rotten banana luck

i went back to caffe tiamo this afternoon. the hazelnut gelato was singing my name. and upon arrival, the green tea began to hum the most beautiful harmony...so i had to get a scoop of each. the barista was so glad to see me back this week that she topped off my bowl with a waffle cone as "service" (on the house). tipping is not a common practice in korea, but sometimes i do tip at coffee houses or restaurants because my back and feet know what it's like to work in that industry. many times the tip comes right back in the form of a waffle cone, a bowl of dong dong ju (rice wine) to go, extra pumpkin pancakes...always accompanied by the biggest smile.

it is now 8 hours since i succumbed to that gelato. my stomach is officially in full revolt. the 55 minute ride home from gumi was ghastly. i had to pretend everything was okay. i kept rolling down the window, explaining to the professor who was driving that i had a rotten banana in my backpack (which was true), and that smelling it made me absolutely ill, so i had to keep letting fresh air into the car! he said his nose was not sensitive, and believe me, i thanked the moon and stars for that stroke of good luck.

i made a vow to give up ice cream this semester, as it's the last speck of dairy that i've been consuming on a regular basis, and because my acupuncturist told me that my system cannot digest it. that observation has been clear to me for years, as i've been a daily enjoyer of ice cream and always paid for it dearly with belly aches and various other symptoms that will remain nameless. however, i was raised on ice cream. it was a staple in our household, a reward at the end of a long day, my bedtime snack. it was what got taken away if i didn't pick up all my toys. ice cream was a comforting ritual from childhood until august 2008. i'm utterly amazed at how painless it has been to say goodbye to such a longtime companion. this fall, i only recall two moments when i found myself longing for ice cream, both of which occurred upon passing a convenient store that sells haagen dazs. as soon as the shop was out of sight, the craving disappeared. my body has been ever-so-grateful for this change in my eating habits. it would be unkind to go back.

when it comes to gelato, though, i have told myself it is a different animal entirely, and rarely found in korea, so i'd be a fool not to indulge when our paths meet. needless to say, that fib went up in flames tonight. my digestive tract feels so terrible right now that i cannot imagine getting near another scoop of gelato with a ten foot pole, in korea at least! i'd rather eat rocks. however, if i happen to travel to italy again, or paris for that matter, i just might have to give it another chance...