Daiso My Gosh! You’ve Died and Gone to $1.50 Store Heaven

Who is this man? The wife beater look always throws me off. To be fair, New York was hotter than a blast furnace situated at Earth’s molten core last July.

For my part, I got this top at Uniqlo too. Guess how much? Hm? $.90!

The more neutral shades are less jarring.

Blog-appropriate: Lauren is on the left here, standing next to my sister Yee during a 2007 trip. They’re hanging out in the courtyard of, appropriately, the Orange Dr. apartment that gives this blog its name.

Another friend, Liz (left), and Lauren at an awkward house party, same year.

Digging back even further! In college, here is a throwback Couch of My Faves™: also featuring Rachel and Lexi, elsewhere mentioned on this blog. Lauren is the one taking a photo of my taking a photo.

Throwback as all heck! An adorable photo of Lauren, in college, sending the most delightful SMS of her life.

So we met at Little Osaka

This photo was attempted several times. The final version allowed for suitably non-ghoulish lighting, under the klieg-like glow of Sushi Stop.

I am intruding ever so aggressively here

Of course, we returned to the Asian food well. Ramen, gyoza (and of course beer) were consumed.

The tray literally has his name on it.

I’m the shopping angel on his shoulder, popping up to admonish: “We don’t need that!”

We came in for gift wrap. And that’s a wrap! We found it. Nope. Time to buy many more things we never knew about — nor knew we so desperately needed.

I tell Deepak this all the time: Food product “Best By” dates are for the weak.

… how else do they keep prices down? Certainly by not adhering to widely accepted food safety rules.

Don’t miss the adorably translated labels.

And strangely named products.

Admittedly, you can see much weirder stuff elsewhere. But with no offense intended, I always considered “Engrish” bad translations to be more the purview of Chinese, not Japanese translators.

Originally, we’d come in for small ice cube trays, suitable to freeze pureed ginger for ease of use in our daily chai-making habit.

Inexplicably miniaturized, just like many kawaii Japanese items.

I don’t understand this product. “When you don’t want your earrings to stand out!” What? Why? Who — besides people who just got their ears pierced fewer than 30 days ago and need to keep studs in to train the hole — wouldn’t just forgo earrings altogether if the situation called for a “subtle” look?

Inspecting the goods. Low price point notwithstanding, these Daiso items are supposed to be reasonably durable. We’ll report back.

Totally.