February 2012
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Sprout Outdoor Espresso
I was in Kutchan for a friend’s birthday and stopped by at a café called Sprout Outdoor Espresso. Located at literally a stone’s throw from the station, Sprout is an espresso bar/chill space for what seems to be mainly the local crowd.
As the name suggests, Sprout is an outdoor-themed shop and is decked out with various outdoor (mostly alpine sports) related goods for sale, including used...
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Two Cafes
Hit up a couple great cafes this weekend again. A little different from the places I usually go to, but great in their own way.
The first one is Cafe Ranban. Just a few minutes walk from the center of Susukino, it’s a kind of coffee shop that you wouldn’t expect to be in such a neighbourhood. I didn’t manage to get too many pictures of the shop, but here’s one of the...
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Rant (2/03/2012)
Haven’t been feeling great lately. Work’s really been draining all my energy, although I didn’t do much this week. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but being around kids can really wear you out.
Influenza’s been spreading in my town. One of my schools closed for almost the whole week because half the students are sick. At the other school (the one I was at this week) the...
January 2012
58 posts
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Rant (1/25/2012)
Feeling pretty good about everything right now.
Work is good, I feel like I’ve got a good relationship going on with my students (even at my “bad” school) and even though I am still not doing too much, I feel like I am doing a decent job as an ALT.
Winter is still shitty, but I am starting to get really into skiing, so that should be one way to keep myself entertained (and in...
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Coffee & Bread Vita
I actually mentioned this shop briefly a while back, but here’s a more detailed post on it.
Among the hills of Toyooka in the outskirts of Yoichi (the town next to where I live) there’s a little coffee shop called Vita. Toyooka is actually just as close to Niki as it is to central Yoichi. I found out about this coffee shop on the internet and I told myself there couldn’t...
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Night skiing
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Ramen Yoshi
Here’s a shop I visited over a month ago now. I think I should get it out of the way while I am in a ramen kind of mood.
Of course, “get it out of the way” doesn’t mean that this was an unnoteworthy bowl. If anything, it the exact opposite: this, without a doubt, was one of the best bowls of ramen I’ve ever laid a pair of chopsticks onto. Here’s the chat:
I...
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Bowls from Tokyo (2/2)
Continued from part 1
Hopuken Main Branch
I’d never heard of this shop before, but the big line up and the bright yellow decor caught my eye while I was wandering around Kichijoji. Nothing really special at all about the bowl though, I have no idea why so many people were lining up for it. I guess their special chili powder thing was nice, but everything else, especially the noodles) fell...
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Bowls from Tokyo (1/2)
I was thinking of doing individual reviews for all of the ramen I ate in Tokyo, but that’lls just take too long so here is an abridged version.
Ore no Men Harumichi
I had their tsukemen back in summer, and I tried the chuka soba (regular ramen) this time. The soup is just as fishy as their tsukemen soup, which is a bit too much for me. A fantastic bowl if you like that stuff though, but...
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Atelier Morihiko
Another cafe review.
Atelier Morihiko is the second brach of Cafe Morihiko. It’s located in a more central part of town and has a slightly different vibe from the original shop.
More chic/modern to the cozy/rustic atmosphere of the Maruyama shop, but not necessarily a bad thing.
It still does retain the little whimsical touches that make cafes in Japan (Hokkaido?) so great.
The menu...
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rant (1/10)
明日の英会話の準備するのめんどくさい
雪かきめんどくさい
飯つくるのめんどくさい
朝起きるのめんどくさい
人生めんどくさい
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Zenibako
A nice neighbourhood in Otaru just before Sapporo.
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お疲れさま
When I was in Tokyo, I bought a new (used) digital camera and could finally retire my old GX200.
It was kind of sad because the camera’s been through a lot (including falling from the top of a car moving at 70km/h). The camera still works (other than the flash) but I thought it was about time that it got to rest on the shelf.
Good work, old friend.
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