#but if you call it African mochi

[qpp-townie]

I think part of what people struggle with when hearing a term like Queerplatonic Relationship is that it doesn’t fit into one of the boxes they already have set up for how the world works and so rather than make room for it, they try to shove it where it doesn’t belong or argue that it actually shouldn’t exist.

It is a term trying to convey information. It is not a trick or delusion or oversight on my part.

If I introduce you to someone and say ‘we are in a relationship’ most people (in the US at least) will default to thinking that means a romantic relationship which involved dating and now being a monogamous couple with sex, seeking marriage. Maybe not with that much detail, but that one word CAN carry a lot of implications that some would like to avoid from the start.

So i’d rather say ‘we are in a queer platonic relationship’ because that immediately tells you more information. It is a queer relationship and it is based on more platonic feelings (which doesn’t mean it is entirely platonic, but that’s an important part of it). It also tells you that these people have talked about their relationship and agree on this label, which should just NEVER be up for debate. If someone asks your opinion on a label that’s different, but same way you don’t get to decide who is queer or tell others what their feelings are, we are calling ourselves this for a reason.

But here’s the thing, saying that we are a QPR does not tell you the whole story! Same way saying you are dating, together with, married to, etc. someone, does not give you the full context of a relationship! Someone can say they are married, but later specify it is an asexual romantic relationship. Someone can say they dating and that can mean they are exclusive or seeking other partners. There are similar things qprs “typically” exhibit (but don’t have to), like closeness, living together, and no expectations of having to woo or romance the other person. But it is a broad term meant to encapsulate many types of relationships that fall outside the norm of building a nuclear family and amatonormative (romantic love is the most important kind of love) societal standards (which is not a universal standard for human relations, if there is a word in a different language/culture that fits better then that is of course okay!)

And I hope this can be a lesson about interacting with queer people/ people different from you in general, but rather than saying ‘that sounds like this thing/ that sounds fake/ I don’t want to call it that cause I’m used to this other thing/ i’m used to these boxes and just going to put you in one based on what you said’ just say:

‘cool! I’m not familiar with that, can you explain more?’ or even just ‘okay!’

[aviangelle]

ABOUT ME

call me mochi! he/they pref

im a male african american!!

i write for:

bungo stray dogs(main)

honkai star rail

genshin impact

dead plate

tgfc(heavens official blessing)

requests are closed right now! i will make a masterlist soon

DNI:

racists, homophobes, transphobes, mlm fetishizers, trans fetishizers, zoophiles, pedophiles, if you joke about r/ape or s/

[paleblogsstuff]

•he likes to watch WWE

•Bruh I feel that he is mixed with Japanese and Hispanic and or a bit of African American but mostly the Hispanic thing

•call his mom “Ma”

[s]his mom threw a shoe at his head once because he forgot to take of his

•CAN COOK TF OUTTA SOME FOOD

•He can drink milk.

•he loves Ice cream tho 😭

[s]•he bite his toe nails and spits them out when he uses the bathroom

•he uses “your mom jokes”

•he hates getting his socks wet it just ruins his whole day

•he has a nentendo switch

•play fights with fuyu but fuyu gets scared every time

•his fav snack is boba mochi

[cbui]Bf bajis

•he plays fight with you almost all the time

•on your first date he got lost on the way to y’all’s date spot

•he will playfully take your food

•he brings you to his mum every time you start that thing every mouth

•you went to the beach once and he put you on his back and he kept telling you he was gonna drop you

•he takes you by your ankles and swings you around sometime

•or he’ll just sping you around in general

•don’t txt him bruh he don’t answer them and ge can’t spell do shiiii

[cbui]Yall txt messages be like

Baji: dade I ned help

You: you “Ned” to learn how to spell mf

You: I swaer I though you was speaking Spanish boy

Baji: warsh Yur mounth

You: bruh

You: just get tf over here ��

You: I’m tried of reading your terrible spelling 😔

Baji: shut up I’m omw

You:at least you spelt that right

Baji: Fock yiu [middle finger]

You:..nvm

•once he get over all he dose is mess around with things in your room.

•he don’t even like them like fuyu would do if he don’t like it or he thinks some other guy bought it fo you he is gonna grab it in the most aggressive way

•if you ever try to playfully hit him he will dodge it or catch your hand

•don’t call him bro either . He’s ok w/ bruh but just don’t call him bro or dude he will think your putting him back in the friend zone

[s]•don’t buy him flowers because last time you did he got so happy he ate them

[stardustypaws]

Hi hi! I'm Jaybird!! (ﾉ° ᴥ°)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

☆.*・°☆ ✨️🦖🚀🧸📚🧃✏️ ★.*☆.。.:*

🍎You can call me Jaybird, Bluejay, or just Jay! I am a boy and I use he/him pronouns mainly, but I also use the neopronouns pup/pups, dog/dogs, bark/bark, robin/robins, boy/boys, and "the boy"(in place of pronouns)

☀️My big age is 23, and my small age varies a lot! Usually, it's between 3 and 9, but can be anywhere between 2 and 14 ^^

🌲Favorites:

Animals: Sharks, birds(especially corvids and jays), dinosaurs, painted dogs/African wild dogs, tigers, puppies, and bugs!

Colors: Primary colors +green, black

Foods: Dino nuggets, peanut butter cups, hot wings, mochi, ice cream, pumpkin pie

Shows: Bluey, MLP:FIM, Teen Titans(OG), the Batman, Blues Clues, the Muppet Show

Small Activities: Naps, snacking, watching shows and movies, playing DS, coloring/drawing

Other: I love outer space, nature, dinosaurs, batman and robin(s), collecting shiny things, witchcraft/paganism, legend of zelda, fidget toys, and anything that glows in the dark!

🐳 I personally do not use the terms "little" or "littlespace." These terms will not be used in posts I make, and I would prefer you not use these terms to describe me or my regression :)

🚀 I have been regressing since I was about 12, but I've only known about age regression and what it is since I was about 18ish

🍂I regress both voluntarily and involuntarily due to trauma/PTSD, anxiety, neurodegency, and as a general stress reliever.

🦇PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT INTERACT WITH MY POSTS IF YOU ARE:

×Kink(even sfw), Ddlg(and variants), Cgl, Abdl

× (NO)Map (or whatever ped0s are calling themselves now :/) or supporters

×Post/repost anything sexual

×LGBTQ+ phobic, racist, sexist, zionist

×Anti-neos, anti-xenos

×conservative/republican/alt right, prolife/antichoice, BlueLM/ALM

×anti-age(d)re, anti-cglre, anti-pet(d)re and are just here to pick a fight or be a bully

×Insensitive to mental illness/disorders

xGore, violence, traumacore, etc(im ok with mild horror, creepy stuff and minimal blood)

×Sensitive to cussing/swear words(imma potty mouth)

×Thinspo, pro ed

×Or are otherwise unsafe for kids!!

!! If you break my DNI I will immediately block you !!

🌈 I probably won't post very regularly due to social anxiety and overall motivation issues, but I will try to be as active as possible! <3 This blog is mostly just for reblogging things i like, but there will be the occasional self-indulgent original post (no requests, please ^^)

☆.*・°☆ ✨️🦖🚀🧸📚🧃✏️ ★.*☆.。.:*

[thekillingmoonmoon]

helllooooo (seriously whenever i type this is imagine i'm mrs doubtfire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7xggNtNdAE and i giggle foreeever)

i told myself i would wait until you came back from hiatus to send you more messages so as not to disturb said hiatus. i tried, i really did. so merry belated crisis and happy new year!! i hope you're doing alright! <3 i see and dig the new theme. this shade of red is amazing!

bonten, the botanical edition. mikey was the venus flytrap that started all this, right? and mochi as a green leafy dude haha. i went looking for something that made me think of mochi and i ended up with this lemon lime maranta because it reminds me of his teenage braid and bonten thin-line facial hair (https://hometoheather.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/lemon-lime-prayer-plant-sm.jpg).

as for the rest... challenge accepted, let's gooo.

ran for me has to be a flowering bird of paradise plant... it's just so extra (https://gardenerspath.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Bird-of-Paradise-Flower-on-a-Black-Background.jpg).

rindou... is a napoleon jellyfish flower (https://media.sciencephoto.com/image/c0074933/800wm).

i'm visually shallow, this is kakucho, a fishtail palm (https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/tree/fishtail-palm/).

sanzu... i had to look up a plant that represented loyalty but was also kind of prickly, like he'd keep you at arm's length (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_hederifolia#/media/File:Veronica_hederifolia_Nashville.jpg)

takeomi made me laugh because you suggested a tobacco plant so i naturally had to go find a ciggie-looking type (https://d3bbsv6h7qkr8y.cloudfront.net/9d/00/9d00e0d4419822c62fc75f5fc4f6aaf1.jpg).

for koko i love your suggestion of a money plant. i found this type, a lunaria, which look like silver dollars (https://www.thespruce.com/silver-dollar-plant-lunaria-4125718)

my resolution this year is to split things up and not leave walls of text. it will last two turns because i am terrible at remember what i said i would do.

i hope you don't see this until you're ready to come back <3 💐

beloved💐 anon

thank you so much for resending Botanical Bonten <3 knowing I could create my own little Bonten garden made me very happy :]

I took the liberty of saving and putting all your suggestions below so that everyone can enjoy your brilliance <3

OKAY LET'S GO

Ran's flower - I did not know these beasts were called Birds of Paradise! They're actually indigenous to South Africa, so they're very common in gardens - we call them Strelitzia though, Birds of Paradise much be the more foreign, Western name. These flowers/plants... They grow big. like huge. they get very tall, which seems right for our lanky Ran, no? 10/10 I love the South African representation hehe

Rindou - babe, I giggled so much, so so much when I saw this! what is this flower?? why does it look Like That? don't get me wrong, I want to fill my garden with these funny little guys but I'm very... confused...

Sanzu! very suitable! it has this delicate feel to the flower (don't tell me Sanzu doesn't look delicate. He's so small compared to Mucho and has these long lashes and pretty eyes) and then BOOM, prickles! (which also look like eyelashes) Sidenote - how intrigued are you about the upcoming chapters and the soon-to-be revealed drama? I'm at the edge of my seat, because I need to know the origin of these scars! please!

Omi - I wheezed when I saw these. Yes, very ciggy shaped, also very strange-looking? not for everyone (which is also Takeomi to a tee) but I find them very pretty (maybe in my ideal gothic garden I will spare a patch of earth to grow these)

Okay, so the links you sent gave me trouble (weh) so I went and got other images for the rest

Koko- okay apparently these are also called "Honesty flowers" which is really ironic if you ask me, since Koko cannot even be honest with himself, let alone others :(. but these are so pretty! they also have purple flowers, which adds to the whole luxury/royalty vibe Koko has going

Kaku - these.. can grow very.. large. Like tree large. wow. they must be a menace to maintain (not that Kaku would ever be a menace, he's the best of the bunch) I like your choice, the frill on the end does match his scar

Mochi - these are incredibly aesthetically pleasing I'm not gonna lie. they also seem to spread? like they send off these wandering branches which is fun. your aesthetic matching of Mochi various (tragic) hairstyles is spot-on here <3

Thank you for the gift that is the Bonten Garden <3 Ii hope you have a lovely week (please tell me your thoughts on the recent chapters!!!!)

lots of love

🐰🌙

P.S. thank you for notiicing the new theme! I worked way too hard on find the right gif for the header and the right shades of red :( so your comment made me feel very warm and fuzzy

[nad-zeta]

Hello :3 So. Would you like to write a hc with MC that was brought up in your culture and her native language isn't Japanese (maybe she can't even speak it)?? :33 Pretty please and huge thanks in advance 💗😂😘

Thanx for the ask friend! Hehe, this hc took a whole different direction than I first intended whoops. It started off with mc not understanding Japanese but it honestly got a bit too repetitive lol 😞 Also, I only did it for Masamune, Nobunaga, and MItsuhide; otherwise, it would get waaaay too long! ^o^ 

Okay, so just a bit of backstory- there are many different cultures and ethnic groups in South Africa. I grew up with Engish as my home language although I had all my schooling in Afrikaans. So I'm writing from that perspective. If ya guys want to know the exact translations of some of the phrases used in this HC let me know!

Foreign MC headcanon

Nobunaga:

Immediately after her arrival, he is intrigued. HOLY HELL, where did this woman come from. She is so freakishly tall, and what’s with that big bone structure. Gosh, her shoulders are almost as broad as his.

Low key intimidated by her height and build.

Hits on MC and ties to “drink from her lips.” MC looking unimpressed, backing away slowly saying, “Nee dankie oom nie vanaand nie, ek het a pa,” why is she laughing? Ooooh, its some kind of inside joke. Demands she tells him the joke! MC tells him it’s something she and her friends would say to the men they were uninterested in at the clubs.

The first time he heard her speak, he is instantly curious. He has never heard anything like it, it’s definitely not Portuguese.  MC explains that she is from South Africa. She also tells him that she can speak 2 of the official 11 languages.

Smirks is super amused, he demands that she tell him everything about her country, its people, and the different customs. He is amazed that one place can be filled with so many different types of people, languages, cultures.

Wonders why MC never goes into the sun without a parasol. Shows him her burn scar from getting burned the one day in the “harsh African sun.” He never knew the sun could be so dangerous before. Is now low key scared of the power of the sun

Is super impressed by the sweets she makes, especially loves the sickly sweet koeksisters that she made for him. South Africans sure do love their sugar. He has to down a liter of water after just eating one, he legit has never thought something would be too sweet for him before. Mc laughs while devouring her tenth one. “I thought you said you had a sweet tooth, come on have another”

Masamune

Hello lady! He has never seen such a tall drink of water before. Like seriously, he has literally never been looked down at before, and by a woman no less. Man, he feels short!

Hears MC talks for the first time and is convinced she’s a Portuguese spy. Que sword at the throat.

“listen here dumb ass, I am a lot of things, but Portuguese spy ain’t one of them.”

She can see the wheels in his head is turning, “then tell me kitten who are you and where are you from, or I’ll end your life right here.”

She strips her moer (Afrikaans way of saying she is pissed) “Is jy befok, I’m from South Africa and if you don’t remove this sword from my throat I am going to bliksem you”

Masa is sister shook, “what did you just say to me?” He backs off a little cause of the threatening tone in her voice. 

Explains to him that she is bilingual and can understand at least 4 different languages.

He thinks for a moment before lowering the sword and saying, “Let’s be friends.” Is instantly forgiven like nothing ever even happened.

MC teaches Masa, all the Afrikaans, swear words, and the pair start teaming up to tease Mitsuhide. Also, MC has an inappropriate sense of humor, so the two of them are always giggling about some or other joke that was made.

Mc teaches Masa some new preservation techniques for him to use when making non-perishable foods for wartime. Introduces him to biltong and droewors. Masamune is pleasantly surprised, he never imagined dried red meat would taste this good. Also, he will definitely need to watch his blood pressure, cause darn this stuff is salty. Mc misses being able to eat red meat all day every day. Would kill just to be able to eat some kudu fillet again *sighs*.

Masamune is shocked at how much she eats. During banquets, she piles on the food until her plate is barely visible. Her meals basically only consist of meat, starch, and a very minimal amount of veg. Can probably out-eat him in a contest. She just shrugs and says this is her normal amount of food she eats for dinner.

Masamune has to teach her to use chopsticks, Mc gets so frustrated cause she can't seem to get it right! 

The both of them get caught in a storm one day on a walk back from the market. Masa grabs her hand and starts speed walking to the nearest teahouse, “let’s take cover in the teahouse and wait for the storm to pass lass.” MC looking at him unphased, “what don’t tell me your afraid of a little thunder and lightning” laughs while continuing to walk through the storm.

MC’s turn to cook for all the warlords, she tells them she is going to make something she would have every single weekend back at home. She calls it a braai. Explains it is basically a fancy way of saying, to grill meat over an open fire. She stands tall and proud with her hands on her hips and says, “Ons gaan nou braai.” Masa actually half-understood this phrase because mc has been teaching him a bit of Afrikaans. Tries to mimic it but fails. The two of them breakdown laughing

Mitsuhide

His Eyes widen the second MC is introduced to him, “you, my dear, are most definitely not a little mouse.” Also, is that curly hair! Must resist the urge to run fingers through it.

Is instantly wary and suspicious of her. This woman certainly is loud and outspoken. Also, what a curious accent she has there. He wonders if you are one of those Portuguese traders that Nobunaga is always talking about.

Mitsuhide waits for her outside her room, leaning against the wall. Mc is super happy to see him, cause she heard Mitsuhide is the master of information. “May I come inside and ask you a few questions, my dear?” “okay, as long as you spill the tea after I answer all your questions, I do love a good skinner sesh.” He just smiles at her, not understanding a word, who on earth would want someone to come into their room and deliberately spill tea all over the place. Such a silly girl. He is so intrigued by her different way of speaking, that all past suspicions of her have now been dropped.

“so tell more about this tea spilling you speak of”, Mitsu attentively listens to her as she explains all about the country she is from and the different types of people and cultures.

Loves MC’s blunt and sarcastic way of speaking. Also, how is she kind and suspicious of people at the same time. 

She certainly is a feisty mouse, she is literally ready to fight someone at any moment. He is every entertained. Loves to get her riled up. This earns him a punch on the shoulder. 

Is amused that she calls the geta sandals “plakkies with a heel.”

Is amazed when he sees her playing in the snow with such childlike wonder. She spends the whole day playing and building snowmen. He doesn’t understand how anyone can be so enthusiastic about snow until she explains that she has never seen so much snow before. Que Mitsu playing in the snow with her. Starts a snowball fight.  Hideyoshi scolds the two of them for catching a chill

Laughs and teases her for pulling her face when taking a big bite of mochi filled with bean paste. “I thought you said this was a sweet dish,” MC says while downing her tea.

Is entertained by all the different phrases you use. They are pretty confusing, and often have a double meaning to them. Like how when she says, “ja no,” it means she agrees with him. Or even when she says “just now,” it means she will do it later.

Mitsuhide insists on learning Afrikaans from her, just so that the two of them can gossips about the other warlords right in front of them.

Hope this one wasn't too boring or too shitty ^_^ I think I need to practice my HC writing skills a bit more lol😂

[officialunwarrentedzoomers-blog]

Dear white supremacists...

A lot of people like to use the argument that only 13.4% of America is black yet they’re responsible for 50% of crimes in the US in an attempt to prove that African Americans are just naturally more violent people. Not only is that completely incorrect, but there is a system called Redlining. It’s what the government did in order to divide our communities based off race. It’s because of systematic racism, that they decided to place POC in bad communities. Banks used red lining as a way to decline people in the bad communities from getting loans. they also use it to over police the areas with more POC explaining why there’s a higher rate of arrest. And logically, anyone living in poverty is more likely to commit a crime. POC DONT act violent because it’s in our blood, they act violent for the sake of they’re survival. And just because some POC do, doesn’t give you an excuse to generalize an entire race

Sincerely,

Mochi

[kindlygoblin]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you. Learn to know your mutual and followers.

Hello!!!! Thank you dear💕 here a few of my favorite things @interstellerace

1. My plants!! I have a happy little collection of a lucky bamboo, a snake plants, 2 African violets(1 with purple/white blooms, 1 with pink blooms), 5 succulents, 1 pot of paper whites, 1 pepperoni plant, annnd 1 spider plant!!! They make me feel very cozy in my little dorm room.

2. I love ice cream mochi and ice cream taiyaki

3. Saying hello to babies on the subway can make my day

4. Phone calls with my mom

5. After-class naps

🌸🌸🌸

[chocolvte]

I'm African American and i have super curly black short hair im 5'6 and v chubby. I love video games, art and music (I also love naps so much lmao). I'm very flirty and love cuddles and attention (i'm very touch starved lmao). I'm very sensitive and laugh way to much, i also cry v easily, not even bc i'm sad. And can my groups be NCT Dream and Red Velvet please ?? Thank you so much !! ily

🚨 SHIPS ARE CLOSED 🚨

「 nct dream 」

i ship you with…

↪︎ chenle

he calls you…

↪︎ shortcake

your best friend is…

↪︎ jaemin

who says i love you first…

↪︎ you

your first date was…

↪︎ he was on tour in japan, but he flew you out and brought you to a ramen place he and renjun really love

「 red velvet 」

i ship you with…

↪︎ joy

she calls you…

↪︎ mochi

your best friend is…

↪︎ yeri

who says i love you first…

↪︎ her

your first date was…

↪︎ she took you shopping! joy still likes to joke that she’s your sugar mama because of how much she loved giving you presents

[behind-the-screen-of-bangtan]

Little details in “IDOL” MV

← Back to LOVE YOURSELF 結 ‘Answer’

Release date: 24 August 2018

Teaser

Episode of the MV Shooting

Other versions: dance practice, version featuring Nicki Minaj

BTS 'IDOL' MV reaction

Lyrics

Doolsetbangtan’s translation and notes

Colette Balmain’s article: “The end of the journey: desire, recognition and redemption in BTS’s “IDOL””

DKDKTV’s explanation

Naver Starcast article (part 1, part 2) (archive 1, archive 2)

Posts from MU:E the art directors (@nomaaaaaaaad and @bona._.b): #1, #2, #3

Outfits and accessories: the hanboks were made by Baek Oak-soo, list from @GetOnSwag, RM’s belt buckle

Bangtan Bombs filmed on the set:

Drawing from 'IDOL' MV

Playing with Glasses

’방탄도령단’ Theater of situations

Exciting Reaction Shooting

Dance Battle during ‘IDOL’ MV shoot

Idol (noun):

1. An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship. 2. A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.                                                                            (Oxford Dictionaries)

"IDOL” is a “South African dance song, mixing African beats with the rhythm and rejoiners of Korean traditional music, trap groove rap propped up by EDM source” (src, trans).

Plan of the post:

Cultural references

Korean

African

Around the world

Pop culture

Parallels with previous works

Little things

Version featuring Nicki Minaj

Cultural references

A lot of the MV elements are borrowed from different cultures around the world. You’ll see that not everyone interpreted them the same way though.

1. Korean culture

As mentioned in the description of the track, the music features Korean traditional music called samul nori. Wisha made a thread about it to explain the music, the singing, and the dancing. Big Hit also added a note in the description of the teaser to indicate from where comes the Korean traditional instruments sound.

But that’s far from being the only element from the boys’ culture.

There’s also a reference to the yangban, a social class of intellectuals from the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897). The hanbok they’re wearing and the hat some of them have - called gat - are the traditional outfit of the yangban. Jungkook’s cough at the end of the teaser also reminds of the way yangban would cough instead of talking (src).

@kimbyungkwans made a post about the references to Korean culture in the teaser and added a few things about the yangban if you’re interested. In her post, you also have a word about the fact the background of these scenes is inspired by traditional Korean paintings.

The structure could be a giwajip (cr.), a house associated with the upper class (src), or a Gyeonghoeru pavilion where entertainment was held (cr.). You can see “happiness” and “blessing” written on it. It was originally used to refer to a married couple but now it’s more associated with harmony, like the yin and yang (cr.).

The animals also have a heavy significance. Tigers are very present in the Korean culture and the white tiger is a sacred creature (src). There’s a myth about a rabbit, the daltokki, living on the moon and pounding mochi. This myth comes from people seeing a rabbit shape on the face of the moon (src).

In the scene with Suga, Jungkook, and later Jimin, the ribbons above their heads remind of the seonangdang (cr: x, x, x), a religious place where a decorated tree was dedicated to a protective deity called Seonangshin (src).

Several things reference traditional dance. The costume made of strips could be in tribute to the bukcheong saja (cr.), the fans remind of buchaechum (cr.) and the boys’ jump, called 자반뒤집기 (flipping salted fish (while grilling)) (cr.), is from pungmul (cr.).

바이스톰 By Storm made an excellent video on Youtube for the 2018 MMA performance that explained the dances and some more cultural elements, including things from the MV.

The costumes were made by BALKO. They just described them as “Special Monster”.

If you were already a K-pop fan in 2014, you may have seen pungmul dancers and a lion from the Bukcheong Saja in ToppDogg’s “Arario”.

Lastly, there are two occurrences of the word “love”. Behind Jimin and V as the hanja 愛 (ai) (thanks kimbyungkwans for the translation).

And the hangul 사랑 (sarang) behind Jungkook (src).

2. African culture

Like before, the music includes African beats but it doesn’t stop here.

The giraffes appearing here and there usually live in Africa.

For hangseokie on Twitter, the strip costume is a reference to Maracatu a “folkloric dance of Afro-Brazilian origin, typical of the state of Pernambuco.” For SerenaScarlet on Reddit, it’s rather creations from African American sculptor Nick Cave and called “Soundsuit”.

 Actually, if you search a bit, this type of costume appears in several cultures but until now I haven’t found one matching perfectly with what we see in the video. Now considering the theme, the Bukcheong Saja mentioned in the previous part is most likely the intended reference; they have the right shape and they’re just missing masks in the MV.

MIKI_BTStheory also see Afro Dance in the choreography.

3. Around the world

Since we’re invited to travel with the little three-master and the globe, let’s check where we can go.

There are the South Korean and the African cultures of course.

Then we have strong Bollywood vibes (cr. x, x, x) from this scene, be it the group dance or the architecture:

There’s also a fake camel in the background of another set. They live in both North Africa and Asia (src).

We also have an undersea decor during the Vmin solo.

Among the furniture behind V, you can see a little golden Buddha. Buddhism is an Indian religion very practiced in East Asia. There’s also a Chinese symbol on the lamp on the left and leopard motif on the chair next to it. Leopards live in Africa and Asia.

It’s not visible in the picture above but there are also butterflies on a horse’s head behind V (they’re visible in the version with Nicki Minaj). Butterflies appeared a few times before already.

It’s subtle but through all these little things we’re traveling between South Korea and Africa~

If South America feels left out, don’t worry!! You’re the one shown on the globe❤️

3. Pop culture

There’s a little hint of pop culture with the Snow White and Bugs Bunny appearing on Suga’s and J-Hope’s pull-over, as well as with the little Pink Panther plushie.

Parallels with previous works

Several people noticed how some scenes (cr. x, x, x) and some moves (cr.) looked like elements from past BTS MVs.

Some also noticed answers from the boys to past critics they received, as individuals (cr. x, x, x) and as a k-pop group (cr. x, x).

Little things

Jin’s, Suga’s, Jimin’s, and Jungkook’s drawings can be seen very briefly.  The story of those drawings can be seen in a Bangtan BOMB, Drawing from 'IDOL' MV (Eng subs).

The frame around the last three pictures is made of CCTV and hands reminding of the S concept photo.

Fun fact: during Bon Voyage Season 2 in Hawai, the boys did shark cage diving (episode 6).

Was that not enough Bangtan? Then let’s count the little Bangtan!

11 V

10 Jimin

7 Jin and Jungkook

6 Suga, J-Hope, and RM

Funnily, it's the ranking of the most hyperactive, isn’t it? (Well, they’re all hyperactive but you see what I mean.)

You can see the recording of this scene in the BOMB “Dance Battle during ‘IDOL’ MV shoot”.

Hymint1107 on Twitter noticed that during J-Hope’s part, the boys strike the pose of famous superheroes, namely: Hulk, Wolverine (Suga explained during a Vlive (at 17:25) that his pose was actually from Black Panther), Spiderman, Anpanman, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.

Version featuring Nicki Minaj

The video was released on the 7th September, exactly two weeks after the first version. It’s basically the same video with different choices of shots here and there - most of the time it’s a close-up of a member. kooktamin97 on Twitter made a compilation of the different parts and u/trashure on Reddit made a split-screen comparison.

One notable thing is that they changed the boys’ drawings. There’s a new one from Jungkook and Hoseok’s was added - “Hope world” is the name of his mixtape and of his studio.

As for Nicki Minaj’s part, she’s on the set that already appeared behind V in the first version and that we can finally see fully. She’s holding Jimin’s fan - Jin had it in the teaser - and you can already see her smartphone at her feet. Concerning the text appearing behind her, it’s her lyrics written in Korean. She was the one coming up with this idea.

There are red-crowned cranes on the yellow pillows next to her. Cranes are very present in Asian cultures and they’re a symbol of longevity and peace in Korea.

There’s an extension to the video to show some participants of the #IdolChallenge that was first started by South African ARMY, and made even more popular with J-Hope’s entry.

[add-v-bae]

Written Ship-BTS and EXO

Hi! Can I get a ship for bts and EXO? Please! I’m 5’6 and I’m African American and I’m a bit chubby but I get called thicc. I am a 00liner I have dark brown eyes that can switch to light brown and I have black hair that go a few inches past my shoulders. I am very cuddly (I get cold very easily)and affectionate, I love goofing around and playing with people. I love to cook read write sing dance and learn new languages. I’m very hyper and loud and I truly love playing video or phone games that require music or rhythm! I’m competitive but not to much. I am very confident in myself but I can get shy and I am very sensitive and emotional but I always look on the bright side and try to remain peaceful! I’m in band and I love being with my friends and family! I am the mother of my friend group I worry a lot. I love laughing and telling jokes. I have a love hate relationship with horror movies! I love stealing clothes that are bigger than me since it’s hard to find things that are bigger! I have a slight attachment issues and my self confidence goes down a lot but it usually goes right back up. I can be stubborn a times and I can be annoying. I can be a brat sense I don’t always listen haha I have no clue what else to say

(Sorry it’s a lot 😅)

You’re fine love, it’s perfect! I hope you like your ship, please feel free to request again, and I hope you have a wonderful day! @gentlywingedbeauty

In BTS, I ship you with Jimin!

Jimin would fall for you shortly after getting close, but wouldn’t realize for a while, only coming to terms with it when he was away from you and realized it just wasn’t the same singing and dancing with Jungkook and Hobi. He would be quick to confess as soon as he saw you again, and would be the happiest little mochi when you said yes. Jimin would be thrilled to do whatever you like to do with you, even some of the things he doesn’t find particularly interesting because he’d love to see how happy doing it made you.  As a man who’s not necessarily large, learning about your love of large clothes would make him go out just to buy baggier stuff, attempting to play it off like it was for the fans when his hyungs called him whipped. He’d also take notice when you’re having issues with your self-confidence and try his best to help subtly, throwing in compliments every now and then in hopes that it’ll help spring you back faster.

In EXO, I ship you with Jongin!

Jongin would love to dance with you and live for your cuddliness, taking every opportunity he could to do skinship with you, before and during your relationship.  Your relationship would probably start by neither of your choices, resulting from Kyungsoo getting sick of Jongin saying he's going to confess and then getting shy the moment you smile at him, thus the shorter man confronting you and bluntly telling you to please just date him. Your relationship would be an almost sickeningly sweet one, the other members loving to tease you both for the fact that it seemed like you were never not touching(mostly Jongin-initiated, he can't help himself) and how often you seem to make each other shy. However, as much of a giant puppy as Jongin is, he would be surprisingly serious when he'd notice you're having self-confidence issues, making sure you're away from others before talking to you and trying to help you to the best of his abilities. As for the clothes, there should be no problems, seeing how tall Jongin is. However, if there were problems, he'd probably buy larger shirt sizes in secret.

[db-best]

The Recipes We Can’t Wait to Cook From This Fall’s Best New Cookbooks - Grub Street

The fall cookbook lineup. Photo: Stella Blackmon/New York Magazine Fall is just a few weeks away and with that comes the energy to take on new projects or cook elaborate meals for the hell of it. Nothing goes better with that renewed sense of momentum than a new cookbook, and lucky for us, this is the time of year when great new cookbooks come out on a near-weekly basis. Grub combed through the dozens of cooking guides arriving between now and November and looked for the recipes we’re most excited to cook in our kitchens over the next few months. Here are the 12 cookbooks most worthy of your bookshelf.

A Place at the Table: New American Recipes From the Nation’s Top Foreign-Born Chefs The recipe: Shrimp-and-okra pancakes and charred-scallion dipping sauce Why: Because Korean-Creole crossover cooking is our new fall vibe. The beauty of this book is that whether you cook or not, it’s worth the purchase. First and foremost it’s a book about how some of the country’s best immigrant chefs made it in America, like Café Boulud chef Jae-Eun Jung, who was born in Korea, ended up cooking for Queen of Creole Cuisine Leah Chase, and then landed a coveted position at Le Bernardin. Here, all of those experiences blend into her shrimp-and-okra pancakes and charred-scallion dipping sauce. It’s just one of dozens of recipes, with other contributions coming from chefs Dominique Crenn, Edward Lee, Michael Solomonov, Daniela Soto-Innes, and others. Out September 24

Mixtape Potluck Cookbook: A Dinner Party for Friends, Their Recipes, and the Songs They Inspire The recipe: Vietnamese braised pork belly Why: Because where else will you find Eric Ripert and Q-Tip in the same cookbook? Of all our food-obsessed celebrities, Questlove is definitely the most connected. And that’s on full display in this new compilation of recipes from his friends in both Hollywood (Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Jessica Biel, Natalie Portman) and the food world ( Eric Ripert, Greg Baxtrom, Kwame Onwuachi). And did we mention Martha Stewart wrote the foreword? The Roots drummer avoids recipes that are overly complicated — like this dead-simple recipe from D.C. chef Kevin Tien — making Mixtape Potluck much more accessible than most chef-y cookbooks, plus there’s a premade party playlist at the very end. Talk about a one-stop potluck shop. Out October 15

South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations The recipe: Crowder pea and hominy succotash Why: Because Sean Brock still has a lot to say about southern cooking. The last two years saw chef Sean Brock leave his Husk restaurant empire, give up alcohol, and welcome his first child. Accordingly, Brock is in the midst of a transition from hellraiser to torchbearer, and in this follow-up to the James Beard Award–winning Heritage, he achieves that with a guide to the foundations of southern cooking, like deviled eggs, smoked pork, and fried green tomatoes. But don’t sleep on the more obscure recipes, like this hominy and succotash dish. This is where Brock shines, bringing the South’s most obscure recipes to national light. Out October 15

The NoMad Cocktail Book The recipe: The Loisaida Avenue Why: Because it’s the ultimate guide to a very special genre of cocktails: hotel lobby drinks. The NoMad Cocktail book has actually been around since 2015, when it came as a part of The NoMad Cookbook, essentially making it the speakeasy of the drink-book world. But come next month, that will change with the official release of this illustrated guide by bartender Leo Robitschek, featuring recipes from the 2015 version as well as 100 new concoctions he’s put together. This sweet-and-smoky cocktail feels the most on trend, featuring jalapeño-infused tequila, mezcal, Angostura bitters, Chartreuse, lemon juice, and simple syrup — and it’s definitely worth making at home. Out October 22

Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy's Best Home Cooks The recipe: Domenica’s Raviole di valle Varaita Why: Because Italy’s best cooks are its grannies. In 2014, Vicky Bennison decided she wanted to learn how to cook at the elbow of an Italian grandmother, a project that became a super-popular YouTube channel and Instagram where she showcases so-called “pasta grannies” with names like Sperandina and Graziella. Next month, Bennison will release a book featuring all the recipes she’s compiled over the years, including this raviole (actually a type of gnocchi) made with old potatoes, light cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a boatload of butter. Out October 29

The Saltwater Table: Recipes from the Coastal South The recipe: Cumberland paella Why: Because the real seasons are Oyster, Vegetable, Shrimp, Heat, and Smoke & Cedar. The southern coast is long, stretching from Virginia to Georgia. More specifically, Cumberland Island, Georgia, where chef Whitney Otawka runs the Greyfield Inn (after stints at Hugh Acheson restaurants in Athens, Georgia). Though Otawka grew up in California, she’s spent the last decade learning the language of southern seafood. Accordingly, this book is divided into that region’s seasons, including oyster season (January through March), heat season (June through August), and smoke and cedar season (October through December). Though there are plenty of non-seafood options, the book shines when it digs deep into the region’s briny history and puts a spin on it, like with this paella featuring shrimp, flaky fish, littleneck clams, and Carolina Gold rice. Out October 22

Pastry Love: A Baker's Journal of Favorite Recipes The recipe: Apple-cider sticky buns Why: Because this is the new apple-cider doughnut. For her second book, Boston baker Joanne Chang dives into the recipes she loves personally, like strawberry slab pie, fig danishes, and the butter mochi she first tried in Hawaii. But if there’s one thing Chang is famous for, it’s her sticky buns. So you can bet we’ll be baking her apple cider take, which Chang claims are even better than the original recipe. Out November 5

The Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes from a Chef, Father, Eater, and Lifelong Outsider The recipe: Bagels with Japanese-ish fixings Why: Because this is how you embrace another culture without completely ripping it off. It takes a lot of chutzpah to write about Japanese cooking as an American, but if anyone’s qualified, it’s Ivan Orkin. In The Gaijin Cookbook, which gets its name from the Japanese equivalent of “gringo,” the chef embraces the fact that despite his incredible love of and appreciation for Japanese culture, he will never truly be Japanese. That being said, he’s learned a few things after running successful restaurants in the notoriously insular country. The book covers a lot of the basics — think tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, and ramen — but where it shines is with recipes like this Japan-inspired take on bagels, including cream cheese with powdered seaweed and shiso gravlax. It’s just simple enough to try out the next time you have the gang over for mimosas and bagels. Out September 24

Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African-American Cooking The recipe: Chicken and dumplings Why: Because this is how you share the history of African-American cooks. Back in 2015, Toni Tipton-Martin — the first black woman to hold a food editor position at a major publication — published The Jemima Code a compendium of two centuries of African-American cookbooks. Now, she’s turned all that information into Jubilee, which adapts many of the recipes she came across in her research for the 21st-century cook. Expect classic recipes like sweet-potato casserole and wilted greens with bacon, as well as this killer recipe, the epitome of comfort food. Out November 5

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over The recipe: Coconut-braised chicken with chickpeas and lime Why: Because Alison Roman has managed to put together another eminently cookable book. It’s impossible to predict exactly which recipe in Alison Roman’s new cookbook will be the next Instagram superstar. Instead, Grub is excited about recipes like this one, because it exemplifies that classic Roman approach to cooking: well-known ingredients rearranged in interesting and compelling ways for young home cooks who want food that looks (and photographs) as good as it tastes. Out October 22

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta The recipe: Triangoli with pumpkin, butter, and sage Why: Because here’s your chance to see into the kitchen of L.A.’s pasta king. When Evan Funke materialized in the national food consciousness in 2017, operating out of a bigger-than-it-looks restaurant on Venice’s trendy Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Los Angeles had no choice but to bow to his pasta prowess. Two years later, it’s still basically impossible to get a last-minute reservation at Felix Trattoria, and why not: Funke is producing some of the freshest and most beautiful pasta west of the 405. But the man isn’t stingy with his knowledge. Just as he went to Italy and learned the art of pasta-making, he hopes you’ll learn from him in this book, with step-by-step instructions and detailed photographs of 15 pasta shapes from strichetti to cestini. Braver folks may want to jump right into the caramelle with artichoke, but we say start simple, like with this autumnal pasta recipe. Out September 24

Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen The recipe: Kielbasa and potato scramble Why: Because who can resist a chef-y take on our nation’s greatest cuisine: Tex-Mex. Chef Josef Centeno made his name slinging Spanish-Mediterranean fare at his flagship L.A. restaurant Bäco Mercat, but at one point or another, all chefs return to their roots and the food they grew up eating. Centeno did just that with his Tex-Mex cantina Bar Amá, which the late Jonathan Gold once praised for its puffy tacos and sopa seca with kielbasa and octopus. Now, you can cook your way through the restaurant, including Centeno’s scramble, which is comprised of much more than its name implies (think: yellow onion, serrano chile, avocado, and two kinds of chilis), making it, as the chef points out, the perfect filling for homemade breakfast tacos. Out October 1

Eat like the experts.

Sign up for the Grub Street newsletter. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Read the full article

[baekon-stripss]

Get to know me better tag

I was tagged by @our-kpopreact

Nickname: none,I get called pumpkins some times lol

Star sign: Virgo♍

Height: 5'4

Time:4:26 pm

Birthday: August 23rd

Favorite band:...BTS...duh lol no I like EXO, twice,seventeen,red velvet, Blackpink,Got7,Pristin

Favorite solo artist:: Samuel,Jay park,Justin Bieber,Cardi B, Anda,CL

Last movie I saw: IT (old version)

Last show: Fruit Basket

10.When blog was created: I don't remember around 2014 I think

11.What do you post: I don't really post I mainly reblog stuff but when I do its mostly memes lol

12.Last thing I Googled: popeyes hiring...a girl tryna get a job

13. Do I have other blogs: yes, I have 5 . They're mostly for the members of bts, I haven't made one for rapmon and jin yet...shame on me

14. Why did you choose your URL: because baekhyun took his shirt off at a concert...so baekon-stripss

15.Following: 273

16.Followers:969...I don't know why, but thank you

17.Favorite color: blue,gold,black and pink

18:average hours of sleep: 7

19: favorite number: 9

20:Instruments: probs a piano

21:What are you wearing: long shirt and shorts

22: How many blankets do you use In bed: 2

23.Dream job: Chef and Makeup artist

24. Dream trip: South Korea,Dubia and Paris

25. Favorite food: Dumplings, shrimp and Mochis

26.Nationality: Proud African American

27. Favorite song right now: Shit, I don't know! Probably mic drop or gashina OR we like I DON'T KNOW DAMNIT

I tag, @blackgirlslovebts @k-p-p-d ,@geomeow @the-grace-in-glitter and everyone else

[taylorwritesaboutthings]

Canada 6-4 to 6-5

We scrambled onto an Uber (I forgot my phone, and all of us forgot to grab the tickets) and finally arrived at the relocated stop to find the bus had been delayed. It arrived about 20 minutes later, and we all flipped open our passports and happily found the bus to be quite empty. The bus would make a long stop at Boston, so we didn’t try to sleep yet. We treated ourselves at Chinatown to some grass jelly with red bean, taro, sweet potato, mochi, & bubbles at Sweet Kingdom. 

When I entered back onto the dark bus, I felt very sleepy. Kay & Ben quickly passed out, but I was too uncomfortable and cold to sleep. I may have gotten about 1-2 hours total. Getting out for the border crossing at 5am felt like an illusion, and my legs were liquid. 

When we finally arrived, it was 6:30 AM and I still felt dizzy and underwater-walking. Ben lead us, as we were floating blobs, to an open cafe. It was like entering a wall of chocolate croissant air, which woke me a bit. We ordered 2 lattes, chai & matcha, and I drew in my mini sketchbook. 

Since we couldn’t check in until after 12, we decided to cafe hop - with Ben as the guide. He found us a little cafe filled with succulents called “Leaves Cafe”, where we bought a biscotti and a london fog with macadamia milk. Needing something salty & substantial, we found another place called “Crew Cafe”, further in the financial district, embedded in a grand, classical-style, bank-like building. The ceiling was patterned and far above, and the cafe low and glowing with chic suede furniture. On the sides, there were glass-walled office & meeting spaces. Around a rectangular table surrounded with business-casual people, we ate a thickly sliced multigrain toast topped with bacon fig jam and a boiled egg, and a tomato bell pepper, sweet potato soup. The jam was perfectly balanced between too salty and too sweet, toast warm and savory, and soup comforting and herby. After our meal, Kay & I feel asleep with our heads upon our arms. We must have looked like some lazy high-schoolers on summer vacation. 

We then set out to a park near to our BnB, finding one near to a river. It was too perfectly green and evenly spaced, with a bulldozer shoveling dirt in the background, that it felt a bit uncanny. Yet it was pleasant with plenty of shade, so we stopped and snacked and slept. 

When it was well past noon, we headed towards our room, first doing some shopping at local markets for food to cook. We bought some pork & taro, huge oranges, a pomegranate, tofu, bean sprouts, eggplant, mushrooms, and apples, then measured out pancake ingredients and spices from a store where you bring your own containers. We also got this bread/sticky cake thing made with cassava - thinking it would taste like sticky rice, but a lady told us that it was an African bread cooked with a special oil and cassava leaves. Kay cooked the pork-taro and I made mushroom-eggplant, while Ben heated the cassava bread. Sadly, it tasted too much like fermented mochi to us so we had to throw it out. 

Originally, we planned on relaxing the rest of the day, but we all wanted bagels, so we departed again after lunner to 2 famous bagel shops. First, St. Viateur - which only took cash so we had to walk to the nearest TD bank through a neighborhood that was clearly primarily a Jewish population. Kay got really excited about this sign of authenticity (for good bagels). They were amazing bagels. Unlike NY bagels, they are soft and sweeter, with a slightly crunchy crust, and thorough coating of sesame. Our second stop was Fairmount Bagels, not too far away, in a compact location under a lit plastic sign. In the entry way, it was made extremely narrow by walls of orange crates filled with bags of bagels, clearly fresh and ready to ship. I enjoyed their sesame bagel more, as well as their ‘bozo’ variety. It was smoother and a bit more chewy, and I like the flavor of the poppyseed. 

With two paper bags full of bagels, we walked back and viewed a beautiful pink-orange sunset. Our final stop was a small jazz bar, called ‘le petit bar’. We were early for the show, so we walked over to a magically lit fountain surrounded with lounging people before heading back. At a small table, we ordered a cider and a gin & tonic to share, then the musicians began. There were 3 - an oboist, clarinet player, and an accordian player who sang - who all put their best effort in the performance, a theatrical event. Although we had no idea what they were saying, it seemed like a narrative, and at one point everyone was chiming along, singing like drunk cats. 

I could barely keep my eyes open, so we left before the end, and the musicians bade us farewell - saying in english, thank you for listening even though you couldn’t understand anything.

[inyourbestwriting]

This week’s dose of local funtime is brought to you by San Francisco’s Japantown. I’m leaving the Inner Sunset for this one, but it’s worth it. It’s also rather topical, as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is happening there this weekend. 

Firstly, a history lesson. Often overshadowed by its whopping great big Chinese neighbour (the largest Chinatown in the States) our Japantown, or Nihonmachi is small and can easily be explored in half a day. The Japanese first started to arrive here in the 1860s and originally settled around Chinatown. Following the 1906 earthquake, many were forced to move and chose to settle where Japantown stands today: about a mile west of Union Square, which is not somewhere that will feature in my SF Places to See.

The reason for its modest size is a sad one. The Second World War was not kind to Japanese Americans, many of whom were sent to internment camps. Prior to the war, Japantown spanned twenty blocks, but was shrunk to its current size of around six. Not only did the war slow the steady Japanese population growth, those returning to the city afterwards found they could not reclaim it in its entirety as others had moved in in the meantime. The African-American population of the area increased from five thousand to nearly forty five thousand  between 1940 and 1950 as a result of both an increase in wartime jobs (a lot in shipbuilding) and because of people fleeing the Jim Crow laws in the South. As you can read more about here: “since housing was available in Japantown, many people moved into the houses, set up businesses, and created a new community; this displaced some of the returning Japanese families but allowed for the Fillmore to flourish as the Harlem of the West. Japantown endured and remains an integral part of San Francisco alongside the Fillmore.”

Whilst small, what we have today is a busy and thriving centre of Japanese culture. It’s not classically beautiful. In fact much of it is pretty ugly: typical of 1960s concrete-heavy architecture, and the heart of it is based in a shopping mall called the Japan Centre which straddles (quite literally, over a bridge) Geary, a main city road. 

That said, do not be deterred; it’s still lovely. It’s focal point is the Peace Plaza, featuring a five-tiered (concrete) pagoda, a gift from the people of Osaka. Just across the road on Buchanan Street is a pedestrianised area designed to resemble a river. Also concrete, but somehow manages to be surprisingly pretty in spite of this. 

My Japantown favourites in here can be divided into edible and giftable. 

On the edible side: Sophie’s Crepes, where the sweet crêpe with black sesame is the thing to get. Mifune-Don is good for savoury pancakes, called okonomiyake. Kissako Tea is known for its onigiri, or rice balls, stuffed with various delicious things. Uji Time will furnish you with a ice-cream in flavours such as matcha and tofu, served in a soft-baked cone shaped like a fish inspired by taiyaki, which are seam bream-shaped cakes. I’ve also heard good things about Sushi An, a tiny little sushi bar that you’d miss if you didn’t know it was there. I’ve not been but it comes highly recommended by sushi fan friends. 

All of these are inside the mall. Outside are Ramen Yamadaya, which is a chain and not fancy at all but still good. The slow-cooked pork that comes with the ramen is super duper delicious, especially on a damp and foggy SF day. Almost opposite this is the wonderful Benkyodo, an original Japantown business that opened in 1906. Its owners were interned, but reopened the business following the war. Pictured above, it looks like an old American diner, complete with red formica counter, serving (pretty terrible) diner food including hamburgers, hot dogs and slow-burnt coffee. They are NOT why you go. Your reason is instead their wagashi, or sweets (“confections that win affections!”, as they say themselves): both mochi and manju (varying riffs on a glutinous, stuffed cake made from rice flour). There are lots of traditional ones filled with things like red bean paste or with green tea in the gooey outer layer, but also more Americanised versions such as the peanut butter manju, which sounds terrible but is actually amazing. 

Super Mira market is lovely: a small, family-run supermarket that feels like somewhere your granny would shop, were she Japanese and in a Wes Anderson film. The produce is hand-packaged and the price labels are often handwritten. Aside from all your kitchen staples, it also has a tiny great-for-lunch restaurant which serves an ever-changing selection of bento, including shrimp shumai, or Chinese-style dumplings, for which it has become popular. Bella ate her first solid food in there, in the form of an udon noodle. Also inside the shop is a tiny bakery called Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop, famous for its coffee crunch cake covered in shards of honeycomb. 

Back inside the mall, on the to-gift side is Daiso, a big Japanese dollar-store full of all sorts of household things you never realised you needed, including all the Pockys your heart could ever desire, joined-at-the-top chopsticks for kids and plastic molds that turn sticky rice balls into little panda heads. Ichiban Kan is along the same lines, just not as cheap. Also great for kids is Amiko, for things like character backpacks, tableware and food-shaped erasers which make me wish I’d kept up the collection I started when I was six. Pika Pika a shop full of photo booths which produce customisable stickers. Nippon-Ya is a gift shop that sells traditional (and mainly edible) host gifts, all wrapped in lovely paper, as well as other Japanese sweets such as outlandishly-flavoured - to us Westerners, at least - KitKats (apple vinegar? Sweet potato?). Kinokuniya bookshop is full of enticing wonders I sadly cannot read, as well as toys and notebooks. Its entire lower level is given over to manga and anime, if you’re that way inclined. 

Outside the mall is Paper Tree, selling reams and reams of beautiful paper for both wrapping and origami, as well as other stationery and cutesy toys which would make more great presents for kids. I also love the kitchenware shop Sanko for its ceramics and delicate glassware. My brother bought me this bright yellow mug from there with a rough, unglazed handle. 

A great way to see the area is by doing a food tour, such as the one run by Edible Excursions. If you’d rather do something more relaxing, the Kabuki Springs and Spa is an onsen, or bathhouse, about which I’ve heard good things but not yet experienced. As you may have gathered, my visits thus far have mainly been about the food. 

[shelfnovel12-blog]

Bake your Day With These Romany Cream Cookies!

These Romany Creams are a classic South African sandwich cookie. Two chocolate coconut biscuits are sandwiched with creamy milk chocolate filling. They're moreishly good and like a cousin of the Australian Kingston biscuit and no less delightful!

As soon as I saw the recipe on Tandy's blog for Romany Creams I knew that I had to make them. I really enjoy South African food and although I've only visited South Africa once, the South Africans that I have met over the years have been so friendly that I seek out their food, only to be rewarded with delicious treats.

Originally Romany Creams were based on a cookie called Gypsy Creams with a similar biscuit but white cream to sandwich the halves together but it wasn't a great seller. Pyott's biscuits was a South African biscuit company originally founded by a Scotsman John Pyott. In 1965 his son Ian was in charge and he changed the biscuit and made the filling chocolate. Pyott's had a relationship with Cadbury who many say encouraged this filling change to chocolate. The biscuits were named Romany Creams as a nod to the heritage of Gypsy Creams and the Romany travelling community. And they became one of the most popular biscuits!

Nina is South African so when I made a batch of these I asked her to test them out. You see I haven't actually tried Romany Creams before so I wasn't sure how much my version would be like the real thing.

Tandy's recipe was straightforward although I adjusted it a bit. My mixture was very sticky so I added more flour and I changed the chocolate filling to be milk chocolate rather than Tandy's dark chocolate, just because I love the milk chocolate filling of a Kingston biscuit. I don't usually like Dairy Milk chocolate as it's way to sweet for me but in this case, you definitely want to use it because it makes the most perfect filling for this biscuit.

I had so many comments on the filling from everyone that received it. My mother (who does not give out compliments lightly) described them as "so delicious" and she loved the cream filling.

I also gave a batch to Mr NQN's colleague Ruslan and his wife Anastasia. They've recently moved to Australia from Russia and they had to leave their little dog behind. The move has been a challenge on her as she doesn't work and doesn't speak much English and probably feels quite isolated.

They were very eager to look after Mochi. Like most parents I find Mochi highly entertaining - I think she is so cheeky and funny she could headline a performance at the Enmore Theatre. One time I left her alone for 10 minutes while I searched the garage for Halloween props and she went straight to the kitchen, took out two packets of bagels and a tin of tuna from the shopping basket and tried to make herself lunch I guess!

Mochi loves staying with them. They treat her like she is one of their own and any time we have to stay out late their response is that we should stay out as long as we want, they just love spending time with her!

When I gave them the cookies, I wasn't sure how they would like them. But he sent me a message shortly after, "Did you cook these cookies yourself? They are awesome!!".

So make these cookies for friends or family or anyone you want to say thank you to. This recipe makes a lot of them so it makes enough for you and lots of friends. I had enough to give cookies to four lots of people and then enough to eat on my own-Mochi staring pleadingly of course wondering why she couldn't have one!

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried a Romany Cream biscuit? Do you like Dairy Milk chocolate?

Adapted from Tandy at Lavender and Lime

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Makes around 35-40 sandwich cookies (depending on size)

15g/0.5oz cocoa powder

125mls/4flozs. hot water

250g/8.8ozs. butter, softened

150g/5ozs. caster or superfine sugar

340g/12ozs. self raising flour plus extra flour for fork dipping

135g/4.8ozs. desiccated coconut

Pinch of salt

400g/14ozs. milk chocolate (dairy milk actually does perfectly for this)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line four trays with parchment. Dissolve cocoa in hot water and set aside to cool. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale. Add the cocoa mixture and beat for 1 minute. Then fold in the flour, coconut and salt until just mixed (add more flour if it is too sticky).

Step 2 - Scoop out small balls the size of gobstoppers. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour and make sure they're spaced about 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes or so-these are best when they are crisp and baking time depends on how big you've made them but make sure to bake them til crisp and slightly browned at the edges because they're best that way and don't really crisp up further on cooling that much. Cool for 5 minutes then place on cooling rack. Match similar sized halves together.

Step 3 - Melt the milk chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. The trick to filling these is to set the chocolate until spreadable and not too runny. Allow to set in the fridge. Once they've set they can be kept at room temperature (as long as it isn't too hot where you are my darlings).

Source: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/11/07/romany-creams-recipe/