Summertime Sadness

When I was a kid I thought summer was the best season. I don't mean it was my favorite, I thought it was a fact that everyone all over the world understood. Maybe it's because there's no summer break to look forward to anymore, or maybe it's how unbearable Tokyo summers are, but I've reversed my opinion completely. Summer is now the season I dread for the rest of the year.

This summer hasn't been quite as awful as last year. Maybe I'm better adjusted, but I think it's actually just been slightly cooler. We're in what I hope is the very worst of it now. This past week has been the hottest week of the summer, and I've been melting. The weather report says there will be some relief next week, but I'm scared to actually believe it. This week I started seeing fall decorations in the stores and fall beer cans, but whoever decided it's time for that is delusional (or maybe just hoping for cooler weather as much as I am?)

Despite my whining, it's not all bad. This year there are frozen chu-hais in pouches sort of like capri suns. Yesterday Raku and I tried the lychee flavor. They have a wonderful slushy consistency and are really refreshing. The alcohol tastes strong, but the flavor is good too. The packaging say's it's 6% alcohol, but they're only 150 milliliters, so you won't get trashed (at least not on one).

We also had some really delicious, if slightly pricy, popsicles at Tokyo Midtown. They're sold at a new stand called Paletas. Raku had the Grape Grape (green grapes frozen in purple grape juice) and I had the White Sangria. They were absolutely gorgeous, and we both agreed the White Sangria was amazing. Raku wasn't crazy about the frozen grape texture (a little mushy), but the apples and orange slice in mine were great, and the popsicle base had a wonderful fruity cinnamon clove flavor. There are a lot of creative and delicious sounding flavors, but don't wait too late in the day or they'll be sold out. They cost 480 yen, which is silly for a popsicle, but they're worth it.  Think of it as five minute $5 vacation.

Best popsicle of my life

Frozen chu-hais = Genius!

If only it were really fall