I'll Give You Something to Remember Like the Alamo.

I've been on a crude version of it for over a year now, but to celebrate the release of the book (and its treasure trove of new detailed tips), I'm renewing my commitment to Tim Ferris's 4 Hour Body/Slow Carb eating program.  Maybe I'll post more about that sometime, but today is my favorite part - the "eat whatever the hell you feel like" day.  I've had a crepe, two sodas, a donut, a Zats burger, a Snickers, and now, before I hit the sack, the piece de resistance - a grab bag of burgers from McDonald's.

Don't look at me like that.

Anyway, McDonald's Japan has just revived its "Big America" campaign, featuring four different regional flavors.  First up is the Texas Burger, and it's an unmitigated disaster.  (A few years ago this would have been predictable, but McDonald's food has been getting much better).  Sadly the Texas2 Burger is ruined by the Japanese influence.  Rather than Jalapenos, I think the spiciness comes mainly from horseradish mustard, the chili-esque substance slathered on it is nuclear red, and there's what is, I think, a piece of ham on it?  But it's supposed to be bacon?  I don't know.  But it does not even remotely remind me of home.

P.S. - Testing out some Amazon linking options here . . . 

The Kafkaesque Absurdity of Japanese Paperwork

I had a rather eventful weekend, the less positive side of which was having my nice bicycle stolen (apparently by someone with a hacksaw and quite a bit of determination) from Koenji late Saturday night/Sunday morning.  The upside of the crummy experience was that I got to feel quite good about myself after going in to talk to the police and rather uneventfully reporting the theft on Monday morning.  Everyone I talked to was quite sympathetic and very helpful.

That was, for all its shadows, the good story.  The bad one began when last week I decided to finally get settled back into a yoga routine, which I'd been letting slide.  I found out when I first got here that though a recent yoga boom made studios pretty common, many of them - particularly those associated with the Yoga Lava chain - are women only.  But, since yoga has proven so vital to me keeping on an even keel over the last two years, I decided it would be worth it to trek down to Shibuya a few times a week to the closest male-friendly spot (I was also planning to bike there frequently . . . oh, cruel irony!)