Mysterious noodles

We've been checking the mail lately, waiting for a certain delivery - actually, some money someone owes us. We were promised it was "on the way."

So the other day when I came home and checked the mailbox, I found a slip from our mail carrier, telling us there was a "large envelope" awaiting pick-up.

The next morning, [The Man I Love] called me at work after he'd stopped at the post office.

"Was it the check?" I asked.

"No," he said. He sounded a little stunned. "It's noodles."


We opened it when we got home in the evening. It was packed inside two manila envelopes. Then wrapped in bubble wrap. The package beneath was wrapped in slick white and pink paper. Beneath that, a white box with beautiful calligraphy. And inside the box?


Noodles.

Quite beautiful noodles, four bundles wrapped in tissue paper emblazoned with gold seals and more black calligraphy. There were also two boxes containing pouches filled with liquid of some kind.

A printed brochure with pictures of a pretty Japanese landscape, cartoons of people drying noodles from wooden frames, diagrams showing how to cook the noodles, and photos of people in traditional clothing spinning noodles between the palms of their hands.

They must be pretty special noodles. Only every single bit of text was in Japanese, so we had absolutely no clue what they were.

We recognized the name of the sender - he is a distinguished Japanese gentleman who is a colleague of [The Man I Love.] I am hoping to hear back on this extraordinary gift of noodles, and what it means.

I'll let you know when I find out.