I can has cheez...

Dudes, I'm so disappointed... I just learned what rennet is. For all these years I somehow managed to know that cheese was made with rennet while not knowing what that was. Although, that does solve the mystery of vegetarian cheese. I always wondered what that was about. Actually, I'd been toying with the idea of being a vegetarian recently because I've been experiencing some guilt related to my carnivorous ways. It suddenly stuck me one day how cute little piglets and calves are and then I got to thinking how I would feel if the situation were reversed. Sadly, it looks like vegetarianism is just not for me. I'm not entirely proud of myself, but I love cheese too much. Oh, and is it just me or does grating cheese somehow make it taste better???

There is a light that never goes out...

So, I'm trying to get on-board with energy efficient light bulbs, BUT they're so incredibly annoying. Why must it take them so freaking long to actually produce light??? I miss flipping the switch and having light. Like, immediately. Now, I flip the switch and have to wait five minutes to have enough light to actually see. Supposedly, energy efficient bulbs are sooo much better; blah, blah, blah, but I can't help but wonder if the savings are cancelled out by the fact that now I go and turn on the kitchen light 10 minutes before I actually intend to go in there and I've developed a bad habit of sometimes leaving lights on if I think I might be coming back in the room soon, whereas before I would have just turned it off. Man, I wish I'd lived in the 50s before we had to start caring about the environment.

In other news, I keep seeing Valentine's Day crap everywhere which hurts my heart. I've never minded the day in the past, even in years when I was single, but this year I find the spectre of V. Day soul-crushingly depressing. The Boy and I had a rather prosaic attitude when it came to romance and I never considered Valentine's to be that big a deal, but the 14th would have been our anniversary. What used to be a special day for the two of us, has now reverted back to being a stupid, commercial Hallmark holiday because there is no two of us. Why does the human heart have to be so fickle? Once two people are happily in love, why can't they stay that way???

I'm just not that into you...

Ugh, some people just have no respect for common decency... If you become so intoxicated at a party that you throw up, it is never EVER acceptable to subsequently attempt to convince a girl to go home with you. Especially one who has absolutely no interest in you to begin with. She will think that you are a douchebag. Hint: that gum you are chewing has done nothing to disguise the fact that you have just been sick. You have merely added a hint of minty-ness to the fug of booze and vomit which envelopes your person. Oh, and seriously? Getting sick at a party??? It's a little highschool.

This would be the same guy who immediately asked me out upon hearing of the demise of my relationship. Lucky me.

Life after Christmas...

Whoops, I sort of fell off the face of the blogosphere there. Christmas, New Year's and then trying to get back into the swing of things... you know how it is. I love the holidays, but a bit of post-holiday depression has set in this year. I went home for Christmas and it was indescribably nice to see and do all of the old familiar things and catch up with friends. BUT, then I had to leave and I've been feeling a trifle homesick since returning.

I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision coming here... It's been kind of hard being in a new city, actually COUNTRY, and not knowing anyone. I've met really nice people and made some friends, but for some reason I haven't seemed to really click with any of them. We go for pints and do pub quizzes and see movies together, but that connection is lacking. This was made even more evident when I went home and saw my old friends and realised how strong a connection I have with them. I met up with a friend that I hadn't seen since before I went to Korea and we picked up exactly where we had left off. It was nice to have an actual, real conversation. You know, about things that really matter as opposed to the trivial and inane. Which, don't get me wrong, can also be nice, but sometimes you want a little more.

I guess I was spoiled by making the friends that I did in Korea because I made THE best friends there... totally kindred spirits. You know when you have a group of friends that is so close it's more like a family? Well, that was us. I'm really missing that. When The Boy broke up with me, there was nobody here to pour my heart out to over camembert cheese tart (aka heaven in food form) in Coffee Bean. In fact, I didn't really have anyone. I don't really feel close enough to anyone here to confide those sorts of things to them. I mean, people knew I had a boyfriend, so it has come up, but I just get the standard 'oh, I'm sorry' response and then they quickly change the subject. Or, in one case, ask me out. WTF? Gotta work on your timing buddy.

On a slightly lighter note, I have another 'What would Emily Post do?' conundrum for us to ponder. What exactly is the proper protocol for when you realise that you've neglected to tell your mother that you've broken up with your boyfriend? The one time that I spoke to her on the phone after it happened, I didn't really have the energy to tell her about it, so decided to wait. Then, I went home and he just didn't come up in conversation the first day and I'd sort of forgotten that I hadn't told her. The second day, we went for a meal with some family friends and one of them asked about him which was when I realised. Rather than make everyone uncomfortable by announcing that I no longer had a boyfriend and then be subjected to a lot of grilling from my mother in front of an audience, I went with the blatant lie and pretend we're still dating approach. As my punishment, God decreed that everyone would spend the next hour asking me questions about him and our future. Awwwkward.