Neko JaLaLa~ [Migrated Post]

While we were in Akihabara 秋葉原 district, otherwise known as otaku おたく town or the birthplace of the popular girl group AKB48, we visited one of the most enchanting cat cafes in Japan, Neko JaLaLa. Contrary to what you may think, the cat cafe niche didn’t originate from Japan. Taiwan started the whole hype, but was further popularized in Japan, with now over 40 cat cafes established in Tokyo alone.

While planning our itinerary, we found Neko JaLaLa on TripAdvisor, and it’s received one of the most positive reviews from visitors. We’ve been dying to go to one of these pet cafes just because our parents forbid us to own neither cats nor dogs since forever (but once we’re married, getting a dog is one of the first things to cross off on our to-do list). A slight off from topic here: Now as I’m writing this, I’m beginning to regret we didn’t list one of the most popular niche cafes in the country, Akiba Fukurou, on our itinerary. It’s an owl cafe also in Akihabara, where we can all pretend we’re attending Hogwarts. But if you’re interested in other animals, check out the complete list of petting places you can visit at animalcafes.com.

Anyway, back to cats. You’re at the right place when you find a wooden door fittingly decorated with pictures of cats.

To prevent escapes and protect new visitors, they have a second door once you step beyond this one. On your left there’s a lady behind a sliding bamboo cage who will take your reservations. Once it’s your turn, you will be called to enter the second door. Get ready to take off your shoes and place them on the shelving units on your right.

Several ground rules before you start playing with the kitties include not bringing your own cat(s), washing your hands before you touch them, making sure you don’t have any allergies, not being drunk or violent or smoking cigarettes, no camera flash and red-light effect, and many, many more. You can pretty much guess how much care and attention these diva kitties receive on a daily basis just before entering – staff takes feline welfare very seriously. Once they invite you into the second threshold, they’ll take your drink orders, then hand you an English booklet to guide how you can interact with the cats, where I learned cats like it if you pet them super gently from the head down while they’re napping.

Drink menu includes coffees, teas, and flavored teas. Since it’s a one-drink order system, you’ll be charged with a separate bill for your next order. Time slots for your stay start at 30 minutes – it’s the slot we took and it felt like time fled:

• 30 minutes: JPY 530
• 60 minutes: JPY 1,010 M-F, JPY 1,060 Sa-S + holidays
• 90 minutes: JPY 1,490 M-F, JPY 1,590 Sa-S + holidays
• 120 minutes: JPY 1,970 M-F, JPY 2,120 Sa-S + holidays

You can still stay longer if you’ve picked the 120-minute slot – you’ll be charged JPY 530 at every 30-minute increment.

Now, the cats …

You’ll be surprised just how gentle these humongous cats are. They all weigh an average 10kg, and they all look so primped and healthy and robust. You’ll slowly see more and more cats the further you go inside, spotting one hiding behind another coming out of furniture corners, underneath bean bags, on top of counters and elsewhere in the compact room.

There are 12 cats that I’ve snapped as they lounge and move and hop around, but there are, like, 15 more  that I didn’t get a chance to either see or snap, and I really, really, really wanna see Luca and Shee! Cats not in my pictures:

1. Lala ララ (Norwegian forest)
2. Chika チカ (Munchkin)
3. Anne アン (Abyssinian)
4. Taki タキ (Ragdoll)
5. Luca ルカ (Scottish Fold) (like Dr. Olivia Benson!)
6. Ragg ラグ (Ragdoll)
7. Bell ベル (Bengal)
8. Mari マリ(Somali)
9. Batt バト (American curl)
10. Shee シィ(Persian)
11. Brit ブリ(Maine Coon)
12. Moco モコ (Munchkin)
13. Miii ミィ(American curl)
14. Yuki ユキ (Mix: Persian + American curl)
15. Coco ココ (Maine Coon)

Without further ado, here are le kitties:

Rica リカ

Hina ヒナ

Rick リク

“Do I really need a pedicure?!”

Perr ペル

“Stop staring at me, you.”

Righ ライ

Linn-chan リン, my favorite little fuzzy cat~

Shia シア

“… ahh, so this is what the hoomans drink.”

Curl カル

“Don’t you take away my fishy from me!”

Cooo クウ

Caye カイ: “What are YOU looking at?”

Maye メイ

“Chillin’~”

Jack ジャック

Evidently, this place has some super kawaii 可愛い kitties!! Though I'm still more of a dog person. Judging by this 30-minute interaction with these feline buddies, I couldn’t be more patient caring for these divas in the long run. They’ll be kings/queens of the house, they won’t shower you with licks and love once you get home from work, and most of the time, they’ll just be busy doing their own thing (read: staring, scratching, napping) and remain coldly indifferent towards you, haha

But if you’ve got time to chill and a cat-loving date to impress, the best time of the day to come to Neko JaLaLa is between 10am to 2pm, when it’s not going to be least packed with visitors. I suggest making your reservations early, as the cafe can only fit 10 humans at a time.

Love Lessons I Learned From Premarital Guidance [Migrated Post]

Last month, my fiance and I went into a premarital counseling program at our church. It consists of a 6-week, once-a-week educational course as well as a private counseling session. The overall goal of the program was to introduce newlyweds into the institution of marriage according to Christ, as well as a vast array of skills each couple needs to adopt going into the life-long commitment.

I want to share some of the most poignant lessons that hit us on the road, as all of these apply to secular marriages as well. I thought it’d be helpful for those of you looking to get yourself ready for marriage, or just any other long-term partnerships. 

1. Family matters the most to God. It’s the whole reason he sent Jesus Christ to bring you back to Him (John 3:16).

2. No matter what happens, decide now that divorce is never, ever, ever an option (Matthew 19:6). You and your spouse will be leaving your respective families to unite and become one in flesh, bind by the Spirit. Marriage is a sanctity, and whoever separates the bond is essentially bringing your new family down from grace (Mark 10:9).

3. The kind of love that lasts for eternity has all three components from Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love:

• Intimacy
• Passion
• Commitment

4. As with all kinds of relationships, communication is vital – both verbal and nonverbal. Little things like touching, smiling, mimicking each others’ gestures and maintaining eye contact add up. In the same vein, verbalize your thoughts and feelings. It’s important for the both of you to be on the same wavelength.

A Sin is A Sin [Migrated Post]

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki, page 50

A gentle reminder on keeping your word from the legend of Urashima Taro~

"The Princess told me when she gave me the box never to open it—that it contained a very precious thing. But now that I have no home, now that I have lost everything that was dear to me here, and my heart grows thin with sadness, at such a time, if I open the box, surely I shall find something that will help me, something that will show me the way back to my beautiful Princess over the sea. There is nothing else for me to do now. Yes, yes, I will open the box and look in!"

And so his heart consented to this act of disobedience, and he tried to persuade himself that he was doing the right thing in breaking his promise.