Reaching out
Today when I was picking up some Chinese takeout, I asked for a glass of water while I waited. The kind proprietor brought me a tall glass of...hot water. As I sat there carefully sipping it, I remembered that years ago on a visit to Portland, I ate at a Noodle House that served only hot water and tea. I didn't think it was just because of the slight chill in the air. Was it to bring it closer to the body's temperature? Did serving it hot show that it was boiled to prevent disease? I found the answers in this blog post: https://tinyurl.com/y9y62y22
I like to learn about other cultures. It's like, the world's worst time to travel, but my brother and I gave my parents a trip to Hawaii for Christmas last year. The date chosen? November 2020. It ended up going off with only a few issues (flight cancelled once, rental house cancelled twice), and despite getting crammed on full flights with no possibility of social distancing, we remain COVID-free. My dad liked the less-crowded beaches, and my parents only struggled a little with the culture of removing shoes when entering a home. A lot had changed since my last trip to Oahu, 15 years ago. The International Marketplace was hauntingly empty, devoid of the little shacks with people selling food from all over the world. I pointed out the banyan trees, now surrounded by tiles, to my husband as I reminisced about buying lumpia beneath them before.
Me, looking out at the sunset
I had plenty of time to think while I was waiting for the takeout. It's pretty lonely here as other than our Hawaiian vacation, we stay home to stay safe. I miss our weekly FAP chats and I think now would've been a great time to reconnect with distant friends. I would love to hear from you!
I like to learn about other cultures. It's like, the world's worst time to travel, but my brother and I gave my parents a trip to Hawaii for Christmas last year. The date chosen? November 2020. It ended up going off with only a few issues (flight cancelled once, rental house cancelled twice), and despite getting crammed on full flights with no possibility of social distancing, we remain COVID-free. My dad liked the less-crowded beaches, and my parents only struggled a little with the culture of removing shoes when entering a home. A lot had changed since my last trip to Oahu, 15 years ago. The International Marketplace was hauntingly empty, devoid of the little shacks with people selling food from all over the world. I pointed out the banyan trees, now surrounded by tiles, to my husband as I reminisced about buying lumpia beneath them before.
Me, looking out at the sunset
I had plenty of time to think while I was waiting for the takeout. It's pretty lonely here as other than our Hawaiian vacation, we stay home to stay safe. I miss our weekly FAP chats and I think now would've been a great time to reconnect with distant friends. I would love to hear from you!