katharine, who is i swear the sweetest person in all of cambridge, called me from england today and made me promise not to obsess about work but to go and do something relaxing today. i went to the plough and stars with von for lunch. it was a tiny corner pub between harvard square and central square. von ordered the trout with almond butter and spinach and i had the fusilli with white cheddar sauce and some very delicious crimini mushrooms. ate over half off it, and then von coaxed me into eating another quarter. but it really was impossible. we then went and bought me a new allen key and then walked down to toscanini's for ice-cream. the chamomile honey ice-cream was good, but even then i couldn't eat more than a third of it and gave the rest to von. "how can you be a singaporean," he asked me, "if you're not eating?" i didn't know either. then von decides to rush home to put in an ebay bid and i decide i will go and watch a movie at alewife, but changed my mind and came home instead. and now trying to take a short nap and do some work.