Osaka Opportunities Part 1

well my friends, Japan in summer is HOT. Not just sticky, uncomfortable hot (that's Singapore). Japan was unbearably, unbelievably, devastatingly, swelteringly hot.

In fact, on some days, it hit 43 degrees celsius and set a new record-breaking high in Osaka for the first time in 73 years. People died of heatstroke whilst I was there.

So here are some tips to keep cool despite the burning heat, from the Cool Cutie himself:

(1) Drink lots of water

Look! Cutie likes his new bottle!

It's really easy to dehydrate and get heatstroke cos the hot weather makes you feel like not eating anything.

Buy an nice bottle in a cheery colour and remember to keep drinking from it (by the way, we lost the bottle, left it in the hotel in Tokyo, sigh).


(2) Stay in the shade, dress cool

Cutie and his new Japanese girlfriend

Best to avoid the sun in the afternoons, and to just wait it out in the shade.

Dress cool, like Cutie here. Light, cotton singlet and shorts are best for this heat.

It would be great if you can find a nice Japanese girl to keep you company as you wait... :) which of course Cutie had no problem doing (he takes after his charming ol' dad, this boy!).

(3) Eat lots of ice cream

Taking a bite of ice cream...

Japanese ice cream is great, really creamy and smooth. I think it's cos they take really good care of their cows. Here, their Kobe cows drink beer and listen to classical music, you know. So I bet even their ordinary cows lead much better lives than cows elsewhere.

Tasting... contemplating...

DH loved their macha (green tea) ice cream. It was smooth and creamy and had a fragrance not found in green tea ice cream here. They use premium Japanese green tea here, whereas elsewhere, the green tea is sourced from other countries like Vietnam or China. The macha had a slight bitter edge that is found in good green tea.

Verdict: He likes it!!

Here, Cutie is eating peach and vanilla ice cream (white peach is in season right now!) made from fresh peach. It was very refreshing, and the peach flavour was sweet and light (a bit like Yami yoghurt... if you can imagine... but much much better).