i don't like snow, she whimpers, falling down for the third time, and scattering her groceries. went to kotobukiya at two because the snow showed no sign of stopping and i would sooner go while it is light. there was no eel (latest craving) but i did get more of that wonderful spice paste that contains chopped black fungus, taupok and bamboo shoots, so that i can cook it over tunghoon. also got some anpan, orange daifuku, an and some azuki paste wrapped in large buckwheat buns, all this for getting through an anticipated weekend of work. also, because it is colder now, i frequently feel like miso soup in the mornings, so bought more miso paste (white, although i usually prefer red, because these days i want a lot of sweet things. i hope i never am pregnant because my food cravings are bad enough as they are.) bought three bags of fresh edamame in anticipation of having to feed the hall mates, and got a bag specially for james the philosopher who lives two doors down, who has really got the hang of these things, feeling a little like a drug lord while doing this. then while i walked around in kotobukiya i thought that what i really wanted, in the absence of grilled eel, was sukiyaki. a huge steaming pan in front of me, and beef sliced so thin to be almost translucent, and enoki mushrooms and cabbages simmering till soft enough to disintegrate, and a bowl of trembling glistening raw eggs to dip the shirataki noodles in. do you think cravings are climate-related? i don't notice this at home but i keep dreaming of steaming hot food these days. maybe next year when i move to garden street and have a kitchen i could invest in pots and pans and a wok and do some real cooking.