First Departure

Danielle, my friend from the Netherlands, heads home tonight. (She negotiated a shorter contract because she has three little ones.) She is a foodie who specializes in future studies and food trends. We had to have one last evening together so we went to a neighborhood place for beef and mushroom shabu shabu and beksaeju (a Korean rice wine that promises you'll live 100 years). As we ate, we caught up on recent foodie adventures. I thought for sure I'd win, given my recent trip to Jodo, but she had a video of herself trying fermented ray. You could see the look of horror on her face when she tasted it, and she just kept talking and talking to avoid swallowing. She said her throat wouldn't open for it. We laughed so hard--as in gasping for air--that I thought we would be thrown out of the restaurant. I have one week left here, and it looks to be a busy one, but I'll miss my friend. Hope to see her again soon.