That’s one really nice thing about there being a China Town nearby- you can get fantastic fruits you cannot get a hold of in the suburbs, (which is something I will ambiently miss, but the pleasures of good Vietnamese coffee made at home and the luxury of sprawling out to embroider by pale wintry sunlight will suffice to compensate, I think.)
They had in stock some Vietnamese pomelo awhile ago, which was an entirely different experience from the Chinese pomelos they normally have. The flesh was much more juicy, much sweeter, and ranged from a blush of pink to deep pink rather than the usual pale translucent creme, and didn’t have the sort of bitterness I usually associate with the fruit (even after carefully picking away any of the lining, though I do think Chinese pomelo is much nicer when dipped in a rub of chillies and salt, which is also a fantastic combination to eat with crisp mango slices.)
I love the fruit stalls for all the yummy little treats you can get… I’ve always been able to polish off a whole bag of syrupy sweet longan myself, but I also love rose apples (which are like, such a mystifying experience to have for the first time- it’s almost as if water was made crispy, and they smell just like roses if you sniff the skin, the contrast between the green flesh and the rosy skin is really beautiful especially with their bell shape,) and mangoes (both the crispy/crunchy kind you eat with chillies and salt, and the lush, decadent ones you slice up like a porcupine and bury your face into), and jackfruits which are a sensory delight to dig your hands into and squeak between your teeth while being pleasantly sweet enough to not feel sick gorging yourself on, and good dragon fruit which is sweet and delicious and unfortunately difficult to come across but when you do it’s so worth it, and guavas which are super fun to crunch down on, and persimmons which I could probably polish off a whole basket’s worth alone because I love the give of the skin beneath your teeth and they’re so satisfying to tear into and cup perfectly into the palm of your hand, coconuts which are both a delightful little drink and snack you carve along with a spoon, and even frozen durian which when scooped out is rich and creamy and indulgent like icecream…
I like Ontario apples alright, we do have a wide variety and some of them are more enticing than others, but man, the competition just isn’t fair, haha.
I was talking with a friend awhile ago, and she mentioned something that I’ve still been thinking about. She’s someone I would describe primarily as pragmatic. She’s efficient, sensible, quick to determine the best course of action, knows how to play to people’s strengths and identify weaknesses not as points to tear someone down over, but to improve upon and account for in planning, straightforward and perhaps a little painfully honest at times.
Everything has its place in her life, and she’s able to bounce back from whatever life throws at her with a graceful ease that I really love about her: in the middle of a storm, her calm direction is a strength people turn to for guidance. Whatever happens, she has a great head on her shoulders- and if she doesn’t have all of the answers to work towards a solution at hand, she’ll be quick to find them. (She’s a fantastic manager, though I do find it amusing how her time as back-of-house and as a chef definitely shines through. Reminds me of my dad, a bit, in terms of the levity and puppydoggish roughhousing.)
If you need a practical solution, or a helping hand, she’s the first one to jump into action. And yet- while we were speaking, she mentioned that she isn’t the most sensitive or emotionally available person, so most of the time when her friends are struggling, she’ll think of what I might say to advise and comfort them, as she’s seen demonstrated in our mutual friend group. It was a really beautiful, special thing to hear- and I cherish it. To think of the impact we have in others’ lives- that blooms outside of our own view. It was really sweet, and I really value her friendship.
after a horrible day yesterday and today thus far, I took a sad nap and had another nightmare, but within the nightmare I dreamt of the prodigious lengths that my irl husband will go through to ensure I’m safe and happy. they were exaggerated in the dream but only slightly.
in real life my husband pulled me out of bed after I was crying and I was reminded of a poem I wrote about him doing just that countless times.
snippet of the poem:
You’ve pulled the pillows from your bed, mussed from tossing heads,
musty dreams bleaching in the sun. Tears
rain from my cheeks to yours–
the kisses that I remember planting remember me.
Let’s get up, you say, pulling my arms, hey, let’s greet the sky,
and we look at each other, me blinking as the rays sear
the dark away.
Tried out the fancy electric kettle for the first time and sucking down my first coffee-bordering-on-dessert after months of acrid black. Delicious. Eating a bunch of cravings because I haven’t been in this much pain since I was in highschool, and kimchi noodles are the most delicious thing on earth right now.
Insomnia’s kicking my ass because I’ve been really struggling with adjusting to a new sleeping spot, but I had tons of fun playing through some visual novels. Really enjoyed Sacrarium Gelus.
My new game (which I’ve just started coding) is gonna be a much harder romp than I’d have expected, considering I’m pretty much hacking player input completely and utterly. Although, it will work towards a better (N)PC that I’d end up being glad I did.
----runs into the room, waving an official-looking document with “Bragging Rights” written on it----
I have just completed How Prince Quisborne the Feckless Shook His Title.
The day after IFComp, November 16th, I started playing. Fifteen minutes ago, December 18th, I entered the final command and read the epilogue.
8835 turns. 309 in-game days. 32 days in real life. 60 hours of play.
Without hints. (Except one unintentional one from the Wizard of Ooh!s and Aah!s, and one ever-so-gentle nudge from the author.)
The experience is still too large in my head to fully grasp, let alone to think critically about the game, but it is without a doubt one of the greatest works of IF I have ever played/read. Magnificent.
Figured out how to play around with the game world settings and I really enjoy Don’t Starve Together with endless daylight. Built a sick sustainable base and scratched that itch.
I think I’ve accidentally discovered my new favourite sandwich (which was previously tuna sandwiches.) I toasted a buttery croissant, stabbed it to make room, and put in salami and crumbled up goat cheese and it was SO good I’m just sitting here revelling in the fact afterwards.
We got the afternoon off from the fair (we gave our ceramicist Monday off, so now it’s our turn), so we went to see Godzilla Minus One in the theater, and it was great. Three more days of dressing nicely, finding my smile, and answering the same 5 questions over and over for hours… and then I can put on fat pants and collapse.
Also, Tom refilled his many, many bird feeders this afternoon, which always means a lot of spilled seed, and there are a fox, an armadillo, and a skunk chowing away in the back yard now, which is just a charming sight. Everyone is giving the skunk a wide berth, which is wise because those things pop off easily.
