When I was mulling over a number of good captions to put on the photos of Food Survival in Japan, I recognized that I have unconsciously developed a set of principles on buying food in a foreign place.

As much as we try to minimize our expenses, the “Take the Plunge” persona in us still want to try new things. We can’t pass eating a bizarre meal or a familiar meal in an unusual place because this is exactly the reason why we travel. But one way to balance out this persona within our budget is to actually acknowledge first the principles we have and then make most of what we have.


