ChanomiTalk

太陽も沈み夕闇迫り始めた庭先にふいに鹿が現れびっくり。

ちょうど庭に面した部屋で夕食をとっていたところでしたから、ゆっくり見物できました。べつに追われている様子もなく、庭の草をちょいちょいと口にした後、お隣との堺の金網を苦もなく飛び越えると消えてしまいました。

どこから来たのか、無事に帰れますように。

瓶詰めの練り胡麻、すでに冷蔵庫に開封したのが2つあると知りながら、もう一つ買ってしまいました。台湾系のお店で一つ、ヴェトナム系のお店で一つ、そして、日系のお店で一つと、東洋食品店に行く度につい買ってしまいます。

その理由はどうやら、すり胡麻にありそうです。ひところ、母からの小包には、かならず袋入りのすり胡麻が入っていました。残念な事にその当時はすり胡麻に会う野菜は手に入らず、すり胡麻は冷蔵庫に保存したままになっていました。最近、根元が赤いほんれん草やごぼうなどがスーパーでも買えるようになり、やれうれしや、すり胡麻を使えるようになったと喜びました。ところが、ある料理雑誌に、「練り胡麻とすり胡麻を混同しないように！」との、うっかり者の私を戒めるような言葉に出会いました。全くその通りで、　以来、練り胡麻をみると、つい買ってしまうというわけです。

一回の料理にそれほど多量に使うものでもないので、もうこの辺で買うのを止めないと溜まるばかりです。

Early this morning I was awakened in a way I would rather soon forget. Andrew and I had gone to sleep around 11:00 p.m. on Friday night. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, I was awaken by a searing sharp pain in my left foot. It took me a while to come to the realization of what was happening. I noticed Andrew standing by my side trying to calm me down (Andrew would later tell me I had been screaming in my sleep).

I got out of bed and the first thing I did, without thinking, was rush to the bathroom and place my foot under cold running water; for some reason it eased the pain a bit. I didn’t notice anything unusual about my foot except for the intense burning sensation coming in waves. It started off small then intensified and momentarily stopped before the process repeated itself. Each time with more pain.  We decided to go to the ER because the pain was becoming unbearable.

I hobbled my way out of the house, up the stairs, and into the car. Off we went. In the car my toes went numb, yet the pain was not receding. I took in deep breathes to relax myself. When we arrived at the ER we notice my foot had begun to swell. It started at the base of the toes and by the end of it all it would swell all the way to my ankle.

Five hours in the ER and the doctors couldn’t figured out the source of pain or swelling. They took x-rays but no fracture or broken bones were seen. They thought it was an insect bite but no evidence of bite marks were found. I was given crutches and pain medication then sent home with orders to keep off my foot. Nineteen hours after the incident first began and my foot still has minor swelling and pain. I just hope the worse is over. Waking up to pain is not a good way to start your day.

Next month, my grandpa will be celebrating his 80th birthday. Because my family considers this to be a big milestone, we are planning to throw a big party for him.  All of our family in the islands and even from the mainland are expected to attend. It should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to go. As I look back at the times I had with my grandpa, I realize that life really is just a big cycle. When you start your life, you are vulnerable and fragile and need others to take care of you. But then as you grow up, you become stronger and smarter and take on the responsibility of taking care of others. But then when you’re old, you become fragile again like a child, and depend on others to take care of you. Its funny because when I was growing up, I remember my grandpa always taking care of my brother and I during the summers when we visited him. But now, it seems like our family is always checking on him and taking care of him. I guess I feel glad that I have the opportunity to help him just like he helped me when I was younger. Its funny how life works though.