I have waited two years for this day. There are no words to describe my elation.

THE STORY: Since this will be the first and last time I fly directly from Japan to Pennsylvania, I felt it necessary to be a substitute Jappo-Santa. This is partially due to the massive number of birthdays that are occurring during and surrounding my stay, but regardless, I wanted to take something back. Just because I can.

So, after eating a delicious dinner at Grandma's house, I took a walk to the local 7-11 to buy snacks and food stuffs. In my basket, I soon had a variety of crunchable, munchable, chewable goodies: gum, crackers, gummies, chocolate, etc. And then I looked to the drink corner and, low and behold, Peach Fanta.

Now, the significance of this can be explained with a double barrel approach. First, the general and second, the personal. In Japan, it is not unusual for companies, primarily related to food and drink, to release seasonal products. Japan takes seasonal changes very seriously, as is demonstrated by hanami and tsukimi. Fanta is particularly vicious in its release and discontinuation of seasonal fruit sodas.

During the winter of my sophomore year, which was a significantly depressing time in my life, the school started stocking Peach Fanta in the vending machines. Out of curiosity, I tried this new flavor and BAM. It positioned itself at the top of my Fanta flavors list and in second place on my overall soda ranking. I drank it almost everyday and each encounter was as beautiful as the last. But suddenly, it was gone. I looked in every convenience store, every vending machine that I passed, but to no avail. The season was through and Peach Fanta was no more. The following winter, I assumed that it would return as it had the year before. It did not. I gave up for good, thinking that peach would exist in the Fanta line only once in the beverage's history.

So yeah. I'm thrilled. This stuff is delicious and the new packaging is fanta-stic.


P.S. The spring edition of Knitty.com is now available. I've received multiple requests for Space Invaders socks and wouldn't mind making some for my own feets. Another project for summer, perhaps?

P.P.S. The second trailer for Grindhouse is out. Bruce Willis! I'm more pumped than before!

P.P.P.S. I just got an email from a Mr. Robert Kaufman, who informed me that I've been accepted to the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley U. This takes care of about 1/8th of my college acceptance/rejection anticipation. Skidmore and Pratt make up the remaining 4/8ths and 3/8ths, respectively.