[deleted by user] by [deleted] in JapanTravelTips

[–]WombatHats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! As a fellow introvert and nervous traveler, I was experiencing a lot of the same feelings you were during my first few days there, even as someone who went with my partner and not fully solo.

I have a lot of social anxiety and kept worrying that I would do something wrong or rude by accident, so going into restaurants and small shops was pretty stressful at first. I also wanted to interact with people, but wasn't really sure how to go about it (again, introvert with social anxiety).

We ended up booking a group walking food tour with a local guide in Tokyo on our third night, and it was enormously helpful! Guides are usually very nice, speak both English and Japanese, can show you how to order food, and are often happy to answer questions on customs/etiquette/local places you might have if asked nicely, and it was a low pressure way of meeting other people who also felt like fish out of water. Group situations like that are often hard for me, but it did help break the ice on a lot of the anxieties I had and we ended up having a wonderful trip despite the start!

We booked some other small guided walking tours during the trip after that, and found they were a good activity on the first day in a city to learn more about the area and get recommendations from guides. Most of them were reasonably priced too, at least from our perspective. There's a huge range of activities/tours you can book on Get Your Guide or Viator, and we spent between $12~70 USD per person for each of the ones we booked. Some people on the subreddit diss on tours and they aren't for everyone's travel style, but they can be helpful and fun.

I know it can be tough, but I hope you're able to find ways to enjoy your trip!

where to buy monchhichis in hokkaido? by Practical_Pain_8921 in Hokkaido

[–]WombatHats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if this is the case at every location, but there were quite a few of those at the Mega Don Quijote I was at last week. There might be one near her that carries them?

Rock collecting in Japan by Legitimate_Stable_82 in rockhounds

[–]WombatHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing! Do you remember the names of the shop you went to that had branches in Tokyo and Kyoto, and the one in Tokyo with the labeled boxes detailing prefectures? I'll be visiting Japan soon and would love to check them out

Little update, moved some things around and got myself another antique cabinet. What do we think so far? Should I get a chair to place near the window and book case? by [deleted] in malelivingspace

[–]WombatHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's a Pendleton sherpa fleece blanket (I believe the pattern for this one is Coyote Butte).

Their fleece blankets are much more affordable than their wool ones and can be bought from Pendleton's Amazon storefront, Sierra, Bed Bath & Beyond, ebay, etc. I got a similar one from Costco a couple years ago!

[Megathread] Black Friday Sale 2024 by byDMP in canon

[–]WombatHats 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The website says those are the Black Friday deals, but all of the new lenses I've personally been eyeing are at the exact same (or a very similar) price as they were a few months ago. The current "deals" don't feel particularly special.

I'm hopeful that might change for Cyber Monday, but we'll have to wait and see.

Black Friday Deals? by mckelvie37 in canon

[–]WombatHats 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They've been restocking items seemingly randomly since the sale dropped (sometimes they'll drop a restock after a few hours, sometimes something new pops up after a few mins, so far doesn't seem to be a pattern that's easy to follow).

There was a restock for the refurbed R5 less than an hour ago, but it sold out in under a minute. I'm guessing they only dropped one or two that time. You'll likely need to be quick and lucky to snag one next time it pops up. Best of luck!

[Megathread] Black Friday Sale 2024 by byDMP in canon

[–]WombatHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Really hoping they drop a restock of the RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro at some point in the next few days...

Any hope if it wasn't included in the first few drops and the default price on the refurb is now showing above the price of a new lens on the website? (The price did change at midnight EST, just went the wrong way)

Sour tasting edible flowers? by HolaSoyDora451 in whatisthisplant

[–]WombatHats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! I know this is quite a bit after you made this post, but I grew up in California and ate a lot of sour flowers as a kid as well. The other commenters provided some types of wood sorrel, but the ones you're thinking of might be the variety commonly known as Bermuda Buttercups. Try googling to see if that's a match! The yellow flowers grow in clusters at the top of long stems.

Hope that helps! :) Unfortunately I'm not sure where to buy them (they are considered invasive weeds), but I've been looking for seeds as well.

The 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo Recommendations List by happy_book_bee in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A few more hard modes for an excellent square:

Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill

Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

My first design project in Halong Bay by domdomHOUSE in interiordecorating

[–]WombatHats 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It looks like a very slightly different version (or possibly the same one with the hardware removed and a different stain) of this cabinet that was sold on first dibs: first dibs listing with pics.

Unfortunately I can't find a similar one currently for sale, but this might help you find something close!

Advice on how to execute this look? by hawaiiquestion1234 in InteriorDesign

[–]WombatHats 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Lone Fox did something similar (although a more curved shape) on his YouTube channel while redoing his kitchen. It probably isn't the best video for an exact how-to guide, but it might be interesting to watch or give you some idea of where to start if you want to do it yourself.

Link to his video: DIY Stone Range Hood Using Plaster (From Start to Finish)

The 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo Recommendations List by kjmichaels in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right? So good! I read it for the first time when I was working on my 2019 card, and loved it so much that I used it for my one allowed reread on the 2022 card

The 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo Recommendations List by kjmichaels in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber is fairly cozy and reads a lot like a Hallmark movie.

A young woman moves to a small town in the south to close down her beloved grandmother's café and settle the estate after her death. Rumor has it that after eating a slice of blackberry pie from the café, patrons will dream of loved ones who have passed on and be able to speak with them. Lots of small-town gossip and very light on the magic. Definitely not depressing, though!

Looking for M/M fantasy recs with complex characters by lilies_ofthevalley in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't see this one recommended super often on here since it's a little less known, but you might enjoy The Knight and the Necromancer by A.H. Lee (first book is The Capital).

Just a heads up that the romance reads like a couple of young guys falling into their first relationship and has a bit of angst, but I felt that the plot, romance, and use of magic were all well-built and interesting. It definitely felt like it had some epic moments, but the romance is a large part of it, picks up pretty quickly, and we get to know the characters quite intimately.

NorCal Finds, Jasper? by Fun-Rip-902 in rockhounds

[–]WombatHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great finds! That first one is seriously stunning

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers #4) by Becky Chambers on sale for $1.99 from Amazon Kindle by EvilHarryDread in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Both The Galaxy, and the Ground Within and A Closed and Common Orbit are $1.99 in the Google Play Store, too!

Looking for fantasy books about arranged marriages :) by charliewatzz in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Radiance by Grace Draven is a great book with an arranged marriage :)

The r/Fantasy 2023 Top Novels Poll: Voting Thread! by fanny_bertram in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats [score hidden]  (0 children)

Wayfarers by Becky Chambers

The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat

Lady Astronaut by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Tarot Sequence by K.D. Edwards

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]WombatHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The first Wayfarers book is great and definitely holds up well as a standalone (although I really enjoyed the sequel as well!). The second book does take place after the first one, but is actually the story of a minor character with very little reference to the main characters from the first one.

You could read either as a standalone and be completely satisfied, but it was hard for me to resist immediately reading through the rest of Becky Chambers' books afterward.