TWO is a magic number...

...when you finally give in to a repetitive task. Like saying 'good morning', walking the dog or even WRITING A BLOG.

Today I have taken a break from my comfortable horizontal position of rest, to write to the masses (those two or three suckers...) about nikuman. Nikuman. Niku-manju. Meat...bun-type thing.

They are good. Too good. If anyone needs to find a reason for gaining weight in Japan, just blame it on nikuman. But if you are gaining weight, and you aren't eating nikuman, I ask you: 'Exactly WHAT are you doing?'.

But it isn't just the nikuman. It is the butaman, the tokusei nikuman, the shio-butaman, the pizaman, the kareman, the char-siu-man, the ooiri juicy nikuman and of course the anman and chocoman. If you have just read the previous passage and thought 'what is he talking about?', then I apologise now for my utter lack of care and attention to the fact that so many foreign words ending with -man MAY offend some people's ears.

But seriously, convenience stores are, by design, convenient (or at least they should be). In Japan, they are too convenient; but this is a positive when you really need it. For instance, when you are stuck without any money at stupid-o'clock in the morning and you desperately need a meaty treat to slake your post-alcohol fuelled thirst for animal flesh, you can first use the newly available 24hour ATM machines, and then you can take your money to the counter in order to pay for the biggest meat filled bun you can order. At 105 yen per snack, they fill a hole without making too much of one in your pocket.

I have also found that nikuman bring people together. In this world, there are very few people (who know of nikuman) and dislike them, or one of their hybrids. If you want to reward someone, by them a nikuman as a thank you snack. If you like someone, take them out for a coffee, but beforehand, stop off in a convenience store and get matching nikuman. The possibilities are ENDLESS. Which happens to make this blog sound like a cheap advertising gag for the next mail-order 'wonder-product' that can cut, slice, dice, tenderise, fillet, skin, season, cook and brown food perfectly in just one simple movement. The only difference is, you won't be disappointed by the nikuman when it comes (vegetarians...you can have pizaman and anman...).

As for this blog, I promise that when my head has cleared, my throat loses its inflammation, and my sanity returns, I shall be back to writing more sensible, dry and altogether less 'meaty' articles. Thank you for reading...