Happy 2019, I wish this year is… full of Ramen

Happy 2019!

2018 ended just yesterday, and here we are to premiere the new blog year!

How was your New Year’s eve? Ours, as usual (it’s not a secret we are not NYE parties big fans) was a super low key at home dinner followed by the Spanish tradition of the 12 lucky grapes in front of the tv. My mom bought this very big and ripped grapes which, believe me, were a feat to eat at the stroke of each of the 12 bells. We always peel & remove the seeds so it’s easier to eat them, but still this time they were enormous inside the mouth, ha! The tradition says that to be lucky you must eat all of them before the 12th bell strikes, so you can understand how important it was *wink* to devour them no matter the size.

On the 1st of January, how are you supposed to feel?

I am reading all the year recaps & the new year wishes lists with the feeling that I should be doing the same but, although I always tend to be the planning freak… this day I can’t. I guess I need a couple more days to process and I guess reading so many information is kind of overwhelming too. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely like it, and love the good feelings people express in them. Obviously, the inspiration I get from everyone’s achievements lists is also super valuable, but when my head tries to settle on anything, my mind goes almost blank. The only thing it comes is that I wish to be kinder with everyone around me while being truthful and kind to myself. I am done with being too pleasing/humouring if it doesn’t ring true to me. Is it a good-enough wish? is it maybe too vague? Should I be deciding how I will accomplish this specifically? Do I need to create a list of tangible goals? Well, that’s how my head is working today, with more questions than answers.

What I definitely have in my mind more vividly is that we are on travel planning mode for the Spring, and that I am so longing for it. That… and that Ramen should become my main diet, ha!

Dani stumbled this Afuri Ramen at the Barcelona Uniqlo store and couldn’t believe his eyes: we had actually been to Afuri the last time we went to Japan! We have talked about it on the blog too, how this hip Ramen place had this lighter innovative soup using yuzu and that we loved it so much. So, in the blink of an eye, he bought the t-shirt, which was super cheap, because I guess Afuri is not that popular in Barcelona, ha!.

What it is way funnier than this was what happened when we were on the train line for Madrid. A Japanese couple was standing behind us in line, when Dani took his shirt off (it was hot in the station), revealing the back of the t-shirt, the couple started talking louder to each other, respectfully pointing the t-shirt and we could understand a “sugoi!” in between their talk. When I politely smiled them back, they said: “Afuri Ramen, it’s my wife’s favorite in Tokyo!” To which we replied: “Oh! We’ve been there! loved the Yuzu soup”. Insert here their truly Japanese reaction with big open eyes and yelling: “You know it!!! Amazing!” with super happy smiles. It was a very Japanese nostalgic & loving moment for us!

One of the clothing pieces I have specially discovered this 2018 is the jumpsuit as a substitute of dresses. I am quite short, so I have always shied away of long dresses-skirts-anything. However, I have discovered that I like how I feel with them and (more importantly) that I don’t need to use heels. Instead, in my eyes, my beloved trainers look even better! Isn’t it incredible how many assumptions we make just because it’s a word-of-mouth? However, in benefit of dresses, I must be honest and tell you how a pain in the a** they are when you have to use the toilet in a public place: being half naked makes me feel extra conscious.

Who are we kidding? We are not the cool & hip type, so here it is us in our real poses, ha!

A shooting star for each one of you, to wish you the best year up to date!