Cats and Curiosities

Hello everyone! Pending a shift to more normal hours on my part, I will probably continue to post blog updates in the small hours of the morning. I've been shuffling through some old pictures, and thought that I might start tonight's entry off by discussing the Japanese “cat cafe”. Many Japanese live in apartments, and of those apartments many do not permit the residents to keep animals. To fill this need, many people turn to cat cafes where they can sip a beverage of their choice while luring the feline inmates over with tidbits of dried fish. 
 
In Sanjo we paid about $11 (each) to spend half an hour with the cats armed with a tin of fish flakes. The experience was nice enough, though it didn't quite live up to expectations. The cats at this particular cafe didn't really suffer to be petted unless they were straining to reach a tidbit held in the other hand. Still, it was fun to interact with animals for the first time in months and the cafe had a variety of cat breeds that I hadn't been able to get a close look at before.

 Cat in a box.

 "I am less interested in the camera than in the bit of fish in your other hand."

Nikki managed to pick one of the cats up, but the cat wasn't particularly interested in staying there.






Next, I've gathered quite a collection of photographs of things that range from droll to incredibly strange. Once again, I'll let the pictures do most of the explaining!

 The green bell peppers I buy always have a little creature on them made from the vegetables in question. This one is reminiscent of Alistair.

 I think this stuffed animal is meant to be a capybara. But I'm not entirely sure.

 "This is a nice hot deli from Pizza Hut. It makes you smile and be happy! Enjoy the deli while its hot. Try with pizza! You will surely say, 'Great!'"

 I've never met such a forthright garbage can before!

 The earnest question this sign posed made me smile.

Woe unto him who does not enjoy the style of his socks!

 This has got to be the most philosophical trash can I've ever seen. It also seems to be a little dark humored to be asking someone about the direction of their life while they're throwing something away.

 This is the tower at the World's Fair grounds in Osaka. To me it looks vaguely like a penguin .

Most takoyaki shops have banners like this. Never before have I seen an octopus so happy to sell me his...balls.

 The stickers read, from left to right: "I am ready for cattle mutilation." "I have janky switch in my brain." and "I become an ogre if I go berserk."

...


And now you know how internet memes like this get started!

I'm not sure who made this...but I believe “very demotivational” (http://verydemotivational.memebase.com/) was involved.

That's all from me tonight...er...this morning. Please post your comments! I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks of my findings!