🍂 Hello there! 🍂

Make yourself comfortable, we're going to chat a little ☕️

For years, I've run many blogs and Tumblrs (RIP my Skyblogs that now sleep in the archives of the BNF) and I confess that I miss taking the time to write long articles. So why not do it again here? I really want to get back into this habit and share my feelings, my thoughts, my favorites... How does that sound to you? Let’s go!

. . ʚ F A V O R I S ɞ . .

. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. .

Since the beginning of the year, I've revamped my entire wishlist on Steam, filling it with indie games. I worked for several years at a big gaming company, and I have always had a particular love for indie games, their freedom, their freshness, and the values they convey. So, I keep an eye on Steam sales and pick up a few here and there, setting aside a small budget each month to discover gems.

The latest one is a game from the studio Deconstructeam, "The Cosmic Wheel - Sisterhood."

Synopsis : Dive into an enchanting tale as you assume the role of Fortuna, a fortune teller sentenced to exile on her asteroid. Craft your tarot deck, regain your freedom, and determine the fate of the cosmic community of witches.

It’s a cozy game where nearly the entire story takes place in the same location (except for a few flashbacks). Your choices impact your relationships with other characters as well as the destiny of the witch community you are part of (despite your 200-year exile). The game has a kind tone, and inclusive writing is part of it, a treat for my little heart. As you go along, you personalize your tarot deck, gather energy, and your card draws also affect your encounters.

I had a great time, really enjoyed the game mechanics, and got into customizing the cards, which hold certain significance based on the different elements combined.

I took a bit to get into it (a little over an hour) but once I was engaged in the plot, I often thought about it during my other activities, eagerly looking forward to returning and seeing what happened next!

It’s important to note that there’s a lot of text, since it's mainly during interactions with other characters that the story unfolds. A super sweet game with its subtleties, it might take about ten hours to finish, but it’s all about replaying the story and trying different combinations to explore all the possibilities.

. The Nattō. .

If you're somewhat familiar with Japanese culture, you probably already know about nattō, at least by name.

Nattō (納豆) is a traditional Japanese fermented food made from fermented soybeans, often consumed as a side dish for plain rice in Japanese cuisine, especially at breakfast. - Wikipedia

It's true that at first glance, nattō can be surprising. The appearance isn't particularly appetizing (though, I think it resembles melted cheese on a nice warm pizza) and the smell might seem strong (much less than blue cheese if you ask my opinion). The texture is completely unique, hard to describe. It's a bit slimy, a bit sticky... but super appetizing!

My partner wanted to try nattō for a long time, and since our move to Charente, it wasn't necessarily easy to find a well-stocked Asian grocery store. But we found nattō! First, he tried an industrial one from Japan. At first, he was eating it on its own; I wasn't particularly keen. After the second time, seeing him really enjoy it and saying he felt more energetic and sensed a real internal change, I wanted to try! The first few bites, I forced myself a bit, I admit. I thought, "Well, if it's so good for my body, I'll just have a little spoonful each day and that will do." And actually... bit by bit... you get used to it. And gradually, you come to love it!

Now, imagining nattō on freshly cooked and hot rice is a vision of paradise for me! 🍚

I also learned about the importance of GOOD nattō (like everything, right? lol), those found in Asian grocery stores can be a good stopgap but are quite bitter, with an aftertaste reminiscent of coffee and ammonia, and aren't very tasty. I offer you our gem, organic nattō, made in France in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,! The Nattō from the Dragon! Go ahead with your eyes closed if you love nattō, it's a delight!

Another important point, make sure to pimp your nattō to fully develop its flavors. When you buy the industrial version, it usually comes with a tiny packet of mustard karashi and a tiny packet of soy sauce (always more packaging, right?) that you should mix with your nattō. That's where your creativity enters the scene! For pure Japanese flavor, I invite you to try, I think Dijon mustard, finely chopped leek greens, and soy sauce is sufficient. Here, we love discoveries. We mix it with old-style mustard (since we don’t have any other) soy sauce, finely chopped leek greens, and a tiny bit of ketchup to balance the bitterness, and it's a BANGER. Quite simply. When you have fresh tomatoes, feel free to bite into one while eating your white rice and nattō; they pair perfectly.

Since I started eating it, which is to say two weeks ago, I've noticed a real change in my energy throughout the day (we often eat it at breakfast or lunch, but never at dinner), and a strong improvement in my digestion and transit as well. It’s not placebo at all; something beneficial is happening for my body. Nattō is rich in vitamin K2 (or menaquinone, which stimulates the osteocalcin hormone that binds calcium in the body), it’s very good for gut flora (especially thanks to fermentation, which also makes it very digestible) and is particularly rich in proteins!

I can only recommend you try it! I saw someone say that nattō is a bit like the American fruitcake; you either love it or hate it. I'm thrilled to love it, and I hope you will too! 🥢

.Nekoniwa. .

Nekoniwa has been my little refuge for quite a while, but I hadn’t mentioned it here yet. In each video, we follow a Japanese woman living in the southern United States. She takes us into her soft, poetic universe with a polished aesthetic. I love the little bubbles she manages to create in each video. Only music and the sounds from the footage accompany us, no voice-over, just the footage and text. We don’t know her name or her face (she always makes sure to keep her face out of shot or hidden under a large hat). After watching one of her videos, I always feel inspired to cook, garden, tidy up my space, or create things; it's incredibly pleasant! 𓋼

After watching several channels in this style (camping, lifestyle, cooking...), I noticed that this aesthetic of video without voice-over and only with text and music is very prevalent, especially among people of Japanese descent. I love it! It makes me very eager to create some too 🌰 I have more in store; would you be interested if I share them with you?

I hope you enjoy these little capsules into the universe of Nekoniwa!

And there you have it for this autumn letter, which, in the end, is more of a favorites showcase! But it's just as good if I've been able to introduce you to a few little things! And it felt good to take my time writing this article ☾☼

I wish you a beautiful day, evening, night, morning, and I'll see you soon!

Latipule 𓅯

Illustration nattō by Rodger Liukane and banner from Nekoniwa