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I am laser beaming this rant to the lady, who decided she needed to run while pushing her baby stroller...through a crowd of people.On Tuesday, I was walking to my French class.
It was nearly 10 a.m., just about the time for the department stores in Umeda to open.
There were many people, not as many as during the weekend, but still quite a lot.
A chime sounded indicating that the store was about to open.
The lady with the baby stroller took this chime to be her starting gun and off she went.
Running and pushing the stroller (with her baby in it!) through the crowd, zigging and zagging, while people were trying to get out of her way.
Luckily I was behind her...what the heck was she in a rush for? I wondered...
She wanted to get a seiriken (a ticket which gives you a number). The number allows you to pick up a purchase. (Kinda like tokens when you buy concert tickets?)What she was purchasing? Cake.
The said cake is quite famous in Osaka and around Japan and the lines for them are kinda nuts.
But I had to shake my head, nothing can be so (delicious or) important where you need to hurt others and endanger the safety of your child in the process.
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Then as I passed another department store, their line for a popular rusk (pictured) wound around their store. And then she zipped passed me, people dodging her, all so she could stand and wait for about an hour (or more) to buy these rusk.
When I first came to Japan, I didn't know what rusk were. It is a piece of baguette, sliced thin and toasted. Sometimes it is covered with butter and baked with sugar. I've even seen a version with garlic butter.
The particular version that she was running for is covered with chocolate.
We were fortunate to receive one of those said rusk from someone at Satoshi's work place which we shared. (Thank you!)
I admit that I've stood in lines to buy popular food items, definitely not for hours on end though. And definitely have never "run" to buy them either.
I dunno if it was because the rusk was covered in white chocolate, or maybe it was because I thought it quite ridiculous to stand in line for hours for something you could probably make at home (or order online), but meh, it wasn't "all that".
A mad dash and an hour's wait for something that looks like, essentially, biscotti? Really? I mean, I've heard a lot of people in Japan don't have ovens at home, but I'm sure you could buy biscuits and melt some white chocolate in the microwave for the same effect.
ReplyDeleteTamara, silly right?? my oven is the size of a microwave, not big enough for american sized pans but it does the job, kinda. Though I know someone here (who owns their own house) that has a full sized oven.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat
A dad is in his final hour and his last wish is to see his wife and baby eating cake. I hope that explains it. XD Just kidding.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that woman was under a lot of pressure (from friends or family?) to make that purchase. In any case, it does seem unnecessarily dangerous to me, and i don't think I would have the patience to wait in line with a stroller for a treat, but I've known some women to do stupid things to appease others.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute . . . you bake all your ono-looking desserts in a microwave-sized oven? Wow, now I'm REALLY impressed.
ReplyDeleteThere are very few things I wait in line for and even fewer that I would run for! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat would have to be the answer Mikuru ;)
ReplyDeleteSad that she had to do all of that just to purchase these things Jenster, I hope she enjoyed them.
Jalna, yup. In fact, since the element only runs on the perimeter of the oven, I put whatever I'm baking onto the ceramic round table, so that it bakes/cooks evenly. That is why I only bake 6 muffins at once :)
I think most of us are this way too Debinhawaii ;)
Take care everyone!
Kat
Geez Kat - What was that lady thinking???
ReplyDeleteProbably "cake" "rusk" "cake" "rusk" Kirk :p
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat