Now That's Service!

Picture this, if you will: A courtyard, an ocean of violets in bloom...

... ok, just kidding. Picture, if you will, an olive oil bottle that doesn't drip when you pour from it. A bottle that doesn't have built-up oil drip all gunked up on the side where the cap screws on. Imagine a honey bottle that doesn't drip or "string" after you've finished squeezing out the golden deliciousness, stickying up the cap, the bottle and/or your fingers. In the U.S. we purchase products of pourable or squeezable liquids just because the bottle says "No-Drip." And then we get it home, and joyfully commence pouring or squeezing, only to get to that decisive moment when... it drips. Or dribbles. Or strings. And the gunking begins.

People of the world, Japan has this technology. The concept is simple, really, someday I'll share a picture of it with you. But for now, believe me when I tell you that my olive oil bottle does not drip, nor does my honey. It doesn't even string. Imagine. In America we are so proud of our space program. Oh, what great technology we have. But what good do spaceships do for the common man, when we can't even design a true no-drip bottle? You'd think that if one country had it, another would too. But perhaps they're not sharing this design for the same reason NASA isn't passing out rocket recipes at UN meetings. Who knows.

In other news, yesterday I returned home to find my short-awaited slip informing me that my Amazon.co.jp package had indeed arrived - as scheduled. I took the slip to school today and A-sensei of my LMS helped me to decode the kanji instructions and phone the company to let them know when would be a good time for them to come back.

Ex-squeeze me? A-baking powder? I'm sorry, I tell them when to come? I don't get it. Shouldn't I wait for them to leave 3 slips at my door when I'm obviously at work, then bust my butt to get to the place before they close and ship my package back to where it came from? Or hope that they leave the package for me on the railing of my apartment door, where it could be and was blown over by the wind down between the railing and the neighbor's porch where I may or may not think to look for it? Or where it could possibly be stolen by any of the local hoodlums? Or have them toss it up onto my porch in the rain (fortunately it was FedEx and came in a plastic bag)?

No, gentle readers, I have just had placed in my hand my first ever mail-order purchase. I called today, said today, they came today. "Between 6 and 8pm," as I said was good for me. It is now 6:48. Not bad.... Let's open it!

Hooray! Oh, and you know why else the Japanese are brilliant? Because they don't put those infuriating plastic strips across the top of the CD case. Now let's see if they play on my computer!.....

People, we have Chicken! Now for the Hair.... I'm in! Aaawesooooooome!

And now, for my taste sensations, some lovely chocolate, provided by Morinaga, makers of Hi-Chews and apparently confectioners since 1918.

Have a peaceful evening. Or morning. I will now be enjoying some Suneohair. Ahhhh...