1 Setting an undesired precedent

I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed of myself. Over the past few days I've been treating myself very well - too well for my own good. On Friday I decided not to pack lunch despite knowing that I had a long day, because I wanted a change from the usual. I decided I would get something from Starbucks in between my IT class and Immunology. I could probably count with one hand the number of times I've been to Starbucks (probably third or fourth time) so I wansn't familiar with their menu, or even whether they sold anything other than coffee. After a long glance at the display shelf, I decided on the Egg White, Pepper and Mushroom wrap. It doesn't sound the most exciting, but compared to the other mayo-laden and hefty looking sandwiches, I suppose it was a more healthy choice.

It looked small, so I wasn't sure if my $5.80 was justified. But when I started eating [during lecture], its size suddenly seemed to balloon - it was never-ending, like the Magic Porridge Pot story. The funny thing was the egg whites and the pepper/mushroom were not mixed but separated into two halves of the wrap, such that initially I was eating an egg white wrap, and then a pepper/mushroom wrap. Nevertheless it was really filling (think of all the proteins from the egg white) and really peppery. Not only does the peppers here refer to red/yellow capsicums, it also meant the black pepper folded into the egg whites. What made me guilty was that I actually enjoyed the bit of cheese hidden unexpectedly in the middle (cheese wasn't labeled on the display) - a savory sinful delight.

Then today I wanted to have something light - Novena Fish Head bee hoon (Goldhill) seemed to fit the bill. However I was disappointed when I saw its shutters pulled; it wasn't open on Sundays. So I went to United Sq FC and upon seeing that the Japanese chain Botejyu - the father of okonomiyaki - had set up a stall there, all my plans for "healthy" was gone. I ordered the salmon & steak yakisoba. In case you didn't know, yakisoba refers to noodles [soba] fried [yaki] on a hot plate, and then coated in the typical umami japanese black sauce - a grease and sodium bomb. Luckily though it wasn't as greasy as other versions I had before. If you have noticed, I underlined the word steak above. Initially that word missed my eye and I thought I was just ordering salmon yakisoba. And then when I saw him adding pieces of meat while cooking, I double-checked the menu. Indeed, the "steak" word was there except it was in a smaller font size! I intended to skip all the meat but to my surprise - and horror - I decided to try one piece - it tastes like chicken! I though. So one piece became two. And three. And before I knew it, most of the meat (I'm guessing beef) were almost gone. This is definitely unprecedented in my life's history. At that point in time I rationalized to myself that since I had made the mistake already I might as well not waste the food and eat it. But that's just part of the justification; I was well aware that I was eating [beef]. What's the beef with eating beef, you ask? Well, I don't know. It's like a vegetarian or vegan suddenly eating meat - and actually liking it - after abstaining from it for his whole life. It's not only a revelation; it's a mourn for the loss of control.

I guess it's back to healthy food for the weekdays.

Edit: after googling, I think those were pork slices instead.