Here’s a mix of all sorts of things.

Baekkyung Saengju

Baekkyung Saengju got popular on social media a little while back. Since it’s an unpasteurized fresh brew, the overflowing floral and fruity aroma really stood out. On the palate it’s a bit like the clear top layer of makgeolli, with a slight vitamin-drink note too, and it leans sweet, so I think pretty much anyone would enjoy it. It paired especially well with Korean food. It’s a different style from Japanese namazake, but since they sell it right after it’s made, the aroma might even be better.. The only problem is that it’s a limited release, so you can’t just buy it whenever, and it sells out fast.. Even if you want some, you have to line up before opening, so it’s not easy to get. I think the way fun drinks like this keep popping up is what makes the Korean traditional liquor scene so interesting..

Cabeau’s neck pillow

Cabeau is a brand best known for neck pillows, and they had an inflatable one, so I gave it a try. But it was warmer than I expected, so I don’t think I’ll be able to use it except in winter. It’s got lots of bits and pieces attached. I actually bought it to use in the middle of summer, so that was a fail.. Anyway, it packs down small, so it’s easy to carry around.

Cabeau’s compression socks

I bought these on Amazon US too. At first I thought they were pretty handy, but after a few uses I started to see their limits. For one, since they’re socks, they feel a bit constricting. Wearing them to bed made my feet sweaty and uncomfortable, too. I don’t think they’ll work for everyday life, so I’ll save them for long trips. The problem is that those don’t come around very often..

Maotai

This is the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a while. It’s the story of how the Maotai company became the world’s number one liquor company. Apparently Maotai was originally made for entertaining officials and guests, so it was crafted with only quality in mind and no thought for cost. On top of that, the place where it’s made turned out to have the perfect environment for brewing.. Maotai was modernized under state direction, and the government also pushed it as a matter of policy.. But the most important thing is that it kept building a devoted fan base thanks to a change in pricing policy (you could say the government allowed it to turn a profit..) and the fact that it doesn’t give you a hangover.. The book itself is written in a really gripping way, so I enjoyed it.. (Peter Drucker comes up a lot..)

Chinese baijiu has kept its quality up through state-led efforts, sending in chemists, setting up microbiology research institutes and so on.. The knowledge gained from that support was shared so anyone could see it, which is why not just Maotai but all baijiu is cheap and good quality.. Seeing them publish even blending techniques that a normal liquor company would never share, all as research papers, and open up the special equipment that eliminates hangovers, is really impressive.. Becoming number one in the world isn’t that simple, and this is how brand value gets built.. Its number one spot today is the fruit of decades and decades of steady effort.

And for Chinese people, for whom wining and dining is a way of life, a liquor that gives you less of a hangover is about as good as it gets.. That’s when it clicked for me why baijiu is such an essential part of Chinese life.. Once you drink it, you realize there aren’t many liquors this good.. Still, Maotai really is way too expensive..

A book I found at a friend’s place

Turns out I know someone who buys books like this..

Pasta

I had this at a friend’s place and it was really delicious. They’ve basically become a chef..

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