January 18 - 24, 2010: Strange Cravings

I lost about ten pounds in the last couple of months not from any physical regimen or strict diet. I simply lost the appetite. Ironically, it was a season of celebration and food was everywhere. I just didn't bite into it. Thank goodness...... This may be part of the reason why I never really put on the weight. I can easily gain weight but lose it just as easily. In the past few years, however, I noticed that I don't lose the pounds as quickly as I did in the past. Age indeed slows down metabolism.

I am not dieting, never had..... maybe choose certain food over others. When I don't have the appetite, I crave for simple food... really simple devoid of any fanciness. My favorite comfort food is boiled egg that is cooked just right..... not too hard nor liquidy soft with yolk bordering on yellow orange, not yellow. It's actually boiled egg that just set in..... it jiggles once the shell is removed. It's not an easy task to boil this egg. It posed quite a problem for my helper everytime I request for this fare whenever I don't like the food prepared at dinner. One time, she consulted MIL who came up with a formula. As I was happily eating my egg, MIL revealed to me the secret formula..... She counted up to 150 right after the water with the eggs in it started to boil demonstrating even the pace of the count. I almost choked on the egg.

This week I reached a point of satiation on the eggs and I would just not like to have it anymore, not see it or even hear it. I still have not regained my usual appetite which is a good thing. My cravings nowadays are convenience stores fares .... food served or rather, available for picking up at the shelf (because it's unlikely that the shopkeeper will fuzz over you) at Mini Stop and 7-11 in particular. These food are actually microwaveable TV dinners and they are now available to us. These convenience stores used to be just like sari-sari stores of old selling basic commodities that we need on those times. But they have evolved into an all-around shop that caters to our every need because times call for it. The emergence of call centers must have contributed to the resurrection of convenience stores.... just look at how many are being established at each corner of commercial districts. These establishments have also been refurbished and enlarged to accommodate customers who want to dine in or hang out.

At Mini stop, my favorite is their hot chicks which I always order with rice. I got introduced to this to this fare by my students who share the same liking for this food. I used to fight off hunger to have dinner at home. But it's a losing battle whenever my cravings are acting up. Lately it always has.... The aroma of the crispy chicken nuggets dipped in hot spicy gravy is just too much to bear for this moonlighting craver. This week I had it both times I was in school..... bad!

I also would discover by accident another would-be-craving. Sometime in the week, I left the office hungry and would like to take a bite. I was looking at my options..... the siomai, HK-style noodles, or shawarma which I get at the street kiosks where I take the bus going home. They used to make my mouth water and from time to time form part of food of my queer desire. But not this time..... I am tired of these fares and I want something else. I remembered the newly-opened 7-11 near my office. I decided I would go there. I was thinking of hotdog or franks. Indeed, I went to 7-11 and was surprised to see a number of hungry commuters like me taking refuge in the pleasant looking outlet. I decided to eat there. I ordered hotdog sandwich and french vanilla capuccino which I saw on a signage on the counter. Unlike in Mini stop, it was totally self-service here. I was fumbling as I was putting the hotdog inside the bun. I made it though. I nearly burnt my hand filling up the disposable cup with steaming capuccino. I sat and enjoyed my hotdog and capuccino. The capuccino was good that it would fuel yet another craving for me. I had it my mind until the next day.

I decided to do something about it. I called my friend and invited her to lunch at 7-11. I told her I'll treat her for a cup of capuccino. That must have been a good bait because she agreed. I actually didn't care much about the food. I ordered paksiw na lechon with rice and my friend had tapsilog.... These are microwaveable ready rice meals. We enjoyed our tete-a-tete over our capuccinos.

I finished the speech with nary a word from the boss or the people ...... Silence was the response to my work. Either it was a perfect job or it was junked....woohoo! Worse that could happen is my work could be given a fancy repackaging and claimed as someone else's work. It is not actually a remote possibility. Stranger things have happened in this office.

Over my cravings and thoughts on plagiarism, the weekend came. I happily alternated between resting and doing errands. I am looking forward to the next weekend.