Today, the door to tomorrow has opened. In this world, there are things that can be achieved through one's own efforts and things that cannot be achieved no matter how hard one tries. This is determined by others. The dream and hope that I have been pursuing since last October. On February 5th, my dream was momentarily shattered. While searching for a new dream, there was still a dream that I had been pursuing. I wanted to compare four dreams, but the other party insisted on one dream. It was indeed a dream that I had been pursuing all along and was the top candidate among the four dreams, but... the other party did not show me the other dreams. They insisted on one dream from the beginning to the end, and I chose that dream after being convinced, but I still feel uneasy. I wanted to choose from the four dreams. Although it is highly likely that I ultimately chose this dream from the four, the level of satisfaction is different when only one dream is shown from the beginning and when chosen from four. However, strangely, I like that dream, and if that dream is not possible, I don't want any of the other three. The amount of money needed to fulfill that dream is around 10,000 yen, while the other three would cost around 20,000 yen. If this dream doesn't work out, it would cost twice as much. And today, I received a message from the other party, and the door to the dream has opened. Now, I will charge forward towards the dream. Until October, I never thought about drawing my dreams in this place at all, but it is a place I love and a dream I love. I was worried and nervous because I saw on the internet that the screening was strict, but I am relieved that I was able to reach my dream safely. I still don't feel it. Because as far as I could see on the internet, I only had material to be rejected in the screening. The direction of the future has been decided, and tonight I will have "kawara soba." It's yakimochi soba, but... for the people of Shimonoseki, the one who makes soba with tea = kawara soba. When you hear kawara soba, you might think of Takase or Otoku, made with real tiles, but for the locals of Shimonoseki, it is common to cook it at home on a hot plate. They only eat it on occasions like family gatherings at restaurants. Seven-Eleven's yakimochi soba. The chewy noodles and the crispy burnt parts make it delicious, just like kawara soba. A whirlwind month towards the future. Beyond that, the authentic kawara soba is waiting.

To protect the lives of elderly people at high risk of severe illness, we continue to spend time at home. Seven-Eleven is currently holding a Hokkaido fair, and I was intrigued by the Hokkaido limited edition Sapporo Classic. I'm also curious about the squid rice and crab rice. So, let's enjoy the Hokkaido fair safely at home. Even though we can't cross prefectural borders yet, our hearts are in Hokkaido. There have been no reported cases of humans' hearts being infected by COVID-19, and realistically, our bodies and hearts are in Fukuoka prefecture, so we are safe and secure. Sapporo Draft, the Hokkaido version of Orion Beer. It's lighter than Budweiser or Orion Beer, with a subdued barley aroma, but it seems like it would go well with Genghis Khan. The squid rice has a sweet and savory broth that permeates the rice, super delicious. And most importantly, the best thing I tasted was Sumire's cup noodles. Rich miso flavor and fragrant garlic. So, this is Sapporo miso ramen. The last Sapporo miso ramen I had was overwhelmed by garlic and ginger, overpowering the miso. Is this how Sapporo miso ramen is supposed to be? Or is it just this ramen? All the mysteries have been solved. Sumire's cup noodles are indeed Sapporo miso ramen. The rich miso flavor and umami, escorted by garlic. The garlic in Sapporo ramen is like red pickled ginger in Fukuoka tonkotsu ramen. It's not necessary, but it makes it delicious. Hokkaido colonization may sound good, but it's exactly what Russia is doing to Ukraine now. They forcibly took land from the Ainu people. That's Hokkaido, and Okinawa was also occupied by the Satsuma clan, who attacked the Ryukyu Kingdom and annexed it into Japan. By knowing such a sad history, we can feel more grateful and appreciative of the blessings of Hokkaido, making Hokkaido's offerings taste even better.

While watching a secret Kenmin Show, they featured Sapporo miso ramen. I really want to eat Sapporo miso ramen! But even if I say that, is there anywhere in Fukuoka that serves Sapporo miso ramen? Is Sapporo Ichiban's miso ramen the same as Sapporo miso ramen? If I want to try authentic Sapporo miso ramen in Fukuoka, maybe I can try Kan Tou Kumo at Fukuoka Airport. However, due to the high risk of severe illness in elderly people, I still cannot dine out. Over 10,000 people have died in the past month, with 97% of them being elderly people over 65 years old, and over 90% of them being super elderly people over 80 years old. This is the most severe infection situation in the past three years. However, coincidentally, Seven Eleven is currently having a Hokkaido Fair. Just like with the Italian Fair, Seven Eleven's fairs allow you to enjoy authentic flavors at home safely. Sapporo Hachinoki supervised miso ramen smells just like Sapporo Ichiban's miso ramen. It's full of garlic and ginger, but is this how Sapporo miso ramen tastes like, or is it because of Hachinoki's touch? I'm not saying it's bad, but as someone who wants to enjoy the taste of miso, I feel a bit disappointed. Maybe for a Kyushu person like me, the miso ramen from Kagoshima might be more suitable.

Pasta with peperoncino. Do you know the official name of peperoncino? Arrabbiata = angry, Puttanesca = fisherman, Carbonara = charcoal worker. Peperoncino is? Peperoncino = chili pepper. Aglio = garlic, Olio = oil. In English, it's called "and." So, Aglio Olio e Peperoncino means garlic, oil, and chili pepper pasta. The Seven-Eleven peperoncino pasta has improved with the addition of bacon and a more authentic taste. However, the mini peperoncino and mini meat sauce lack the key ingredient - chili pepper. They are more like Aglio Olio pasta. Despite this, they are still enjoyable.

Still continuing to spend time at home. The Griffin and Cerberus, with the strongest infectious power and immune evasion ability in history. To protect the lives of elderly people at high risk of severe illness, we must maintain a strong sense of tension and crisis, and overcome the 8th wave with the highest level of vigilance. In addition to the difficult life due to COVID-19, there is also the increase in consumption tax, price hikes, depreciation of the yen, and the situation in Ukraine. It is important not to forget that with an 8% consumption tax, an item that costs 100 yen becomes 108 yen. If the consumption tax becomes 10%, an item that should cost 110 yen will actually cost 119 yen, with retailers overcharging. And on top of that, recent price hikes. For example, a pasta dish that used to include bacon now has no bacon. It's better than being served with a terrible side dish like Namul instead of the meat, but it's still disappointing. Salaries are not increasing, while prices for everything are going up like crazy, and now I can't even afford to buy a cola from a vending machine. With rising food prices, container costs, how can profits be generated? Quality may have to be compromised, reduced. This is where the trust in Seven-Eleven becomes even more important. If the same quality is going to decline, it's better to choose a slight decline in the delicious Seven-Eleven over the already not-so-tasty FamilyMart or Lawson. A pasta dish with more sauce but no bacon. As long as there is life, as long as there is energy, anything is possible.

I was curious about the mackerel salt-grilled bento from Seven-Eleven. However, the amount of rice is extremely small. With only half a mackerel salt-grilled and this amount of rice, I'll finish the rice after about four bites of the mackerel. What am I supposed to do with the leftover side dishes? What's up with that? Earlier, FamilyMart had a similar one, and the rice was also pretty small, but Seven-Eleven's has even less rice, and there are more side dishes. FamilyMart had only one piece of mackerel, while Seven-Eleven includes mackerel, tsukune, and croquette. I ended up buying extra rice, but I wish they would consider the balance between the side dishes and rice a bit more. The mackerel salt-grilled from FamilyMart had more fat and a good balance of saltiness, making it tastier. Seven-Eleven's version has more oil than fat, and the saltiness is stronger. It might be an attempt to compensate for the lack of fat in the dry mackerel, but the oil is too heavy. The typhoon No.11 is stimulating the autumn rain front, and the humidity is unbelievably high. The air purifier showed 76% humidity. It's so humid that it feels like the clothes are wetter after hanging them out than when they were spun in the washing machine. The level of saltiness is just right for this level of humidity, where sweat is pouring out. However, it would probably be a bit too strong under normal circumstances. Seven-Eleven is focusing on cup delis and neglecting bento, which is foolish. For a creepy fat old man like me, bento is more important than cup delis.

Seven Eleven's long-time bestseller. A living fossil of Seven Eleven. The beef kalbi rice bowl that has been around since I was a child. However, recently, there has been an unsettling atmosphere. The amount of meat has decreased, and it's not delicious, to be frank, it's downright bad, with a side of namul. Instead of doing such a stupid thing, they should just raise the price. We beef kalbi rice bowl fans don't want namul. Perhaps the voices of these beef kalbi rice bowl fans reached the higher-ups at Seven Eleven, as the beef kalbi rice bowl has returned to its original form. To be precise, the meat has become thinner, the number of slices has decreased, and the size of each piece has become smaller. The amount of meat is about two-thirds less, and it may even be thinner, with fewer slices, and smaller, maybe about half of what it used to be. But you know what? That's great! The previous beef kalbi rice bowl had too little rice compared to the amount of meat. The new beef kalbi rice bowl, with a significantly reduced amount of meat, has achieved a perfect balance with the amount of rice. The tonkatsu has a sauce that is rich in flavor, similar to a garlic butter sauce that I had imagined, but it's the same sauce as the beef kalbi rice bowl. It doesn't quite go well with pork. By the way, the large onigiri with grilled meat is exactly like the beef kalbi rice bowl in onigiri form. However, it has a hint of chili pepper, making it a perfect finish compared to the beef kalbi rice bowl. However, using the sauce of this beef kalbi rice bowl on pork, especially on pork shoulder, is a rough combination for Seven Eleven. The person who approved the sale must have had an odd taste due to COVID, as it's not as delicious as it should be. It's a shame that the amount of meat has decreased, but it's also a relief. The only thing I can say is that we don't need namul with the beef kalbi rice bowl.

During work, I am busy and can avoid thinking about strange things. However, the feeling of irritation is overwhelming. But at home, it is even sadder. More painful. I keep thinking about strange things. In Saga, the number of COVID-19 cases has reached a record high of 104. Most of the infected people in Saga are from Fukuoka. If you close the tap, the water stops. But it seems like it's happening again from people in Saga! In Shimane Prefecture, there are 1,255 cases. In terms of population density, it is equivalent to 100,000 people in Fukuoka Prefecture and 300,000 people in Tokyo getting infected in a day. The infectivity is 1.24 times that of the BA.2 variant. It can bypass the immunity obtained by the vaccine, with a high risk of reinfection. It has the same characteristics as the Delta variant and a risk of 18.3 times of multiplying in the lungs. With an infectivity almost 10 times higher than the Delta variant, and a risk of pneumonia equivalent to the Delta variant, it could lead to a devastating situation like when King Ghidorah, Hipporito Alien, Zeruel, and Char's Zaku attacked simultaneously. In order to protect the lives of elderly people who are at high risk of severe illness, it is necessary to refrain from unnecessary outings, but I went to Seven-Eleven to buy daily necessities. At one point, the sausages went from being crispy and juicy coarse-ground sausages to dry sausages, but they have returned to the original crispy and juicy coarse-ground sausages. My favorite pasta is spaghetti aglio e olio. The spaghetti aglio e olio from FamilyMart and Lawson is not great, but the one from Seven-Eleven is outstanding, so the return of the sausages is great news. And Hokkaido-produced cod roe. It wasn't as impressive as last time, but it was delicious. It took about six months for the BA.1 and BA.2 dominant sixth wave to calm down, so 2022 might be a year where unnecessary outings are not possible. Furthermore, a new variant, BA.2.75, is explosively spreading in the United States. Let's meet again in 2023.

It was July 7, 2022. I was talking to a customer about elections, and they asked me, "Who are you supporting? The Liberal Democratic Party?" If we're talking about politicians, I support Shinzo Abe and Soichiro Takashima. Back in 1994, when Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama was a hot topic, my homeroom teacher said, "There's someone from Shimonoseki who will become Prime Minister in the future!" Everyone's eyes lit up. When you're a kid, you think being Prime Minister is amazing. And to think someone from Yamaguchi Prefecture, no, from Shimonoseki, would become one. That was Shinzo Abe. There's talk of the "Abe One Strong System," but the Yamaguchi 4th District has been an Abe stronghold since Shinzo Abe's father, Shintaro Abe, was a member of the House of Representatives. His mother worked at a golf course, and Shinzo Abe would come and greet everyone warmly. During elections, Abe himself would support other candidates, and his wife would work hard to support him, saying, "Please support Shinzo Abe!" I've never met Shinzo Abe in person, but I've seen his wife a few times and even shook her hand. I remember feeling something was off in the shopping district in Shimonoseki, and it turned out Shinzo Abe had been there just 15 minutes earlier. It was a near miss. I never imagined things would turn out like this. Setting aside political beliefs and principles, if your mother gets deeply involved in a religion, pours money into it, and then tries to kill a religious group's leader because she resents the group, thinking they're connected to the religion, and targets Shinzo Abe for that reason, taking a life for such a thing is unthinkable. I have a strong dislike for a certain governor in Kyushu, but that doesn't justify committing a crime. When I heard about the incident, my mind was in chaos. I couldn't tell if everything was black or white; it was hard to express. It was truly indescribable. When I heard he passed away in the evening, I couldn't stay calm due to the regret and anger. I couldn't sleep until 3 a.m., so I went to Seven-Eleven. I went to buy food for work today, not for tomorrow, but I was so lost in the feeling of emptiness and loss that I didn't know what to buy. I learned this time that Shinzo Abe was my father's classmate and even Godzilla's classmate. If my father were still alive, he would be 68 this year. Godzilla is also 68 this year. I don't remember what I bought, but oh yeah, there's a Hokkaido Fair at Seven-Eleven now. The pasta from the Italy Fair was really delicious. This Hokkaido-produced salmon rice ball is incredibly delicious. Was cod roe this tasty? Normally, I should say, "May he rest in peace," but I can't pray for his soul. In my mind, Shinzo Abe is not dead. I personally oppose the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution, the explicit mention of the Self-Defense Forces in the Constitution, preemptive attacks on enemy bases, and the joint possession of nuclear weapons, but if Shinzo Abe said it, I thought it must be right for Japan, that's how it should be. I still can't get my feelings in order, but as someone left behind, I want to find something I can do.

Partner's theatrical version IV Capital Crisis 500,000 hostages Special Mission Division Final Decision A record-breaking hit in the history of Partner, or rather, in the history of Japanese cinema. The setting is Tokyo, but 80% of the filming was done in Kitakyushu, with famous locations such as the British Consulate, the warehouse where Morris is killed, the scene where the British man is shot, the investigation headquarters, and most importantly, a full-scale blockade of Kokura, the heart of the 1 million city. The culprit escapes to places like Kokura Izutsuya restaurant district, and the scene where TV broadcast vehicles were parked was at Collet (now St. City). The climax where the mastermind attempts the crime takes place at the Kokura multilevel parking garage in the heart of Kokura. The cityscape of Kokura also appears sporadically as the backdrop, reminiscent of the Ginza scenery, and most notably, Kokura's Komonji Street is completely sealed off for 12 hours. It's like sealing off a major road like the Kokutai Road in Fukuoka. The north entrance of the Tanga Market faces Komonji Street, and during a fire, there was a TV broadcast with numerous police cars and fire trucks parked, exactly like Komonji Street. In Partner's filming, the monorail passes through the Peace Street, with bars and pubs lining up on one side in Konmachi, and snack bars and traditional Japanese restaurants lining up on the other side in Sakaimachi. Partner IV, which was filmed on a grand scale in Kitakyushu, was finally seen. A car-like object runs on the rails of the monorail, transforming the monorail into the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. Kokura had become completely like Ginza. So, I wish they had somehow changed the directional signs. The ones with arrows indicating the direction and destination. ↰ South Kokura ↑ Tobata would show up. Maybe they couldn't change it legally, but could they have done something in the video editing? Or did they intentionally sneak it in? While watching Partner, the accompaniment was from Seven-Eleven. Unable to eat out and not consuming any vegetables, the strategy was to get vegetables through Seven-Eleven's deli items. Caprese with fruit tomatoes and cream cheese. The basil aroma is rich, and the fruit tomatoes are incredibly delicious. It's not clear whether it's dessert or a side dish, or rather, it feels incomplete, so adding smoked salmon, red snapper, and bluefin tuna sashimi would instantly enhance the side dish feel. It can be Caprese, Carpaccio, or Seviche. And I wanted to eat the spicy marinated pork. It's deliciously spicy. I want to eat it on rice. And now it's the Hawaiian Fair. I'm not a fan of tropical cuisine... I can't stand things like pineapples in sweet and sour pork, or apples in potato salad. It's not a matter of just not liking it. If it's there, it makes me sick. If that's the case, I don't need any food, not just sweet and sour pork. When it comes to Hawaii, I want to try the oxtail soup and acai bowl featured in The Lonely Gourmet. The Hawaii State Tourism Board-certified Hawaiian Fair this time. The foolproof Hawaiian dish is definitely the Loco Moco bowl.

When I was a child, everyone called it spaghetti. But when I became an adult and said spaghetti, people would say, "That's so uncool. It's pasta." In Italy, anything made from wheat is generally called pasta. There are short pastas like macaroni and rigatoni, and long pastas like spaghetti. So, in Japan, when people refer to long pasta as spaghetti, it's actually correct. I usually don't eat vegetables when I'm stuck at home. But during the Italian Fair at 7-Eleven, there were plenty of vegetables. The cold pasta with prosciutto and lots of tomatoes was delicious. The amount of tomatoes was overwhelming, with chunks of tomatoes and a tomato paste sauce. The carbonara and basil cold pasta were also tasty. Carbohydrates are essential for humans, so pasta is important. A perfect meal would be grilled meat sushi rolls for carbohydrates, prosciutto for protein, tomato for vitamins, lettuce for fiber, and cream cheese for minerals. It's a nutritionally balanced meal.

Yesterday, I was feeling stressed and frustrated, to the point where I thought my blood vessels in my head might burst. My right hand was shaking uncontrollably, almost like a tremor. I started to worry if it was epilepsy or a brain vascular disorder. After about 3 minutes, it subsided, and I felt relieved. But whenever I got frustrated again, my hand would start shaking once more. I tried to suppress my irritation, and the shaking would stop. But if I couldn't hold it in and got frustrated again, the shaking would return. I watched Bananaman's "Sekkaku Gourmet Nagasaki" and enjoyed it, but after it ended, I felt a strong sense of despair. I never imagined I would feel so detached from the general public and become a "with corona" person. We must continue to strive for zero risk and zero corona to protect the lives of high-risk elderly individuals. We must act with a strong sense of awareness and duty. I had planned to go out for the first time in two months during the three-day weekend, but in the end, I didn't go anywhere. It feels like I will stay home forever. I went to the supermarket and convenience store to buy essential items, but it just doesn't feel right. In the past, I would go out for lunch and have drinks at night on my days off, but now, with no opportunity for dining out, there are no places or reasons to go outside. However, I have recently been hooked on Seven Eleven's Italian Fair. The Olive & Tomato Pasta is delicious. The sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes, combined with salt, garlic, and the juicy black olives, create a perfect harmony. But the tuna was not quite right. It had a fishy and raw smell. Perhaps shrimp would have been a safer choice to not spoil the tomato flavor, or chicken breast would have been better to avoid the raw smell. On the other hand, the Tiramisu was delicious. I'm not a big fan of sweet things, but Baumkuchen, cream puffs, eclairs, chocolate mousse, Tiramisu, panna cotta, chocolate mousse, almond jelly, and Nagasaki's milkshake are different. The rich sweetness and the light coffee jelly at the bottom create a perfect contrast, making you feel like you're being sucked into the black hole of Tiramisu. The products in Seven Eleven's Italian Fair are genuinely more authentic and give you a dining out experience better than Italian restaurants. Among them, the Carbonara is the best by far. The quality of that bento box at a convenience store is incredible. And for basil lovers, the cold pasta with clams and shrimp is irresistible. Seven Eleven's cold noodles, zaru soba, bukkake udon, everything is delicious, but during this season, you must try the cold pasta with clams and shrimp. I wonder how long the Italian Fair will last? Like a firefly, I long for light, healing, and peace while staying at home~☆

Due to the explosion of infections caused by the Omicron variant, there is a call for refraining from unnecessary outings. Going to the supermarket or convenience store to buy essential items has become the only enjoyable activity in life. However, if you are tired of the products at regular supermarkets and convenience stores, the items at Seven-Eleven are amazing. Even though you can't go out or dine out, you can enjoy a virtual trip to Italy from the comfort of your home. The food is delicious, more authentic than what you would find at a typical Italian restaurant. This time, I tried the cold pasta with clams and shrimp in olive oil, fresh basil, and salt. Despite being just a combination of three ingredients - oil, herbs, and seasoning - it goes well with meat, fish, vegetables, as a main dish, salad, or pasta. The endless combinations are a perfect match for clams and shrimp. The refreshing scent of olive oil and basil is delightful. The quality of the olive itself, along with the way it is pressed, makes the olive oil taste so good. This is truly exceptional from Seven-Eleven. In the midst of the pandemic, being able to enjoy delicious food at home that is safer and more satisfying than eating out is a true blessing. It almost feels like looking out at the Mediterranean Sea from Hakata Bay.

Seven-Eleven's Italian Fair is amazing these days, just like their Asian Fair, where you can enjoy the taste of the authentic cuisine more than actually being in the country itself. Back in high school, my friends and I used to play a soccer game called Winning Eleven, and the powerhouse countries were Italy, Portugal, and Argentina. I chose Italy and have been a huge fan ever since. The memories of Totti and Del Piero in the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, the dramatic PK win against France in the 2006 Germany World Cup, and the masterful play of Andrea Pirlo. Italy was truly something else back then. It's disappointing that Italy didn't make it to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Japan is in the same group as Spain and Germany. But Italy is not just about soccer. I also love pasta, and this time I bought Carbonara. While in Italy they use Pecorino Romano cheese, here they use Parmigiano Reggiano. Only cheese with the official seal from places like Parma or Reggina, where Nakata and Nakamura played, can be called Parmigiano Reggiano. Crafted Parmesan cheese is considered fake, and while Kraft gets away with it in the US, it shouldn't be labeled as Parmesan. The Carbonara sauce with plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano and the rich aroma of olive oil. It's the true Italian taste made with just eggs and cheese, not the creamy version with cream or milk like in Japan. I can see the Mediterranean beyond Roppongi. I remember seeing office workers enjoying lunch on the main street with a view of Mori Tower and TV Asahi when I went to try Tiramisu ice cream. It turns out this Carbonara was supervised by a restaurant in Nishi-Azabu, so I wasn't entirely wrong. It may not appeal to everyone in Japan, but the stylish people in Tokyo and beyond will appreciate this authentic Carbonara. It's a delicious taste that would surprise even the Romans, and you can enjoy the taste of eating out at home.

The Omicron variant has caused a massive surge in infections. Despite it being a Golden Week without any restrictions for the first time in three years, Fukuoka Prefecture has issued its own state of emergency and a COVID-19 alert, urging people to refrain from non-essential outings. It feels like we will be stuck at home forever, unable to dine out or travel for another 5 or 10 years. In the midst of this, the ginger pork bento from Seven-Eleven has become a source of vitality for me. I have eaten it six times in the span of 10 days. The ginger flavor is strong, the rice is plentiful, although the quality of the pasta at the bottom has declined and there is a bothersome smell. However, the generous portion makes me feel happy. I don't want to die, but I am feeling quite mentally exhausted these days. To protect the lives of elderly individuals who are at high risk, I have become a self-imposed king of self-restraint.

Until now, I was only allowed to go out with people who shared episodes with me, but from now on, I have to make sure not to become a close contact with anyone and not to share episodes with anyone. The other day, I went to Kurosaki and rode the 885 series and 883 series, and then went to Kokura and rode the Hikari Rail Star 500 series and 700 series. My preparations for staying at home are complete. The only regret is that I haven't ridden the 800 series yet, but I'll go to Kurume on the 800 series after the sixth wave subsides. The most unrealistic thing is that I have to prepare lunch every day. Today, I made the dream Decopin bowl. The thick and juicy Senpai from Kibou Dojo in Shime Town was waiting in the freezer. The chashu from Kibou Dojo is surprisingly delicious, but it takes quite a long time to thaw. I can't make muscle fried rice early in the morning, so I made a Decopin bowl. I bought kimchi and boiled eggs at a convenience store near the office, and now it's time to eat! Kibou Dojo's kimchi is unexpectedly delicious, even better than at specialty stores or yakiniku restaurants. Can they sell frozen kimchi too? Does the taste change when kimchi is frozen? This time, it's Seven-Eleven's kimchi. Seven-Eleven's kimchi is delicious too, but Kibou Dojo's kimchi is the best. What I didn't expect was that Senpai's thick and juicy meat was much more flavorful than the chashu eaten at the store. Seven-Eleven's kimchi is also salty and garlicky, so when I put a lot of kimchi thinking of the taste of the chashu at the store, the chashu flavor was strong, and the Decopin bowl was a bit of a failure. However, on the other hand, if the chashu flavor is strong, even an amateur like me can make muscle fried rice. Since there is still half left, next time I'll make muscle fried rice!! I'm not sure if this is a review of Seven-Eleven or Kibou Dojo, but the Decopin bowl is made possible by Seven-Eleven's kimchi and boiled eggs, and Kibou Dojo's chashu. The dream collaboration of the largest retail company and the strongest dojo.

The Omicron strain is similar to the flu, not COVID. In Okinawa, 97% are asymptomatic, 3% have mild symptoms, and there are zero severe cases. Despite the optimistic mood surrounding Omicron, the risk of severe illness remains for elderly individuals. The pressure to avoid infection and transmission is causing mental strain. It's important to not underestimate the situation as even with Omicron, some people can still become seriously ill or die. Due to the current circumstances, preparing meals at home has become challenging, but visiting a nearby convenience store for a quick meal can provide a welcome break. Last New Year's Eve, I stopped by a convenience store near my workplace and enjoyed a delicious bowl of soba with rich broth, as I prefer udon over soba and only have soba once a year.

Shin Potato, I've decided on you!! I received Shin Potato from a colleague at work. It was surprisingly delicious, with the perfect amount of salt. It's just like Calbee's lightly salted potato chips, but a completely different food. It's like the difference between the original strain and the Omicron variant of COVID-19. It truly infects my heart, with spike proteins that won't let go. The texture is like a crumpled potato chip, and the taste of the potato is strong. I learned in high school that potato chips are made from potatoes, but with Shin Potato, you instantly realize it's nothing but potato. The salt is delicious, probably from Besho salt, and the perfect saltiness and umami make it perfect after a hard day's work. Potato chips and cola are a classic combination, but Shin Potato's flavor is so supreme that it's pure happiness in a small package. It's much more satisfying than eating a strange bento box.

I love Kyushu, except for some prefectures like Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki. Whenever I see products from Miyazaki, Nagasaki, or Kagoshima, I can't help but buy them. This time, it's Oita-produced whitebait! But I have a slight worry... Wasn't the Japanese-style peperoncino I had at FamilyMart yesterday? Olive oil, garlic, red pepper, soy sauce, right? It's not that the Japanese-style peperoncino is bad, it's FamilyMart that's bad. I trust Seven & i Holdings, the king of retail, so I bought the Oita-produced whitebait Japanese-style peperoncino. From the moment I warmed it up in the microwave, the nice aroma of the Oita-produced whitebait filled the air. I couldn't help but raise my expectations. Seven & i Holdings, please don't turn this expectation into disappointment. With that wish in mind, I took a bite. Wow! This is amazing! The aroma of the whitebait pierces through my nose and the extra virgin olive oil aroma goes straight to my head. The pickled mustard greens and spicy cod roe are doing a great job. I feel like I'm flying into space. I don't really like extra virgin olive oil that much. I don't really like it, but the aroma of the extra virgin olive oil in this pasta is irresistible! Extra virgin olive oil, come more! Come more! Come even more! I've never experienced such a wonderful aroma of extra virgin olive oil in my life. The pure olive oil, garlic, and red pepper, in other words, the peperoncino sauce, is also amazing. It's the same sauce as the peperoncino sauce from Seven-Eleven, but the Japanese-style peperoncino sauce matches perfectly with this sauce, it's like they are in perfect harmony. I was disappointed that the Seven-Eleven peperoncino sauce had changed, but I never expected it to go so well with whitebait, pickled mustard greens, and spicy cod roe. And then the extra virgin olive oil works its magic. I know that fish and olive oil, like anchovies or oil sardines, are a perfect combination, but whitebait goes perfectly with it too. The fishy smell of the whitebait blends with the olive oil. I feel like my head has been chopped off by the extra virgin olive oil, to the point where I have no memory of the pork bowl I bought with it. I have regained the failure of FamilyMart the day before, and inside me, white doves of happiness are flying around.

When I went to another Seven-Eleven, the pork yakiniku bento was back. It had a rich sauce with spicy mayonnaise. I know it's bad for my health, but for mayo lovers, it's pure happiness. I was getting tired of convenience store food, but this was a refreshing change. It's become the norm to rely on convenience store meals. Watching old comedy shows like "The Drifters" now feels uncomfortable, seeing them close together without masks. The new normal in the age of COVID-19 has truly sunk in. Stay home is the best in these times. Avoiding high-risk dining out and sticking to solo convenience store meals is the way to go. This is how I reassure myself as I endure the hardships of self-restraint during the pandemic.