hump-day hankerings

Yesterday arvo, I had a major sweet craving at work! We have this basket filled with easter eggs, but I am so over chocolate that it ceases to be a joke! What I did find in there was this miniature packet of Haribo german gummy lollies. I am guessing the german lady at work added them to the basket but i don't know why... they are SO GOOD! She should be storing them in a secret drawer in her office rather than in the sharing basket! But I am thankful for her subtle attempts to convert her Australian co-workers to German fandom. Sometimes (usually) she is not so subtle and she says things like "oh this is a German recipe, it's the best, it's not sweet and disgusting like your 'cakes' here..." or "yeah i just don't get that about Australia, it's stupid." let me remind you that you are the minority here Fräulein... hush that silver tongue! I used to think she was racist to Australians but now I just laugh.

This teeny weeny packet of lollies was not enough to sate the beast of my hunger, therefore I decided to venture out into the unforgiving streets of Melbourne. Only then could I truly quell my restlessness and desire. The only problem was that I was in an introverted mood and couldn't be bothered with crowds. All I wanted was le sugar!! I started heading to the best/worst place. I decided Melbourne Central would have the greatest variety of sugar but it also comes hand-in-hand with the biggest crowds. *sigh* the things you do for love...

A little anime lightbulb went off over my head on my stroll- I remembered that there was a Harajuku style crepe store there!!! When i was in harajuku last, I lined up for ages in this huge snaking line and got myself one! I remember it had berries, custard, chocolate, and cream... in other words- heaven! Anyway I decided to sample the Melbourne version for the first time!

Here are a few pics taken very conspicuously by the only person in the store with no Asian heritage whatsoever, unless fantasies count??

That's a very Japanese thing to have plastic models of the food displayed on the wall or in the front window. Often you get served a meal that is identical to the plastic display. It is astounding. I have always wondered how they make them...but i have always been too forgetful to research it. I wonder if they design the meal and then the model is made based on the real thing or a picture.... or if they purchase a model from one of the many "plastic food model shops" and then create the meal to become a replica...? ahhh my head is about to exploooode!!

here's me waiting in the corner for my crepe to be ready. I was number 68, shoot! i was just 1 off a really funny number! *click*

even though I knew those little girls ordered after me, i still became genuinely nervous that they would somehow steal my crepe just by being physically first in line at the 'collection point'. I wondered if the crepe lady would just hand it over without calling my number and by the time myself or their mother or the crepe lady realised what was happening, it would be too late and they would have stuck their faces or urine stenched tiny fingers in it already. Then i would have to be all "oh no *ha ha* it's ok... i'll just wait for another one..." while everyone in the store stared at me and my face steadily reddened, and the kids stared at me sheepishly while their mother admonished them in their national language - the one reserved for chilling at home or yelling at so that nobody around could hear just what they were saying.. that is my idea of torture. Is this normal? Seriously do other people have these irrational fears of being slightly embarrassed in public? maybe it is just my shyness around strangers. Or maybe something much much worse. Maybe I fit the profile of a serial killer...

1) inability to co-exist with strangers without saying something dumb or going red in the face (check)

2) fear of awkard social situations (check)

3) unable to read facial cues... no i can do that.

PHEWWWW. Guess i'm just awkward..?

anyway here's my crepe! It is a "Harajuku Special" which cost me a whopping $7.20! It contains strawberries, mango, peach, mango ice cream, cream, peach syrup. Delicious! Also you can see my disgusting bandaged thumb. Another kitchen mis-hap from playing with knives! Sorry you had to see that. I could have editted it out, but.... meh

oh yes! and then on my way back i saw these weird posters in the side alley next to work.

At first i thought it was the weird neighbour next door posting signs all over his windows, but then i saw them everywhere. I cant work out if someone lives there next door or if it is a strange Japanese style tiny bar. Once i saw the (sliding frosted glass) door open and it was like one tiny room and a person was standing behind a bar/bench serving rice into little bowls from a rice cooker. Weird.