Roppongi Hills is really fancy, but it lacks personality as far as a neighborhood. There is a ton in it, but it's sort of a maze, and it feels incredibly superficial. Shimokitazawa, on the other hand, has a ton ton ton of stuff crammed all over, some cute, some grungy, some chains, some adorable indie spots. It's also a maze, but at least it's more of a "city" feeling than "mall." We had houjicha shaved ice, which is not a flavor you can find everywhere. The store we went to was tucked away upstairs around a corner (like most things, it seems) but there was a line outside.
After that we popped into a bookstore overgrown with stuffed animals, shower curtains, backpacks, snackfood, etc. I forget the name of this chain, but uhm...yeah it's like being a book store just wasn't good enough. I realize that Borders and other places stock things that are not books, but you can still TELL it's a book store readily. This, though, was just a cacophony of goods sprouting from every shelf like a new strain of consumer-ready weed.
I bought a couple used jazz CDs at Disk Union. I kind of want to go back there, too. Somehow I'm not used to shopping for used CDs, but I buy used games often enough. I should check out Amoeba more often (or you know, when I'm in San Francisco).
Later on we got drinks at an adorable cafe which is most definitely a secret, but the kind that people know about so there, again, was a line. Ended up ordering "orange spice" Sangria. I'm not really a Sangria expert, but this was more like a very small cup of juice (the wine was super diluted) with ice. The flavor that was there was good, but it missed the depth of the red wine base, somehow.
Dinner was "soup curry" at a place called cocoro. All three of us ordered the 14 vegetable combo with brown rice, but at various spicinesses. I got 6, which did end up being rather spicy. Soup spiciness is harder to do that other types of food because since it's liquid it hits your throat faster. Somehow if you "taste" food "more" before you swallow, it's easier? Maybe your spit dampens the heat. Anyways, the veggies were great, but we all ate too much.......
Incidentally, since I'm just sitting here in my room listening to Chet Baker wondering whether I need to cook, I might as well discuss (briefly, emo-ly) my TWENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY ANGST.
It doesn't really have anything to do with my birthday. It's just a convenient excuse to have it out.
Things flitting across my mind:
25 = one quarter of a century.
[excised because it's the perfect emo birthday tweet]
Not cute anymore. Not sure when that happened exactly, but I don't feel cute. I feel...like a disheveled adult.
I haven't cooked a meal in...ages. Absolutely ages. Does that matter?
I'm really bad at laundry.
I'm single.
Haven't really gained expertise.
I was far more disciplined during college than I am now. What happened? It's not like I'm genuinely more relaxed.
Etc.
This has been Birthday Angst With Tiger, only remember that the Birthday part is a clever ruse to make you think I am not always this emo when really I am.
#sigh
Random Things I Have Enjoyed of Late
the "short" Starbucks size
Yamanote line platform jingles
salad for breakfast (although I think I mentioned this already)
bossa nova in almost every cafe
Anyhow, as usual, there is so much I want to do that I end up aimless. Gonna just lie here and listen to more music. It's late, anyhow.
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