Wagamama update

I can't help but feel slightly to blame. They should have taken my advice.
I really, really, really want bento now that I definitely can not have it.
Alas.

On being a Nerd Fighter

Late in the summer of my twenty ninth year, I decided that I was a Nerd Fighter, presumably because I spent hours watching the Vlogbrothers on Youtube, reading John Green’s novels, and listening to Hank’s catchy nerd music, but mostly because I wanted to be one.

  

A Nerd Fighter is defined as, “Someone who instead of being made up of cells and organs and stuff is actually made out of awesome. Someone who fights against world suck”. As a Hufflepuff I don’t wish to toot my own horn so much and prefer the second half of the definition, I am indeed made out of the same goop as every other Human being, but I would love to make the world less sucky for nerds and other less fortunate sections of the community.

The first time I heard of John Green was after I returned to Australia after living in the UK for 18 months and having nothing to read, no job, and little money to spend when my sister lent me his first novel, Looking for Alaska which I devoured and read his follow up An Abundance of Katherines. I then proceeded to read a bunch of other YA novels she possessed and move on in my life. 

The first vlogbrothers’ video I ever saw was this one, I don’t remember when or who sent it to me I just remember having seen it before and LOTR was like one of my primary fandoms so it could have been like any of my friends/family/I could have found it by chance. 

Anyway, in 2012 thanks to The Fault in Our Stars I started seeing references to Nerd Fighters and John Green everywhere  (read: Tumblr). So I finally found out what Nerd fighters were and decided to take on the task of watching all of the videos from the beginning of Brotherhood 2.0 to present, it took me a few months and it was worth it. I learnt about micro financing and joined the Nerd fighter team on Kiva, in a year I have made 25 loans and I must say it is an addictive way of helping people around the world (for a free $25 loan). I’ve been to one gathering so far which was pretty fun, participated in a p4a, and read one book as a part of the nerd fighter book club. And tonight I am very excited to go see The Fault in Our Stars movie, like way excited. Candy metaphor cigarettes, cloud nails and tissues excited.  YEP.

And now for some lists of what I love about John and Hank just because (note: there are many other things to love but these are just short lists).

 

I love their relationship, how they chose to work on it through Vlogbrothers and how well they collaborate. I love reunion videos most of all, it is true.

The projects such as p4a that they coordinate to help reduce world suck.

They DFTBA

John –

He loves gingers as much, possibly much more than I do

His Hufflepuff pride

He is an older teen than me

How he has made me finally find a love of pizza

Attempting to make people imagine each other more complexly

Speaking openly and honestly about his experiences with depression and anxiety

When he says something terribly and then goes "I'm a novelist"

That he actually made "French the Llama" a thing when nobody thought he could

Hank –

He loves science as much as me, definitely much more than I do

His poster and shirt collection

His ability to create so many amazing projects and for making me 2D glasses should I ever be forced into watching a 3D movie in my life

His psychic ability to predict Harry Potter/J.K. Rowling things and write these predictions into song form

He rescued a greyhound which was named Tina Fey and named her Lemon

He limits the amount of animal products he consumes, and is passionate about the environment

I understand his feels as a younger sibling so hard

An Open Letter to Wagamama

Dear Wagamama,

Once again you have gone and broken my heart. First you got me addicted to your delicious juice combinations, then you had to go and replace them with less delicious alternatives. I was pretty disheartened, but I could take it. I still had access to sweet, sweet bento boxes. Not anymore.

You had to go and remove them from your weekend menu, didn't you.
Well thanks. Now I will be turning in my frequent noodler card and heading for greener pastures. Well, until you realise once again bringing back the bento brings back the lunchtime custom. It's not just all the new restaurants surrounding you making you empty, it's the lack of bento. The sooner you realise that you might as well not open for lunch without it on the menu the better. 

I don't want to have to choose whether I want to eat one of the items I love in the bento box for lunch, I want them all. You just can't make a girl choose! 
Here is my opinion of the order of deliciousness of the items inside a teriyaki chicken bento box from most delicious to least: 1) sweet potato kusabi, 2) teriyaki chicken and rice, 3) edamame, 4) pickles, 5) miso soup, and 6) leafy greens. 

I will truly miss weekend shopping and bento times. I have attached a photo of one such glorious occasion when a butterfly joined a friend and I for lunch.

I am feeling very emotional just thinking about it.

Yours sincerely,

A truly dissatisfied ex noodler.