Now THAT'S a Brawny kind of mess!
Would you hire this guy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP30okjpCko

"Dick." "Huh? What, are we there?" "We've been here for six hours, man, we just haven't seen the car yet, and you haven't seen shit because you keep falling asleep." "Gimme a break, man, I was driving all night to get here." The two criminals were seated in a non-descript car, parked nearby the entrance to the main parking lot at Mt. Loyal University, charged with the details of a specific vehicle set to arrive at some point. The two were only armed with camera equipment, but it was enough to ID at a distance and that's what they were being paid to do. "Look, if this chick's as dangerous as they say, it'll help to be ready when she shows up. Try some of the coffee, they shouldn't be too cold." Dick looked at the two big cups from the morning hours before they showed up. "Dale, that stuff's probably frozen by now, let's just go get some fresh stuff." "We can't leave, idiot!" barked Dale, fitting of his canine species. They both were dogs, Dale a chihuahua and Dick a St. Bernard, with personalities to match. "Look, I'll go get some at that place down the block, come back here, and we can throw that stuff out." "Well then, go, come on, hurry up and get back, I don't want you sitting on a bench and falling asleep again." "I'm going, don't yell at me, man." Dick replied softly. "I'm NOT YELLING!" Dale yelled as the larger of the two got out of the car with another huge yawn to head off on his mission. The actual task they were seeing to was admittedly a dull one, but Dale liked to be alert at all times, especially when dealing with contract killers. About five minutes later, Dick had returned with two coffees, Dale opening the door for him. "Thanks. They had that hazelnut stuff you like, so I-" "Wait wait wait, hold that thought, I think that's our ticket." said the chihuahua, pointing a finger at the gate. Indeed, a white Oz Harper was pulling in and turning their way to find a spot. Dale squawked 'Hide!' and pulled the seat lock, falling backwards with it quickly. Dick just watched the car go by and head up towards the front of the building. "GOL-332, I think that's our guy, Dale." the larger dog said, slurping at his coffee loudly. The smaller one's head popped up to check before easing his seat back up. "Of course it is, I knew this was the gate to trust." he declared, pulling out a cellphone to speed-dial a number. "What are we gonna do now, D?" "Shh, lemme make this call in peace for a second... hey, it's us, the ones you called for recon? ...yeah, no, we stuck to the timeframe you gave us, the target's been confirmed at that college we parked at." Dick was starting to fall asleep in his seat again, so Dale smacked at him while completing the phonecall. "Gotcha.. yes, gotcha, you won't be needing anything else? Alright then, it was a pleasure doing business with you, and we'll just be on our way once our payment is secu- what??" The voice over the tiny microphone spoke in stern volumes, Dale glaring wide-eyed at the device like he wanted to bite a chunk out of it. He managed to inhale and hold it before responding tightly. "I understand, we will get a room and meet with you after the hit. Thank you very much for this opportunity." He beeped off the phone, calmly unclipped his seat belt, vacated the car, and then began to attack the right side of it in a psychotic frenzy, all manner of expletive spraying as hornets do from a disturbed nest. Dick watched him for a bit as he gradually slowed his raging melee with their car and got back inside of it. "We gotta go shack up in a hotel for the night, we're not getting paid until they kill this chick." "Hey, oh boy, a hotel, that'll have a bed for sure." He began to hand the chihuahua his coffee before giving a bit too much gas and causing a second furious explosion, this time in the car. The badly-secured lid had sluiced open and had went mostly all over Dale, staining his undershirt dark brown. Dick looked at him and raised his eyebrows high enough to expose his eyes at last. "Oh no, I'm real sorry about that, we can get the duffel bag out and take it-" Dale held up his paw. "Dick, shut up and let's just... take it to get washed somewhere, real quick. I like this shirt, this is my lucky shirt." "Okay, Dale." and he started up the car and turned off down the main street, looking like he'd be smacked around and scolded by the smaller man. Dale looked sidelong at him for a bit before looking forward quietly. "You're mad." "Dick, I ain't mad, I'm just cranky." "No, you're mad, you say that when you're mad." "What're you, my freakin' therapist? Get over into that one there and let's get this thing washed and dried, I'm gonna need it to keep from KILLING you, right in the face. "Dale, I'm really sorry." They parked and they got out. "Just finish your coffee, man, I gotta go use the bathroom and change out."
Tom was in a late afternoon haze of beer buzz, boredom, and bitterness. Something about the verbal skirmish with the snow leopard had really got on his nerves, and he still wanted to give her a piece of his mind. There was a bit of time left, and he felt like he could be risking at least one more smoke, so he went out the back door into the loading alley and lit up there, largely free of company for the moment, but it was then that one of the black cars from before slowly pulled into sight ahead, blocking off the alley's exit. "Shit.." he whispered, knowing better than to turn around as the sound of crunching rock on tires signalled he was being boxed in. He circled on the spot casually, eyes swallowing his surroundings to make sure there was no one else around in case he had to attack and escape. The two guys that got out had matching casual wear and a bully's confidence as they came his way. Two more door-shutting sounds behind him now, sending that tingle of adrenaline pre-game thru his body. Taking a deep inhale to martial his guts and nicotine, Tom came to a stop and looked to the guys in front of him as he exhaled, flicking the cigarette away. They were certainly taller up close. "Larry, Curly, good to see you, something I can help you two with?" he asked brazenly, getting two accosted looks in response. "How's he supposed to know that? He knows my name, man, how does he know that?" said the wiry one of the pair. Tom's throat tightened; one of their names actually WAS Larry, apparently. "He's calling us stooges, man, you know?" said the other, more standard-shaped one. "We got a smartass here, don't we?" came a voice from behind, followed by a hard shove that almost sent him onto the ground. "Hey!" Tom barked, stepping back to take all four of them in. They all had a kind of standard goon panache, and one of them had a shoulder holster slightly visible. The only animal folk in their number was a fox, shock-white and wearing the worst air of superiority among them, along with the tattoos and pink-red eyes. Tom made a mental note to attack this one first if he had to, but wisely switched gears. "Look guys, I think we got off on the wrong foot here, see... I'm a traveling salesman, and I got these dynamite blindfolds I'm peddling. You four want to line for a demonstration, I could oblige you a discount too!" he said, winking an eye. One of them chuckled off to the right, but Larry had apparently had enough, pulling an H17 into view, and putting the barrel inbetween Tom's eyes. He swallowed hard, carefully putting his hands up and standing his mental ground. "Yeah, talk that shit now, huh? Think you're all funny, man, I'll put you in the fucking GROUND, I don't give a fuck!" snarled this Larry.The fox put a clawed hand firmly on the guys' arm and caught his eye coldly. "Stow that piece, and calm down before you get us all popped, dig?" he said in a sibilant tone. Larry was still looking at Tom, glaring back at him, but obeyed and hung up the gun. The leader took point now, nodding for the raccoon to lower his arms. "I'll just... keep them up, if it's all the same, mutual trust eh?" said Tom, giving a weak smile. "Fair enough." answered the vulpine boss, "Now, my friend here seems to think you were scoping us earlier." "At the traffic light back there? No no, I just saw these nice Golgo Tundras going thru town, all sleek and white-- thought someone was putting on a concert or something. Honest curiosity, that was it." It wasn't necessarily a lie either. The tall fox looked him over a bit, his sharp eyes looking lower. "Got anything in your pockets?" "...I do." Tom carefully produced his wad of bills from one pocket and a pack of Mazzerucci Royals in the other. He really hoped they wouldn't stick their hand in the jacket pocket, for a few reasons at that. "See, I was just out doing laundry, there's no-- hey, dammit!" Larry had snatched the items up, and Tom moved his hands in protest, only to be frozen solid by the clawed fingers of the one in charge. "Mutual trust, right?" he said, smiling with sharp teeth. The bothered canine grimaced and tried to look helpless while they counted up his stolen cash, wishing he'd had enough magic stored up for a bolt of half-power lightning; they would probably survive, but with scars to remember. A sizable chunk of money was missing when it was handed back, and that was it. Tom looked up at the leader briefly, who was already biting onto one of the cigarettes. "I like Royals, consider it part of the toll here for wastin' our precious time with your peeking." and he felt his own pockets briefly before looking up again, "No lighter?" Tom lit his smokes on his own, so he just shrugged and produced his unfolded pockets. The four of them seemed to have had their fun and left, but the fox stayed a second to lean in close as his men returned to the cars. One particularly sharp claw came to rest gently just above Tom's left eyebrow. "Now, make a healthy choice, and stay the fuck out of sight for a couple days, okay? You and I see each other again, well--" He slowly dragged the sharp point across Tom's forehead, blood dripping down freely, making him wince a bit. "--You're gonna need one of those fancy blindfolds for when we execute you, since you uh... seem to be out of smokes too. Arrivederci, bambino~" he said, parting ways. "Yeah yeah, au revoir, Simone." Tom grunted, waiting until they'd disembarked before he snarled and kicked a nearby paint bucket across the alley like a soccer ball. "What the fuck is your DEAL, Canada?! I thought this was supposed to be a nice place!" he yelled. From somewhere in the barkyards of a nearby neighborhood, someone shouted in response. "I AM TRYING TO WORK OVER HERE!", it said. "SHUT UP!!" growled Tom, wiping at the blood on his face.
The raccoon was sitting in a miserable distemper while the dryer was finishing his clothes. 'I ought to just spin the wheel again and find someplace else, this town is becoming dangerous.' he thought, halfway thru another drink. He stopped suddenly at the sound of the door jingling, hurrying to move one of his towels over the opened can. A pair of dogs came in, talking in low voices, and Tom minded his own business, having had enough of strangers for one week. They seemed to mind their own business, so it was business as usual. One of them disappeared into the bathroom for a bit, coming out wearing a different shirt, and they proceeded to wash a single shirt. Tom had been on the streets for as long as he could remember, and had seen a furtive load of laundry or two, so lacking any other concrete plans, he got up and pretended to go check his clothes while pointing an ear their way. "...told you to keep it down, ya idiot." the smaller one hissed. "You worry too much, Dale, we're just there to drive anyone who needs it to safety after they corner that lady and tie her up." Already, this was sounding bad, but the raccoon kept incognito for the moment. "Yeah, well that's why they're calling in this extra muscle, this snow leopard's supposed to be a real killer born, y'know? Kinda like you and being so slow and clueless." Dick shrugged and lapped at his coffee again. "I'm just as my momma made me, Dale." "Yeah, well thank goodness she died before seeing this life of crime you've somehow clung to, she'd have died of shame otherwise." snapped the chihuahua, loading quarters into the machine. "Oh Dale, don't say that, she's already mad at me up in Heaven as it is." His partner scoffed and closed the hatch. "Look, I only yell because you never had no friends or family to steer you straight growing up, and I've told you, I'm your big brother! I gotta make sure you're learning and growing up better, yeah?" Dick nodded happily. "I love my big brother." Dale's face was a bit pinker at the cheeks, but he avoided eye contact for now. "Yeah, hey, y'know, it's... nice to be appreciated. Now, take a seat, will ya? Bad enough we're missing out on the fun work over at that construction site up the way, now I gotta hope this stain comes out." he muttered as they headed to one of the plastic benches. Tom was left with a great deal of trepidation: had he just made brief enemies with a trained killer somehow, or was any of this even true? He hurried to pound the rest of his beer, almost getting foam out of his nose in the bargain, bagged up his completed laundry, and left the place without a trace. He was halfway to the Door when he saw some day laborers around a truck by the gas station of his plaza. Once the clothing was carefull scooted into a distant, safe dimensional hideaway around the corner, he sauntered over to them, pretending to throw some trash away. "I don't mean to bother you guys, but do you know which way the big construction site is, just down this road here?"
Kari had been sitting in the parking lot of the campus for about ten minutes, watching the fracas of newspeople and police nearby and really feeling cheated of a decent day of schoolwork. The day was shot for sure, with the media frenzy still stirred up by people posting misinformation online, and news crew remaining on the scene for interviews with the friends or close ones of those involved. Kari looked over at her bag, containing the completed assignment, and felt supremely cheated as she started the car and looked over her shoulder. A bedraggled human face looked back immediately and she shouted in surprise. It was only then she realized it was from outside the car. Some drifter, bedraggled and carrying a backpack that was as weatherworn as it could be, was standing in the middle of the parking lot, looking past her car, then back at her. Something about it felt like the right thing to do, so she got out of the car and approached him. The man began to back away, muttering something. "No no, easy, I'm not gonna hurt you or waste your time, I wanted to ask if you'd seen anything weird recently." At first, the guy said nothing and continued mumbling something, but he paused on a dime and turned to her slowly before taking a huge inhale of her presence. The snow leopard stepped back, looking affronted. "Hey, what the hell?!" she snapped, "I just wanted a damn answer." The homeless man locked eyes with her, speaking very plainly. "He will lead you thru the door, and to places beyond here or there, and I will show you the other side! The OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR!" he said in a rising tone before wandering off incoherently, pulling the backpack into his arms and talking placatingly to it in tender whispers. Kari just got back in her car and looked confusingly at her steering wheel, like it would turn into a giant pretzel or something next. 'There's a lot of weirdos in town today, and that can usually mean something's up.' she thought, going from experience, 'The only problem is for who.. and why?" She rolled the window down and closed her eyes, feeling kind of cooped up for some reason "Excuse me?" "AAA!!" Kari's body moved defensively towards the sound, only to find some kid about 6 sandwiched up on himself to avoid the attack. "Hi? sorry there, kiddo, what did you need, are you lost?" she managed, still oddly on edge. "I'm um, here... this, uh, I got my... there's a letter for, here, there's a letter I got to give you. I have to go." he managed, handing a folded paper to her before hurrying back to a small bike and riding away. Kari almost threw it away, eager to put today behind her, but she groaned and unfolded it for reading. "We know who you are, come alone to the location marked at this address at this time only, make this easier on yourself." An address followed and the feline predator smiled with murderous glee, slowly tearing the letter in half. "Know who I am, do they?" she growled, her grin almost too high, "I sure hope they know what I can do." Before she turned the car around to head home, she carefully pocketed the two pieces of paper. "...dammit, why'd I do that."

When I started my diet in 2021 my goal was to get down to 70kg and a 34-inch waistline. I've worn 38-inch waist trousers in the past.
I hit that target back in February.. Since then I've carried on with my diet and am now down to (just below) 65kg and a 32-inch waistline! The paper towel effect is real.
I guess I'm in maintenance now. Not sure what that means exactly with regard to diet. If I can stick below 65kg I'll be very happy. One thing for sure, I will continue to weigh myself daily - that's where I've gone wrong in the past. Now I need to buy some new clothes for the summer....
Before and after. NSFW. Sorry for the potato quality.

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Location: Chamberlain's Rest, HIP 97950 Date: 27 May 3309
I still remember the lighting and the gas clouds. A spectacular view from the chair… But then it’s as cloudy as the clouds we were entering. Was it we or I? The chair felt like the captain's place, but they say I was alone when they found me. No crew, no ship to command, so that’s probably just my dreams. Captain?.. More like a broke guy who can’t even afford a drink at the bar, huh?
It was only a day or two at the infantry, a few tests there, a few papers to fill out and sign here, then just this carefree tone from the worker there, "No health issues now or in the near past, you're fine, carry on with your life." I didn’t tell them I don’t remember why I was in the rescue capsule out there, but either that happens pretty often or they just don’t care. If someone says that I’m fine, while their test can for sure detect memory loss, there’s not much point in spending more time with them.
Aimless walking through corridors only led me to question myself again about how I'd ended up here. What was my goal? What’s it now? Am I capable of anything, in the end? What’s it, if so? That’s no philosophy, as my stomach starts to hurt already. It comes with no surprise - the last meal was yesterday at the hospital in the evening. So it was already like 18 hours or so ago. I can think for days about different ‘whats’, but now it comes to plain survival.
“... Hey”. Bland, blank, nothing. How long was I standing at the same place doing nothing and thinking nothing? “... Hey”. It felt like I was going to do so until passing out from the pain down there in my starving stomach. “... Hey”. And it seems I’m close enough with those phantom “heys” I heard for like the tenth time.
“ HELLO THERE?!” That one made my left ear ring like a bell, almost popping the eardrum, considering the pain that still lingers there. Wasn’t it phantom in the end?
“A… Are you talking to me?” It was so hard to use my voice to say it loud enough so at least someone can hear.
“At last! I was doing it quite a few times already! Are you high, drunk, or what!?” The last part was said, most likely, after seeing my slow turn and unfocused eyes.
They said I have no health issues, but I sure feel like my sight needs another check. Was I just lost in thoughts, or it’s time for sight correction or the new accessory, be it glasses or lenses? Not that it matters if I can’t afford it.
“MAN! Are you passing out there or what? You’re ignoring me again!”
“…”
The next thing that brought me almost from sleep was the feeling of someone’s hands on my shoulders. Mustering all the strength left, I focused my vision, only to see the worried face of a man. He has almost no hair, but it’s not due to age. Either he likes to be almost bald, and I can’t say he looks bad this way - quite the opposite - or it’s to make wearing some combat suits more comfy.
“Are you okay there? Should I take you to the hospital?”
“No, no, I’ve just left it in the morning…”
“Did you escape or what? You look pretty sick!”
“They said I’m fine, really. I think I’m just lost, and hungry.”
“Well, while I can help you with the latter, the first is out of my power. Come one, a drink and a meal, which seems to be more important for you. I’ll pay if you agree to consider my proposal.”
“Lead the way!”, suddenly, I had the strength to almost shout this out loud enough for everyone inside the bar to hear. Conveniently, my lack of strength prevented the embarrassing moment, but… “Lead the way”, man, are you serious? You’re lost, not awakened inside some alternative game universe with magic and cat girls. I guess it’s just hunger.
“Finally, some response from you. Come, I saw that my order was already at the table while helping you out here, but you’ll eat it. See that table with the plate in the corner? Go and start eating it. Can you walk yourself?”
“I think I can, let me try?” I started to move my gaze to his hands still on me, and before I open my mouth to continue, he takes them off. Considering that I still stand and even manage to do a few steps, the man looks relieved and reassured he can leave me for a minute.
“Well then, go and fill yourself, as I’ve said. I’ll stop by the barmen to order another meal, now for myself for sure, and two drinks for us. Go.”
It felt like I’m passing out again - not from the pain this time, but the sensation of relief in my stomach. It was a simple salad and oven-baked fish, nothing spectacular from what I can recollect from my lost memories. I don’t remember the fact, but it feels like it’s not the cheapest meal, but neither is the chef’s special.
“And, how is it? I was going to say that fish is pretty rare in this region, but I guess everything will be a heaven send for you now.”
“I just thought that fish was not the cheapest, but nothing special here, am I wrong?”
“Partly. It’s just as you have said in the Bubble itself, but not in this region in particular. Well, for now at least - there was some piracy involved with food delivery, so traders avoid this region now. While local stocks of food are enough for years, fish was that one product no one thought they’ll run out of. Now it’s doing exactly that, and barmen over there said they are going to raise prices for it two times in a day or two. Consider yourself lucky today.”
“Why then such a luxury for me? Are you going to propose some shady thing to do?” I gave him a questionable look, halting my right hand in midair just before taking another bite from the fork.
“Fast to gain your footing back, aren’t you? Partially it’s true, but it’s more due to your look back a few minutes ago. You did look like you’ll collapse any moment.”
“I can assure you it was true, the hunger was too much. I still feel pain, even if it’s a few pitches down already, it still hurts, but I can speak and think, at least. Thank you, really. Give me five or ten minutes, and I’m ready to listen to your proposals.”
“We’ll come to that, eventually. I’d like to start with simple stuff like names and skills. I think I can ask you as much as to introduce yourself first, so?” He said that in a calm voice, but I felt his efforts to avoid staring at my left hand. Oh, I should stop holding the knife like I’m ready to jump with it at him. I slowly moved my gaze from him to the knife and made sure he catches the glimpse that it was not intended. Instincts, maybe?
“I really want to give you names and all that stuff, but it was not only hunger I was spacing out there. I don’t remember my name, I don’t remember what I can do. It almost feels like your bet was off while inviting me for the free meal. Is it still free, though? Not that I can pay, well, maybe if you place a bounty on my head…”
“Wow, ow, man, stop right there! No hard feelings and no offense there! The meal is free and relax, at least a bit, please. One thing at a time. No name? But how did you get out of the hospital, don't they require filling papers with your name there? Even signature?”
“They do, but the name was prefilled, and the signature was done by scanning fingerprints plus face shots. I didn’t even read papers - it felt like a chore, both for me and them. Just signed it and went away. Well, as far away as the bar entrance.”
“They won’t ever disappoint, ignoring all kinds of issues and booting out patients just to boost their stats, ha? You said about shady stuff, but I’ll not propose anything illegal. Some combat missions and that’s all. Dealing with it is why I know your story with the hospital is true, in the end.”
He said all that stuff, but it didn’t matter to me at the moment. The most important stuff was a ‘free meal’, so I was just consuming it with a careless look. He said nothing about my lack of response and just continued:
“Well… Saying that, I did one shady thing - scanned yourself without asking permission to do so. I think you didn’t even notice that, but I have your name, profile, and all that stuff. That stuff is why I’m giving you the meal, after all.“
“So, just business, I can understand that. Anyway, now I can feel the meal isn’t that free, and we might be even, in the end.”
“Memory loss or not, your manners match the profile I’ve got after the scan. It looks I can be straight with you now. So– ”
I can’t say he or I opposed that interruption - it was officiant with our drinks. Highball, crystal clear ice, and the same drink. Looks familiar, feels familiar.
“Your profile had public photos with Gin Tonic at some bars, so I’ve guessed you’d like it.”
“We’ll find out soon enough, but feels familiar, yeah.”
“I think I see my meal ready over there, and I don’t want to wait until they bring it to me, honestly. Sip your drink and start thinking about combat missions, and I’ll be back with you in a moment.”
Combat missions? It’s been ten minutes or so since he found me out in the corridor, almost dropping to the floor, and he already thinks about giving me some combat offer. What did he see in my profile, really? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Maybe I can get ways to feed myself or to end that need, at least. Ah, here he comes.
“Now we can speak, I was hungry too, you know? Continuing with our topic, the name is Dylan Sylke. My name, that’s it. Want me to continue with yours?”
“Sure, go ahead. Only if I had somewhere to note it.”
“Don’t you have your personal pad? Suit assistant, the ship? Like the record…” He did look surprised, but still sure he was talking to the right person. If I were in his place, well, I’d just consider all of this a mistake, and write off the check to operational expenses.
“Your records can say whatever you read there, but all that I have are those clothes I got after hospital. Like no place to go, no personal pad, or even ships. If you thought I can go for a combat mission for you, I think you just have a free meal for someone without benefit to you.”
“We’ll see that. Um, I have an idea, I think. What would you say, Rhoun Kuroni?”
“I guess that’s my name, sounds like it, at least.”
“Do you see anyone else here?”
“Nope, but you’ve said you’re hungry too, so you know, maybe you had the same delusions as me not so long ago.” I’ve placed my now empty plate with utensils on the table’s side to make room for the glass, so I can better see its contents. It’s just clear ice and the same liquid, but that’s what I like it seems. Clear ice slowly melting in the colors of all the lights here.
“You’re really back on footing, I see. More reasons to think you’re the right person to invite for a meal, and a bit more than that.”
“I ate, I sipped the cocktail, and I feel ready to listen. Say it already.”
“There’s nothing special - just download some data from the console at the specific outpost. It’s in this system, so not far away to fly. It’s not heavily guarded, and given some time and stealth, one can do it even without shooting.”
“Man, I’ve just said I have no ship, no combat suit, not even a personal pad.”
“Oh, well, right. Sure, then. I can say you have no plans for tomorrow or any other day, aren’t you? I only want to say you should have time for taking one or two runs inside combat simulation?”
“Do I really look to you like a soldier?”
“Well, you do. And your neck…”, his regret about saying this is immediately clear. He waited a few seconds to see if I could let this go, and seeing that I don’t care, continued with relief. “Forget that. You had quite a history on the scan I got from you. Both on foot and in the ship. Let’s see, come tomorrow morning to this place, we’ll eat then deal with simulation assessment. You agree to this, and you have another meal and place to sleep tonight, what do you say?”
“You look a bit like a soldier to me too, but it looks like your battle is now not so dangerous - finding lost souls and sending them to potential death, huh?”
“Both are true, at least in some bits. Although most end up grateful and friends with me, some die, that I can’t hide. That’s why I take you to the simulation first, see? I won’t send you on a real mission without being sure you have at least some chance to survive. As you’ve said, whatever the scan shows, better see it in person. Both for me and you, so?”
“I thought you caught the glimpse I have no other choice, but fine with me if you want to hear it directly. I’ll be here tomorrow, sure. As for my night stay…”
“Ah, that. Here, take my old pad. Well, not exactly my, but I was going to throw it away, anyway. No strings attached, it’s not stolen or anything, and it was officially unlinked & reset from the previous owner, after…”, he made a sip from his glass, ”I said, some don’t return.” Does he really care, or just tries to impress me, so I lower my guard before some shitshow tomorrow?
“Somehow, I start to trust the idea I have a record of a soldier - I don’t want to go to the restroom and say bye to all the tasty food I just ate. Even after imagining all the horrible stuff you’re leaving unsaid. Anyway, thanks for the pad. Any hints on what to do with it? Really, I don’t know how it’ll give me a night stay, sorry.”
“Just boot it up, scan your face, and it’ll link to your official data. Oh, and you’ll see your name there at any time you’d like if you forget again. The lady at room service will help you to get to your dorm. I’ve already booked it in your name. Again, just by scanning your face, nothing more from you is required.”
“Whatever I might look right now, I’m really grateful. See you tomorrow then, and I really liked the cocktail, so the profile on the scan should be at least true about my tastes.” It was so much effort to sip the drink without giving myself that I doubt it was all going in the right direction.
“I think we’ll see more than just cocktails tomorrow, see ya. Sleep well and be ready for a hell of a ride tomorrow, you’ll like it - their simulation is top-notch.”
Sipped the last bits of the Gin Tonic, more like water from ice with some last aroma of it, and the next thing I remember is lying in this somewhat comfy bed. Is it really comfy considering how rough it is? Should be the lack of medical scent and dark blue sheets in place of snow-white ones, that’s the trick here. Or maybe it was a bit heavy on the gin part cocktail? None of this matters, really. Sleep starts taking its place now, and I feel like I can sleep peacefully this night, whatever awaits me tomorrow.
Record 1 end.

Here's an easy way to clean the microwave:

1. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
2. Microwave the bowl on high for 5 minutes, or until the water boils and the inside of the microwave is steamy.
3. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the inside of the microwave.
4. For tough stains or baked-on food, dip a cloth or sponge in the hot water and vinegar solution and scrub the area until clean.
5. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the inside of the microwave dry.
6. For a fresh scent, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water and vinegar solution before microwaving.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/?m=1

Here's an easy way to clean the microwave:

1. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
2. Microwave the bowl on high for 5 minutes, or until the water boils and the inside of the microwave is steamy.
3. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the inside of the microwave.
4. For tough stains or baked-on food, dip a cloth or sponge in the hot water and vinegar solution and scrub the area until clean.
5. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the inside of the microwave dry.
6. For a fresh scent, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water and vinegar solution before microwaving.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/?m=1

Here's an easy way to clean the microwave:

1. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
2. Microwave the bowl on high for 5 minutes, or until the water boils and the inside of the microwave is steamy.
3. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the inside of the microwave.
4. For tough stains or baked-on food, dip a cloth or sponge in the hot water and vinegar solution and scrub the area until clean.
5. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the inside of the microwave dry.
6. For a fresh scent, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water and vinegar solution before microwaving.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/?m=1

Game Information

Game Title: Street Fighter 6
Platforms:

• PC (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 2, 2023)
  

Trailers:
Street Fighter 6 - Launch Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Your Story Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Pre-Order Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher: CAPCOM CO. LTD
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 92 average - 98% recommended - 64 reviews
Critic Reviews
Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 provides the fast and furious action you'd expect from the refined fighting series, offering a dynamic cast of characters, new control modes to make it more accessible, and a variety of features to keep you busy. Its story mode is a campy take on the Street Fighter universe that doesn't always land the winning blow, however; while it's filled with distractions and civilian fighters to take on, it can be a little repetitive and shallow. Still, the technical foundations that Street Fighter stands on are as solid as ever, and with a whole world to battle online, there's a lot of fighting on the menu in what is once again a polished, exciting fighting experience that will keep fans engaged for years.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

Without a doubt, Street Fighter 6 is the best and most accessible entry in the long-running series. Anyone can jump in, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy and practicing on the road to World Champion.

Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 10 / 10

A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.

Destructoid - Chris Moyse - 9.5 / 10

Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

Eurogamer - Wesley Yin-Poole - Recommended

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Fextralife - Castielle - 8.4 / 10

Capcom delivers and checks the majority of the boxes when it comes to the classic and new features of Street Fighter 6. It heads down a different direction making it more casual while maintaining the core values of the game, allowing it to be a mainstream fighting game for all players. However, with its awkward performance on the PlayStation 4. The concern is, will World Tour have more content and will the performance issues be fixed. We hope these will be addressed. In the meantime, it is recommended to play Street Fighter 6 on current-gen consoles and PC to fully appreciate and enjoy this game.

GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is an exceedingly good fighting game. But more than that, it’s an excellent training tool. It’s a fulfilling adventure. It’s a lively community gathering place. It’s an endearingly idealistic and inspiring world of appreciation for martial arts and friendly competition, exceptionally executed in every respect.

GameGrin - Mike Crewe - 9.5 / 10

The most complete Street Fighter title to date, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fighting game fans, and one to consider even if you're not familiar with the genre. An engaging, stylish beat 'em up that could well be king of the mountain for years to come.

Game Informer - Elijah Gonzalez - 9.5 / 10

Between its cohesive aesthetic, the bounty of clever features, and crisp central gameplay, it’s one of the most impressive entries the genre has seen in some time.

GamesRadar+ - Andi Hamilton - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 offers the most flexible, versatile, and expressive combat seen in the series to date. With its fantastic suite of game modes and diverse character roster, Street Fighter 6 has something to offer every type of fighting game fan.

GameSpot - Jason Fanelli - 9 / 10

Capcom's flagship fighter is back in form with intricate but approachable fighting mechanics and a feature-rich package.

Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 10 / 10

Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak and Abdul Saad - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4.5 / 5

With a slew of fighting games on the horizon like Tekken 8 and the recently announced Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 is leading the charge in the most vibrant way possible. With a series of character guides, story campaigns for classic characters and a fantastic open world for you to take the fight to the streets, it feels like everything I could have asked for from a modern Street Fighter entry.
Despite being the sixth game in the mainline series, Street Fighter 6 is easily one of the most accessible and makes for a fantastic entry point for newer players, while still resonating with series veterans.

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 could be the best fighting game I have played in a very long time. I am no master at these games and I don’t run out to buy them at launch. However, the game is very fun to play and its real draw for me was its accessibility. I felt good at it even though I really wasn’t. Of course, this is also completely optional too so if you’re a veteran, you’ll enjoy this just as much as noob.

God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played, and will keep you going far longer than a one-on-one fighter has any right to be able to. A true classic.

IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is the most feature-rich a Street Fighter has ever been at launch, but even beyond that, it's roster of 18 characters is excellent, the new mechanics revitalize the one-on-one fighting formula, and it absolutely nails all of the little things that make for a stellar fighting game.

Inverse - De'Angelo Epps - 10 / 10

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored

It’s a sublime fighter that makes smart changes that honor what makes the series great.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10

A far better launch experience than its predecessor, with an excellent fighting system and a wide range of options and features that transcend the usual genre traditions.

MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4.5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is a grand fighting game experience that just keeps building on the series’ strong foundation. Though the World Tour mode and new characters aren’t as stand-out as they could be, the core gameplay is excellent and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Nexus Hub - Keegan Govender - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is not just a comeback for Capcom, but for fighting games entering next-generation consoles as a whole. It feels like a passion project made by a group of people who were tasked by Capcom to make the last Street Fighter we would ever want to play. With its fast-paced gameplay, beautifully implemented new mechanics, and timeless visuals, Street Fighter 6 has solidified itself among the fighting game hall of fame.

Niche Gamer - NECRO XIII - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Street Fighter 6 delivers the fun and proves to be one of the most engaging fighting games of the year and of most recent memory.

PCGamesN - Christian Vaz - 9 / 10

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don't need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

Polygon - Axel Bosso - Unscored

Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won't be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

PowerUp! - Charbel Asmar - 9 / 10

At launch, Street Fighter 6 is set to take the fighting game genre to another level

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9.5 / 10

In a sense, Street Fighter VI is the full package. It’s a three-course meal and then some, filling you up to the brim and serving you every dish on the dessert menu whether you’re ready for the check or not. It’s bursting with style, swagger, and abundant sophistication, and it’s the perfect entry for newcomers and veterans alike.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an absolute humdinger of a sequel. Capcom has created a fighting system that has all of the tactical depth professional players expect but managed to make it fairly easy for casuals to wrap their heads around. Not only that, it's introduced smart ways to onboard newcomers, including a simplified control scheme and a great suite of tutorials, which even extend to the impressively enjoyable RPG-inspired single player story mode. A strong roster of starting characters, near-flawless rollback netcode, and a seemingly never-ending selection of content – including interactive online lobbies with playable retro games – round out another unbelievably impressive effort from the seemingly unstoppable Japanese publisher.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

Smooth online matches and an impressively in-depth story already put Street Fighter 6 leagues above the competition.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

All-in-all, this game rekindled my love of the franchise, and I can’t wait to see how Street Fighter 6 grows over time.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest on-ramps to the deep world of fighting games, appealing to casual players and veterans alike. With a diverse roster, meaty gameplay, and flashy animations, this will be a FGC staple for years to come.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5

Street Fighter 6 takes all the mistakes made with Street Fighter V and tries to not make them again. From the one on one traditional fights that we know, have been improved thanks to the addition of the Drive Gage mechanics, to the online modes where a lot of people are going to play. There is very little that Street Fighter 6 does that people won't be happy with… Unless you live in Australia… However, the looming nickel-and-dime ride of Season Pass after Season Pass could make things worse down the line. Street Fighter 6 is an easy day-one buy for the hardcore eSports player base, but casual players might want to wait for a year or more for a more complete game before buying.

TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.

Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 5 / 5

It’s the epitome of what a fighting game should be, and I can’t wait to see how the series builds off of this return to form

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5

It’s a must-have. And it might just be the most compelling overall fighting game package of all time.

We Got This Covered - David James - 3 / 5

Street Fighter 6 delivers a deep, complex, and satisfying fighting game bristling with fun new characters and an excellent multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, all of that's shackled to a truly terrible single-player RPG that stands as one of the most embarrassing things Capcom has released in years. If you're here for online play, you'll love it. If you want single-player action, stay far away.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.

XboxEra - Nick Baker - 9 / 10

Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come back to the platform, and luckily got the best iteration yet.

does anyone have any way to ID this mold? is it dangerous? my grandmas house is very old and I've had mold like this on my ceiling before after rain. she will not do anything about it, I usually spray with bleach and wipe away with a paper towel.

Game Information

Game Title: Street Fighter 6
Platforms:

• PC (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 2, 2023)
  

Trailers:
Street Fighter 6 - Launch Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Your Story Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Pre-Order Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher: CAPCOM CO. LTD
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 92 average - 98% recommended - 64 reviews
Critic Reviews
Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 provides the fast and furious action you'd expect from the refined fighting series, offering a dynamic cast of characters, new control modes to make it more accessible, and a variety of features to keep you busy. Its story mode is a campy take on the Street Fighter universe that doesn't always land the winning blow, however; while it's filled with distractions and civilian fighters to take on, it can be a little repetitive and shallow. Still, the technical foundations that Street Fighter stands on are as solid as ever, and with a whole world to battle online, there's a lot of fighting on the menu in what is once again a polished, exciting fighting experience that will keep fans engaged for years.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

Without a doubt, Street Fighter 6 is the best and most accessible entry in the long-running series. Anyone can jump in, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy and practicing on the road to World Champion.

Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 10 / 10

A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.

Destructoid - Chris Moyse - 9.5 / 10

Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

Eurogamer - Wesley Yin-Poole - Recommended

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Fextralife - Castielle - 8.4 / 10

Capcom delivers and checks the majority of the boxes when it comes to the classic and new features of Street Fighter 6. It heads down a different direction making it more casual while maintaining the core values of the game, allowing it to be a mainstream fighting game for all players. However, with its awkward performance on the PlayStation 4. The concern is, will World Tour have more content and will the performance issues be fixed. We hope these will be addressed. In the meantime, it is recommended to play Street Fighter 6 on current-gen consoles and PC to fully appreciate and enjoy this game.

GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is an exceedingly good fighting game. But more than that, it’s an excellent training tool. It’s a fulfilling adventure. It’s a lively community gathering place. It’s an endearingly idealistic and inspiring world of appreciation for martial arts and friendly competition, exceptionally executed in every respect.

GameGrin - Mike Crewe - 9.5 / 10

The most complete Street Fighter title to date, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fighting game fans, and one to consider even if you're not familiar with the genre. An engaging, stylish beat 'em up that could well be king of the mountain for years to come.

Game Informer - Elijah Gonzalez - 9.5 / 10

Between its cohesive aesthetic, the bounty of clever features, and crisp central gameplay, it’s one of the most impressive entries the genre has seen in some time.

GamesRadar+ - Andi Hamilton - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 offers the most flexible, versatile, and expressive combat seen in the series to date. With its fantastic suite of game modes and diverse character roster, Street Fighter 6 has something to offer every type of fighting game fan.

GameSpot - Jason Fanelli - 9 / 10

Capcom's flagship fighter is back in form with intricate but approachable fighting mechanics and a feature-rich package.

Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 10 / 10

Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak and Abdul Saad - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4.5 / 5

With a slew of fighting games on the horizon like Tekken 8 and the recently announced Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 is leading the charge in the most vibrant way possible. With a series of character guides, story campaigns for classic characters and a fantastic open world for you to take the fight to the streets, it feels like everything I could have asked for from a modern Street Fighter entry.
Despite being the sixth game in the mainline series, Street Fighter 6 is easily one of the most accessible and makes for a fantastic entry point for newer players, while still resonating with series veterans.

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 could be the best fighting game I have played in a very long time. I am no master at these games and I don’t run out to buy them at launch. However, the game is very fun to play and its real draw for me was its accessibility. I felt good at it even though I really wasn’t. Of course, this is also completely optional too so if you’re a veteran, you’ll enjoy this just as much as noob.

God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played, and will keep you going far longer than a one-on-one fighter has any right to be able to. A true classic.

IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is the most feature-rich a Street Fighter has ever been at launch, but even beyond that, it's roster of 18 characters is excellent, the new mechanics revitalize the one-on-one fighting formula, and it absolutely nails all of the little things that make for a stellar fighting game.

Inverse - De'Angelo Epps - 10 / 10

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored

It’s a sublime fighter that makes smart changes that honor what makes the series great.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10

A far better launch experience than its predecessor, with an excellent fighting system and a wide range of options and features that transcend the usual genre traditions.

MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4.5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is a grand fighting game experience that just keeps building on the series’ strong foundation. Though the World Tour mode and new characters aren’t as stand-out as they could be, the core gameplay is excellent and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Nexus Hub - Keegan Govender - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is not just a comeback for Capcom, but for fighting games entering next-generation consoles as a whole. It feels like a passion project made by a group of people who were tasked by Capcom to make the last Street Fighter we would ever want to play. With its fast-paced gameplay, beautifully implemented new mechanics, and timeless visuals, Street Fighter 6 has solidified itself among the fighting game hall of fame.

Niche Gamer - NECRO XIII - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Street Fighter 6 delivers the fun and proves to be one of the most engaging fighting games of the year and of most recent memory.

PCGamesN - Christian Vaz - 9 / 10

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don't need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

Polygon - Axel Bosso - Unscored

Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won't be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

PowerUp! - Charbel Asmar - 9 / 10

At launch, Street Fighter 6 is set to take the fighting game genre to another level

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9.5 / 10

In a sense, Street Fighter VI is the full package. It’s a three-course meal and then some, filling you up to the brim and serving you every dish on the dessert menu whether you’re ready for the check or not. It’s bursting with style, swagger, and abundant sophistication, and it’s the perfect entry for newcomers and veterans alike.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an absolute humdinger of a sequel. Capcom has created a fighting system that has all of the tactical depth professional players expect but managed to make it fairly easy for casuals to wrap their heads around. Not only that, it's introduced smart ways to onboard newcomers, including a simplified control scheme and a great suite of tutorials, which even extend to the impressively enjoyable RPG-inspired single player story mode. A strong roster of starting characters, near-flawless rollback netcode, and a seemingly never-ending selection of content – including interactive online lobbies with playable retro games – round out another unbelievably impressive effort from the seemingly unstoppable Japanese publisher.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

Smooth online matches and an impressively in-depth story already put Street Fighter 6 leagues above the competition.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

All-in-all, this game rekindled my love of the franchise, and I can’t wait to see how Street Fighter 6 grows over time.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest on-ramps to the deep world of fighting games, appealing to casual players and veterans alike. With a diverse roster, meaty gameplay, and flashy animations, this will be a FGC staple for years to come.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5

Street Fighter 6 takes all the mistakes made with Street Fighter V and tries to not make them again. From the one on one traditional fights that we know, have been improved thanks to the addition of the Drive Gage mechanics, to the online modes where a lot of people are going to play. There is very little that Street Fighter 6 does that people won't be happy with… Unless you live in Australia… However, the looming nickel-and-dime ride of Season Pass after Season Pass could make things worse down the line. Street Fighter 6 is an easy day-one buy for the hardcore eSports player base, but casual players might want to wait for a year or more for a more complete game before buying.

TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.

Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 5 / 5

It’s the epitome of what a fighting game should be, and I can’t wait to see how the series builds off of this return to form

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5

It’s a must-have. And it might just be the most compelling overall fighting game package of all time.

We Got This Covered - David James - 3 / 5

Street Fighter 6 delivers a deep, complex, and satisfying fighting game bristling with fun new characters and an excellent multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, all of that's shackled to a truly terrible single-player RPG that stands as one of the most embarrassing things Capcom has released in years. If you're here for online play, you'll love it. If you want single-player action, stay far away.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.

XboxEra - Nick Baker - 9 / 10

Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come back to the platform, and luckily got the best iteration yet.

for the longest time now every year when summer rolls around i’ll be totally fine until i get my first glimpse at a mosquito, or any blood sucking parasite for that matter. i’ve seen three within the past week. that is not alot, but i am legitimately struggling to function. cannot sleep because if i sit still i will feel my blanket or sheets or clothes rub up against me and it will shoot me awake because my body is convinced it’s a bug coming to bite me for absolutely no reason.
i was in my kitchen an hour or two ago and felt what I THOUGHT was a string or something on my leg. go to move it and it’s a fucking mosquito. absolutely massive bastard. let my guard down for one second. how ridiculous of me to assume it wasn’t a bug. after all the times my body has false alarmed and tricked me into feeling bugs that aren’t there. how stupid of me to think it was anything else.
can’t use paper towels because i’m certain when i pull the roll back there will be a vermin waiting for me behind it. can’t feel through my clothes because what if there’s a centipede hiding in there? can’t drink non clear liquids/drinks i haven’t made myself and watched actively because what if a spider fell in there while i wasn’t looking? then what?
this is hell. i am constantly suffering the feeling of bugs crawling on me when i know for a fact they are not there. i take every precaution to be sure. i look like an idiot 24/7. i maybe hear a fly buzzing and instantly resort to frantically swatting around my head and screaming.
i don’t know what my issue is. obsessions and food contamination fears are symptoms of OCD and that’s common in my family but i have no other symptoms. why am i like this? does anyone else deal with this?

?

Just used my Grill Rescue brush today and was a little skeptical but it was great for the griddle, def a lot better than paper towels or reg towels. A bit expensive but I’d say worth it for the convienience.

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Here are some small tips on being more eco-friendly while cleaning:

1. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
2. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable mop instead of disposable mop pads.
4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
5. Use a washing machine with a high-efficiency rating to save water and energy.
6. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer.
7. Use a steam cleaner instead of harsh chemicals to clean floors and carpets.
8. Use a reusable dust mop instead of disposable Swiffer pads.
9. Use a natural air freshener such as essential oils or fresh flowers.
10. Use a reusable spray bottle instead of buying new cleaning products in plastic bottles.

https://honesthoneyreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-clean-your-home-green-way-best.html

Just got back from 10 days in Japan and wanted to type up a trip report to hopefully help others that are trying to plan a trip!
Our trip was 5/16 - 5/28 including travel days. This was my 2nd time in Japan (first time was study abroad for 5 weeks in May/June 2016), but it was my mom & sister's first time, so the goal was to include as many must-see activities as we possibly could in the short time we were there. Our days were packed to the brim however all 3 of us are fairly active and healthy so despite being absolutely exhausted by the end of each day, in retrospect we wouldn't have changed a thing in our itinerary.
That being said, our itinerary would be much too busy for the average person's first trip to Japan so keep that in mind if you use this information to plan your own trip. For example, we usually only had time to sit down and eat for one meal per day and had to eat on the go for the other meals in order to have enough time to go to all the places we wanted to go to. There was very little downtime in our trip.

Tourist Tips

• Luggage
  • We each traveled with 2 checked luggage since they were included in our flight. I had one full sized suitcase and one slightly smaller suitcase which both only had one side filled when I left the US. The plan was to fill the other half of the suitcases with souvenirs to bring home. Last time I went to Japan, it cost me ~$200 to ship two large boxes of souvenirs back home, so despite having to bring a lot of luggage this saved me a significant amount of money and I will be doing this for future trips as well.
  • Within our luggage we also packed a duffel bag to hold all our purchases on heavy shopping days and a daily backpack to hold things like our trash bag, hand towel, hand sanitizewet wipes, body wipes, small purchases, etc. My carry-on was a 40L backpack that I took with us when we stayed overnight in Kyoto.
• Money
  • I brought $400 cash to exchange at the airport. I had gotten a Charles Schwab debit card before leaving which has no foreign transaction/ATM fees so I planned to use my card for whatever purchases I could then use cash for everything else. I ended up withdrawing another ¥20000 which was just enough cash to last me the rest of our trip.
• Walking
  • Last time I went to Japan I survived wearing flat gladiator sandals basically the whole trip, but this did NOT work this time around for whatever reason (I guess we walked a lot more this time?). BRING COMFORTABLE SHOES TO WALK IN. I ended up having to buy sneakers on day 2 because I stupidly didn't think I would need them. I was more concerned about looking cute for pictures (ha) but I quickly realized that all the girls in Japan wear sneakers with their cute skirts and dresses, so I blended right in. I would also recommend bringing a second pair of shoes with you each day (in your backpack) to swap into if the shoes you are wearing start giving you blisters.
• Masking
  • We saw a lot of people not wearing masks, but the majority of people still wear masks. I would say the ratio of people wearing masks to not wearing masks was about 80:20.
• Trash
  • As many have mentioned on this subreddit, due to the lack of public trash bins I would highly recommend bringing a reusable trash bag to store your trash while you're out and about until you can find a bin. We found these cool black fabric ones with a waterproof liner on the inside that you could rinse out when it got dirty and could clip to the outside of your backpack so it wasn’t with your other belongings.
• Restrooms
  • Due to the lack of hand dryers/paper towels in bathrooms we also brought hand towels as recommended, but found ourselves just air drying our hands way more often than using the hand towels as it was often more cumbersome to remove our backpacks and fish out our hand towels to use.

​

Accommodations

• Sakura Hotel Jimbocho in Tokyo
  • I stayed in this hostel when I studied abroad in college in 2016, so it holds a special place in my heart. You can get a single room here for cheap, and although the rooms are extremely small, I don’t travel to Japan to spend time in my hotel so when looking for accommodations price is my #1 factor, not comfort. Toilets and showers are shared in this hostel and the rooms are set up coming off of a square hallway with sinks/restroom facilities in the center. The facilities don’t appear to be very modern and pretty, but the water pressure of the showers is the BEST. They have other room types as well, like bunk-beds, double rooms, etc. They have a 24 hour cafe downstairs and breakfast is included in your stay. All their staff speak English & Japanese (and other languages as well). They host some cool events like language exchanges and walking/jogging groups if you are more of a social person. I really enjoy the location of this hostel. You are within walking distance from the Imperial Palace and it still feels like you are in the city without it being so loud and busy like if you were to stay in Shibuya, etc. They do have other locations if you’re looking for somewhere with more nightlife.
• The Millennials Hostel in Kyoto
  • This is a really modern looking hostel in Kyoto, 2 streets over from Pontocho. The facilities are gorgeous and look brand new. They are set up similar to a capsule style hotel with a bunch of rooms coming off a hallway. Your bed takes up your entire space, and you have about 18 inches at the foot of your bed to stand. You pull an opaque privacy screen down to make your room private - there is no door. You can control your bed’s incline and lights through an iPhone in your room. There is storage space under your bed and on a shelf above your bed. Restrooms are shared but the showers are in one room and toilets in another. There are a lot of shared common spaces including a full stocked kitchen you can cook your meals in, but we literally only stayed here to sleep so we didn’t explore those spaces. I was worried about other guests being noisy but that wasn’t the case - everyone was super respectful. The price and location was great so I would definitely come back here.

​

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 & 2: Travel

• We flew out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Our direct flight to Narita was around $1600 after taxes, fees, and flight insurance. I had one layover the last time I flew to Japan and in the future I will only be buying a direct flight as I found this to be way easier than having a layover.
• Once we arrived in Narita we turned on our e-sim. We chose Ubigi after reading many positive reviews on this subreddit and I highly recommend them. We had some issues getting iMessage to work despite following Ubigi's instructions to a T, so we ended up just using WhatsApp to message during the trip, however, iMessage did start working later on.
• We decided against picking up our JR passes & seat reservations at the airport because the line was long and we didn't need them for another 5 days.
• Going through customs/immigration and grabbing our luggage only took about 20-30 minutes. There were many staff to guide you and we found the whole process to be really smooth.
• We exchanged our currency and went downstairs to buy our tickets for Narita Express at a ticket vending machine. We got round trip tickets for ¥3460 (keep in mind that the return ticket needs to be used within 14 days). We had purchased our Suica before leaving and put them in our iPhone wallets and they came with a balance of ¥2000 so we didn't load money onto our cards until the following day.
• We took the Narita Express to Tokyo Station then took a cab to our hostel in Jimbocho. We each traveled with 2 checked luggage, so we found the short and inexpensive taxi ride to be a better option than lugging 6 giant suitcases on local trains to get to our hostel.
• We checked into our hostel. The total price per person for 11 nights was ¥49500 (about $380).

​
Day 3: Imperial Palace/Ueno

• We woke up and walked to the Imperial Palace/East Gardens. We got there right when they opened and spent about 90 minutes there. We walked back to Jimbocho to go to my favorite tempura place in Jimbocho. This place has gotten quite famous since I was last there in 2016. We were first in line at 10:45am and by the time they opened for lunch at 11:30, there was a line of 20+ people. Our lunch cost only ¥800.
• After lunch we took the train to Ueno and spent some time in the Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Park. We also visited Shinobazu No Ike Bentendo Temple which is a cool temple right inside Ueno Park. While at Ueno Station, we picked up our JR passes & seat reservation tickets and also put ¥5000 on our Suica. We really enjoyed the fact that you could charge your mobile suica at a convenience store using cash - we didn’t have to worry about finding the machines in train stations with the phone holders.
• After that we walked through Ameyoko and did some shopping - I bought a super cute used Coach purse for around $65. Ameyoko seemed to have a lot more products than when I was there in 2016… but I also had more money this time around so maybe I was just paying more attention!
• We took a train back to our hostel to drop off our shopping bags and change. We took a train to Shinjuku to go to New York Grill for our dinner reservation. New York Grill is on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku and the views were incredible. We got the Spring Harvest 5-course dinner which included wagyu and it was easily the best beef I have ever eaten in my life - so juicy and buttery. The cost was ¥23100 per person (~$175).
• 25,138 steps on this day.

​
Day 4: Shibuya/Akihabara

• We woke up and took a train to Shibuya to see Hachiko, go to the Starbucks near Shibuya Crossing, and shop at Shibuya109 and Uniqlo. It was hard for me to find any clothing that would fit me at the stores in Shibuya109 (I am a US 8/10 which is basically considered plus size in Japan) however I was able to find a cute t-shirt at Punyu's in Shibuya109 and two dresses at Uniqlo. I also bought sneakers at the Skechers store.
• I also went to the Mega Don Quijote in Shibuya and spent about $102 on candy and snacks to bring home. Lots of fun KitKat flavors here but it was very crowded and hard to walk around with my extremely full baskets.
• We took a train back to our hostel to drop off our shopping bags and had a quick lunch via conbini.
• We took a train to Akihabara and bought some souvenirs and gachapon, and walked all the way back to Ameyoko where I spent another $90 on candy and snacks to bring home.
• We took a train back to our hostel to drop off our shopping bags and change. We took a train to Ginza to go to Tempura Kondo for dinner (a Michelin starred tempura restaurant). We got the Yomogi dinner which was ¥23100 per person (¥25410 after fees, ~$195). The staff were amazing - they noticed that my sister was left-handed and set up her plates/silverware as such which was really observant. We loved the dinner, however there was WAY too much food for us; the staff recognized we were starting to get full, and asked us if we would be able to eat the next course which was ten-don. I was really concerned about being disrespectful and wasting food, so I was really glad that they noticed and asked!
• 19,445 steps on this day.

​
Day 5: Asakusa/Ginza/Omoide Yokocho

• We woke up and took a train to Asakusa to see Sanja Matsuri. We shopped at the small souvenir shops on Nakamise-dori and had street food at the festival for lunch. I bought an awesome goshuincho here with a wooden cover and foxes on it.
• After being completely overstimulated, we took a train to Rikugi-en Garden to escape the crowds. This garden is a little off the beaten path, just outside the big city, but it is completely gorgeous and so worth the trip.
• After the garden, we took a train to Ginza to window shop and go to our reservation at Higashiya Ginza for wagashi & tea pairing. We had 5 wagashi paired with 5 teas that were amazing. It cost ¥4500 per person.
• After this, we walked to Mitsukoshi Ginza to explore the basement food floor and grab dinner. They start to discount the food as the stores near closing time, so going for a late dinner can save you a couple yen! After eating on their rooftop terrace which was beautiful, we walked to Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris Marunouichi to grab dessert then headed back to our hostel to drop off our shopping bags.
• After we ate, we took a train to Shinjuku to walk down Omoide Yokocho. We had a drink on the third floor of Bar Albatross - highly recommend! The alleyway is a lot shorter than I imagined, and very crowded as you would expect. I probably wouldn’t go back here in the future but I am glad we visited!
• 25,002 steps on this day.

​
Day 6: Harajuku

• We woke up and took a train to Harajuku to visit Meiji Shrine and got our first goshuin.
• After visiting the shrine, we walked back to Takeshita-dori to get lunch at Afuri Ramen. They’re known for their ramen with yuzu in their broth and this was one of our favorite meals during our trip. We got there about 20 minutes before they opened and were ~8th in line. By the time they opened, the line was stretching around the building!
• We walked down Takeshita-dori and shopped, then went to our reservation at Mipig Cafe (mini pig cafe). This place was so cute! You can make reservations for 30 minutes or 1 hour where you sit on the floor and miniature pigs will come and sit on your lap. You weren’t allowed to pick the pigs up and the staff were super kind and handled the pigs well. A 30 minute reservation was ¥1800 per person.
• After the pigs, we walked down Omotesando and took the train to Shinjuku to get dinner on the food floor at Isetan.
• After we ate on the rooftop terrace (beautiful once again), we headed back to our hostel to drop off our shopping bags. We took the train to Shibuya to go to our reservation at Shibuya Sky. We got the package where you get an admission ticket including a 50 minute reservation for the sofa seats and a choice of a mini bottle of champagne or 2 beers per person, which cost ¥5900 per person. The views were unreal and I recommend reserving the sofa seats so you can get amazing pictures. This was a highlight of our trip.
• 21,719 steps on this day.

​
Day 7: Kawaguchiko

• This was our first travel day. We woke up early to take the highway bus from Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko. The bus was ¥4400 per person. We were able to get some super clear pictures of Mt. Fuji while we were on the bus and right when we arrived at the station.
• We bought the daily unlimited bus pass for ¥1500 which ended up not being worth it for us because we spent so little time seeing things on the bus route. First, we went to the Panoramic Ropeway. We got there about 15 minutes before they opened and there was already a really long line. By this time, Mt. Fuji was already completely covered in clouds but the ropeway was really cool and we still got some awesome panoramic pictures. They have a shop at the top where you can get ice cream and sit on some swings and take pictures.
• After the ropeway we took the bus back to Kawaguchiko Station to get on the train to go to Chureito Pagoda. The gnats here were INSANE. We climbed up the ~400 or so steps to the top and got some cool pictures as well as our goshuin.
• We walked back to the station and took the train to Fuji-san Station and walked ~30 minutes to Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine. The wooded walk up to the shrine is absolutely gorgeous. We got goshuin here as well.
• After the shrine, we walked and took a train back to Kawaguchiko Station to eat a conbini dinner, do last minute shopping, and catch our bus back to Tokyo.
• 19,374 steps on this day.

​
Day 8: Kanazawa

• We woke up early to catch our 6:16am shinkansen to Kanazawa. Once we arrived, we bought the daily unlimited bus pass and took the bus to Omicho Market where we bought some souvenirs and food.
• We walked from Omicho Market to visit Ozaki Shrine and Oyama Shrine and got goshuin at both places. My sister realized she lost her wallet at this point, but a kind soul had turned it in to the staff at Ozaki Shrine!
• We took the bus from Oyama Shrine to Kenroku-en Garden, where we walked around, took lots of pictures, and sat down for lunch at a local restaurant.
• After lunch, we took the bus to the Higashi Chaya district where we shopped and took pictures.
• After that, we took the bus back to Kanazawa Station to catch our 5:57pm shinkansen back to Tokyo.
• 20,192 steps on this day.

​
Day 9: Kyoto Day 1

• We woke up early to pack our overnight bags and catch our 6:21am shinkansen to Kyoto, where we would be staying for one night. We decided to keep our reservation at our Tokyo hostel because 1) it was super cheap and 2) we would be able to leave all our suitcases and belongings in our rooms for when we returned to Tokyo.
• When we arrived in Kyoto, we headed straight to our hostel to have them hold our bags before we could check in later that day.
• After that, we took a local bus to the Arashiyama area. It was absolutely packed with school groups and tour buses. We walked up Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple where it was much quieter. We got goshuin and visited the small and private bamboo grove behind the temple. We walked back down Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street towards Togetsukyo Bridge where we stopped and sat down for lunch then continued shopping along the way. I got lots of uji-matcha here.
• We walked back to Arashiyama Station and took a train to Kiyomizu-dera where we got goshuin, then walked to a small rooftop bar overlooking the Hokan-ji temple and pagoda and got awesome pictures and had dinner.
• After eating, we walked back to our hostel and checked in, then slept for the night. Our 1 night stay cost ¥5000 per person.
• 21,545 steps on this day.

​
Day 10: Kyoto/Nara Day 2

• We woke up super early to check out of our hostel and head to Fushimi Inari. Our hostel held our bags while we went sightseeing for the day. We arrived around 6:45am which was so worth it - it wasn’t crowded at all and we got lots of pictures of the shrine and torii gates without any people in them. We walked for about 30 minutes up the mountain then headed back to Inari Station to head to Nara.
• Once we arrived in Nara, we spent some time with the deer then visited Todai-ji and got goshuin.
• After that, we took a train back to Fushimi Inari to visit the souvenir shops which had not opened yet when we had gotten there earlier that day. We shopped and got goshuin, then headed to Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka to shop. We visited Ryozen Kannon to get pictures (they had closed by the time we got there) and walked down Ishibei-koji Lane and Hanamikoji Street.
• After that, we walked back to our hostel to pick up our bags. We took a taxi to Kyoto Station to catch our 7:36pm shinkansen back to Tokyo.
• 27,861 steps on this day.

​
Day 11: Tattoo

• My mom and I went to a tattoo shop near Shibuya to get matching tattoos on our wrists, then my mom spent the rest of the day shopping in Shibuya with my sister while I got another large tattoo on my shoulder.
• After my tattoo was finished, we all met up in Ikebukuro to get gyudon for dinner.
• 9,879 steps on this day.

​
Day 12: Yokohama/Kamakura

• We woke up and took a train to Yokohama where we walked the Minato Mirai 21 area and shopped and had lunch at World Porters.
• After lunch, we took a train to Kamakura. First, we visited Hase-dera and got goshuin. I got lots of pictures of the hydrangeas even though they weren’t in full bloom yet.
• After that we walked up the road to Daibutsu and got goshuin. We walked back to Hase Station and took a train to Kamakura Station and walked the pedestrian pathway in the center of the road to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu. We got our goshuin and were able to observe a small part of a traditional Japanese wedding that was happening at the shrine, which was really cool.
• After that, we walked back to Kamakura Station and took a train back to Tokyo.
• We spent the night packing. I ended up completely filling my suitcases with my souvenirs and had to put even more in my carry-on bag.
• 21,131 steps on this day.

​
Day 13: Travel

• We woke up and headed back to Senso-ji to grab our goshuin, since it was too busy when Sanja Matsuri was happening the week before.
• We took a train back to our hostel and checked out around 11am, then made our way to Tokyo Station to take the Narita Express back to the airport.
• We arrived at the airport with plenty of time before our flight so we could get last-minute souvenirs. I found a couple flavors of KitKat and Hi-Chew here that I could not find in Donki/Ameyoko - but I could not find Beni-Imo KitKat which is the flavor that I was looking for! :(
• We flew back to O’Hare and drove home from there.

​

Trip Cost

• Total trip cost: ~$5462.73
  • Total spent before I left Japan (flight, JR pass, highway bus ticket, tattoo deposit, pay-ahead reservations, suica, car rental): $2562.73
  • Total I spent in Japan (souvenirs, snacks, accommodations, transportation, meals, activities/admission, reservations, tattoo): ~$2900

​

Cost Breakdown

Airfare

• Total (USD): $1600

Accommodations

• Total: ¥54500
  • ¥49500 (Tokyo hostel/11 nights) + ¥5000 (Kyoto hostel/1 night)

Transportation

• Total: ~¥64470
  • ¥33610 (JR pass) + ¥4400 (highway bus) + ¥3460 (N’EX) + ¥18000 (local trains/bus) + ¥5000 (taxis - approximate)

Meals

• Total: ~¥88510
  • ¥40000 (breakfast/lunch/dinner) + ¥48510 (meal reservations)

Souvenirs

• Total: ~¥150000
  • Goshuin, charms, matcha powder, candy, jewelry, clothing, purses, shrine offerings, postcards, etc.

Activities/Admission

• Total: ~¥9800
  • Pig Cafe, tea/wagashi tasting, shrines/temples, etc.

Tattoo

• Total (USD): $604.66