsters Inc, or Beauty and the Beast? The latter has the longest line at 180(!) minutes, but is top of my must do. Hmmm. I go to Gaston’s Tavern to mull this over and get a beef stew meat pie and an apple-caramel churro ($8.47).
• I decide that I do not value my time, sanity, and wellbeing and get in line for Beauty and the Beast. It ends up only (only! 😫) being a 2 hour wait. 100% worth it! A beautiful dark ride based off one of my fave Disney movies…how could I not love it? So many cool animatronics.
• I have an hour and a half left until close, so I scurry over to Monsters Inc. with the hope of fitting in maybe one more ride after. The wait ends up taking the full posted 80 minutes. Oh well!
• Walk to the Monorail to take the subway back. My dogs? They are barking. My legs? Also hurt. Everything hurts.
• On the walk from the station to the hotel, I pass by a konbini and grab a curry bun, strawberry ice cream, chocolate cake, tea, and water ($6.15). I immediately lay on my bed and enjoy my dessert horizontal. Feels amazing to be off my feet!
• As soon as I’m done eating I pass out. Good night!

💸 DAY TOTAL: $119.08
DAY 10:

• Wake up around 8:30. It’s supposed to rain all morning, so I take my time getting ready and do some strategizing—I have a LOT of souvenir shopping to do! SOTD is Deux from Trudon which is very calming.
• I pull ¥10,000 from 7-11 ($66.89) as I’m low on cash before I head towards Senso-ji. Big temple! Very cool! I get a fortune (¥100) (just okay) and more charms for family (¥2000).
• Walk along Nakamise-dori. Very crowded and mostly full of souvenir stands, but thankfully there are very few people on the side streets. I decide to get some key chains for my brothers (¥1450) before walking back up towards Senso-ji to get a goshuin (¥500).
• Lunch time! I go to Tatsunoya for a delicious & very filling pork katsu set (¥1300). It’s served with yellow-orange paste that I assume is miso, so I take a huge glob of it, then realize when my nose starts burning it’s wasabi. Ouch. My sinuses have never been more clear.
• It’s finally sunny, so I walk to Sumida Park, which apparently is great for hanami, but I wouldn’t know as most of the sakura haven’t bloomed!!!! Oh well. The view of the Sumida River is great though!
• My feet are already killing me, so I go back to the room to drop some of my stuff & do a quick hot soak. While I’m on my phone I see Beyonce is in Shibuya doing signings for her new album??? So random. Tempted to go as I’m a big fan, but time is precious.
• Off to Kappabashi-dori! I get a bunch of ceramics and some chopsticks ($73.15), some for me but mostly for others.
• Drop shit in room, add ¥1000 to my Suica ($6.62), and off to Harajuku for more shopping. In hindsight, really wish I swapped my hotels for the first and last third of this trip! This 40 min subway ride is not it.
• Go to Kiddyland to find Sonny Angels. They are out.
• Walk to Pop Market to get a figure for a friend ($11.12). I ask if they have Sonny Angels in stock. They do not.
• Quick break from the search! I go to Onitsuka Tiger and get a pair of Mexico 66s for myself ($106.85).
• Back to souvenir shopping. Pick up some makeup for me and other random souvenirs for friends at Loft—still no Sonny Angels! ($61.86)
• Big haul of KitKats and random souvenirs at the Mega Don Quijote, Sonny Angel-less. ($106.07). Jesus fucking christ! Will have to bring back something else for the friends who requested them.
• Finally take the subway back to the hotel. I’ve reached a level of foot pain where I’ve transcended the concept of feet. I check my step count and see today surpasses my temple-hopping day in Kyoto. Insane. I pass through Senso-ji on my walk from the station—so pretty at night!
• Finally get to the room and realize I am ravenously hungry. I decide on ramen and gyoza from Kibitaro (~¥1700). Pretty good!
• Final konbini stop (~¥1500) of crème brulee ice cream, a matcha waffle, egg sando, salmon onigiri, green tea, and a bottle of water. I soak my feet again (not up for a full-body bath) and eat my dessert very sadly. Can’t believe I’m leaving!
• Pack most of my stuff and try to stay up as late as possible before finally succumbing to sleep at 3 am.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $432.56
DAY 11:

• Good morning! Time to get ready for the airport. I don’t get out of the hotel until 8 am, but I'm not stressed--I have plenty of time!
• Take forever to find the elevator entrance for the Asakusa Line, hop on the subway, think after an hour hmm, doesn’t seem like we’ve reached the airport yet…then look at the map and see that we PASSED the airport and I’m halfway to Yokohama. 😭😭😭 Unlike my train from Haneda, I needed to transfer at a previous stop. Google Maps did not tell me this! What the fuck!
• I get off at the next stop, lowkey freaking out as I board my flight soon, get to the airport 45 minutes later, and am at my gate shortly after as checking my bag and security took all of 5 minutes. Thank god.
• As I have some extra time, I grab some last-minute souvenirs ($61.54) and spend my remaining bills at 7-Eleven (~¥2000)—I still have a bunch of coins, but I'm counting this as a win—and get to my gate just in time for boarding. I am so sweaty and stressed. If only me from a few hours ago knew what was in her future.
• Time for the long flight back! I’m seated next to a VERY chatty West Point student which helps make the time pass. I watch a bunch of movies and take mini-naps.
• Land 12 hours later and it’s 11:00 am…again! Feels like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Breeze through customs, grab my bags, and take an Uber back to my apartment ($0 —thank you parents!). Seeing the familiar surroundings is so strange—it’s really sinking in that this trip is OVER! Happy to be home, but sad to have left.
• Get home and as my roommate isn’t here to help me stay awake, I immediately fall asleep while watching the new Drag Race ep.

💸 DAY TOTAL: $61.54

Trip Totals

Transport: $1792.63
Accommodation: $850
Food + Drink: $319.16
Fun / Entertainment: $239
Shopping: $737.26
Other: $244.66
GRAND TOTAL: $4,182.71

Reflection

I gave myself a big budget for this trip, but WOW did I spend a lot! It was worth every penny, but it does make me wonder how much I spend in my daily life that I would rather put towards travel. I don't have a dedicated travel fund but will have one going forward. (At the same time, looking at other people's savings on here makes me think I should nix the travel fund entirely in favor of contributing more towards retirement...or I could just do both lol.)
It's weird--while this trip had a lot of emotions behind it, once I was there I mostly felt...normal? I had several friends joke that this was my "eat pray love" moment, but it wasn't the trip itself that ~changed my life~ (it probably did, but not in a way I can immediately recognize); it was the booking & planning of it--choosing to take time (and money!) towards traveling. Even though I felt uncomfortable talking about it, it was nice to (somewhat) let go of the idea I had that people (including myself!) think I'm frivolous, or unserious, etc., for doing this trip and doing it alone. Money is very emotional!
If you got to the end of this, thanks for reading! <3

Let’s make a one stop shop for all of those new to Invisalign. What are some of your insider tips and tricks? Can be simple, can be detailed, can be something specific to you (because you know someone somewhere out there could be dealing with the same unique issue). Tell those newcomers. You know the ones. They have wandered onto this subreddit in a desperate search for solutions. Tell 'em how far along you are in your treatment, maybe some things that are unique to your treatment (elastics, underbite, overbite, etc.), and lay on the advice.
Starting Out

• No, the aligners are not as thin as they look. Yes, they will feel massive once they are in your mouth. Yes, they are noticeable. No, no one has ever mentioned my aligners unless I was specifically discussing them. Which you'll do by the way. A lot at first. For braces that are meant to be discreet, we sure do like to tell everyone about them. Welcome to that strange club, I guess?
• Yes, they hurt at first and yes, it will stop. And then probably start again. Your mouth may be sore some days and not the others, depending on what’s moving. Jaw pain, tooth pain, gum pain. It all can happen. I have never experienced anything more debilitating than having to eat pasta that night because yay soft foods.
• That said, if you are in a lot of pain, contact your orthodontist's office. They will more often than not be able to help solve the problem.
• Is your tray cutting into your gums slightly? Use a nail file for removing just a little and cuticle scissors for removing a lot. Be sure to file the edges of anything you cut. Don't cut off more than just a bit without consulting with your orthodontist.
• That lisp. Mine never quite went away (18 months in). It drives me nuts. Even worse, when I take out my aligners, my tongue is not familiar with the new placement of my teeth, so I am still lisping. I have faith it'll get better once I'm done.
• Again, I reiterate, call your orthodontist if anything is freaking you out. That's what they're there for.

Attachments, Buttons, and All of the Other Weird Things They Stick in Your Mouth

• The flakey stuff coming off your teeth right after getting your brand new attachments? It's called flash and it's just remnants of the materials used to bond to your teeth. It'll go away.
• Attachments are kind of rough a first. Things of those bad boys as stallions waiting to be broken. They will smooth out eventually through regular wear and tear.
• Attachments and buttons can fall off for a variety of reasons. I found mine fell off within a day of first getting them attached. Just call your orthodontist and they'll fit you in for a quick 5 minute visit to get it fixed.
  • ^{Bonus side note:} I had a button (a tiny little metal thing used for elastics and scraping your inner cheeks) fall off. Went in to have it replaced and the tech lost her grip, dropping it in my mouth. After some choking and gagging and trying to pull it out of my throat, I gave up and just swallowed it. She assured me they are edible. I don't think she knows what edible means.
• Are those attachments getting stained? And you're following your normal oral hygiene routine? Could be coffee, could be tea, could be that curry you ate last night but are now regretting. Know what I found cause the majority of my stains? Mouthwash. Some say it's the blue color, others say it's the good old chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride. These are good things. They're also staining to dental work. Once I switched away from those ingredients, the stains disappeared within a week or so. Get yourself some Listerine Total Care, put on some Bob Marley, and remember that every little thing is gonna be alright.
• Elastics are a pain in the butt, but totally necessary. And, yes, I can speak from experience that they can indeed fix an underbite. All those overbite people get all the attention, don't they? Some people can pop them on and pop them off super easily. My orthodontist said I'd be a pro in a week. 8 months later and I still struggle. I'll figure it out the day before I no longer need to wear them, I'm sure.
• IPR is practically a four letter word. You can make it a piratey word if you want. IPRRRRRRRRR. Interproximal reduction. For those of you in the back, that means they're going to stick sandpaper in between your teeth, move it back and forth for a bit, and suddenly there is room for your crowded teeth to move. Everyone fears it, everyone's experience is different. For me, it was a little uncomfortable, sensitive in spots, kind of icky feeling, but not particularly painful. I have also never noticed any gaping spaces when it was all over. I've had it done three times now. Twice with the little sandpapers and once with the drill. Frankly, I prefer the drill. Weird. Speaking of weird...

So Weird It Can't Possibly Apply to Anyone Else... Except it Does!

• You may find your trays feeling spongy as you get close to switch day. This is fine. It just means your teeth have moved and your trays are now loose. Next tray will be tighter.
• Itchy teeth. IYKYK. I thought I was going nuts when it felt like my teeth (not my gums, but my teeth) were itchy. They're moving, it's gonna feel weird. Best advice? You did buy that Nuby I told you to buy, right? You mean you didn't skim my list and skip ahead? Well wait until you see what I have in store for you!
• Trays worn down and kinda chewed up and ragged, but it's not switch day? I have yet to figure out the secret to this. Don't bother trying to file off the ragged bits. It's doesn't work. Best I found were cuticle scissors to snip away as much of the gnawed off bits as possible. Still wasn't perfect. Still cut up my tongue a little. The magic answer might just be to, you guess it, call your orthodontist! Ask if you can switch your trays a day or two early.

Product Recommendations That Might Change Your Life... Or Day... Whatever...

• First and foremost, unless you really really reeeeeeallllly love something, don't bother buying Invisalign brand accessories, cleaners, whatever. You're already paying mucho dinero on these things. Invisalign will survive if you buy a generic case or two. But if you insist...
• Chewies and similar products can truly do the trick to settle your trays and ease some of the desire you may have to chew. My personal recommendation for those of you who have the chewing urge? Nuby Teether. Pick a color that makes you happy, buy it, chew it, the end. Also perfect if you're like me and always afraid you're gonna swallow the chewies. Gulp.
• Get yourself a cool case. Slap some stickers on that thing. You're already wearing braces, might as well act like you're 13. Hmmm... do they make George Michael stickers that are small enough to fit on those?
• Remember, you are not weak if you need to use a pull hook to get those aligners out of your face. The people who can just use their fingers for removal... they're sticking their fingers in their mouth all day. No thanks. Lots of people recommend Pul brand, but I'm here to tell you that OrthoKey is where it's at. They're a little cheaper and have yet to break the way my Pul hooks did.
• Orthodontic wax. I haven't had a ton of luck with it, but maybe you will? Don't get me wrong, I really wanted it to work so I could cover the sharp bits that stick out due to my elastics. When I have successfully gotten it to stick and stay in place, it has helped. It's cheap. Worth a shot.
• Want your aligners looking fresh like it's GTL day? Splurge a little and get the Ultrasonic Cleaner, with cleaning tablets. Then go take a shower because I just made a Jersey Shore reference and now you feel a little gross.

Bad Advice, but I'm Giving It Anyway

• Do you smoke? Me too. Disgusting, isn't it? You're not supposed to smoke at all during treatment. If you do need to smoke, you're supposed to take out your trays. I never do. If they are stained yellow, I haven't noticed. Don't tell anyone, but the trays actually seem to protect my teeth from any staining. I don't think that's what they're meant to do, but it's kind of like a free download when you buy a game, right?
• Water and clear liquids only? Psshhh... who has time for that? Red Bull, soda, wine, juice. I drank it. You caught me. Again, no problem.
• 20-22 hours is the standard recommendation for how long each day they should be in. Everyone's treatment is different, though. Early on, I was really strict and anxious about making sure I hit that 22 mark every day. Fast forward to the present and I'll take my trays out for breakfast, start my work day, and not realize until 11 am that my trays are still out. Oops! My teeth are still tracking beautifully while I'm over there sipping my coffee.
• Prone to grinding or jaw clenching? I've done some reading that suggests that some clenching is actually good for Invisalign because it helps settle your trays. "I've done some reading." I could've gotten that from a scientific magazine or Wikipedia or Imgur. Maybe it was a Bing search. I don't remember. No I can't cite a source. Remember? This is the bad advice.