Fine Taste Advent Day 14 (yeah, yeah, we skipped the weekend)

I love penguins on parade – have ever since I saw the penguins go marching around the Edinburgh Zoo when I was 4 years old.  But what makes penguins on parade even better?  That’s right, penguins dressed up as Father Christmas and marched around daily until Christmas Day.  Amazing, Japan, amazing.  I really like that the outfits were made by staff – adds a bit more charm to the whole thing.

- The Taste Testers

Kawaii or Creepers?

tokyotimes.org

Um, yeah…That’s a Pomeranian in a kimono.  I mean, to each his own, I guess.  TokyoTimes.org had an interesting post on all the new accessories one can now purchase for pooches in Japan.  Jezebel picked up on the story and elaborated.  I’m all for dogs.  I love dogs.  I cannot wait to get my own place that’s large enough for me to get my own dog/reclaim my dog from my parents.  But if I ever dress my dog up in a kimono (I mean, aside from the fact that I can never see myself owning a small dog and hence the kimono would have to be large enough for a small child anyway…), will someone please stage an intervention?  Though I’d totally feed my dog dog-cookies.

The more I look at this picture, the scarier it gets.  I think it’s smiling at me one second and then trying to hypnotize me the next.  Or maybe it’s just pleading because it’s poor little front legs look so uncomfortable…

Friggin’ Rodents

My brother had a hamster when we were kids. He first named it Princeton (because he was obsessed with their lacrosse team at the time) but then we discovered it was actually female and he changed the name to Princess. Princess was…well, many would think she was cute. All fuzzy and small and hamster-like. I thought she was kind of cute myself. And then my brother, like all good big brothers who are trying to prepare their little sisters for the real world, started torturing me with the little rodent by putting the damn thing on me and letting it climb all over me, knowing full well I wouldn’t do any thing to hurt a defenseless animal no matter how much I was freaking out from the feeling of it’s little rodent feet all over my bare arms. Thanks, Neal. I still have flashbacks, but at least I know I’m prepared for the horrors of the world.

So, imagine my happiness when I saw these. Oh joy! Fake hamsters! Aimed at Japanese women between 20 and 40 years old. Now I kind of want one to help me get over my dislike of rodents. Actually, you know what? I don’t want one. I’d rather take that $11 and go buy myself a couple of beers. Much better therapy.

I Think I’m Turning French

Does anyone else feel that Japanese politics with all of its government fallings and reshufflings lately is extremely reminiscent of French politics of the 1950s and 60s?  I’m just sayin’…