Contents of my Starbucks Lucky Bag 2023

I previously posted that I won the Starbucks Lucky Bag 2023 lottery sale.

Since I usually spend the first two days of the New Year with my family and am usually busy, I decided to specify delivery on the morning of January 3.

However, they did not deliver by noon. Much later, the courier came to me and said, "I'm sorry I'm late."

Here is the package delivered.

What's in your lucky bag is different for everyone.

What do they all have in common: a white quilted bag, 250 grams of Pike Place Market coffee beans, a coffee bean redemption coupon, a greenish stainless steel bottle, and seven drink tickets?

What was in my lucky bag was as if they knew what my needs were.

A pink mug, and also a campus notebook, plus a donut cushion.

The cushion was vacuum-packed, but when I opened it, I found this delicious-looking doughnut.

I was just in need of a chair cushion. I am using that now.

New Year's Holiday 2023

I usually have New Year's Eve soba at my parents' house at the end of the year and stay there, but this year I welcomed the New Year at home because my morning jogging friends invited me to go watch the first sunrise together.

Sunrise time in Osaka was 7:05 a.m., but because the area is surrounded by mountains to the east, sunrise from the mountain edge was around 7:13 a.m.

Fortunately, there was no wind and the temperature was not so low and mild.

Once home, I went to sweat it out and then went to my parents' house after 9:00. I had not yet finished breakfast and my parents were right before breakfast, so we ate Ozoni (Japanese New Year Mochi Soup), etc. together.

Then our family of six gathered together and ate Osechi (Japanese New Year's Day food) for lunch.

After I went jogging from home the next morning, I went back to my parents' house. My dad wasn't fine so my mom and I went to Sumiyoshitaisha shrine this year.

There were no stalls again this year, but more people visited the shrine than last year.

My mother and I then drew fortunes. She drew "medium luck" but I drew "bad luck".

Those who draw this omikuji should have the spirit to break through the status quo.
Interpersonal luck: Don't rely only on others.
Money fortune: "Money comes and goes."
Physical condition: If you keep sinking, you will get sick.
All affairs: "Good fortune comes to those who smile."
Key to fortune: Smile.

I will try to keep smiling this year.

I won the Starbucks Lucky Bag 2023 lottery sale

In Japan, lucky bags are sold in many places during the New Year holidays. It's normal for the contents of a lucky bag to be hit or miss.

However, you are not likely to be too disappointed with the Starbucks Lucky Bag. This is because there is always a Starbucks-related item in it. This is why Starbucks Lucky Bags are so popular in Japan. 

Starbucks Lucky Bag 2023

¥7,800 (Tax included, free shipping)

A relaxing and healing moment in the new year.
Soft textured quilted tote bag with
Lucky Bag limited edition stainless steel bottle/goods
Plus, packed with coffee, drink tickets, and other items.

When I changed my smartphone from Android to iPhone, I was a bit annoyed that I could no longer make touch payments at Starbucks. Then, Starbucks offered a limited number of Starbucks keychains that could be used for touch payments. Something like this.

I applied for the lottery sale, but was unsuccessful.

Anyway, Starbucks Japan announced the Lucky Bag 2023 lottery sale on November 7.  I applied for it with a light heart, thinking I would not be selected anyway.

After I completely forgot about that, I received the winning notification on the Starbucks app on my iPhone.

Winners have to purchase it by December 5. Otherwise, the right to purchase it will be given to someone else.

The higher the expectations, the more tremendous the disappointment when they are not met.

I searched Twitter for tweets mentioning Starbucks lucky bag and found this one:

I told myself about the Starbucks lucky bag.
I'm the one who breaks down crying instantly.
Sorry, I can't win another Starbucks lucky bag for years to come.
I'm going to tell myself now that there will be no more Starbucks lucky bag for me or for this year.
Some of you have never won one.
I will never forgive Starbucks.

The more people who forget that they applied for the lottery sale, the more likely they are to win unexpectedly. Like me.

I cannot live in Sheeple Society

I have a TV, but I don't watch it. Because it looks like a bunch of crap shows and propaganda. They seem to be deliberately trying to sway and polarize viewers to fight each other. Most of them seem to be played by rad actors, and the media usually spews negative information to unsettle the viewers.

I go jogging in the park every morning, and most of my jogging mate are people who cannot live without TV. Naturally, I can't keep up with their conversations.

The other day, while I was jogging with them, they were talking about some TV program and I kept quiet. Then they asked me if I watch TV. I replied, "I have a TV, but I don't watch it.”

People who love TV assume that all information from TV is true. On the other hand, they assume that all information that does not come from TV is a lie and a conspiracy theory.

In fact, all information is fake: not just TV and media, but the Internet, social networking sites, and every source has the truth mixed in with the lies.

So how do we determine the truth?　The answer is intuition.

However, I believe that intuition is an ability that is developed through experience. If there is too much not known, intuition does not exist.

Unknown information is frightening to some people. They are afraid to find out what they don't know. What they don't know or understand is usually viewed negatively.

When I told the jogging mate facts that are never mentioned on TV, they reflexively responded, "It's a conspiracy theory!" They said a word against me.

So I said, "If you think I am freak, go ahead and think that way."  - Everybody went silent.

I think that was a parting shot or something. The next thing I knew, their pace slowed down and they were moving away from me.

Most Japanese cannot use English well. Some people have theorized that the Japanese may be deliberately making English unusable. Because the Japanese are smart and if they could use English well, they would be a threat to the ruling class itself?

Society is already polarized; I don't think Sheeple and People can understand each other anymore. 

There are only a limited number of topics on which I can have a conversation with them. For example, "I bought this product," "I ordered this at the coffee shop," "I ate this at the restaurant." And so on.

Most Sheeple seem to have a tendency to enjoy talking bad about others. I don't feel good about that kind of talk. They cannot accept people with different values. They view people with different ideas and viewpoints as outsiders and despise them.

The weaker people are, the more they flock together, the more they want to look down on and discriminate against others, and the more they want to speak ill of others.

What a crazy society we live in.

Sweet Potato Series at Starbucks Japan

I haven't posted an article about Starbucks for years. But now, for some reason, articles about it from a few years ago are popular. Even though it is a limited time product and out of season.

Does that mean that people outside of Japan are interested in Japan-only Starbucks products? According to Google Analytics, people from China visit this blog a lot.

Anyway, speaking of autumn in Japan, it is the season of yaki-imo (baked sweet potatoes). Starbucks Japan offers the sesonal products from Thursday, September 21st.

YAKIIMO (Baked Sweet Potato) Brulee Frappuccino

Frappuccino with the image of a "baked sweet potato brûlée," which is a baked sweet potato with sugar burnt on it.

This Frappuccino® has the aroma and creamy flavor of a baked sweet potato covered in sugar and roasted over a burner.
Slightly caramelized baked sweet potato chunks are blended with milk and topped with a savory baked sweet potato brûlée sauce and crispy brûlée chips. The baked sweet potato brûlée sauce and brûlée chips are also topped with whipped cream.
From the first sip through a straw, you will enjoy the savory flavor of the baked sweet potato and the crispy texture of the brûlée chips.

This Frappuccino is very popular and sells out quickly. You should get it on weekdays, by 3 pm, maybe? I got this on Thursday afternoon.

Baked Sweet Potato Brulee Frappuccino with Caramel Sauce and Extra Whip

I like sweet potato so I wanted to try it again the next day, but I couldn't because it's holiday - Autumnal Equinox Day. So Pumpkin Spice Latte it is

marron pound cake with pumpkin spice latte

Creamy, sweet pumpkin flavor

A latte made of espresso and milk combined with pumpkin spice flavor sauce, topped with whipped cream and nutmeg.
This drink is inspired by pumpkin pie, a favorite in American households and a favorite on the table in the fall. Take your time and enjoy the fall-inspired flavor of creamy, sweet pumpkin accented with nutmeg and other spice flavors.

After I went to Apple Shinsaibashi to get my new AirPods, I needed to eat something sweet. But I missed the frappuccino because it's Sunday. There were another sweet poteto flavor - Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake.

Sweet potato chiffon cake with Starbucks latte

Chiffon cake with a rich sweet potato flavor

This chiffon cake is topped with golden sweet potato cream made from sweet potato paste, allowing you to enjoy the sweet potato flavor from the first bite to the last.
The moist and chunky chiffon dough is kneaded with cinnamon and baked sweet potato powder to enhance the compatibility with the sweet potato cream. The chiffon dough, the whipped cream covering the chiffon dough, and the sweet potato cream with its gentle sweetness and smooth texture are a perfect match, making this chiffon cake full of rewarding sensations.

I've ordered bifocal lenses - I am no longer young?

Lately, I have been having difficulty seeing my Apple Watch in my hand when I am wearing my glasses for distance. After I take off the glasses, I can see my hand clearly.

So, first of all, I got a pair of glasses for middle-distance viewing to make it easier for me to work on the computer, etc. I can see the screen of my Apple Watch or iPhone with these glasses on without any problem.

However, in sunny daylight, sunglasses are indispensable. I tried to look at my Apple Watch while wearing my glasses for distance, which can magnetically attach to the sunglasses attachment, and could not see it clearly.

It became more and more troublesome to have to remove my glasses each time I did so.

So I went back to the eyeglass store and discussed with the guy whether I needed bifocals or not.

Bifocal lens are broadly classified into two types;

• Bifocal lens:
  The boundary between the part used for distance vision and the part used for close-up vision is firmly separated.
• Progressive multifocal lens:
  No borderline, with a gradual change in power.

I chosed the latter, progressive multifocal lenses.

They are available in two types: hard type and soft type.

• For those who often look far away, such as when driving, the hard type has a wider field of view when looking far away.
• For those who mainly use them indoors or at medium distances, a soft type with a wider field of view for hand-held viewing.

I have a driver's license, but I do not own a car and have never driven one. In jogging every morning, sports-type sunglasses without prescription are sufficient on sunny days for me.

This means that unless I am driving, I do not need to see things very far away clearly. Therefore, it means that I don't really need glasses for distance something like this.

So something like this instead for me?

According to the official website of that eyeglass store, they recommend trying bifocal lenses early on to reduce the burden of getting used to them even when the power becomes stronger.

It is very important to take care of your own eyes. Sadly, aging is undeniable. I accept the reality and will protect my eyes first to take care of myself.

In my understanding, presbyopia is a condition in which a person can no longer see near objects without glasses. At the present time, I can see near objects clearly without glasses.

In my first pair of bifocals, the close range is only for astigmatism correction. I can receive them on Friday.

I bought the pink leather bag

I was having trouble keeping up with all the coins in my purse, so I deposited the extra coins and 10,000 bills at the bank ATM. Then I took the train, and got off at JR Osaka station to get a new pink sholder bag.

This shoulder bag is available in five colors: black, ice gray, taupe, and the spring/summer exclusive colors of dusty pink and cielo.

The material of this bag is Italian leather and is water-repellent, so it can be used on rainy days.

I actually looked in the mirror with the clerk to see which color matched me. Cielo is not bad for me, but something is not quite right. Ice gray and taupe don't really look good on me. By the way, I didn't consider black because it is a classic but obviously doesn't make me feel good.

So dusty pink it is.

Beige dull pink. Can be combined with neutral colors such as pale green.

A subdued pink, beige with a hint of gray.
Because it is a pink with a tone that is not overly pretty, it is a color that blends well with the skin and is extremely easy to coordinate. The nuance of this color stands out even if you dare to match it with a neutral color such as pale green.

This bag is large enough to fit my rose gold iPad Air with the Smart Keyboard Folio attached in landscape orientation.

I am currently taking one-on-one English conversation lessons. Each time I prepare the lesson material, I compile a list of current events. However, printing them out each time is not eco-friendly because it consumes a lot of ink and paper. That is why I have been using PowerPoint more and more often to compile content.

The presentation materials are created in PowerPoint on the Surface Laptop 4, and the presentation is used in the PowerPoint app on the iPad during the English conversation lesson.

I never thought I would use PowerPoint in an English conversation lesson.

I have been talking a lot about Moonies recently, but I thought it would not be very good to talk about the Unification Church over and over again, so I will talk about what is going on in the world today and what Zionist Imperialism is up to.

Especially like this

The Japanese should immediately protest against proxy wars against 🇨🇳🇷🇺 to save their history, culture & country from destruction. Japanese culture has nothing to do with Zionism.The Japanese love life & peace & have the right to determine their own destiny.#NOWAR#NONewFascism https://t.co/5P37oE7Msv

— Zoro (@Sakura04980792) 2022年7月28日

Speaking of gullible, so many Japanese also believe that covid jab is safe and effective, continue to take it. Furthermore, so many of them are still wearing stupid face masks. Sorry, but I don't think they'll ever wake up.

— tamaki s. collins (@CollinsTamaki) 2022年7月31日