Coffee: Ube Latte

Top view of an ube latte at Signal Coffee Roasters.
Top view of an ube latte at Signal Coffee Roasters.

Before right wing billionaires were obviously meddling with content on social media, I might have easily chosen a commercial site to post this. I would also know where to get news from my favorite civil rights organizations, and where to complain that I ate an entire jumbo roll of Sweetarts and now feel queasy. But now, there is no obvious place to do such things.

Anyway… This is an Ube Latte from Signal Coffee Roasters in Alameda. It is tasty. And that color! Ube is a sort of purple yam, and it is popular with friends from the Phillipines. It is featured in an ice cream at Mitchell’s. Ube flavor goes well with espresso and almond milk, because OF COURSE IT DOES.

One of my team members says it also blends well with matcha, but I’m a matcha purist, so I haven’t tried that. (The color of purple plus green isn’t as pretty, I’ll note.)

Book: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Cover for the audiobook of The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Audiobook cover

The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Scalzi
audiobook published by Audible (8 hours, 2 minutes) and narrated by Will Wheaton (!)
2022

John Scalzi had fun writing this book (you can tell), and Will Wheaton may have had EVEN MORE FUN performing it!

Jamie is desperate as the COVID-19 pandemic strikes, after having been laid off by his annoying dude-bro boss at a food delivery startup. As he scrapes by delivering food with yet another corporate restructuring hanging over his head, an acquaintance offers him a lifeline: a job at an “animal rights organization.”

A job that pays very well.

That will take him off into “the field” for long periods of time.

One that will wire money back to his roommates. One that requires shots for conditions that might not even be real. Wait, what?

Jamie is reluctant to believe that “the field” is located on an alternate version of earth, in a universe where earth developed differently, and came to be dominated by highly radioactive kaiju. Who can come over to OUR earth when certain nuclear events occur, which led to real events that inspired our Godzilla films. And where Jamie can support an international team of scientists while they try not to be killed by the local flora and fauna.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t specify the arc of Jamie’s adventures, but it is a good time. There is something deeply satisfying about hearing Will Wheaton shout sarcastic dialog and joyous profanity. Scalzi includes many old geek references in this book, so many that I worried that I should stop saying that certain phrases would make good band names. (Editor’s note: The younger people I work with are unaware of this geek tradition, so I’ll keep doing it until they groan.)

This book is fun. Lighthearted, profanity-punctuated fun. I recommend it highly.

Coffee: Winter Latte with Peppercorns

Image of an almond milk latte with ground pink peppercorns on top.

A commute friend asked if I often go to [local coffee chain], as I stood there, cradling a cup with their logo on it.

I wanted to say that I don’t, as I hadn’t been there for a few weeks, but instead admitted to a few things:

  • Despite the busy location, I am often greeted by my first name there.
  • I can tell which barista prepared my drink by the foam design on top. (By my experience, there are two heart baristas, one fern barista (my favorite), and two dove baristas).
  • One of the workers there has been out of town, and I noticed and and welcomed them back.

So, yes. I go there often. Less often than this sounds like (this is cumulative experience over a few years), but when public transit gets me where I need to be early, I absolutely will enjoy an espresso drink.

Writing: Deep Green Ink with Silver Glitter

Handwritten journal entry dated November 11, 2024 about the first real rain of autumn, and various cozy indoor activities.

I spent time this morning listening to the rain, and then opened up a souvenir of my trip to Japan to write with it. It is Takeda Jimuki Kyo No Oto ink in Ryokuyuoiro, which is a deep, grayish green with silver sparkle. The sparkle component clogged the first pen I tried, but I went with one with a wider feed, and enjoyed its beauty as I wrote.

Collage of the silver particles settled into the back of the ink bottle; the ink bottle label in Japanese and some English; gently glittering words.

My phone camera likes to increase the contrast when I photograph text (it wants it to stand out from its bright paper background), but hopefully you can see the silver glitter in the text, and the depth of the green.

Two images with sample, handwritten text in green, lightly shimmery ink. with ink-stained paper nearby to bring out the color.

It was pleasant to take the time to write with such lovely ink, and spill my thoughts after some time listening to rain. I needed it.

Book: The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, Chapter 31 (so far)

This horror story has become so harrowing that the publisher is releasing chapter 31 in multiple parts, each one slightly more intense than the last!

Covers of The Summer Hikaru Died Chapter 31.1, 31.2, and 31.3

The Summer Hikaru Died, Chapter 31 (so far)
by Mokumokuren
published by Yen Press
2024

I don’t know how many parts there will be to this chapter. Is releasing them in parts supposed to ease the shock? Do doctors not recommend that we read all three at once? I don’t know what to think

But: yikes yikes yikes yikes yikes. The Houka Festival is creepy. The effigies are creepy.

The line, “So, what did they use before dolls?” is met with a creepy, too-long silence.

The idea that everyone traditionally knew there were holes in the fabric of reality and that it was up to children to go through to the other side to patch them is creeeeeeeeepyyyyyyy….

And yes, I’m eager for more!

Life: Beauty, Friendship, and Unpleasant Revelations

The first week of November… was something.

Beauty: the weather was stunning. Cold mornings led to unexpectedly warm evenings. I made time for pleasant weekend walks with friends, and we basked in sunshine while the bay reflected blue skies. Weeknight sunsets turned the sky nearly every color but green, shortly after the time change let me out of work in time to watch. Clear nights made our local cities sparkle.

Friendship: I’ve spent time with people I’ve known for more than a decade, chatted amiably with people I met only this week, and enjoyed unexpected “quality time” engrossed in long conversations with people I’ve known for only months. Life stories. Travel plans. Disappointments in politics. Pet strollers. Compliments on my non-Sharpie-styled eyebrows. Mohawk hairstyle maintenance. A surprising number of people who know where the best Thai Buddhist temples in the region are. Good Indonesian restaurant recommendations! I’ve felt warmth, curiosity, kindness, and delight. I feel so lucky to have people around me who make me feel this way, and I hope I can do the same for them.

Unpleasant revelations: The U.S. elected a grifter felon president before being willing to elect a woman… AGAIN. Nationalism and fascism have more appeal than I can readily accept, as cartoon-villain-types providing simple-but-untrue answers continue to win out over the stickier details of a measurable consensus reality. I see there are plenty of people who prefer to watch the world burn if they don’t get their desired place near the front of some metaphorical line, but don’t hear them offering anything better. (Though I understand from Adam Serwer’s clearly reasoned book. The Cruelty is the Point, that they don’t intend offer alternatives, as their goal is not to improving anything.)

The returning-to-the-opposition party still fails to rise to new challenges, remaining blandly lukewarm about most topics of import (getting elected to protect the environment, but approving fossil fuel projects; being elected to protect individual reproductive rights, but having defectors spoil every opportunity to pass protections; letting allies and trading partners engage in genocide, rather than standing up for human rights; being bipartisan in situations where cross-aisle-status-quo posturing benefits no one…). Failures to deliver results drive apathy; being an alternative to an apocalypse only works so many times.

The fights for progress and justice never end, but it would be nice if they sometimes offered intermissions for refreshment breaks AND guaranteed no backsliding. Since they don’t, please take care of yourselves, avoid the conspiracy theorists in the breakroom, roll up your sleeves, and find a niche where you can make a positive difference.

Life: Travel to Tokyo and Kobe, Japan

Image of Mt. Fuji reflected in a river on a cloudy day.

I am stateside again after ten satisfying days in Japan. This trip was my third visit, and the best yet.

The +16 hour time difference continues to haunt me, as does whatever is happening in my left ear that makes my hearing come and go. I’m working on re-establishing a sleep schedule that overlaps with nighttime here. I’m also sorting out when and if to eat, which is confusing (and not helping me slim down as I’d hoped).

I had a new Chromebook with me, and so was able to organize favorite photos capturing my many interests into massive Google Photo Albums with lengthy captions about flavors, pools suitable to occupy as water spirits, and watercolors that match drying rice… and then realized that innocent colleagues will likely be overwhelmed by these details, and that I should offer something snack-sized.

So I’ve illustrated my ‘top ten’ favorite experiences from this trip. You will not be surprised that many of them relate to food. Those experiences are:

  • Kobe and Tokyo: Vegan and Vegetarian Foods (Food!)
  • Kobe: Sorakuen Garden
  • Kobe: Waterfalls and Emerald Streams
  • Tokyo: Matcha and Wagashi (Food!)
  • Tokyo: Tokyo Ramen Street (Food!)
  • Tokyo: Lotus Ponds and Temples
  • Tokyo: Art Supply Heavens
  • Tokyo: Dining in a Traditional Building (Food!)
  • Tokyo: Immersive Contemporary Art
  • Tokyo: Shrines

You can see little collages and read brief summaries of these topics in ten blog posts at the link below.

I’m unlikely to write a single, long travelogue entry, though I kept a diary while I was there. I’ll take more time to reflect on the trip before considering that. However, it’s safe to say that the trip exceeded all of my expectations, and went SO well that I’ve already booked flights for a 2025 return.

I used my travel time to enjoy some books, and will post about those here soonish.

Book (Manga): The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, Chapters 27 – 30

The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, covers of serial Chapters 27 - 30

The Summer Hikaru Died
by Mokumokuren
published by Yen Press (ongoing, this is about Chapters 27 – 30)
2024 – present

My favorite horror series about body-part-collecting-beings from ‘the other side’ continues! The story is well-paced, and builds upon earlier revelations. As noted earlier, do not read these out of order! And don’t read further if you haven’t started the series.

Chapter 27: Yoshiki and new Hikaru hear a novel explanation of what’s happening in their town from the stranger in sunglasses, who asks new Hikaru to try to fix the rift between worlds. Yoshiki wrestles with his feelings for new Hikaru. The sky has weird lines in it. Also: there is a very attractive drawing of pancakes.

Chapter 28: Kurebayashi rejoins the boys. This chapter contains the creepiest social media post EVAH, posted by a kid who is OVER IT. (I respect his impatience with ghosts!)

Chapter 29: New Hikaru shows off some of his cleansing powers at a classmate’s house in Ashidori, a village where they may have something to fix. That classmate’s occult-obsessed brother recommends an upcoming festival.

Chapter 30: The Houku Festival is cheerful, aside from the creepy little dolls people make as an offering. Asako feels like she isn’t helping to protect the village, so she goes off on her own (!) to a forlorn, abandoned house (!!) that has sounds coming out of it (!!!). (GIRL – nooo!)

There is something that moves the story forward in every chapter – this tight pacing is fantastic. (You’ve read me complaining about the many manhwa stories that veer off onto tangents about agriculture… This has the most agricultural setting of any story I’ve read, yet Mokumokuren STAYS. ON. THEME.) The way Yoshiki wrestles with his attachment to new Hikaru feels authentic. The increasing creepiness and limited timeline for preventing something awful from happening build tension well. I continue to love this series!

Book (Manhwa) Update: I Tamed My Ex-husband’s Mad Dog By: CMJM, Jagae, Jkyum – now Complete

This story is 92 chapters of revenge, self-denying-relationship-dynamics, and a fear that a loving couple has no future because of flaws within each of their characters.

I endorsed this comic at chapter 71, and I endorse it still. It is suspenseful all the way through!

I’ve already described it, but can add that devoting one’s second-chance at life solely to revenge is not sensible. Also, self-loathing about the decisions one makes to have revenge can sabotage a relationship even more than stealing and mutilating a body together does. (Does this sound like a lesson that applies to you? If so, let’s NOT hang out!)

Beyond avoiding self-loathing, the story suggests that honesty, open communication, avoiding saddling your love with army-borrowing-related-debt, and perhaps even admitting to bearing your loved one’s children rather than hiding in another territory could all improve your love life. This… feels like solid general relationship advice. Fringe, yet accurate. While this story is marked with the “romance” tag of Tappytoon, such stories are usually more upbeat and don’t involve as many years of not speaking to each other or even being in the same region as this story does. (There is some realism in this, however.)

It is suspenseful – a character coming close to using magic to erase their life, inconveniently located cliffs, inconveniently deadly monsters, attempted assassinations, children running away with armies, a man bullying a younger man who may seek to avenge himself later, and the very real risk of a murder breaking a fragile, restored trust continue through the penultimate chapter. (Penultimate: a good name for a fountain pen shop, especially if it is second-to-last on a block.)

I truly enjoyed this violent, suspenseful, revenge-centric fantasy. This is a riveting adventure story of good people doing gory / bad things and suffering for it for many years before admitting their faults and choosing love. I continue to recommend it.

Life: I Love Autumn Sunrises

I know I’m more likely to see them because it is so darned dark when I get out of bed, but… STILL.

THE COLORS ARE AMAZING. I get the warm fuzzies just for being alive and having color vision to see this.