Malatang

I like to set some life goals for me, my husband, our little family. I set long term goals; I set short term goals. Very short ones, even. Like, what is our checklist on a random Saturday?

Our goals last Saturday were doing laundry, taking Alia on a swim, and enjoying some hotpot for dinner. And we were right on track. We did our laundry diligently. Took Alia for a dip (quite literally, but this is a story for another day). Had naps in between! Glorious.

5 PM and we were almost ready for our hotpot dinner. My dear husband asked if we could go to a repair shop first since we were early. "Okay..", I said. A detour but nonetheless we were on track. Hotpot dinner. Eyes on the prize.

Alas, the first place we went to was an utter disaster. I could feel my blood boiling. My stomach was running empty. One quick look and my husband knew I was ready to fight. He evacuated me before I went rampant.

I stayed silent in the car; trying to think of what I will order in the hotpot place. One Google search and then I saw: "UNDER RENOVATION." To what did I owe this misery...

Long story short, we ended up eating second-tier malatang. Are you familiar? Malatang is a Chinese spicy soup which has a numbing after effect. Somehow, that spicy numbing soup validated me that night. My anger, my misery.

Tonight. Tonight, I ate some leftover from the malatang restaurant. But it didn't taste the same? The soup didn't bite me? It was just a normal, very ordinary, slightly spicy soup.

I guess time cooled down the two of us?

Was there ever mala in that soup, though?

Or was it just me and my anger?