lethargy

herrrrro. i am currently sitting at work, though i am so sleepy that there is virtually 0% chance of me getting anything done until i percolate maself. what better way than to relive the tantalizingly exciting details of my life?

if i had to summarize my life here in a stream of nonsensical words, here's how it would go:

rain. bean cakes. muffled laughter. forgotten hand towels. wet hands. awkwardness. contentedness. boredom. hysteria. mint tea. damp laundry. fruit flies. goosebumps. sweat. miscommunication. embarrassment. fried pork. bills. toothless old women. gawping children. fatigue. running. poor sleep. nytimes.com. christmas music.

on which should i elaborate?

i choose...toothless old women.

i love my neighborhood, because i see the same people all the time, and they all make a point of being friendly to me. in the mornings, there's a group of middle-aged/older adults who gather around the trashbag pile to chat, and their faces light up as we exchange "good morning"s.

on the way home, there are a handful of very, very elderly old ladies who totter around on their afternoon walks and cackle to each other. when they see me coming, they stop talking and smilingly watch me approach. i bow and say "konnichiwa," and they say "welcome home". they have also been known to make comments about how tall i am (they are all bent double, a tell-tale sign of working in rice fields for years), or about the weather. i love it.

and one more elaboration: christmas music. i downloaded a great album called "the best christmas album of all time" (too true), with all the classics. and yes, i've started listening to it. seeing as there's no thanksgiving here, i might as well try to get into the holiday spirit early! DON'T JUDGE ME.

well, i do feel plenty perky now. thanks for the pick-me-up, silent readers! until we meet again, my fine-feathered friends..

37 days till christmas,
ririan