February 14th, 2002. Soup and Hearts.



I'm sick. And when I'm sick, I cook. This a shot of the soup I made today, it's not quite like my mom's but it will have to do. My mom's soup is thick and hot and soothing. My soup is warm and runny and tasteless. I don't get it, we use the same ingredients.

I've come down with a bout of the flu or something, and have spent the past few days just lying in bed, trying not to vomit on myself. But I'm better now. It was bound to happen, what with the density of the population here and the fact that people would come the even if they had the plague.

To fight the flu, I've been eating carrots, apples and tangerines by the truckload. I swear, I'm going to be pissing citric acid the way I'm going right now. But it seems to be working, I'm feeling a lot better today.

I went to the grocery store to stock up on some more fruits and veggies today and saw that strawberries were on sale. I was reminded of a time, just last week, when I learned once again that my humour does not go over well here. I was at work and one of the guys (Canadian) pulled out some strawberries. British Girl leapt at them, and in mid-bite, asked if she should wash them first. I said, "Don't worry, Japanese pesticides are only meant to kill domestic pests." The Canadian guy laughed, but I was otherwise greeted by silence and blank stares across the room.

Well, it's Valentine's day today and though Frances and I never really celebrated it while I was back home, it's a big deal now that I am away from her. Damn Hallmark and all their brainwashing.

So, apart from the decreased frequency of updates to this site, you may have also noticed that the overall quality of the entries is hurting as well. One reason is that I am running out of things to write about, as I am virtually over my adjustment period here. Another reason is that I don't have the luxury of editing or taking my time anymore. When you have three people breathing down your neck, waiting for their turn, it makes coming up with interesting writing all that much more difficult. Anyway, this site was never meant to be a showcase of my writing or photography ability, rather, it is just something I use to keep in touch with people back home. The fact that complete strangers are taking an interest in my life too was an unexpected (though pleasant) development.