July 30, 2023
- Brush: Yaqi Evil Zebra – 26mm Synthetic Brush - China
- Razor: Karve Copper, Plate C - Canada
- Blade: Wilkinson Sword - Germany
- Lather: Boellis - Soap - Italy
- Post Shave: Master Soap Creations – Apricot Pie - South Africa
- Fragrance: Guerlain - L'Homme Idéal - France
- Music: Puff Daddy ft Notorious B.I.G. and Mase – Been Around the World
I love the expression: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” It gives you a chance to see fascinating/historically important sites, meet a lot of interesting people, and to experience other cultures and the food that goes along with each. Traveling really helps gain the perspective that we are all sharing this giant rock called Earth, flying through the Universe, trying to exist among one another. It shouldn’t be hard, yet it is.
One of my favorite parts of traveling getting to try the different foods that different countries have to offer. Food connects us all. In China, the most considerate way you can greet someone is by asking them, “Chrh guo luh ma?” which translates to “Have you eaten?”
So today, for our final day of the Lather Games, I’m went in my car to go on an international food tour and eat a different food from every country represented in my set-up today. For clarity, I'm from the United States. Speaking of #photocontest category is vehicles.
The first stop: France for my fragrance: Guerlain - L'Homme Idéal. A great way to start the day, I arrived at Làkon Paris Pàtisserie. Got myself a French Roast Coffee, an almond croissant, and a vanilla macaron. Given the scents of the shave today, these pastries were spot on and sitting outside on this beautiful day is a great way to kick off my day of eating food from around the world.
Next up: South Africa for the post-shave: MSC – Apricot Pie Splash. This one was more difficult. There are no South African restaurants anywhere around me. From my searching, the only South African restaurant in my state closed a couple years ago (shout-out Covid). Which is a shame, because I was hoping to eat some Bobotie today. The next best thing I have found as a specialty food store that stocks the South African favorite Bledie Lekker Droewors – which is basically dried sausage jerky made from beef and lamb. Very common in South Africa, and gives me a much-needed protein boost to take on the day today. I don’t have time to waste, so I eat these in the car enroute to my next destination.
Now, I hop back in my car and drive into Boston. I can knock out most of set-up in the best city in the world. I park my car downtown and walk to my first stop.
For China, we have my Yaqi brush: I go to Chinatown. I love this area of the City. Having been to China a few years ago, this area is actually a somewhat fair representation of China – crowded, strong sense of community, and delicious, cheap food. Went to a hole in the wall that had a decent amount of people going into and out of it. Picked up a Steamed Pork Bun and Chinese drink. I enjoyed it in a park, where I was surrounded by people speaking Cantonese as they gambled, smoked, and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.
Next stop: Canada for my Karve Razor. Poutine! And I’m told the poutine at Saus in Boston is authentically Canadian. If I didn’t know better and had to guess who decided to take French Fries and smother them with gravy and cheese curds, I gotta admit, Quebec would not be the first place that came to mind, yet here we are. And I’m forever grateful for them because this is delicious! By the time I eat my poutine and leave Saus.
I’m feeling very full, but I can’t stop now.
For my lather: Italy, thanks for a smoosh courtesy of u/J33pGuy13 of Boellis. So off I go to Boston’s North End. This is like our Little Italy. Except we don’t call it Little Italy. It’s the North End. This is where people who immigrated from Italy all decided to live in the early 20th Century. And of all the iconic establishments, Mike’s Pastry’s has got to be #1. I once again, took inspiration from the scents of my shave stuff today and got a box of Italian cookies and a cannoli (because Mike’s has the absolute best cannolis). I despise going here on the weekends, especially in the summer, because it’s packed with tourists. But it’s packed for a reason AND it’s the Lather Games! Sidenote: as I held up the little baggy with my white smoosh for the photo, I realized just how much it looks like I’m holding up a bag of something illegal. Glad I didn’t cause any incidents today. I took my treats to a nearby park to enjoy them.
Now, with all that out of the way, it’s time to shave. But where? Shaving at one of the many Embassies in Boston seems like a bad idea. And Boston’s World Trade Center is okay, but it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as I would like. No. The airport? No, that’s too obvious for international day. Seems like a second-place idea and using running water for a shave on the final day seems boring. I bet someone else will have that lame idea. I need something unique! It has to be the Oldest Park in the United States: Boston Common, in the shadows of the Massachusetts State House. For those who have never been the Boston Common, it is a beautiful 50-acre park located in downtown Boston. Through the years, it has served many purposes: it started in the 1600s as a place for cattle to graze, became a site where Puritanical punishments occurred, and then during the Revolutionary War, it was here that the British Army made camp before the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It’s also where Charles Lindbergh promoted commercial aviation, while Martin Luther King Jr led Anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies in the 1960s. In 1979, Pope John Paul II gave Mass to a gathered crowd. And, now, it will forever be known as the place where Priusaurus had his last shave of the 2023 Lather Games.
I found a nice spot, under a tree, and with the Massachusetts State House directly behind me, and got set up. I’m feeling a little sad this is my last Lather Games shave of the month. I’ve given it my all this month and it’s hard to believe it’s coming to an end. But I’ll have time to reflect tomorrow. Now it’s time to shave. There’s a lot of people out and about, enjoying their day. Luckily, any shame I once had has long disappeared during these Games and I had a very enjoyable two-pass shave.
The scents of my shave, were once again sweet, as the self-proclaimed Gourmand King strikes again with an almond centric day. Boellis has a delicious almond scent which carried into nicely into the Apricot Pie aftershave splash, which features apricot, almond and vanilla. Then L'Homme Idéal also has a sweet almond scent to it, but the builds on that with citrus fruit and a woody base. Not bad at all for a nice #FOF shave in The Common.
About 6 hours after I left for the day. I feel full & bloated, but have sense of accomplishment, knowing I did everything I possibly could to compete for the top spot this year.
But wait, there’s more! I haven’t yet honored the blade I used today: My Wilkinson Sword blade from Germany. And I, like most people in the Lather Games, take vehicle safety very seriously, so I decided to consume this final piece of the puzzle at home. After my kids went to bed, I poured myself a nice, cold, refreshing German beer from the oldest brewery in the world – Weihenstephaner.
And it is with this, that I give a figurative toast to everyone who competed in the 9th Annual Lather Games. We had a lot of fun, with a tiny bit of spite mixed in. To the djudges, organizers, and sponsors – THANK YOU!!! This marathon would not be possible without you. To the artisans who agreed to take part in my interview series – thank you so, so, so very much. You are literally the best on the planet at what you do, and the fact so many took the time to answer 10 silly questions is truly humbling. And to my fellow participants: I told you on day one you were all playing for second place. Hopefully that ends up being true, but even if it doesn’t, it was a hell of a ride!
Peace, Love, and Hakuna Matata.