I have been back from my Japan trip for almost two weeks now, but with all the changes happening around me, I still feel ungrounded, not even after a nourishing yoga class. I guess it’s time to hit the road (for running) and the couch (for therapy) ━ the trifecta of life reset whenever I return from the big trip. While I am getting my life back together, here are some happenings of the month:
Highlights
⛩️ ━ Everything and everything about our Japan trip. From Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, small towns in Wakayama prefecture, to photo walks in Tokyo and Osaka — more on it in the upcoming months on the blog.
🎂 ━ I celebrated my birthday (unexpectedly) at a small resort island in Kii Katsura. I spent the birthday eve soaking in a private onsen with Fafa and drinking copious amounts of Umeshu. On the day itself, we took a four-hour train ride back to Osaka and ate spicy fried rice. It was a perfect birthday day for me.
♨️ ━ I went to a hot spring over the weekend for one last winter hoorah with a new group of friends, and it was so much fun that we are already planning more trips in 2024 and 2025.
🏆 ━ Low key date at home with Fafa of watching AFL and celebrating Collingwood winning with Truffle Cheese from Prahran Market.
🤒 ━ I experienced a second degree of embarrassment in admitting that not only did I get food poisoning, but I got it from my own cooking. I spent a whole week, barely working while trying to survive, on my green IKEA chaise lounge. But live and learn, eh?
Culture Chat
🔪━ I got myself a Japanese knife as a birthday gift ever since I have been browsing for fancy chopping board━how’s that for a Diderot effect? ✾ Onigiri stand inside Haneda Airport.
Read, Watched and Browsed
📚 ━ I am usually not big on biography, and though it’s not really a biography, The World According to Joan Didion has been downloaded into the Kindle to be savoured.
🏡 ━ On the flight to Japan, I watched The Lake House. I forgot how much I love this movie. I need to put a reminder to watch it every other year or so. I also rewatched HER and The Hangover 3 twice before finally landing in Osaka.
🎥 ━ Fafa took me for a movie date to watch Past Lives at the iconic Sun Theater. This movie is worth all the rave, maybe because many relate to the simple story on different levels and perspectives. Also, it’s beautifully shot, definitely one of the best of 2023. I also streamed The Elevator Game and Reptile. Billions is back with the least interesting season, but it is still worth watching for Wags’ one-liners alone.
Foodie Guide-y
🦀 ━ The most crucial food news of the month: I cooked Crab Curry. Crab is my favourite seafood, but I hadn’t cooked it before because it always seemed complicated, from the buying crab part itself. But I did it! I went to market, got fresh crab and squeamishly begged the fishmonger to cut it for me, and as they say, the rest is history. It was the best thing I have ever cooked for myself, and, maybe for the same reason, I want to say the best Crab Curry dish I have ever eaten ━ except for Amma’s and MIL’s.
🍽️ ━ Over the long weekend, we drove all the way to Belgrave for a proper Mallu food date at Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen. We each ordered Sadya (culture note: Sadya is a banquet meal usually served during Onam or other festivals in Kerala, India), two main dishes, Aussie wine and beer, followed by Indian chai and iced coffee. To say we overate would be an understatement.
🍸 ━ I had a birthday dinner with Liz at Cha Ching after a work friend’s recommendation. We had East Asian Fried Chicken Ribes, Sauted Snow Egg White (crab meat – my fave) and Wagyu Beef Tartare (another fave) for the entree and Thai Coconut Red Curry, Black Truffle Fried Rice and Roti with Satay sauce for the main. We also had too many cocktails, and all of them were too good.
🧋━ I knew it!! Bubble tea does bring joy, and now I have study to back me up.
🍡 ━ I bought some Omiyage for my colleagues and learned that Daifuku is Mochi with filling.
Tiny Joys
Bubble Tea ❤ Being healthy ❤ Japan ❤ Train Rides ❤ New friends ❤ New experiences ❤ Using up things so much until they can’t function anymore ❤ Mooncakes 🥮 Mooncake Festival ❤
Time Machine
Read more about last year’s happenings.
Thank You, Next!
🧳 ━ I am off to Sydney and then Canberra with Jik for my belated birthday celebration next week. It will be my first-ever Canberra trip, and I am excited despite everyone telling me there is nothing to do in Canberra.
♘ ━ The card for October is Explorer of Candles (aka Knight of Wands) by Numinous Tarot. I have been drawing the Knight of Wands multiple times in the past week. I guess its’ pull, under the fiery Aries super moon, is pretty strong. Knight of Wands is associated with passion, travel, success and everything movement, and I like the idea of October, with Spring in full motion, being associated with all those characteristics.
Keep Kultured! ━ KK.
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