Was it the chicken…?
Last night wasn’t my first time trying chicken sashimi. In fact, a Japanese friend who lives in Singapore invited the kangaroo and I out to dinner and ordered a tiny plate of six delicate chicken sashimi slices. I thought it was fish because it didn’t have that butcher’s meat taste in the least. I even I had a second piece and relished the tangy sauce that came with it.
The chicken sashimi was extremely “raw” at Tamoiyanse, a Kyushu izakaya that I went to with a few pals yesterday. Priding myself at being the mistress of eating anything that moves, I tried to overlook how chewy and bloody some of the pieces tasted. I couldn’t bring myself to eat raw chicken liver (even the Japanese dumped it into the hotpot later) so I popped a piece of neck into my mouth. I cannot tell you how grossed out I was. It was challenging — it was so sinewy it had to be swallowed whole. Thank goodness it was a teeny piece.
I doused my serving of raw chicken shreds in soy sauce and chives, which made it taste alright, but I chewed and chewed and the damn thing wouldn’t break down. Then, it got warm and the fresh meat flavor filled my taste buds and I wanted to gag.
You know what I did? I washed the whole of lump of chicken meat with beer. I felt queasy for a while and tried to forget about it. The steaming minced chicken balls in delicious nabe broth beckoned and all was forgiven.
Today, I am regretting my bravado. My Singaporean gal friend politely refused chicken sashimi — smart move. Why oh why do I have to have such food bravado? My stomach is suffering and I am delicate from running to the loo several times already.
I think it has to do with my Nepal adventures once again. Sorry if I sound like a broken record but I am having trouble coming to terms with my sudden “vulnerability”.
So far, I haven’t got the attack of “what does this all mean” and “is there all to it” blues. My mental struggle is more about growing older and weaker physically. It is getting my spirit down significantly because I used to think I had no limits and bounced around with so much energy. I didn’t even fall ill at all. I had an ex-boss who gave me a good review just because I never took any sick leave for the two years I was with the company.
Please put up with the moodiness for now. I know I will get over it, but I need a bit of time.
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