ninjapanda

Hi! I'm Rin/Rynn for short and I'm living in Japan, my dream country

I love cute things (kawaii, yeeess!) and miniature things (because they're cuter smaller ;)

I appreciate more practical things rather than decorative things. So something I can use rather than just look at is preferred!

I hardly dabble in any crafting, although I have the utmost respect for people who can sculpt clay miniatures! I'm also in love with cute, themed matchbox shrines.

In all my swaps, I take the time to read through each partner's profile, to get to know them, try to match their likes and dislikes and put together something with my partner in mind. The thought that someone will smile when they receive the swap I lovingly put together makes me happy :)

I always send out my swaps on time, so if ever you do not receive a swap from me, it's likely that the mail was lost in transit or that I am incapacitated. Before leaving negative feedback, please contact me first. I'll be happy to work things out!

Please note that in Japan, the postal service does not work on Saturdays and Sundays. This means that if for instance there is a swap deadline on Sunday, and I drop off mail in the post box on Friday, it may not be postmarked till Monday. In addition, Japan is about 12 hours ahead of USA, thus the ‘Marked as sent’ dates might not be very accurate. Whew, that was quite some explanation. I hope I managed to explain it clearly!

I am very happy when I receive mail that shows care and thought put into assembling the package. This is my main basis for awarding hearts. And yes, I give hearts to packages without extras! Because in the end, that's all they are supposed to be... extras, not the main swap :)

If you're interested in a private swap, please feel free to send me a message to work out something! Update: Not looking to swap at the moment, sorry. Will remove this when I'm ready to swap again! Thanks for your consideration :D

I have a sweet tooth! My tolerance for sweet and sour things (although I have no particular love for sour) is sky-high. On the other hand, my tolerance for bitter and spicy things is non-existent. I'm a very particular eater, and I apologize in advance if you got me as a partner in a food swap. But hey, always good to have a challenge, right?

Chocolate: Milk! And while I like them plain, I like them even more when they have fillings like praline, rice crisps, brittles, wafers, nougat, caramel, fudge, cookies & cream, etc. NOTE: If you do send chocolate, please pack them well (place in a separate ziploc bag or three). I don't mind melted chocolate as long as I can refreeze them! It'd be a sin to throw chocolate away
Chocolates I : Maltesers, Ovomaltine (limited to Europe! Boo hoo!), Cadbury's mini eggs (so difficult to find when it's not near Easter!), Crunchie, Nestle's Violet crumble, Toffee crisp, Kinder schokobons, Lindt Lindor truffles... Ok, I have to stop now. I'm almost drooling.

Not fond of (actually, what I really mean is I do not eat them at all, but I'm just too polite to say so ;)

• Dark chocolate
• Spicy chocolate
• Chocolate with coffee, coconut, alcohol or nuts (derivatives like hazelnut cream is ok! just not the nut itself) in it.

Candy: Most candy! I particularly favor soft, chewy candy. Caramel, toffee, yes! Prefer not to have hard candy (it hurts the roof of my mouth). I don't eat gum, licorice or candy with animal gelatin.

Tea: Black/red tea, green tea (Japanese), rooibos tea, slowly exploring light, fruity teas. Not fond of Earl/Lady Grey, spiced tea, jasmine teas, teas that are very heavy on flavor.

Fruits: Strawberry, mango, peach, durian (!!! super love!), mangosteen, grape, sugar plum

Baked goods: Macarons, cookies, cakes (too many to list!), bread pudding, custard pudding, cupcakes, doughnuts, cream puffs, waffles, shortbread, crepe, pretzels, apple crumble, fruit tarts, croissants, cheesecake. This list is far from exhaustive. Maybe one day I'll list them all down ;D

Flavors: Maple, honey, vanilla, milk, cheese, sour cream are usually safe bets! I dislike coffee, almond, spiced, spicy flavors.

Quirks: I don't mind eating bananas, but dislike banana flavored stuff. I dislike eating watermelons, but don't mind derivatives. I don't like corn, but love popcorn. Dislike nuts, but don't mind derivatives. I know... I'm a tough nut to crack.

The best way to get an idea of my taste is to look at my flickr (although it has been a while since I uploaded anything. But my tastes haven't changed, so it's still an accurate reference!)

Brands: Most Japanese brands like Kamio, Q-lia, Crux, Mindwave, Pool-Cool, San-x.

Favorite stationery: STICKERS! With sheets reigning first, followed by sacks. Flat stickers are my favorite!

Kawaii preferences: I love most panda/bunny/hamster characters (not so much the recent generic giant, sparkly-eyed ones though. I like them when there is some theme to it. Like a bakery theme or hospital theme. Does that make sense?). Quirky/wacky characters that make me laugh. Food with faces.

Not up my alley: Sanrio (the whole bunch of them, including Hello Kitty. Only possible exception is Tenorikuma), Rilakkuma (I really wished I love him, because he's EVERYWHERE, but I just... don't), Tarepanda (possibly the only panda I don't like), pig characters, kawaii boys/girls, real-life pictures of food/animals/people

Super wants! (in case someone ever has an extra to swap): Pool Cool Happiness Lunch sticker sack, Pool Cool Colorful House sticker sack, Kamio Japan "Panda Food Court" Spongy sticker sheet, Kamio Japan "Bear Sushi Restaurant" Spongy sheet

If you are ever lost and don't know what to send, anything from this list will make me very happy!

• Scrapbooking supplies - Card stock, stickers (alphabet ones will be awesome!), anything! (there is none here -_-)
• Miniatures! Tiny anything! (foodie is great, but would love to receive all others too)
• Pretty craft paper
• Stickers
• Tiny notecards
• Kraft paper / stickers
• Mail-related rubber stamps
• Plain / patterned ribbon in any width
• Fabric / paper with tiny patterns or designs
• Chipboard (any size!)
• Tiny glass bottles
• Glassine bags in any size
• Airmail/travel-themed stuff (stickers, notepaper, etc)
• New, unopened samples of perfume (floral or fruity scents preferred!)
• Lip balm / lip gloss (clear is great! I also like neutrals like soft pinks, nudes)
• Nail polish (anything except neon)
• Eyeliner (I'm on an eternal hunt for a good black liquid / pencil liner)
• Lightweight scarves
• Sweet / savory snacks
• Candy
• CHOCOLATE

No particular train of thought; just listing whatever comes to mind! Maybe we'll have something in common?

• Pixel art
• Cheery, happy colors
• Pastel colors
• Board / Card games (I have a growing collection!)
• Console games (RPG)
• Final Fantasy (7 is my favorite!)
• Harry Potter (books, not the movies)
• K-pop (mostly for their catchy tunes and sleeeek dance moves)
• Sherlock (the books and the BBC series)
• Steampunk
• Kawaii fairytale designs
• Re-ment / megahouse minatures
• Anime & related illustration books (looove the artwork)
• Rainbows
• Clouds
• Stars
• Hearts
• Polka dots

To help you understand my tastes better, I thought it would be helpful if I gave a list of things I don't like (that I have not covered above) as well.

• Disney (no love for the merchandise, although I grew up with, and love the classic animation)
• Plushies
• Used things (I'm extremely OCD about hygiene like you wouldn't believe)
• Things smelling of smoke
• Beads/eyelets/yarn/embroidery floss (I wouldn't know what to do with them!)
• Anything religious
• Horror/dark/creepy/gothic-themed things
• Stickers: Cartoon series, teacher/reward stickers, holiday