The past few days have been overcast and drizzly, which cuts down considerably on the heat. It’s humid, yes, but also cool. Last night Steven and I met an older Australian man, Doug, at a good seafood restaurant. One of my favorite things to eat is raw, uncooked shrimp dunked in a mixture of wasabi, lime juice and salt and pepper. To some it sounds revolting, but it really is wonderful. We ate two plates of it last night. Previous volunteers used to talk about “the wasabi high,” which is actually a good description of what it’s like. A huge rush of heat and spice going straight up your nose before dissolving into a wonderful flavor surrounding tender shrimp flesh.
Last night was a small camping night on the main campus of AGU, and after dinner Steven and I put in brief appearances and hung out with our students for an hour or more. The foreign-language students had cooked chao (rice porridge) and insisted that I eat some, even though I told them that I just finished dinner. There were games in various places and lots of loud music as well. However, it was a small and puny shadow compared to what it was slightly two years ago.
