JPlop's 2015 Secret Santa (Assignments sent 11/17, happy shopping!)

[boinsie]

^ I enjoy doing the many layers thing to my brothers.

[TotallyUncool]

In my case, it's a matter of clumsiness plus paranoia about shipping conditions -- "Hmmmm... So far, I have three layers of fiber-reinforced kraft paper, one layer of tarpaper, three rolls of duct tape, spray-on foam, and an ox hide. But is it really secure?"

Spoiler: show

For a while several years ago, I was selling odds and ends from my record collection on eBay, more as a hobby than anything. (I eventually decided that it was more fun to hoard keep my records, so I stopped selling them.)
At one point, I sold a near-mint condition Django Reinhardt 78 rpm record to a collector in Japan -- which meant that I had to figure out a way to ship it so that it wouldn't break (78s are notoriously brittle -- they're usually made of shellac, and they tend to break if you even look at them the wrong way). I found an extra-thick styrofoam Omaha Steaks container (used for mailing frozen steaks to consumers, so they're ridiculously heavy-duty), wrapped the 78 in mega-size bubble-wrap, stuck it in the container, sealed the container using about half a roll of duct tape, wrapped the whole thing in brown paper, and sent it off. It made it Ok, but at that point i realized that mailing 78 rpm records is probably something better left to professionals.

[Shoujo Q]

^What did he leave you for feedback? I'm curious.

[TotallyUncool]

I don't remember what eBay feedback he left (although I think it must have been good), but he thanked me and said that it arrived OK.

[boinsie]

The mailman rang my doorbell this morning!
Look at that adorable packaging! The folded one is like a candy!!



Inside....



Shock and awe!! Believe it or forgetmenots, due to some weird shipping requirements by CDJapan, I hadn't already purchased "Dakara, Ikiru.", so you're my savior~!
Because I don't know nearly enough Japanese to handle kindergarten-level reading, much less an autobiography, I'll have to stick to Henkka's translation, but this shall happily join the Tsunku shrine.
Plus green tea snacks and a good luck kitty! Thank you so much!

[forgetmenots]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. I searched so hard in the archives of this site, thinking you'd post it here if you bought it, but not sure, lol. Then I thought, what the hell, if you had it already you could deface the one I planned to give you by taping in Henkka's translations inside of it so you could pretend to be reading it and keep the one you'd bought already in a shrine. I'm much relieved that instead I just gave you something you didn't already have.

I laughed a lot when I got you again, btw.

[Shoujo Q]

Erilaz, you'll need to tell me how that chocolate is. I bought two with the intention of giving another to a secret Santa but I ended up overbuying so I sent. Not sure if I should give it away or eat it.

In Boston they had a shop set up in the open market where you can buy the chocolate or have them make you authentic hot chocolate with it. It smells amazing! But I always go for the tea from the shop right next to it because I love chai more. Especially spicy chai. :3

[erilaz]

^ I've only tried the cinnamon flavor so far, so I can't give you a verdict on the others, but the cinnamon is yummy, both straight and as hot chocolate.

Eaten straight, the chocolate has an unusual texture: not creamy at all, sort of powdery and gritty. But the texture works well when you grate it for hot chocolate, since it produces a powder rather than a melty mess.

[koregaboku]

I'm a terrible individual and finally sent my gift... But my person should get it Monday. I'm really sorry!!

Also, I got my present! It was a pair (?) Of cool herb cutting shears and a sweet vegetable peeler. I've actually been meaning to buy the latter for some time but kept forgetting.

Thank you!!

P.s. I had been avoiding JPLOP the past couple weeks because I felt really guilty about not sending out my gift sooner :

[erilaz]

^ Glad you liked your presents. I went to Sur la Table on 4th Street and tried to find things that seemed generally useful, not super-specialized gadgets like olive pitters and melon ballers.