A Fat Blue Christmas

Fatblueman's new Christmas song is out! You can check out the awesome video (by Marlow) on Youtube and if you like what you hear, you can download it for free from Jamendo. You're welcome.

Tokyo Krispy Kreme

I ventured to Tokyo for the first time last week for work. Though I had a pretty busy schedule, I was very focused on something not-so-work-related: finding a Krispy Kreme donut shop. I hadn't told Marlow of this plan because I wanted to come home and surprise him. I had been told by friends and co-workers that this place can get especially packed--we're talking hour or more-long lines out the door. Just Google "Krispy Kreme Tokyo opening" and you'll see some serious lines, which worried me a bit since I was with some friends, Meredith, Jam, and Jeremy, I didn't want to schelp them all the way there just to wait in line forever and a day. We found it in Shibuya, with only a small line of about 10 people or so--great! We got in, and began salivating over the array presented ever-so scrumptiously in the glass display cases, when one of the staff appeared, white and glowing, and handed us free, freshly baked and glazed, hot, velvety soft and deliciously sticky donuts--did I say they were free? Because they were. I got in and paid 960 yen for 6 plain donuts (which seemed a bit pricey, I can't seem to remember how much they are in the States), asked for a Krispy Kreme hat, and went on my way. I surprised Marlow when I got home, and he put on the hat while he ate them and let me take a picture. The donuts we ate at home were still great, no doubt... but that donut I had while standing in line has since been put up on a pedestal as the best donut I've ever had.

Bee Larva Kebab

This video is from the same trip to Gifu I took with Tony and Mari. As we were leaving, we stumbled upon this tiny restaurant that served bee larva kebabs. Naturally, I had to try it, and I managed to get Mari and Tony to try it too! It was an interesting experience, and to be honest, they really didn't taste all that bad. Other than the sauce on top, there really wasn't much taste at all, but the texture was similar to that of a Gusher's gummy if you catch my drift (yes, there was exploding bee juice once you bit into it),it might have just been the novelty of it all that overshadowed the flavor itself, but I thought it was pretty good. Here's a short video:

Good Dentist: Minoura Dental Clinic

If you've ever done research about dentistry in Japan, it's likely you've come across some pretty unnerving, or even downright scary testimonials about dentists in Japan. I've sifted through a lot of stories and information about Japanese dentistry ranging from shady practices, to outdated treatments, and found myself at the brink of panic as I attempted to find a decent dentist in our area. Luckily, I did. There is a little information I found online about this office, and I was also told by a co-worker that he was pretty good as well. Dr. Minoura of Minoura Dental Clinic in Kurokawa is our guy. According to the website, there are two Minouras (I'm gonna go ahead a guess they are brothers), that are visiting professors at Osaka University and Aichi Gakuin University. We have only really dealt with one of the two docs (unfortunately I cannot say who, because I don't know his first name). I think this is because he speaks English, and possibly the other doesn't. In any case, we have check-ups ever 4 months, and so far so good. The office is immaculate, and looks pretty high-tech and modern, and the staff makes an effort to speak English if you can't speak much Japanese-they are also very friendly. You can find the Minoura Dental Clinic in Kurokawa, exit #3, next to the Lawson across the street. Here's a link:


http://www.minoura-dental.com/en/index.html

Ginger Ale Kit Kat

I went on a day trip to Gifu with our friends Tony and Mari to go hiking. I'll post a couple of videos from this trip, but here's the first. After lunch we, along with the restaurant staff's pet turtle, Rinku, tasted Ginger Ale flavored Kit Kat. Overall, most of us liked it! It tasted a lot like lemon, but still with a hint of ginger ale flavor--I thought it was pretty good. Check out the video:

Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat

For a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, we invited a few friends over for roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and Royal Milk Tea Kit Kats. After dinner, we did a taste test with our friends Juan, Nate and Emi. Overall, if you like the taste of tea with milk, you'll like Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat. Juan, Emi and myself really liked it, but Nate and Marlow (who don't like the taste of tea with milk in general) weren't too crazy about it. Total, it got three out of five thumbs up! Check out the video: