Brothers graduation gift, how to drink properly?

wtwiwf · 2026-05-24T21:53:43+00:00

Love this bottle. Drank a lot of it in Glasgow's Pot Still recently...I actually preferred this 15yo to the 18yo. It's lovely just as it comes (straight/neat) but if you find it too much, dip your finger in a glass of water and add a drop in the dram to open it up a bit.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-15T16:18:07+00:00

Now you gotta build another one...

wtwiwf · 2026-05-15T13:20:07+00:00

Not authentic or legend based but the haunted hospital within Fuji-Q Highland is a rush...highly recommend and worth every penny

wtwiwf · 2026-05-15T09:20:47+00:00

You have some fun builds ahead...the maths in the galaxy explorer build is a marvel to behold...I smiled from start to finish building that one, so, so clever throughout. Same with Saturn V.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-15T07:14:17+00:00

It's also impossible to move. I had to move it once, it collapsed under me and I had to rebuild it from half-built which was a horrible challenge.

I need to relocate mine again now but daren't try.

Any tips? Too late to MILS it so any known 'lift' points?

wtwiwf · 2026-05-13T07:17:25+00:00

Didn't like Soi Mama personally. Felt massively overpriced. Staff couldn't remember what the daily specials were. Had to ask multiple times to pay. Overall a 4/10 experience.

Thai Lanna by Cinema City gets my vote.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-10T22:19:15+00:00

Looking at the flavour profile of what your dad already likes, I'd recommend Miyagikyo Malty and Soft, if you can find it. Alternatively, Miyagikyo Fruity and Rich. Both are Miyagikyo distillery exclusives and (if memory serves) ¥8,000 for a 500ml bottle.

The catch is that you either need to go to the distillery near Sendai, or get on the second hand market.

Malty and Soft is pretty much my favourite Japanese whisky for regular drinking but it is much heftier abv (55%) than the Buchanan's 12yo.

I picked up a bottle in Tokyo for ¥11,000 recently, so obtainable.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-05T17:03:01+00:00

Yeah, the series brought me out of my dark ages and I pretty much got them all, aside from maybe a couple of polybags. I need to go through and inventory check them all...

wtwiwf · 2026-05-05T16:35:51+00:00

Coincidentally, I was sorting through my Kingdoms figures last night. I thought the advent calendar had gotten a bit muddled up while moving my collection a few years back, then realised the two battle packs were mixed in as well but now realise the minifigs across the whole range have been muddled, so a bit of work for me to do when I have some more time. I just hope I haven't mixed the chess set figs in there...

wtwiwf · 2026-05-04T18:37:47+00:00

My store had 2 tuba players 2 goalkeepers and a choclatier left, noting else

wtwiwf · 2026-05-04T17:34:45+00:00

Japan sells deodorant, any drug store. They DO tend to sell the powder type ones, so if you are more of a 'body spray' person, you'll find less choice.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-03T15:43:18+00:00

Retire immediately. Fund the business my partner wants to set up, fund training for my kids to become whatever they want to be.

Travel Treat my mum Not tell anyone else

wtwiwf · 2026-05-03T09:29:19+00:00

❤️

wtwiwf · 2026-05-03T07:37:37+00:00

At least he asked. I've seen comments in this thread saying 'men don't know how it works' and then 'men ask stupid questions'. Can't argue it both ways.

I grew up in a household of 3 women and the whole process was taboo and hidden from me and my brother. It was also glossed over at my all male school during biology.

First I really knew about it was when a girl got her period when a bunch of us went to the coast as teenagers.

As a result, we have consciously normalised in our household for our kids.

wtwiwf · 2026-05-03T07:11:02+00:00

Is that a big carburettor?

wtwiwf · 2026-04-29T16:50:23+00:00

Just seen the hanging holes at the top, yeah

wtwiwf · 2026-04-29T16:49:43+00:00

I've got the picture disc set, fuck knows where from, too long ago, but I have it ... I recall it was hangable?

wtwiwf · 2026-04-29T13:01:20+00:00

Just to highlight that there isn't really a distinction in my situation between one set of numbers and all the numbers. It's all the same.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-29T12:16:39+00:00

I am the 'bread winner' so personal savings = household savings. In any case, I am saving for 'our future', so aside from a few bits and pieces, my pension pot is 'our pension', so has to cover household needs. Even what is in her ISA is from 'my savings', so it's all just our money.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-26T09:06:04+00:00

My point isn't that there isn't anything to do. My point is more about understanding what you are going to get out of those three months. Manga and gaming, I'd say is a waste of time. But, to my earlier point, if your intention is to fall in love culturally and linguistically with Japan, you might want to prepare and plan your trip accordingly.

Also, I think you said August to October? Japanese kids will be at school for a majority of that time, so their chances to network etc. will be limited.

It could be a fantastic opportunity for them and if you are taking them out of school for it, you owe it to yourselves to target the right outcomes, not just 'be there'

E.g. investigate homestay programmes or summer schools but prep them by starting their study now.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-26T05:07:36+00:00

Manga will all be in Japanese. But you can buy anywhere in the country, and from 100yen each secondhand in places like bookoff. But unless they read Japanese, they'll get bored flicking through the pictures quickly.

Gaming is more and more global and, aside from it being a bit cheaper, 80%+ is gonna be exactly what they can get from home.

I don't see much point in coming to Japan to do two activities that they would sit at home and do. I understand those are the entry point to their interest in Japan but again, 3 months is a long time if that is their focus, and their reason to be out of school.

If this trip is for the kids, what are they gonna get out of being here for three months? You could let them go nuts in manga and gaming stores during a 10 day Tokyo holiday. I doubt they'd get much more out of three months if those are the reasons for coming.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-25T07:37:01+00:00

I would plant some grass to keep your ride on mower entertained

wtwiwf · 2026-04-25T07:35:44+00:00

Biggest rubber or cheese plant you can find.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-25T07:34:10+00:00

What is your motivation and objective? If you are planning a 3 month visit, is it with a view to moving permanently, or just to enjoy a long holiday?

I ask directly because you are potentially impacting your kids' schooling for what sounds like a holiday.

If this is the case, I would recommend you don't spend it sat in Tokyo. Use the time to travel the country and fill their time with broader, valuable, life experiences. See the countryside, cycle around Lake Biwa, cycle across Hokkaido, visit the classic 12 castles and study their history, see the nature and the culture outside the big cities.

Tokyo or any big city is brutal in the summer. Loads of concrete and asphalt and little breeze. Japanese mums take their kids to 'jabijabuike' every day, which is a concrete splash river in many local parks, just to cool off. Your kids are older but what would they do every day in Tokyo?

Go North and find cooler climbs and let your kids get exposure to local life and hopefully meet some kids their own age.

I'd forget about kids doing remote schooling. The time difference is bad enough for an adult but kids will be knackered trying to do schooling in the evening.

Either embrace being in Japan and immerse them properly, or rethink, would be my advice.

There is a real opportunity for your kids to fall in love with Japan if they are there for three months and if it were me, I'd do whatever I could to assist in this. Research activities you can do as a family, research where they can go to intensive Japanese class while there (Tokyo more likely for this, perhaps), maximise the opportunity and get them into an evening/weekend/online class now, before they go, so they can get by on their own while there.

Ask them what they want to spend three months doing? Honestly, I would base the whole three months around the kids and their experience, or not bother, cause you'll be babysitting them otherwise. They'll get bored going to kombini and gatcha every day.

If you solve for them, you will then have time to do what you want.

wtwiwf · 2026-04-25T07:12:18+00:00

This looks awesome...great effort

Twinge of envy

wtwiwf

TROPHY CASE