Shiny San Francisco Stories: Chris and Kel's excellent gaijin adventure!

[kellinator]

One of the places in San Francisco gamgee was most eager to take me to was Japantown.

Japantown is, basically, this huge mall with all sorts of delicious Japanese restaurants and shops. Chris and I had a tasty lunch, then he tried to ease me in without giving me culture shock or offending anyone else. Just before we walked into the stationery store, he pulled me over and ordered me not to squee over any of the adorable kawaii stuff I was about to see. "Squeeing bad?" "Very bad."

The Japanese stationery store was a sight to behold. Anyone who loves words needs a Japanese notebook. The paper is just... buttery. Like a fine wine. I was in raptures. Also, sometimes the notebooks have amusing Engrish on them. I got one that was labeled "Private time for sensuous people." How could I resist?

Then we went to a store where I got cute little chopstick rests and chopsticks with sheep on them. At this point Chris basically said "What was I thinking? By now most people are in culture shock from all the silly little trinkets, but you like the trinkets."

Then Chris took me to the wonderfully sparkly Japanese grocery, which has all sorts of weird and wonderful things, like the Japanese soft drink that has a glass marble rolling around in it and tastes kinda like Sprite. My cultural horizons were broadened, plus I had a tasty drink.

Comments

[fanagle.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I'm reading Margaret Cho's book, and she grew up there, talks about Japantown a lot. The tasty drink sounds, well, tasty!

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Margaret Cho rules. I should check out her book.

[fanagle.livejournal.com]

It's pretty funky. I had no idea she was so heavily into drugs/drinking.

[relevantpink.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't know why he told you squeeing was bad. Perhaps things are different in Japantown, but in Japan, that's ALL Japanese girls do. It is the land of squee. It drives a lot boys who go over there plum crazy. ~_^

I think I might have a notebook from the same company that I got over there... It is also says something about being a sensuous person. ^_^

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

*giggle* That is too funny!!

[atomicnumber51.livejournal.com]

Actually, Japantown is the whole neighborhood, pretty much anywhere where the streetlamps are the square flowered-lantern-ish looking thing. The mall he took you to was Kintetsu mall in Japan Center.

Sorry, you know me, pedantic as always... :-)

[kittybecca.livejournal.com]

I am so jealous! Why isn't there a Japantown (or for that matter, Japan) near me? I need more cute Japanese stationary and toys and kitchenware.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, if there were one near here, I would be so broke... (not that I'm not already)

[fairylogic.livejournal.com]

Yayyy! I love Japanese stuff! I can't believe I haven't explored DC's Japan/Chinatown. As soon as the hordes of tourists leave it's first on my list. I can only hope to find stuff as cool as sheepy chopsticks and saucy journals.

How can anyone not love all the little trinkets? (Of course this is coming from someone currently wearing a Hello Kitty band-aid)

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

It's like this massive overdose of Cute Stuff (tm)...

[allanorn.livejournal.com]

Where did he take you for lunch? My favorite place to go down there was Tsiri Ksuru (I think that the name of the place).

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the name of it... will have to bug him.

cryptic stationery rules!

[daraflower.livejournal.com]

my favorite notebook EVER is one i found in a thai department store. the cover bears this very unobtrustive, but hilarious, caption: "friendship is wanting to do things for her. friendship is putting your brand on him." then, in small, faint letters in the upper corner of each page, it reminds you: "this is the most comfortable notebook you have ever run into." *heart*

Re: cryptic stationery rules!

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's adorable!

Very cool

[satia.livejournal.com]

I hope I remember to tell my son about this because I am sure that if he ever makes it out to San Fran he would love to hang out in Japantown.