01 Let's try that again

The mind is a curious place. It's a place for ideas, a place for rest, a safe place for the softening of chaos, distress and pain. It is powerful, intense, bewildering and surprising all at once. Most importantly, it stores an immense trove of memories and information, some conscious (and even embarrassing!), but most unknown, even to myself. With the flick of a light switch, the mind can remember, recognise and re-tell stories that may or may not be true. I think sometimes we protect ourselves with untrue things. I don't mind this so much but some days I do.

I've been thinking a lot about food, and what food does to a person. It mostly does good things of course, but food done badly can really wreck your body as well. Ask my post-Bali, food-poisoned self, crouched on the plane, cheek to knees as I withered quietly in a whirl of heat, nausea and bowel pains. Nasty. But good memories outweigh the bad, and I have many stories that I'd like to tell. So maybe this is a start.

The day after my visit to the emergency room, I had lotus root soup with tender, peppery chunks of pork; the broth a cheerful simmer of ribs, mushy peanuts, carrots and dates. It wasn't the best bowl of soup but it felt like a hug in a mug. And that got me through the day. So, here's to soup and its everlasting gift of warmth. Cheers.

P.S. My favourite bowl of lotus root soup was from Big Bird Chicken Rice (RIP)