I Think I See A Glimmer

I’ve found that reading the Bible and reflecting on the Lord’s glory is an effective way of putting life in perspective. If you’ve never read the four gospels, you might think about it. My favorite is the book of Luke, because of his no-nonsense, chronological, and meticulous writing style, which befits a physician. What can I say; it strikes a chord with my detail-oriented side.

Playing a session of the highly repetitive yet highly addictive game of Harvest Moon on your Game Boy Micro and listening to music from back home helps ease the sting of separation from your motherland as well.

Reading encouraging notes and cards from friends and family back home is also high on the list (you know who you are, thank you!).

Finally, striking out into uncharted territory helps recapture the fascination you first feel upon entering a foreign land. For instance, this evening marked our first attempt at whipping up some home-made tempura with a side of buckwheat soba noodles. Until now, the above had been reserved for nights on the town at our favorite restaurant that serves that sort of thing. Slightly pricey, but there’s nothing quite like the stuff made by a professional.

Plus, being near a pot full of sizzling oil makes me nervous. It always brings up visions of my mother warding off wayward droplets flying every which way with a newspaper while simultaneously trying to peek around the corner of her shield and poke her at the food in the middle of a mini-battlefield. A battlefield, friends. With boiling oil. Who wades willingly into such a heated fray?

My husband, that’s who! He gamely took the helm of this domestic adventure once we’d determined that egg (which we didn’t have) for the batter wasn’t really necessary. He did a fantastic job, I might add. The pumpkin and eggplant were especially delectable. And apparently, shrimp jumps around like it’s still alive and kicking when you try to fish it out of the pot and onto a plate for consumption.

In the end, our inaugural tempura experience was a satisfactory one on a variety of different levels. It’s a type of frying that I don’t mind too much because it’s very light, it makes a whole lot more than one would expect, it’s relatively easy, and it brings a refreshing change of pace to our menu at home.

So yes, I’m doing better. I might not be out of the woods yet, but knowing that we will soon be in Hokkaido is helping me push through these last few days of monotony.