WHO COOKS?

The likeable and extremely capable woman at the sign-in desk (登記處 'tang kei chyu') referred to my apartment mate as "your caretaker". Which is not strictly accurate -- for one thing, it makes me seem like a superannuated old fossil who needs minding -- and for another thing, the Savage Kitten is simply good at things, and quite capable of picking up men recovering from an appendectomy who might not have it all together at that time. Without making a fuss. As I hope I would be, if she ever needed a bit of help after a hospital stay. Such as was necessitated by an exploding appendix.

My own fault, actually. That Friday afternoon when the pain started, I said to myself: "this is nothing, it will pass, I have plans for the weekend so I'll just ride it out". Saturday the pain was considerably worse, but, um, I had plans!
I did what I planned, despite the pain. Went to bed severely hurting, and at four o'clock A.M. or thereabouts I realized that there was no way in heck I'd be opening up at ten. Taxi to hospital, admitted speedily, and was informed by four thirty that I'd be the first patient on the table at six.

At that time, Savage Kitten did what was needful, and they released me to her five days later. I may not have been entirely "collected" at that time.
So she made quite a good impression on the staff.
As, indeed, one would expect her to.
She is very impressive.


But she is not my caretaker. I am not decrepit, feeble, or senile. She's my apartment mate, at times a co-conspirator, rational, sensible, and an old and dear friend that I can rely upon.



The likeable and extremely capable woman at the sign-in desk was indeed surprised at this information. She asked me who cooks for me. From which we can deduce that white people in general, or middle aged men, do not have a reputation for doing things themselves, or knowing how to cook.

Remarkably, I know a few white men of reasonable maturity who can cook, do cook, and cook quite well. Though I will admit that they are unusual, and by no means average.

As you may have noticed from previous essays here, I also cook.
Though as a single man, only for myself.
Nobody else eats my food.




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