It’s strange being back in.. shall I say civilization? What is it that makes a place “civilized?” Is it having flushing toilets? Is it having hot showers? Is it some place you can have easy access to a variety of food (particularly meat) instead of having to eat cabbage, rice, beans, potatoes, cabbage, rice, beans, potatoes, cabbage everyday? Is it somewhere you don’t yell out VARIETY! at the dinner table when you see potatoes in their different forms (mashed, fried, boiled, and best for last …. boiled, then mashed then fried)?
I don’t want to sound like I’m exaggerating though. It’s not super strange being back. I think the one adjustment I’ve had is getting used to eating meat. Having only eaten meat about four times in the past 2 months, eating any bit of meat on the plane and here back in Boston has been having a toil on my stomach. I’ve been a little sick for the past 2 days, and have just been sleeping on Ryann’s couch for 15+ hours each day (thanks Ryann).
One of the things that hit me the most was I totally forgot about traffic lights. I crossed some streets today for the first time and didn’t even realize I was supposed to stop, see if there were cars, look at the light, then decide if I wanted to wait patiently for the light or Jwalk it. I kind of just crossed 5 streets without thinking, forgetting about the very existence of traffic lights. Until I almost got run over..
I must admit, having running water is really nice. Being able to shower more often than once every 5 days, use a toilet instead of an outhouse, brush your teeth with bottled/filtered water, wear clean clothes, is really luxurious.
So, here I am, staying in Boston for 4 days before heading back to Taiwan. I’ll be taking a bus tomorrow at midnight down to NYC, arrive at 5 AM, go to JFK, then wait for my 2PM flight the same day. Taiwan, see you Tuesday night :)
Lake Bunyonyi (the only body of water you can swim in in Uganda without getting worms swimming up your butt)
TW FOOD
1. Freshly cut mango.
2. Casual lunch at road-side 7-11.
3. 小龍包 at 鼎泰豐 with my boy james
4. Ostrich meat with some random vegetables
5. Shrimp with crunchy stuff (油條）wrapped in Lettuce. Chinese burrito
6. Duck meat wrapped in fried taro enclosing. Some sauce on the side
7. 陳家豆腐， translates as “Chen Family Tofu.” My favorite dish at this restaurant my family always goes to.
8. Milk tea to go with dinner.
9. Pot stickers (kind of like lightly pan fried dumplings) at 四海遊龍
10. Perfection
