The End, Sort Of
As I stepped off the very last train today, so my three-week-long journey finally came to an end. And as I tugged my trolley bag down the narrow road home, I was welcomed back with the scent of yaki tori hanging in the air and a grin of recognition from the big guy who works at the corner fruit and vegetable shop.
I already miss the heat terribly and am only realizing that cold weather makes me sluggish. Whereas the warmth beckons me to race outside, almost antsy to enjoy the day (I've even been known to skip), even a slight chill in the air has me reaching for my pajamas and glancing longingly at the bed and its thick covers. It's funny but not only does my body--my muscles, my movements--grow somnolent, even my thought processes seem to be motoring through molasses. Or maybe I'm just tired from the flight, though it was only seven hours, and I hope I haven't become that much of a wimp.
I came home to the apartment looking neat as a pin--thanks to my fastidious husband. I do wonder if he doesn't relish these prolonged absences of mine, even a little, if only for the relief of being able to enter the front door after a long day and know that the place won't look as if it's been ransacked by desperate criminals. As I'm still in the midst of unpacking, that's exactly how the place appears right now. My poor, tidy husband.
To ensure a warm welcome, I saved exactly half of the space in my travel bag solely for twelve bak chang, which are these pyramids of sticky rice stuffed with seasoned pork and steamed in banana leaves. My husband is crazy for bak chang and it's the only thing he requests when I visit Singapore. Unfortunately, one leaf-bound package is about the approximate size and weight of a mini boulder, and twelve of them adds up to a freakin' heavy bag. One of these days, I'm positive immigration is going to demand to know what those things are and then promptly whisk them away. I mean, if even beef jerky isn't allowed through anymore...
Damn, was supposed to go to the supermarket and pick up some things for dinner. But that 10-minute walk in the cold darkness is impossible in my current slack-limbed, pajama-ed state. I guess I'll just have to go hungry. Or curl up in bed and go to sleep. But no! I must first clean up the explosion that is my clothes and toiletries littered all over the floor. Okay, better get to it.
I already miss the heat terribly and am only realizing that cold weather makes me sluggish. Whereas the warmth beckons me to race outside, almost antsy to enjoy the day (I've even been known to skip), even a slight chill in the air has me reaching for my pajamas and glancing longingly at the bed and its thick covers. It's funny but not only does my body--my muscles, my movements--grow somnolent, even my thought processes seem to be motoring through molasses. Or maybe I'm just tired from the flight, though it was only seven hours, and I hope I haven't become that much of a wimp.
I came home to the apartment looking neat as a pin--thanks to my fastidious husband. I do wonder if he doesn't relish these prolonged absences of mine, even a little, if only for the relief of being able to enter the front door after a long day and know that the place won't look as if it's been ransacked by desperate criminals. As I'm still in the midst of unpacking, that's exactly how the place appears right now. My poor, tidy husband.
To ensure a warm welcome, I saved exactly half of the space in my travel bag solely for twelve bak chang, which are these pyramids of sticky rice stuffed with seasoned pork and steamed in banana leaves. My husband is crazy for bak chang and it's the only thing he requests when I visit Singapore. Unfortunately, one leaf-bound package is about the approximate size and weight of a mini boulder, and twelve of them adds up to a freakin' heavy bag. One of these days, I'm positive immigration is going to demand to know what those things are and then promptly whisk them away. I mean, if even beef jerky isn't allowed through anymore...
Damn, was supposed to go to the supermarket and pick up some things for dinner. But that 10-minute walk in the cold darkness is impossible in my current slack-limbed, pajama-ed state. I guess I'll just have to go hungry. Or curl up in bed and go to sleep. But no! I must first clean up the explosion that is my clothes and toiletries littered all over the floor. Okay, better get to it.
3 Comments:
Awww... poor poor 'brownie'.
I know those sluggish states of reaching home. For me, it is more of a depressed state for I am never happy to go back to boiling heat after having been in winter (Ok, our frame of climate minds are reversed but the feelings the same). The bigger headache is the horrendous unpacking that I have to do before taking a bath and plonking on the bed with my fluff ball.
Anyways... rest up dear brownie and try to climatise yrself back to life in Japan.
Take care!
I still remember your skipping.
Whenever I come back to NY, it's always cold (I usually go home in the winter time, the climate change is drastic), my apartment is quiet, and it has that "no-one's been here for a while" smell, and I get very depressed.
Rach, my grandma used to customize my bakchang for me....yummm
Hi Nan,
Oh, I totally understand that feeling of coming back to a quiet apartment after vacation, especially if you just spent the last few week days/weeks with noisy family members.
Homemade bak chang from granny? So lucky!
from Rachel