oh yeah, that’s right — it helps if you publish your entries, as opposed to just saving them as drafts… [slaps forehead]
recent happenings — no news is, uh, no news on the employment front… i had a brief surge of paranoia on thursday last week & was convinced that my email account had stopped working, but i think the more realistic option is that none of my applications have generated any responses… (after all, my email account is still happily accepting spam…)
a visit to ebisu — i was introduced to Sumie’s parents on saturday, & you have no idea how relieved i was that the meeting & subsequent meal went well… Sumie’s parents were very nice & very encouraging, & after my initial nerves subsided i had a great time talking with them…
related note — please add horse sashimi to the list of things that six months ago i was pretty sure i would never eat… very interesting texture, although i don’t know if that’s a property of horse per se or just a general feature of sashimi… my palate really isn’t very experienced &/or sophisticated…
for instance — i suspect it’s gonna be some time before i start stealing any of the dried fish (that is, complete, whole, dried fish with tiny little dried up eyes & fins & things) that Sumie was delighted to discover in a market near ueno yesterday, & on which she spent part of yesterday afternoon happily snacking… i mean, sure, in an abstract way i can see that they’re probably good for you…
other examples of food-related head noise — i should declare at this point that i’ve always had a reasonably strong (&, as far as i can tell, completely irrational) aversion to seafood… (one that predates the however many years i spent as a vegetarian — or, as i like to think of them, the years in which i was lost to chicken…) i’ve convinced myself that i don’t particularly like the smell &/or taste of fish/seafood, & in some instances a strong seafood smell has made me feel physically sick…
on the other hand — i eat prawns & calamari & some shellfish & tuna & salmon & various other common or garden variety fish… &, you know, i know i’ve eaten, survived & in most cases enjoyed eating that stuff… it’s not like i have a physical allegy or something… but for some reason, every time i’m faced with something from the sea (&, like, hello, i’m in tokyo) i have this running argument with myself about whether or not i can eat it…
me: ew! fish/seaweed/seafood! i don’t like it.
me: just try it…
me: no! i’ll be sick!
me: try a little piece…
me: oh man, i’m gonna be sick, i know it…
[pulls face, sniffs suspiciously, picks up tiniest possible piece]
me: would you just eat it?
me: … i don’t wanna…
me: eat it. people are starting to stare.
[puts it into mouth, chews distrustingly]
me: well?
me: … it’s okay… actually, i like it…
me: so have some more.
me: ew! fish/seaweed/seafood! i don’t like it.
i wouldn’t mind so much if i didn’t have the exact same conversation between every single bite…
heatwave — you would not believe how hot it’s been the last couple of days… sit still & break out sweating kinda hot… it’s a side of tokyo i’ve not previously experienced…
what else? well, after a brief attack of the pathetics, i bought some stamps the other day… (i’m still not sure which was more pathetic — the initial anxiety attack or the subsequent feeling of achievement…) & i’ve started doing some exercises… & i’ve been doing a bit of writing, which has been a nice change… & various bits of research, & some miscellaneous software installs, & preparation for some wholesale site renovations… & my japanese study…
