I had never heard of a “sniff kiss” before moving to Thailand.
It’s a simple way of showing affection, but instead of kissing someone’s cheek, just give it a quick sniff!
My Thai friends seemed quite surprised that this isn’t common in America (or anywhere else in the world, as far as I know) and tell me it’s quite normal.
As far as I know, it’s only in Thailand, although it might be done in some nearby countries too.
Cheesecake – Comic #1 – 10 August 2016
We had just arrived in Kyoto (one of my all-time favorite cities) on the train from Osaka when Pinky spotted a Pablo booth at the station. Pinky usually knows which desserts are “in” at any given time, and this time, it was Pablo!
Japanese cheesecakes are a bit different from what you might be used to. They tend to be lighter, cheesier, and somewhat less sweet. They aren’t too rich or too creamy, and seem to be quite balanced.
My guess about what makes the Japanese desserts so special and popular is their instagramability! The Japanese bakeries and dessert shops go above and beyond to make their treats look beautiful and “cute”. That says something about the Japanese culture’s drive to achieve perfection in their work, don’t you think?
Somehow we were able to eat the entire cheesecake ourselves, but there certainly was no room for dinner that night!
The brand we ate was a Pablo Cheese Tart. Visit their website at
to see photos and more.
Living in another country can be pretty funny.. Sometimes it can feel like living in a cartoon world… This is our new comic series about the funny (mostly true!) things that happen to an American English teacher and his veterinarian girlfriend living in Bangkok. Written by Michael and illustrated by Pinky.
LB convert