Day 81 - Pancakes and Awkwardness

We stopped for some shaved ice

June 28th, 2015

In the morning, I wake up before Shimou and do some work on the computer. She has plans to meet a friend from her studies in Japan, and brought one of those easy pancake mixes. I make it while she and Mahnie speak in Mandarin. I’m not sure, but I think they’re probably talking about me and the fight from the previous night. She is still annoyed by it. C'est la vie.

I’ve become more comfortable with people disliking or being angry toward me. Even if the girls are talking about me, I just ignore it and continue to make the pancakes, pretending to be blissfully unaware. I suppose I am actually unaware; I can only pick up random words like “like” “he,” and occasionally my name.

Food’s done, Shimou invites Mahnie and Alex to sit at the table, which would be fairly awkward if I were at all bothered by it. I find it funny more than anything. After cleaning up, Alex and Mahnie start packing Alex’s things, I walk Shimou to the free bus stop, and hit the gym. I return home to find something is missing...

View of the city from
my usual walking route

It's Alex. He's gone, and he’s thrown out a large freezer bag/backpack thing that he used to take to work. Awesome timing, since I start at work tomorrow and will need the extra space for clothes, food, water, etc. The job is door-to-door sales for charities. They say that we’re supposed to wear office attire in the office, and, I guess, change to something a bit more suitable for walking around for hours outside. I feel too much like a sleazy salesman in business attire, and I only have one pair of dress pants that don’t go with any of my comfortable shoes. I’ll wear it for day 1. Pack up everything I’ll need for the following day, and head over to Shimou’s for dinner.

Word on the street is that Shimou is the best cook in her house. She is very good, and obviously a very caring person. Ella and Lee join us for dinner, and all four of us get sucked into a game of Three Kingdoms. I actually want to play, so it’s more accurate to say Ella and Shimou got sucked in.

Shimou and me vs Ella and Lee. There was nearly a turning point where they could have won, but Lee was unlucky, which sealed their fate. Win! Afterward, we finish up the last half of fight club, I explain to her the parts she didn’t understand. The movie is definitely geared toward male audiences, but it's one that everyone should watch. It's not nearly as violent as the name implies (maybe) and the philosophy espoused in it makes you think. At any rate, I pass out early. Gotta be in the office at 9. Here goes nothing.