comfort food

there are few things as comforting to me as a big steaming hot pot filled with rice, raw egg, vegetables and bits of beef. a korean dish, i thank my friend kathy for introducing me to a world of flavors that insist on partying on every taste bud.

i’ve been not quite under the weather so much as my allergies and body are adjusting to a new world. as such my sinuses are acting like spoiled two year olds and my body is demanding sleep at the most inopportune moments.

after my host family dropped me at my new flat (information will be forth coming) i decided i needed to find an adapter – after walking around the hills of auckland to no avail i did come acros a korean restaurant. i was straving and tired and a little out of sorts so i sat down and ordered.

a few moments later an array of opening dishes – including a delicate soup, seaweed and pickeled cucumbers and an array of other things i can’t begin to name – crowded my table. another moment and a sizzeling cast iron pot was set before me.

all at once my sinuses began to clear. i was sweating but it was a good sweat responding to the eat coming from my food. i drank clear cool water and retrained myself on korean chopsticks (the hardest of all chopsticks with they’re thin metal rods that slip food like slick floors). it was wonderful. even sitting by myself (something i usually hate) listening to random amierican hip hop in the background, i was at once soothed and at home.

i do believe i will have to hit that place up at least once a week.

as for everything else – new zealand is interesting. folks seem to feel ok about speaking ill of the maori. not quite horrible things – but things that i question that they’d say if a maori were present. at the same time, america is here and not here. there are golden arches of course, but also wendy’s, dominoes, pizza hut and burger king. and blockbuster.

on the other hand south africa is heavily represented. complete with amarula (eat your hearts out SA4), nanodos (eat your heart out dad), ceres and wheetabix. bizzare to see so many of my worlds crashing together.

thus far my expereinces have been limited. but getting settled in and going to orientation tomorrow should begin to change that.

oh yeah, i did my first rotary duties. my first full day (saturday) i woke up bright and early to lay concrete as part of one their projects and then went to the opening of a bike park they sponsored. next week i’ll go to meeting – the speaker will be a palestinian speaking about the conflict in isreal…i can’t wait.