Inside Hello Kitty a.k.a. Kitty strikes again, at least here

Image ©Jason Freeny

The design world is awash with creativity. That’s a good thing. I love it! The things people come up with! And the quality is all out there. Even the quirkiest of designs are slick as slick. Take Jason Freeny’s work, especially the anatomy series. There is the inside of a Gummi Bär or Balloon Dog or many other unlikely subjects (who knew they are full of bones and viscera, but I digress). Thanks to the digital age and Jason’s generosity, cuz - damn - many would want a pay for this good stuff, you can enjoy his designs as wallpapers for your desktop, iPhone, iPad and even have some icons for your Mac for free. So why title this blog “Inside Hello Kitty…”? There is Kitty inside to enjoy, too. Ever so close a proof that Kitty is a living being, not just a mouth-less cartoon *wink wink*

Hello Kitty everywhere!

When it comes to brands expanding into stratosphere, Hello Kitty is definitely up there. Born in 1974 through Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio, Hello Kitty exploded into a global trademark that graces pretty much anything you can think of. The cute stuff you can use at school, eat on or wear is a given, as far as cartoon characters are concerned, but toasters, television, computers, high end bling bling?! A Hello Kitty Airbus?!?! That is truly another level. So although I should not be surprised, my jaw dropped when I found out one can procure Hello Kitty tarot cards. Yep, they are out there. Now, tarot cards are not all fun and games. There are some grim, heavy themes there. Death card anyone? How about the Devil? Or the Hanged Man? Or ten swords stuck in your back? You see what I mean. How can the cuteness that Hello Kitty is manage that?! Well, to quote “A spokesperson for Sanrio says that Hello Kitty is not normally given a mouth because "without the mouth, it is easier for the person looking at Hello Kitty to project their feelings onto the character" and that "the person can be happy or sad together with Hello Kitty."…” I see. I think it is clear now… Kinda.

Bubbly time again!

Francis Ford Coppola Winery Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs 4-Pack is a genius marketing ploy. This sparkling white is nothing to buzz over when it comes to taste. It’s not bad. Quite drinkable, but its packaging is the thing. The small cans were a surprise. Quite cute and with an expendable straw attached on the side, very much like a lunchbox perennial - the fruit juice box – for grownups. Although not recommended for reasons of safety, the box in which the four cans come makes for a good lantern. The cutout holes on the side let the tea candle light through, but of course ventilation from the top is paramount. Not advised, but, hey, the things we do at a dinner table *wink wink* Cheers!

A Zen approach to food

By Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle –

The purest form of Japanese cooking is a rare, 100 percent vegetarian style called shojin ryori, or temple cuisine, which has been practiced by the Zen Buddhist clergy in Japan for more than eight hundred years. “Shojin” means “perseverance and devotion,” and “ryori” means “cooking,” or “cuisine.” The theory behind shojin ryori is that food should enhance spiritual growth. Nothing is wasted. Only small portions of the simplest plant-based foods are used, but the result can be quite delicious.

            A typical shojin meal might include stewed daikon with ground leek and miso sauce; steamed noodles topped with tofu paste, yam, and chopped wild chervil; and boiled spinach and steamed apple dressed with ground black sesame seeds.

            There are five foundations of spirituality in Buddhism, and shojin cooking reflects the significance of the number five: it has five methods (raw, steamed, grilled, boiled, and fried), five colors (green, yellow, red, white, and black/purple) and five tastes (sweet, hot, bitter, sour, salty), and sometimes a sixth (umami, or savory).

            [The] favorite aspect of shojin ryori is the five reflections, which are spoken by temple members prior to eating the meal.

THE FIVE FOOD REFLECTIONS

1. I reflect on the work that brings this food before me; let me see whence this food comes.

2. I reflect on my imperfections, on whether I am deserving of this offering of food.

3. Let me hold my mind free from preference and greed.

4. I take this food as an effective medicine to keep my body in good health.

5. I accept this food so that I will fulfill my task of enlightenment.

Sushi dance

It can be all science

Cocktail Chemistry Set from Think Geek

Mixology – a fine art of cocktail making – as it turns out can get some scientific flair added to it. Think Geek has been ever so helpful in providing a Cocktail Chemistry Set for the geek in you to shift that paradigm ever so closer to measurable. Well… Ultimately, there is only one way to find out and that is by conducting a rigorous experiment worthy of a declamation in the hallowed halls of Ivory Towers and final publication is an esteemed journal. Pass me the white coat!

Daruma doll

“The Japanese have a custom that they employ when making a wish or setting a goal. For each new goal, a daruma doll is acquired. This doll, really a large wooden head, comes with no eyes. When a goal is set, the first eye is painted on. The second eye is added after the goal has been reached. Along the way, the daruma doll stands as a constant reminder of what its owner is working to achieve.” – Barbara J. Winter

Suntory Time!

Photo © MAK

Whisky and I did not agree for a long time. I swore, and still swear, it’s an acquired taste. Couldn’t get beyond the initial sting of my tongue that overwhelmed anything that this libation had to offer – that something that appeared to titillate others enough to produce a very satisfied wink and a hum. Till one day, as the whisky bite was wearing off, a glimmer of epiphany struck me. The aftertaste gently coated the back of my tongue and a taste made itself know. Aha! Eureka! This must be the secret! Still, I kept on hesitating when it came to choosing whisky as the drink for the moment. Know this, my homeschooling was very clear about drinking something like whiskey. It has to be straight up, as not to mess with the selection of the exquisite ingredients, the fine skill and the hard labor of the distillation. A major affront otherwise. Period. Then one day, I was introduced to the ‘shameless’ concept of opening the whisky flavor by adding tiny amounts of water till the bite goes away. One. Sip. Two. Sip. Three. Sip. Getting there, but it’s messing with my homeschooling… Either way, I need more practice to find a nice middle ground. And here comes the next challenge. In my book, scotch is the way to go with a potential branching out into the adjacent territories. Traditional, I know, but why mess with a good thing, or so I am told. Japanese whisky?! OK, thank you ‘Lost in Translation’. Suntory it is. In fact, Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt (no need to get crazy with the Hibiki Blended Whisky, 18 Year Old Single Malt or 1984 Vintage Single Malt at this point, it’s not like I am a connoisseur or something). So here we go. Straight up. Smells nice. Fruity. Sting with a fruity flavor and warmth at the back. OK. OK. Smooth for me. Wait, there is something else there. Spice? Ever so slight. Sip, sip, sip. Well, for relaxing times… you know how the rest goes. Kampai!

Here Kitty Kitty

Photo © MAK

Maneki Neko – you’ve seen them in many a restaurant. Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money Cat, or Fortune Cat, whichever it ain’t Chinese cat.  Supposedly from the later part of the Edo period in Japan, the earliest documented evidence of Maneki Neko comes from the 1870s.  These Japanese bob tails beckon with a paw or maybe even two.  Left to attract and right to protect. Then there are the colors: white for purity, positive things to come, gold for intense wealth and prosperity, black for good health and to ward off evil and a stalker, red - a protective color to keep away evil spirits and illness and for love, marriage and personal matters, pink for love, relationships and romance, and green sometimes for health or education or studies.  The calico is the luckiest cat of all, but supposedly a white Maneki Neko is a calico coming to life from under lazy hands that did not want to give it its tricolor spots, so take your pick if the whitey is the luckiest of all. Might be. Either way, they are SO cute! If I could just get my hands on a jade or real gold one! For that I need my ceramic gold kitty to work overtime. Here Kitty Kitty! Beckon!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_Neko

http://www.namaii.com/manekineko/maneki-neko-types.html

http://www.goodorient.com/pages.php?pageid=58

Bubbly

What do you think of when it comes to wine with bubbles? Champagne? Sparkling white? Either way, chances are it’s white. Alas, you didn’t think of color. OK, maybe rose crossed your mind, but something dark? Not so much. Ah, my dear, you are missing out! Check out some sparkling Shiraz, for example. Peter Lehmann’s ‘Black Queen’ was my first foray. And a memorable one, too. So next time you go to pop the cork for anyone you see, consider a bubbly with color.  This gem is named “in honour of the most hauntingly famous Black Queen of all, The Queen of Sheba, who describes herself in the book of Solomon “I am black, (and) comely.” There can be no better description of this wine. A truely indulgent pleasure.” Word! Bottoms up mates!