Thursday already!
Today we took a little bit of a different route and ran uphill for a bit. It was a nice change, and a nice challenge. I was also late and had to run fairly hard the first 1/2 mile to catch up. Saturday I think we may do a little more distance, but looming on Sunday is a long run. I think I’ll keep this simple with an out and back. Probably use the East side of the mountain, it seems simpler, less chance to get lost, and slightly less elevation change.
So other than that, I’ve just been relaxing and getting my work done. Went shopping today, came up with some ideas to get through to payday, and got tons of food for not a lot of money. It’s amazing how cheap some things are here, and how expensive other things are. Nuts, very expensive, pasta (not surprisingly) ridiculously cheap. Tomorrow, I get to head to the Bangladeshi community in San Giuseppe and check out what they have in their stores. I imagine there are a fair amount of vegetarians buying food there too, so on top of fantastic spices (so I’m told), I should be able to find some other things that are hard to find in this area.
What really amazes me, is when people ask me about food and find out I’m a vegetarian, and the reactions around here, and not just from the locals, but from some of the other staff at the school. The locals, it’s understandable, they have a very specific diet (generally) and a limited palate. There are picky eaters abound here. Not that that’s a bad thing, we all know that Italian cooking is some of the best in the world. I won’t argue that. But they tend not to stray too far outside of that flavor profile. But I have to remind myself with the other teachers, most of them, it’s a matter of being trained that meat is what we’re supposed to eat. that they’ve been brainwashed by decades of industry advertising telling them to buy this stuff, because that’s what they need to survive.
This was all prompted by the new teacher, an older gentleman from Canada, being concerned that somehow I was deficient in certain amino acids, etc. Eating eggs and dairy makes it much easier for me, but the fact is even those aren’t needed to have a proper diet. Oh well, I am happy with the fact that my roommate has not only not complained about the lack of meat (which I would cook it for him if he purchased some and asked), but has been very pleased with the quality of the meals I’ve been preparing.
Tonight, I’m going to use the sauce I made last night after work, cook up some penne, mix it all together with some cheese and bake it up. Yep, you heard me right, I don’t usually do baked ziti, but tonight I’m feeling it. A little salad and bread on the side and we’re golden.
Tomorrow marks the end of three weeks, and while I’m still sans tax code, cellphone, internet and bank account, I’m perfectly pleased with how everything is going. I know there are times I’m going to miss home, I’ll be tired of cooking, I’ll be missing friends, and conveniences, tv shows and sporting events. All that is mitigated by the fact this feels right, I’m enjoying, really enjoying, what I’m doing for the first time in a very long time. I feel like I’m useful, that I’m helping, that somehow in a small way, I’m making a difference. I’m also expanding my knowledge, I’m out of my comfort zone, and I’m surviving. The other good part of it is my family is surviving without me. That is my main worry, and will continue to be for a while. Hopefully, everything works out, even though I’m sure there will be bumps in the road.
Sorry for all the reflection about stuff and junk. With my nephew’s birthday, my brother’s birthday, and the fact I forgot to cancel a dentist’s appointment the other day, I’ve been on the phone to home (well WhatsApp really) often. So I’ve been thinking about these things. In the meantime, have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
Posted in Uncategorized by Gil with no comments yet.
Leave a Reply