ahhhh I know what you mean

Today, my student Ryou, 11, who I have known since he was 4, said to me, 'Oh, Alex....Kagawa, is Manchester'.

Now, what he was trying to say, and not doing a bad job of it, is that Japanese player Shinji Kagawa is going to join Manchester United. Ryou knows full well I like football and that I'm from England and so was trying manfully to engage me in conversation. I, childishly, curled my top lip and said something along the lies of 'oh yeah....yuk, I don't like Manchester (United)'.

Ryou, as a just turned 11 year old Japanese boy, looked slightly confused, even disappointed by my reaction and I realised I needed to expand on my reply....it wasn't hard.

'OK Ryou, do you like Yomiuri Giants?' I asked him. Giants are the baseball team in Japan with the biggest fan base, spread all over the country and in the past dominated the league. When I came to Japan originally, in an attempt to drum up some interest in myself for the sport I decided that Giants = Man United, Hiroshima Carp = my local team. It worked. Up to a point.

Anyway, back to Ryou...

'Do you like Giants?' I asked

:Slight sneer: 'No, NO!' he replied,

'OK, Man United = Giants' I said

'Ahhhhh' he replied, with an understanding smile and a nod of the head.

分りました！

I don't think we'll be talking of Kagawa again.

It's EURO 2012, so it must be time for a Kit Kat review

Time for a break. Headphones off, chocolate in (mouth) as I turn my hand to my other area of 'expertise', exotic Kit Kats.

Aloe Yoghurt flavour.

Now, sampling this 'delight' wasn't really helped by the fact it was the middle of sweltering summer and it hadn't exactly been chilled in the fridge. In fact, it was kind of reminiscent of munching on a blob of chocolate that had been mixed up with some skin moisturiser. Or shampoo. It really wasn't all that nice.

What is Aloe anyway? I always thought it was an ingredient in beauty products. Next you'll be telling me people put cucumbers in their sandwiches instead of on their eyes.

Cloying and perfumed, not recommeded. 7/10 for ODDNESS 3/10 for TASTE.

Pudding Kit Kats sound nice don't they? Oh DON'T THEY!?

But are they? And which is Kit Kat King Pudding?

From left to right we have, 'Big Little Custard Pudding', normal 'Custard Pudding' and 'KOBE pudding'.

I thought the 'Big Little' ones looked quite cool but to be honest I was massively underwhelmed. Weirdly though, my Mum really liked them and she's not famed for her love of Kit Kats. 

The 'Custard Pudding' one was more of the same really but in a far more satisfying stick form, but then came 'KOBE pudding'.

Look at that box. Granted it isn't quite as good as the Shinkansen one but still. Look at it! You can just imagine all those Kit Kat elves inside, merrily going about their business in their little Kobe Pudding Kit Kat factory, wearing lederhosen and feathers in their caps. Whistling as they heave wafers the size of girders into vats of the finest Kobe pudding chocolate mix. I know I can. 

For the box alone then I proclaim 'KOBE pudding' Kit Kats KING PUDDING.

Unfortunately, they all taste the same.

Big Little - ODDNESS 5/10 TASTE 5/10

Custard Pudding - ODDNESS 5/10 TASTE 6/10

KOBE Pudding - ODDNESS 5/10 TASTE 6/10

Latest track - 'Relight'

My latest track Relight has been up on my Soundcloud page a little while now. There's a HQ download available if any of you are interested.

Alternatively you can listen to it right here :