A Year after Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

Since the quake and tsunami hit the Northeast Japan a year ago, just like many other Japanese, I have been thinking for myself what would be really important for a person facing this kind of vast destruction and overwhelming challenge.  Is it:

1)    God(s) the Almighty?

2)    Sympathy?

3)    Laughter?

4)    Noodles?

And my honest answers are 1) hell no, 2) hmm maybe, but just a little, 3) YES, and 4) YES.  As for 3), we definitely need to keep laughing especially in tough situations to gather our remaining strength to stay united and stand up.  And 4), just imagine how many vulnerable lives were saved by bowls of hot instant ramen in the shivering March weather up in north after sudden disappearance of decent yet highly civilized daily life…  Oh my noodly goodness, Pastafarianism has both of them...

Men-jin (麺神) - "Noodle Deity"

So I found this ramen restaurant named Men-jin (麺神) -- "Noodle Deity", located in Shiga prefecture.
http://shigasakuramen.shiga-saku.net/e109103.html

Their specialties includes this "Yuzu Shio Ramen" which features Yuzu citron.  Yuzu peel is a common condiment for soba and udon, but Yuzu ramen sounds...interesting.  It could be worth trying if you're in Kansai.

Since Japanese Shintoism is a complex syncretism that claims "eight million" deities, I suspect a number of them should be related to the Flying Spaghetti Monster... or at least to noodles in general.  I'm still searching...

Flying Spaghetti Monster Books for Preschool Kids

Are there any FSM picture books for preschool kids?

If any book is available in English, I could translate it to Japanese and tell my kids the story...  Or should I make up my own story??

Momofuku Ando's Birthday

Today, March 5 is the birthday of Momofuku Ando (1910 - 2007), the inventor of instant ramen.

Quote: "Peace will come to the world when all its people have enough to eat."  So true.

I spotted the Wikipedia article that they celebrate Momofuku Ando Day in Dallas, TX, every year and wondered why it is January 19...  Probably it commemorates his death on January 5, 2007.

Anyway, he must have been a devout Pastafarian and I'm proud to be one of his compatriots.  I believe he is in Heaven enjoying a vast volcanic belt with endless flow of beer and gigantic stripper factories.  Ramen.

Japan: three reasons why it is blessed by FSM

1. The national flag with a meatball.

2. Wokou pirates.

3. Ramen.

1. Meatball

2. Wokou

3. Ramen

Hinamatsuri - Girls' Day

I have been looking for any images of the Flying Spaghetti Monster version of Hinamatsuri dolls but I've found none so far...  Not the pirate version either.  So here's the one set at our home.  Quite normal.

It's long been there.

Tonight, I was just looking around my living room for the TV remote or something.

Took a blunt look at a tiny wall pantry and got STUNNED.  It is a random aggregation of origami crafts which my 3 y.o. daughter have made time to time over a year.  I remember that she determinedly demanded those two man-like works (she claims them to be "robots") be posted on the top.  Other crafts include, seemingly, several koinobori (carp streamers) with vinyl threads that she made in May for Children's Day.  I don't recall what the others are.

As a whole, this is an evidence she was noodled.  Two eyes sticking out and noodly threads.  Clearly.  A stretch?  I don't think so.  The image she captured is so clear to me.  It only lacks two big meat balls apparently, but on second thought I suspect they are there as the blue one in the middle on the left and the orange one on the right.  They look a little too small, but I guess His Noodliness showed Himself as a baby upon His holy appearance before the young one to bless her.  Ramen.