Oblivion
Thanksgiving isn't marked on the calendars here, obviously, so I'd have forgotten about it if it weren't for friends sending me early Happy Thanksgiving greetings from the States. I seriously think I'd forget Christmas if it weren't marked on the calendar. I'm not kidding. When making out a first draft itinerary for my trip with Wendy next month in Southeast Asia, I scheduled us for travel on Dec. 25. On a second pass through the itinerary, I had this nagging feeling that there was something that week that might affect flight schedules... what was it? And then I remembered that Dec. 25 is Christmas. Crikey.

These days I really have to write every appointment down, or else I forget it. Homework goes down in my appointment book too. As well as errands I need to run and things I need to buy. I know some people would say that I'm organized, but it's really my sieve-like memory that scares me into jotting down all these notes.

Last night, after taekwondo, there was a special little feast of hong-oh (in English, a skate, a type of fish) at the studio. The owner of the studio had brought some back from a trip, and so we all sat down and had some. It was pretty incredible. As in, it's incredible that people thought to eat fish this way.

Hong-oh is prepared by letting the dead fish lie there for a few days. Just before it reaches the inedible stage, it acquires an intense, almost alcoholic smell. When eaten, the taste is two-fold: first, you taste virtually nothing, like with fresh fish. Then a strong, bitter, burning taste takes over. And then, if you're me, you take a swig of beer and swallow the remainder, unchewed.

The studio director said that in the Jeolla region, if this fish isn't part of the wedding package sent to the bride, the wedding's called off. Heh.