another workday in paradise
I thought I'd be losing weight on this trip, but not if I keep eating meals with my boss. For lunch, I ordered eggplant and mushrooms with dried scallops. When it arrived, it looked like a noodle dish, and I was very puzzled. Then Alex explained it to me: They're *mushrooms.* Golden needle mushrooms. They have really long thin stems that look like spaghetti, and tiny little caps. They're a little bit crunchy. It was really tasty.
Our server offered me some vinegar (in place of soy sauce) and I said "sure." Then my boss scolded me: Maybe I shouldn't be quite so adventurous so easily, and if I'm going to eat something risky, it should at very least be something *really* tasty. Perhaps I have been a bit too trusting, but after awhile you get sick of grilling people.
Side note: lunch was the first time we weren't greeted by the friendly gauntlet. We got almost halfway to the table before someone said hello. (as Neal put it, "we almost made it through security!"). I thought they must be unusually busy. After we sat down, I noticed that there was a large party in the corner, one member of which appeared to be a monk. At one point, my boss and our server had a quick, hushed conversation... Apparently the monk was eating abalone, which is not vegetarian. Hm. Granted, abalones aren't far up on the sentient life chart, but they're still not veggies. So I guess his next reincarnation just slipped down a peg? At the same table, I got to watch a game of hot potato played with a fish head on a plate. "No, you should take it." "Oh no, I insist you must have it." It was like watching the reverse of people fighting to take the check.
I am starting to miss familiar foods...PG Tips with milk & sugar... raisin "fake toast" and butter... I guess it's pretty sad when you're missing the stand-in version of toast...Of course, I'm managing to choke down wonderful fresh pineapple and watermelon, and this morning I had an omelette for breakfast. Neal and I were noticing the incredible view. There's a big water feature in front of the restaurant, and when I first got here I thought it was a pool (there are several here, so it's not that far-fetched). Can you imagine if I'd gone swimming in it? Neal said "In this place, no one would say anything. They'd just hand you a towel if you needed one." It's true. The staff here seems like they are from the "olden days" of service, when people learned your name and started your cappuccino just as you walk in the door.
Now that work is in full swing (we've moved into our building, we're ordering more furniture for the offices, etc.) I don't have as much time to write stuff on the blog. I'm reduced to stealing stuff from the e-mails I've written. Apologies to all for redundancies and/or lack of e-mails.
[current "live entertainment, not karaoke" song: Careless Whisper]
Our server offered me some vinegar (in place of soy sauce) and I said "sure." Then my boss scolded me: Maybe I shouldn't be quite so adventurous so easily, and if I'm going to eat something risky, it should at very least be something *really* tasty. Perhaps I have been a bit too trusting, but after awhile you get sick of grilling people.
Side note: lunch was the first time we weren't greeted by the friendly gauntlet. We got almost halfway to the table before someone said hello. (as Neal put it, "we almost made it through security!"). I thought they must be unusually busy. After we sat down, I noticed that there was a large party in the corner, one member of which appeared to be a monk. At one point, my boss and our server had a quick, hushed conversation... Apparently the monk was eating abalone, which is not vegetarian. Hm. Granted, abalones aren't far up on the sentient life chart, but they're still not veggies. So I guess his next reincarnation just slipped down a peg? At the same table, I got to watch a game of hot potato played with a fish head on a plate. "No, you should take it." "Oh no, I insist you must have it." It was like watching the reverse of people fighting to take the check.
I am starting to miss familiar foods...PG Tips with milk & sugar... raisin "fake toast" and butter... I guess it's pretty sad when you're missing the stand-in version of toast...Of course, I'm managing to choke down wonderful fresh pineapple and watermelon, and this morning I had an omelette for breakfast. Neal and I were noticing the incredible view. There's a big water feature in front of the restaurant, and when I first got here I thought it was a pool (there are several here, so it's not that far-fetched). Can you imagine if I'd gone swimming in it? Neal said "In this place, no one would say anything. They'd just hand you a towel if you needed one." It's true. The staff here seems like they are from the "olden days" of service, when people learned your name and started your cappuccino just as you walk in the door.
Now that work is in full swing (we've moved into our building, we're ordering more furniture for the offices, etc.) I don't have as much time to write stuff on the blog. I'm reduced to stealing stuff from the e-mails I've written. Apologies to all for redundancies and/or lack of e-mails.
[current "live entertainment, not karaoke" song: Careless Whisper]