Today started with laundry and math for Joe and the girls, while I went on a Zoom call upstairs. There is no furniture upstairs, just our three mattresses on the floor, so the “desk” up there is my closet! It’s the space above the staircase below, so it’s an upper half of the walk kind of opening, perfect to use as a standing desk. The kitchen table can only really fit two school girls and one parent, besides, the only privacy in the house (besides the washroom) is upstairs.
Joe made a quick tofu miso noodle soup for lunch, and then set out to go get a haircut. The girls and I were aiming to walk the 30 minutes back to the hair dresser we spoke with on Sunday during the International Market, but then Joe messaged saying to come to where he was instead.
We arrived just as Joe was leaving, and he introduced us to the hairdresser. She nodded and smiled as the girls walked in, but when she understood that this nordic hair person also needed a haircut, she got real nervous. It’s ok, I said, I’ll go somewhere else. I know that my hair is different, and not just a “straight” cut.
It was a small salon, two seats separated by a big shelf cutting the room in half. It felt like a mom, pop and daughter operation, the daughter did a good job on both Joe and the girls.
The girls and I got back to the Airbnb just in time to save Joe from finishing an entire bag of snacks all on his own, and then we set out for today’s adventure. Joe had set his sight on a particular destination downtown, so off we went. Along the way, we found today’s most unique vending machine:
Only minutes away from the busy shopping districts and tourist traps, take a right here, round an alley there, and suddenly we find this small oasis, maybe half a block in size, with a Shinto Shrine and a lion head shaped performance stage.
By now it was late enough for us all to be hungry, and we aimed back towards the mall area. The girls had begged for pizza or burgers today, so we stopped in at a hotel restaurant promising Japanized Western food. The girls got pizza and french fries, and Joe and I shared a cheeseburger – essentially a large meat patty with cheese melted on top and gravy, with a salad garnish on the side. No bun. This is a Japanese hamburger. No pictures, unfortunately.
After our quick meal, we made it to the mall. I am still amazed by the green space they’ve created inside and around the Namba Parks mall.
We were shopping for some birthday gifts and souvenirs today, and of course the girls got some time in a toystore to browse.
On our walk home from the subway tonight, Joe stopped outside the patisserie I’ve been dying to enter every time we walk past… I mean, I could smell that something exciting was happening beyond the glass doors, but it was impossible to tell from the sidewalk just what was waiting inside. Just. Look. At. It. All!
It reminds me of the Cedric Grolet creations I tried in Paris last year, however these are their own pieces of art, not made to look like what they are made from. Just look at that diamond necklace display! The patisserie employee who boxed these up for me asked me how long it would take me to get home with the desserts, because once carefully placed and taped into a box, they then get a tiny little ice pack! I’m guessing they increase the number of ice packs depending on timing.
Cutting into these little cakes is a scary feat in itself. Téa expected it to be tempered chocolate (we’ve been watching way too much Masterchef Australia, apparently), but it is the softest mousse.
It’s rare, but I have no words. Taste, texture, appearance, experience… It was all I hoped it would be. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Now I’m off to dream about it all over again…