Unplanned long weekend! the side effects of the booster shot only hit me on wednesday night/early thursday morning, and hit me they did. do you know how weird it is to feel hot and cold at the same time? my body temperature was high, so i was feeling hot internally. but that meant that there was a greater temperature difference between me and my surroundings, so i lost heat faster and thus felt cold too. this feeling persisted through most of thursday. thankfully, my fever broke by friday morning, but i was still feeling out of sorts (lethargy, weakness), so i called in sick as well. good thing that i don't take MCs regularly (at all so far, actually), so my positive karma pool is still fairly full. although come to think of it, i don't think i've seen any of my colleagues take sick leave, unless it was for a medical checkup. healthy rural lifestyle, i guess.

currently. i'm 85% over the side effects. just experiencing a mild headache and some fatigue, though that could equally likely be because i've been sleeping late these past few days. probably because i've been spending so long in bed, i've also developed an ache in my...not really lower back. it's like lower than the lower back, but above the tailbone area? guess i need to do that rolled-up towel trick to get rid of the ache. the last time i encountered this problem was back in singapore, when i was largely inactive during the year that should have never been, so i guess it says something about how a more active lifestyle keeps me feeling better.

yesterday, i used some of the excess cream that i'd impulse-bought during a supermarket sale to make cream biscuits. "biscuit" here referring to the savoury american type, of course. i think the equivalent in UK english would be scone? but don't quote me on that. anyway, the recipe is really easy. approximately equal parts cream and flour, plus some salt, sugar and baking powder. mix all the dry ingredients, then add in the cream portionwise. mix until there's no more dry flour, then turn the dough out and do a quick/crude dough lamination (i did 2 letter folds, but a few more would work too). cut into biscuit-sized pieces, then bake at 230 °C for 12-15 minutes. the result probably isn't as good as the traditional southern-style biscuits with the buttery layers, but i think the savings in effort more than make up for the difference in quality. i quite enjoyed them, actually! they were crisp on the outside and soft/tender on the inside, with a really nice flavour. it got me thinking - as long as a person knows how to cook, they can probably survive in any country in the world. provided they have access to groceries, that is. even if the seasonings/spices are unfamiliar, it would only take some experimentation to find something that works. that gives me confidence that i can live alone anywhere i choose.

having too much free time on my hands isn't good, either. my mind's beginning to wander to scary places. hypothesizing about things like the end of the universe, what happens after death, possible scenarios of my own death. the thought that a person simply ceases to exist/function is actually quite terrifying. i can see why so many people believe in religions that promise them life after death, or eternal paradise. i'm not saying that they aren't true; there isn't enough evidence to draw a definitive conclusion. but personally, i don't believe it. well, there's no point worrying too much. i'll die when i die, and until then, i should focus on living.

-random thought of the day: Big English meeting on Monday.-

Didn't think that it would take until another public holiday for my next post, but here we are. granted it's been less than 2 weeks, but still. today's holiday is because it's the emperor's birthday. and to celebrate it, i went and got stabbed. not my ideal way to spend a public holiday, but if it helps end COVID sooner, i figure i can live with some discomfort. so yes, i got my booster shot today. i was decently impressed that my town decided to go with the pfizer-pfizer-moderna regimen (aka. ppm), because that's said to give maximum protection against the virus. unfortunately, the side effects from the moderna booster are also said to be worse, so i'm bracing myself for the worst case that i won't be able to leave the house for the next few days. the fridge is stocked with enough food to comfortably last me a week or more.

in past events, i made something for the board of education for valentine's day. the youtube recipe video calls them galettes, but i'm not sure if that's the proper name. what it is is a cookie dipped in white chocolate. possibly because japan, the video used matcha to flavour and colour the cookie dough and the chocolate. my colleagues were quite complimentary, which means i probably did something right. i also rediscovered the fun of tempering chocolate. although i must admit, the cold weather is a cheat code to get a good temper. it's so much easier when the chocolate wants to set, unlike in singapore (or summer here, i imagine) when the chocolate prefers to stay liquid for longer. i might actually make matcha flavoured chocolate for myself occasionally now!

speaking of temper, mine seems to be getting the better of me again. not for important things like work or school, thankfully...but for final fantasy raiding. people still mess up the fight, and get defensive when called out. one even tried to find fault with me. but unlike them, i hadn't made any mistakes that killed the entire team. that being said, i definitely could have played better too, so glass houses. i think it's more of a human nature thing than a game thing. could i have been kinder? maybe. in my opinion, that person didn't deserve kindness, so no. i guess it's a reminder for me as well, not to get too offended or defensive when people point out my own shortcomings. all in all, it's not really a big thing...just that it's fresh because it happened so persistently yesterday. that moron is on a different server, and on my blacklist already as well, so it's more than likely we'll never interact again. good riddance, i say.

on to more uplifting things. some of my kids had to present an original story. most of the stories were quite honestly painful to listen to, because japanese kids don't get much chance to write fiction, be it in english or japanese. i was pleasantly surprised by one group, that gave by far and away the best presentation of the class. that group also contained the kid who gave me attitude previously. whether it was for the sake of getting a good grade, not letting their groupmates down, or genuinely wanting to give english a chance, that kid was surprisingly cooperative. i don't know what the reason was, but it was a nice change from the usual sour/standoffish attitude. would it be pushing my luck to hope that this new improved attitude persists?

there was a brief warm period earlier in the week. about 8 degrees, so "warm" is relative here. but today, it's back to zero degrees. february is ending! it shouldn't be cold now. and yet, it is. well, it's projected to get warmer from next week onwards. we're talking like a ten-degree jump in temperatures over a few days. this rapid change in seasons still amazes me. also, my boosted arm is starting to ache. think i'll take it easy tonight and depending on how i feel, call in sick tomorrow.

-random thought of the day: Still feeling ok for now.-

Public holidays that link into weekends are the best. waking up on your second day off from work, and knowing that there's another day off to go is the most amazing feeling. i haven't been super productive this long weekend (i blame the cold), but i feel nice and relaxed. well, more than usual anyway!

there are a few things i want to talk about. first thing weighing heavily on my mind - COVID. kochi is now under the state of emergency as well, and cases have started popping up in my town. there were 44 cases in the neighbouring city on thursday! it doesn't seem like much, but those are big numbers for this neck of the woods. also, more people who i know personally back in singapore have contracted COVID. it's worrying, but i suppose the bright side is that we're all moving towards opening up. i heard australia is planning on welcoming fully vaccinated travellers. considering the larger picture, i think staying for another year and only moving on in 2023 (or early 2024) is better, timing-wise. the world should hopefully be back to normal-ish by then.

next, weight loss. i stepped on the scales for the first time in 2 or 3 weeks, and got a pleasant surprise. my weight is down 2 kilos since the last measurement, and i'm REALLY close to my next self-set milestone! it's affirmation that i'm doing something right, and motivation to continue. personally, it seems that portion control is the most important factor for me. i feel that a good starting point for anyone who wants to lose weight is to prepare a typical meal, record down quantities of food in whatever way is the most convenient (be it by weight or number of pieces). then, cut the portions to 80% as a start. it's not super scientific, and due to the large variance in initial "typical meal" size, there's no real formula on the exact amount of food to cut. on top of that, the danger of this method is that some people may go overboard, and the worst case is eating disorders may develop. as a general guideline, i would say that you shouldn't feel overly hungry after a meal, and that you shouldn't feel the need to eat again for the next 3 to 4 hours. i should stress that i'm not a dietitian or nutritionist, and this is just what i find to have worked for me. so do exercise your own judgement and/or seek professional help.

since this coming monday is valentine's day, i was thinking of making something for the office. will probably try this recipe for matcha galettes that i saw on youtube. thing is, i'll need to go out of the house to get some ingredients tomorrow. not too inclined to do that because lazy, but it'll give me a reason to step out and cycle. i probably don't need to restock my food supplies (i bought a lot of food in anticipation of staying home all the way this weekend), so it'll probably be a light trip. if i do do it, i'll need almond powder, rum, and white chocolate.

is it boring for you all to read my posts? i realize that i don't really do many (any) interesting things, and that's in equal parts due to COVID and my homely nature. it's probably not helped that the same few themes seem to resurface constantly. it should get a little better in spring, when the weather warms up a little and i can go cycling. a community gym also opened up in another district. i say "gym" but it's more like an exercise room - a couple of weight machines, treadmills, exercise bikes, and floor space. no free weights or barbells, unfortunately, but hey - it's something. i'm tempted to try yoga or stretching there, since they've got mats. although the question is, why go all the way there (and pay for admission) when i can do stretching more comfortably at home?

-random thought of the day: Got a few mysterious scratches.-

Lots of new experiences this past weekend! starting with the less good, i had a small accident on saturday and my bedlinen got dirty. while my washing machine could handle the electric blanket and bedsheet, there simply wasn't enough capacity for my big fluffy blanket. so i used the industrial washing machine at the coin laundry for the first time. there are actually 2 places, and the nearer one (which i went to) is a little bit more expensive. i spent 900 yen on the wash/dry cycle, then another 100 yen for an additional 8 minutes' drying because the blanket was still a little damp after the first run through. more expensive than i'd thought, but it's ok if i wash my winter stuff just once a year before putting them away.

there's a cold snap passing through the area now, and night temperatures are hovering around zero degrees. it was worse in the mountains; apparently parts of the road froze over on saturday. i was supposed to go to my supervisor's place, so we postponed it to the next day. the decision came a little late, because i'd already finished making the crepes and was about to start cake assembly. the delay meant that i had to keep the components in the fridge overnight. thanks to that, i learnt that crepes can keep for a night with insignificant deterioration. unfortunately, i made two mistakes with the ganache frosting. first, i used 400mL of milk, instead of 200mL milk and 200mL cream. next, i used milk chocolate instead of dark. the end result was that the frosting turned out too liquid and tasted too milky, like a milky chocolate sauce - better suited for drinking than for use with a cake! it made the crepes overly soggy, which i didn't like. not sure if my supervisor's family was being just polite, but they said it was good. not as good as it could have been, in my opinion. for future reference, don't add all the liquid at once.

on the bright side, i'm getting pretty good at making crepes! they're thin enough that i can get away with just cooking them all the way on one side. i also realized that the lumps i saw weren't from the hot butter cooking the batter where it landed. rather, because it's so cold, the melted butter resolidified when it touched the batter! i find it's fascinating that i don't have to oil the pan, because the oil comes from the batter itself.

i went to my supervisor's place in the afternoon this time, instead of just for dinner. we took her son for a walk to the nearby cow farm. there apparently are 2 cow farms in the area, one for dairy cows and the other for meat. the farm we visited was the dairy one. you know you hear stories of how in japan, cows are treated like royalty? they're fed beer, given massages, all that stuff. i think that only applies to meat cows. the dairy cows that i saw aren't being ill-treated, for sure, but i think a bit more cleaning wouldn't be amiss. it also made me think about the ethics/morals of eating meat. a common argument that the anti-meat-eating people use is "oh look how cute they are! how can you bear to eat them?"...which implies it's ok to eat ugly-looking animals. seems superficial to me. i'd prioritize nutritional value and flavour over appearance, although i will admit to having biases about appearances as well. for instance, i don't like the thought of eating escargot, because snails. but if you "tricked" me into eating it, i wouldn't be mad if it tasted decent.

also on this visit, i went with my supervisor's family to a hot spring - a first for any JET posted here! i was quite surprised, because the hot spring was located quite literally in the middle of nowhere. nothing but farmland and residential places all around, then suddenly hot spring and hotel. even more surprisingly, there were guests! and a decent number too. i'd estimate that there were 20 or so people in the male bath. probably people who work nearby, and/or who came here for a staycation. it was only my second time in a hot spring. still a little self-conscious about the public nudity thing, but it's really a way of life in japan. maybe i need a few more visits to get over it. and somewhat unfortunately for me, the guys closest to my age all appear to be married with kids. not like i'd try to pick anyone up, especially when with my supervisor and family. not to mention i don't think guys would appreciate getting hit on while trying to relax in the baths. but just an observation.

visited the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. good news is there are no new cavities, so i just paid for the cleaning. it cost about 3000 yen with health insurance, so that was nice. my gums bled, as usual. the dentist recommended that i come in every month until my gums stop bleeding. i don't know, but it really sounds like a cash grab to me. my dentist friend in singapore said once every 3 to 6 months would be good enough. the plan is to go in once every 2 or 3 months, depending on school schedule and all that. hopefully it'll not cost too much, and result in healthier gums by the time i leave.

thoughts have been running through my head. i don't regret recontracting, especially with the surge in COVID cases (we're on purple alert - the highest level - as of this week). at the same time, i kind of wonder how it would be different now if i'd decided to end my JET term this july. i'd be doing things with more urgency, probably. but well, i've got another year. assuming that my end date is end-july 2023, that's a total of 32 months in this posting. currently, it's just under month 14.5 for me, so slightly less than halfway total. well...the goal is to make the best out of my current situation. 

-random thought of the day: 3-day week this week!-