Today was a freaking good day.

I expected to be bored stiff to tears at the Anpanman Children’s Museum.

But when my daughter’s nap time was approaching, my wife dispatched me to bring her out and put her to sleep using the stroller.

Oh joy. I had expected to force-sleep her amidst the noisy museum and let her rest against my rock solid chest and sturdy lap. Heck, I even brought a book to read in preparation for this.

Words could hardly describe my euphoria when I crossed the street to Kawabata Shopping Arcade. I had never been enticed to explore there in all my years of travelling in Fukuoka, but heck, I am a parent living on borrowed time! Any sightseeing will do!

I endured 10 mins of my daughter’s soul-shattering, ear-piercing screaming. My persistence was duly rewarded. SHE FELL ASLEEP.

I’m not an incorrigible drinker, but this lucky occasion obviously deserved a commemoration. I marched straight to the nearest combini store and bought an interesting-looking can of beer.

独一无二 (irreplaceable) ume (soul plum) beer! I can’t go wrong with this.

And so, I am sipping this fruity beer, tucking into my shrimp gratin, watching people walk past, basically doing all the things the travelling junkie in me would have done in the past.

This is what freedom tastes like. This is how it feels like.