Olympic torch

Hey everyone, last week I annonced the Stuffie 2020 Summer Olympics! But I forgot something very important about it.

We forgot to light the Olympic torch! I wonder where the torch is now?

Anyways, while we wait for it to arrive, I just wanted to remind you that the deadline for entries is July 27, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST. You can enter up to 3 different events or make up your own category. More details can be found here!

"Sorryyyyy I'm laaaaate," said Ooogie.

"Ah-ha! I'm so glad you made it!" I said.

He carefully touched the torch to the cauldron.

WHOOSH!!!

The enduring flame has been lit!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Teddy Bears Ride Roller Coaster

Have you seen this awesome video of fellow teddy bears riding a roller coaster in Walibi Holland, a theme park in the Netherlands? It's a must watch!

Mail call!

I received some fun mail the other day! Getting mail is always fun.

"Because you don't have to pay bills," said Uncle Tibbs.

Well, I guess that's true.

The first piece of mail was from Jerry and Ben. How do I know? From their signature drawing of two little bears!

The stamp is pretty cool also - a Transcontinental Railroad forever stamp.

They sent me a postcard. This painting is called "La partie de musique" by Jacob I Van Oost, a Flemish painter who lived in the 17th century. Thanks guys!

Next is an envelope from Sandy. Take a look at all these colorful stamps! I think I need to upgrade my postage stamp game.

First up is a postcard from Sundern, Sauerland which is a town in Germany. Hopefully I can visit Germany one day soon, maybe when it is safer to travel?

There's also a handmade cardboard postcard with some stenciled designs on it. It's made by Beanie Mouse and is part of his Found Art project. I will report that I found it on his blog shortly.

There is also another postcard made by Beanie. It's called "NYC Tickets" and it's a painting done in watercolor. Wow! It looks so realistic and detailed. It must have taken a very long time to do.

Thank you everyone for the fun mail!

Ramune

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to show you a Japanese soda called Ramune, have you heard of it? It's a hot and humid day today, so this will be the perfect refreshment!

Let's take a closer look at the bottle.

As you might notice, the packaging is in Japanese, but this bottle shape actually has its origins from England. This is called a Codd-neck bottle, made of glass and sealed with a marble, named after its inventor Hiram Codd. He invented this to help reduce the need for corks in bottling production.

Then, a Scottish-born pharmacist named Alexander Cameron Sim introduced the drink to Kobe, Japan in 1884. Since then, there have been at least 50 flavors of Ramune, with some interesting flavors such as:

- chili oil
- teriyaki
- octopus
- mystery flavor

I should suggest a salmon flavor, huh?

Here are the instructions for opening the bottle. Hmm, it is all in Japanese...

Oh, here are the instructions in English!

I've removed the seal from the top and now I can see the marble holding the seal together. But what do I do next?

Inside the cap, there is a piece that looks like it can be separated.

POP!!

Yes, that's perfect! I was able to pop the middle piece out.

It fits right on top of the marble like a plunger. Now, I'm going to push it down hard so the marble drops down into the bottle.

POP!! PLINK!! FIZZ!!

Look at that! The marble went down, and it is caught in the thin neck of the bottle and kinda spins around.

And what does it taste like, you might be wondering? This is the original flavor, and it tastes a bit like a mix of Sprite and ginger ale. It's the perfect treat for a summer day!

STUFFIE 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS

As you probably know, the humans postponed their Summer Olympics this year due to the pandemic. Now many humans are stuck at home, and from what I've heard, some of them have put on quite a few pounds.

But we stuffies won't let that happen to us.

Let us continue to carry the Olympic torch, the sacred fire which burns within us all, to pursue excellence and discipline of the highest level...

Annnouncing the

STUFFIE 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS

Yes, that's right! The Stuffie Olympics are back again.

STUFFIE 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS RULES:

1) You can enter up to 3 different events per stuffie household. For example, boxing, rowing, and gymnastics. Or create your own unique category!

2) Send your photo entries via email to lifeisbearygood (at) gmail (dot) com.

3) Entries must be received by July 27, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST.

4) Gold, silver, and bronze medal winners will be awarded!

Need some inspiration? Check out some entries from the 2016 Stuffie Summer Olympics below!

Terrance - high dive

Benny Woodlouse - pole jump

Patch, Droopy, and Spunky - javelin throw

Will YOU be the next Olympic champion? Good luck with your entries everyone!

Build-A-Bear shopping

Today, I was in for a real treat! My mom told me there was still a balance left on this Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card. Time for some online shopping!

Look, Build-A-Bear Workshop is having a sale this weekend - perfect! I wonder what good deals I can find.

Some skirts and tutus? No thanks! I'm not auditioning for Swan Lake anytime soon.

Boxer briefs? No!

Pants? Definitely not! You all know how I feel about pants.

What's this? Star Wars costumes? Now we're getting closer.

*some time later*

Well, I placed my order and I can't wait for it to arrive! What do you think I bought?

Chinese lesson

Hi everyone! Today, I'm going to teach you a couple of Chinese words. Learning a new language is fun!

Let's start with one of my favorite -- if not my most favorite -- word. You guessed it. HONEY.

In Chinese, "honey" is 蜂蜜 and pronounced fēngmì. I like to eat 蜂蜜。

Next, let's learn a very closely related word: BEE.

Do you see anything interesting about the word for BEE?

If you said it is the reverse of BEE, you are right! In Chinese, the word for BEE is 蜜蜂 and pronounced mìfēng.

So, be sure not to confuse the two. You don't want to eat 蜜蜂  - that would really sting!

I hope you enjoyed this Chinese lesson!