Pocari Sweating like a Pig in this Heat

I am beyond ecstatic tonight. On my trip to Japan a few months ago, I got addicted to Pocari Sweat, which is basically their equivalent of Gatorade. Despite its off-putting name (it does NOT taste like bottled sweat!! hahaha. So named because it replaces electrolytes lost when you sweat. Get it?) which makes me smile every time I see the distinctive blue colored logo on a bottle, Pocari Sweat became part of my daily purchases at the ubiquitous 7-11 (or Family Mart) convenience stores, or as shown below, at the even more ubiquitous vending machines dotting the landscape in Japan.



Why did Pocari Sweat become my favorite drink? Well, it tastes like Gatorade but only half as sweet. No annoying lingering taste of bubble gum in the mouth too. So, after coming back from the trip, I'd always wondered "Where can I find Pocari Sweat in New Jersey?". And tonight I just found out the answer: Mitsuwa supermarket in Edgewater, purveyor of all things Japanese. What a no-brainer. Sadly, it took a while for my brain to even think of Mitsuwa, even though it's only roughly a half-hour drive away.

Pocari Sweat is sold there in different-sized bottles, so I opted for the largest one - 2 liters of the stuff which will come in handy during this never-ending heat wave. It also comes in powdered form which I wasn't aware of, but the instructions on the package are in Japanese (duh), so I'll stick to the bottled version.


And guess who used to endorse Pocari Sweat way back in the 80s? No less than our favorite supermodel Cindy Crawford, who is shown stabbing imaginary opponents with her sword and who appears to have sweated a lot in the making of the video, what with that heavy armor covering the top half of her body.

Oddly enough, the bottom half of Cindy Crawford's body is covered only by some shiny flesh-colored material that I'm quite sure isn't meant for the battlefield. Oblivious to her wardrobe malfunction, Cindy practices her gladiator sword moves, then eventually tires of this charade (after picking up a hefty paycheck, no doubt), then cools off with a refreshing Pocari Sweat. As nonsensical as TV commercials get, but great fun nonetheless.