Just Baked Some Fly Ass Chewy Ass Cookies

Sagar

Members Of in Japan

I found Greeno! After spending last summer in the same country and narrowly avoiding ever crossing paths with him (by literally about 50 feet) . We went to the world famous Osaka Aquarium (largest in the world!) and saw things as adorable as little claw river otters (their claws! SO TINY!) and as gargantuan as whale sharks.

From Summer 2010 OSAKA

We also learned important things about Japanese culture, including "Please do not ride the finless porpoise".

From Summer 2010 OSAKA

Now if only we can find Tory, it'll be basically a BAMF reunion.

Romance in the Have

My life in New Haven this summer = work all day + watch Scrubs + hang out. It's super exciting, I know. So, I've been waiting to have something more eventful to tell you all about, and here it is: my marriage proposal.

Today, as I was walking past the Green in a rush, I got stopped at a light because I like doing that thing where I don't die. And there was a guy at a hotdog cart who started talking to me (I shit you not, he said: "You're working those Calvin Kleins") and ignoring the fact that I was clearly in a rush and uninterested in conversation. He said something about the heat, and how people are complaining about it, blah blah blah, and I responded something to the effect of "Psh, I'm from Georgia, this isn't hot."

"Oh," he replied. "You're from Georgia? That means you're a Georgia Peach." Points for creativity?

And I smiled half-heartedly and silently continued begging the light to turn red so I could cross the street.

He asked what I was doing in New Haven, and I said I go to Yale. I was hoping New Haven people hate Yalies enough for him to lose interest. Then he asked if I was married. When I said no, he promptly introduced himself and invited me to come back to visit his cart sometime, because he thinks he'd like to move to Georgia one day.

Don't worry, the Members of are invited to the wedding.

Yesterday in EMT Class

"So, can anyone think of any other unusual circumstances where you'd find trauma victims?"

"...Bondage?"


Sagar

You know that feeling...

...when you find out that all your crazy suspicions are true? Like that time when you thought Funibashi Chiba , the part of Japan your homestay is in, is a bed of prostitution.

I thought it was weird that there were so many older guys being cozy on the streets with hot 20 something girls. On Saturday night I came back from Shibuya at 12:40 or so (when the last trains run) after watching some world cup matches at a bar. The girls were all lined up right outside the station. What a sight to behold.

That is all

Fun Photos- because Japan is silly

Japan is weird about Obama. I can't tell you how many little kids have exlaimed "YES WE CAN" upon seeing me walk down the street. I guess that's the trademark of America now? But I was watching the show ナニコレ珍百景 (I like to translate it as "WhattheF***WeirdShit") where they were investigating "Obama Udon". It takes its name from the first letter of three of its main ingredients to spell out O Ba Ma. So this one Japanese comedian whose entire stick is looking kinda like Obama (except Asian) went to investigate by yelling "CHANGE" and "YES WE CAN" at the noodle shop owner a lot.




A fun group shot from going out to Yakitori last week.




I don't know why all Japanese burger chains are so strange. This is "Big Man Big Juicy Burger". I couldn't help giggling while I ate it.



This is clearly the most adorable Pocky box ever. The back has little cardboard flaps that swing out so you can hang the panda box on sills and things. And then eat Pocky. Everybody wins!



Japan has a weird relationship with drag and other things relating to queer identity. I don't think I've gone a day without seeing a drag queen on TV since getting here- whether its a campy commercial or a straight comedian in drag or Akihiro Miwa's Oprah-esque show where he teaches people how to deal with their emotions, drag is common, not really frowned upon, and seems to be widely disassociated from "gay".

So the reason this costume struck me apart from just looking silly: though the text insists the sparkle gown is unisex, its clearly marketed towards men. But I can't think of a US male with any degree of involvement in drag who would buy an item marketed at playing drag--they'd go for the real women's clothes. Though drag is a counter-culture costume of sorts, they wouldn't buy things marketed by mainstream society as a costume. And any non-drag male who wanted to play drag for just a party gag would go to the women's costume section of a party shop. So what does it mean that a unisex female costume is marketed towards the average male consumer? I can't say. But I'm intrigued.



And finally, un-related to cultural musings, its HILARIOUS to put fake boobies on your baby. Thanks Japan!

Less than a week before I leave...

And I've only just discovered "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

New favorite thing to watch? Perhaps...

In other news, I've discovered a billboard advertising NJ's state fair. Yes, we have a state fair. Said billboard: "It puts the 'joy' in 'Joisey.'" I weep for phonics.

First Day of EMT Class

Was actually June 1st. Anyway, the instructor of my class, in addition to being a paramedic, is also a police officer, and within the first hour of the first class fulfilled the following two cop stereotypes:

1) made fun of federal officers AKA "feds";
2) made fun of highway patrol officers; see Supertroopers.

He also said that many EMTs have or may develop strange, almost sadistic senses of humor, as a sort of coping mechanism for the situations they may find themselves in during calls; you can't take an emergency too seriously because it'll stifle you if you do, he explained, and you may not be able to act as a result. And so, I thank you, o_car@panlists.yale.edu.


From the grave of anyone who died too soon because of a faulty defibrillator,
Sa"clear!"gar

Justin and Sam Cook

Hey everyone,

So Justin and I are living in swanky 204 Park this summer, and we have developed a healthy/obsessive love of cooking. Sorry to do this but here's the link to the blog.

http://culinaryadventuresofpark.blogspot.com/

IF YOU COOK, TAKE A PHOTO AND WE'D LOVE TO USE YOU AS A GUEST COOK!!!!!

Japan Fuck Yeah!

Ramen, Crepes, Original Japanese N64 Smash!
Bitches!

I don't really know what else to say. I had an awesome birthday dinner with my host family, and ate way too much (cheesecake and watermelon). I really enjoyed meeting the whole family finally, and I ended up conversing in Japanese a ton. That is really one of my main priorities this time around, so I am glad about that.