MY WORLD OF TWO WEEKS PAST

I am finally finished with this latest bout of flu, and have rejoined the normal world. I have probably paid up my sleep debt for the past few years in the one week plus of sleeping. One thing I definitely do not miss though is not being able to smell and taste my food.

The olfactory and gustatory senses play such a subtle role in our lives that we hardly notice them when they are there, but are definitely missed when they decide to go MIA. Just before I had my flu, I was just pontificating on which of my five senses I would choose to give up if I had to lose one, and taste and smell were definitely in the running. However, I now firmly believe that the loss of taste to a confessed foodie is an unimaginable torture. It is not just the loss of taste, it is also the fact that you know that fantastic taste is just there, and you just cannot reach it. It drives me crazier than eating just tasteless, bland stuff.

Despite the occasional loss of taste, I have managed to pack back some weight due to missing training and poor eating. Some people lose weight during their illness, I am one of those who puts it on. Surprisingly enough, I have had people commenting to me that I look like I lost weight, but the scale and the fit of my clothes definitely tell me otherwise. Well, it is not like I have never had to climb back up the wagon before.

We had an MCR session last week, and I went despite a slight hesitancy in passing on my flu virus to the rest. I really hope no one caught the flu from me. The session was really uneventful in terms of play. We were all so rusty that we even had to re-familiarise ourselves with basic game play, like where to break the wall, draw tiles etc. We definitely had to consult the “almanac” quite frequently for points count. I also had to get re-acquainted with the playing style that was comfortable for me, and not what I thought should be the way to play. Upon reflection, I think I did badly for the first game because I was thinking too much, and trying to manipulate the tiles too hard that I lost sight of the big picture. The second game was much better and easier, because I just relaxed and went with my own instinctive play. I did notice though, that I am more comfortable to keep my hands concealed for a longer period of time, rather than chowing every tile that comes my way. A sign of progress, I think.

However, I think I have to revise my objective to participate in the next international competition, because I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough at this rate. I’ll just be happy to able to go and watch the play, get to know and enjoy the company of other MCR enthusiasts.

The news is all about Michael Jackson’s passing. And Facebook is awashed with RIP MJ statuses. Am I the only one who doesn’t give a damn? How come no one said anything about during the Air France disaster? Even the news is more focused on the investigative efforts than the casualties. I feel way worse when I think about those people who never even had a fighting chance.

Oh, by the way, I gave in and bought “The Sims 3”, after reading some of the reviews. I am not by any means a hardcore Sims fan, though I have played Sims 1 and 2 with some of the expansion packs. After Sims 2, it felt too routine, and I was tired of the go toilet/take shower/eat/woo-hoo cycle that I stopped playing. I didn’t like to leave it to the AI (free will mode) in Sims 1 and 2 to do what they wanted with my Sims, because it seems that all the AI could do was to mess things up, and I didn’t like messes, or cleaning them up. I happen to be one of those “perfectionist” players, and my Sims always have the good traits, are good looking, do everything they should to keep their moods up…..and generally have extremely boring lives. The main reason why I decided to try Sims 3 out again, was the rather favourable reviews on the AI if the sims were left on their own. So far, so good, I’m rather enjoying it, and I think this is going to be a keeper. Except for one thing. Who the hell eats GOLDFISH sushi? Makes me think of those live goldfish swallowing feats…..gag reflex operating.

I am feeling generally lethargic and the thought of going back to work tomorrow sucks. I am still on “holiday” mood, and it is going to take some push to get the engine revving again. I wonder if those people who always say they will continue working even if they had enough money to stop and retire, really mean what they say? I, for one, will totally be happy to stop working if I have the means. There are just so many things to do in life, if I only had the financial means to do them. How can anyone feel that they will become bored and directionless if they didn’t have to work?