I did a lot of thinking, talking and diagramming this week but I know you’re not here for that.
This week’s story-arc was a mission to get some paperwork from my tax office. Slight issue? I have no idea where it is, or how my tax works. OK: Let’s fix this. After many hours and after much help, I located my tax office and learned how taxes work. And by the end of the week, after many hours and much reading of old websites and old webapps, I successfully ordered and received my paperwork. Bank transfers to buy PDFs was not on my bingo card for 2026.
Thanks to Sake Club I’m starting to get a feel for the dimensions of sake flavours, and know what I like and don’t like. I’d describe my favourite profile as tasting a lot like apple juice.
Finally tried Jiro Ramen and it’s an intense affair. Queue, pay, queue again, and eventually be seated. Next up, wait for your number to be called before yelling your order in fast Japanese. Stressful, right? Then you eat quickly, because of the pressure of the people queuing right behind you. Never before did I eat so much garlic so quickly: And after, even with mouthwash, it took hours for my breath to return to normal.
Harry really knows how to make a sandwich.
Midweek we go to Tokyo Spice Lab for Tokyo’s best fine-dining Indian experience. It’s an expensive lunch, but every single dish slaps, including the tea. The soup, my word, I am still thinking about it. And the dessert was fantastic.
Closing the week, the leaving drinks for for one of my all-time favourite coworkers. I slightly overdid it for the first time in a long time, but have zero regrets. I set out manifesting a sanjikai and we made it happen where The Black Parade made another appearance, as did Rasputin.
Fuelled by the subsequent hangxiety, at the weekend I also sorted out my backlog of UK tax affairs (and just in time for the self-assessment deadline).
