Off to Israel & Jordan: Travel video press trip! Cute Japan flower arrangements & Snoopy donuts.
I’ve been itching to return to the Middle East, and am excited to announce (Terminator style) that “I’ll be back!” From late January to February, my filmmakers and I will be in Israel and Jordan for the first time.
Can’t wait to explore Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, all thanks to the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Our friends at Ya’lla Tours are helping us get connected, and will also take us on a guided tour of Petra, the historical city and archaeological heaven.
My travel team and I will be shooting stories about the alternative nightlife in Tel Aviv — there’s a colorful LGBT scene here, including an Orthodox Jewish drag queen. We’ll also make travel videos, photos and blogs about the modern local fashion, Israeli wines, and even a hummus restaurant.
Maybe this time, I’ll get to ride a real camel? To get in the spirit, you can revisit last year’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai coverage in my Middle East category. And send us your travel tips; we’ll always keep them in mind.
Before we dive into tabbouleh and falafel, let’s hop back to Japan: the land of cute food.
At the Swimmer store in Shinjuku Alta, I spotted these “hitsuji” or kawaii lamb-faced cakes. Clever, how they use a coiled cookie for the horns.
The bakery also sells “kuma-chan” or little bear cupcakes. I’ve never eaten anything from Swimmer; the pastries look too sweet and cute to consume!
Mr Donut, the Japanese doughnut store chain, has seasonal collaborations with cute characters. Around Halloween, they offered spooky Hello Kitty donuts. For Christmas, they teamed up with Snoopy and Woodstock. Unfortunately, looks trump taste. I tried one, and gagged at the flaky icing and bready interior.
While “character bento” recipe books aren’t as popular as before, there are still kawaii food items everywhere. I found Rilakkuma bear cookie boxes in a convenience store.
Plus a bottle of white cat sake.
I grew up eating Pocky as snacks. Fun to see these panda versions, made with white chocolate over brown sticks.
Do ghost tomato Pretz taste extra scary?
In Japan, you’ll often see vans or trucks decorated to the nines. I stopped short when I saw this one, plastered with cute animals… made from flowers!
Similar to bento decoration, the flowers are arranged in clever ways to mimic figures like Santa Claus. Paper or felt cut-outs form the eyes, nose and details.
These panda bear flowers were my favorites. At first, I thought they were onigiri or rice balls.
Just when you think the Japanese have thought of every possible way to make things cute… a new idea comes along.
Perhaps these photos might inspire you to try “kawaii flower arrangements” of your own.
Back to food, minus the cuteness. Whenever I’m in Tokyo, I gorge myself on sushi since the quality is outstanding here. At “kaiten” conveyor sushi parlors like Hibari in Kabukicho, each plate is only about $1.40.
If you don’t know Japanese, there is usually a photo menu that you can point to. My favorites are unagi (eel), hamachi (yellowtail), bintoro (albacore tuna)…
… and if I’m lucky, toro salmon topped with ikura, (fish roe). It melts in your mouth like nothing else, and is only about $2. I once ate about eight of these!
While not so pretty-looking, okonomiyaki or savory pancakes are a must-try, especially in Osaka. Also visit an izakaya, or homestyle pub, and pop into Coco Ichiban for mouthwatering Japanese curry.
How about dessert? If it’s around October, you can find pumpkin flavored Haagen Dazs ice cream in convenience stores.
Basil and I hope you enjoyed this post about cute and yummy food in Japan. We urge you to step out of your comfort zone, and try new dishes whenever you are traveling. I’ll be doing that soon in Israel and Jordan.
For more cat-ness, I just posted more photos of Basil Farrow on his Scottish Fold blog, and Facebook.
Also add us on Instagram and Twitter — @lacarmina — for previews of my Middle Eastern journey. Above are some snaps from Tokyo.
What type of reports would you like to see from Tel Aviv and Jordan? Do you have suggestions for places to see, and things to eat?
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My Goth Swimsuit: skeleton swimwear at infinity pool! Bangkok Gothic Lolita shop Chuchu.
Is there such thing as a Gothic swimsuit? Seems so!
Enjoy the bathing suit shots by Seby, plus a peek inside a Bangkok Lolita boutique called Chuchu.
Online retailer Little Wicked’s Emporium made my day when they sent me this Banned Apparel skeleton swimsuit. The design is cheeky yet chic, with lining and straps that tie around the neck. Such a treat to have swimwear that suits my aesthetic!
My white cat-eye sunglasses are Dolce & Gabbana, and my floppy hat is similar to this one.
Seby and I enjoyed every aspect of Sofitel So, the luxury hotel that hosted us in Bangkok. One of our favorite moments: splashing around the rooftop infinity pool.
The edge of the water appears to stretch on forever. At night, it turns into “The Water Club Bar”, with special cocktails and lounge DJs.
It’s hard to beat a swimming pool that overlooks the Thai skyline.
The Sofitel pool is shallow, which is good for people like me (I hardly made it to the “Maroon” level in the old Canadian Red Cross program).
Guests could play with a selection of inflatable donuts and sharks. Let’s just say, we had a bit too much fun with these toys.
Between playing around, we took in the view of Lumphini Park, an inner-city green space with an artificial lake and boats for rent.
What type of swimsuit do you wear? Would you rock a skeleton one?
While it was tempting to stay in our hotel oasis, we braved the Bangkok traffic to visit Platinum Fashion Mall.
I came here for the new Sweet & Gothic Lolita boutique, Chuchu. (83, Zone1, Soi Ginza 6, Platinum Fashion Mall.) It’s run by two Japanese sisters, Tsubasa and Mamu, who are now based in Thailand.
All items are designed and made locally. The frills and gathers are reminiscent of what you’ll find in Tokyo shops — but for much lower prices. This is Bangkok, after all.
There’s a cute selection of skirts and dresses, in many different pastel colors and styles. The sisters generously gave me a purple floral Lolita dress from their collection. You can see me wearing it during my Seattle trip.
Chuchu also makes cosplay clothing. The store has a loyal customer base, and takes part in local events like anime fairs.
You can see Japanese influence in the fashion styling and flyer design. Many of Chuchu’s garments are reminiscent of classical Lolita cuts.
The stuffed bear and flowers prove their dedication to all things kawaii.
I’m glad to see Lolita fashion in the hands of young, international creatives. In Tokyo, EGL styles feel a bit stagnant to me, and quite a few labels have closed down (like Peace Now and Banana Fish).
Even if Lolita is not growing much in Japan, it’s great that there are strong communities worldwide. Indie designers like Bangkok’s Chuchu are reaching new audiences, and putting their own, local twist on the style.
Platinum Mall contains other small shops that sell original fashion or bulk clothing, like these colorful aprons. This is a good place to pick up inexpensive basics (like Seby’s swim trunks).
However, for forward-thinking street style, the best shopping destination remains Siam Discovery.
We were in Thailand around Halloween, hence the cute ghost, pumpkin and skull chocolates.
Bangkok is famous for its street food. Outside, there was a vegetarian festival. Maybe that’s veggie duck?
Time to get back. We hailed a taxi — they’re very cheap in Bangkok, just be sure to get on with a running meter. Open air tuk tuks are another option, but with our hair and outfits, we prefer to be in an enclosed and air conditioned space.
Give yourself a lot of transit time, since the traffic is notoriously slow here.
At least the funny Bangkok taxi signs help to pass the time. Clients are urged not to gamble, sing karaoke or eat durian. My favorite is the “no water buffalo.” Apparently, a buffalo is a Thai slang word for an idiot.
What do you think of my “all bones” Gothic swimsuit? Are you surprised to see a Lolita boutique in Thailand?
Here are more photos from inside the Sofitel So hotel — I’ve never felt so pampered!
LA CARMINA
