Looking East

Last night we helped Housemate Pat celebrate Chinese New Year.
She spent the whole day preparing food.
Mrs Next Door and her niece brought dishes with them as well.
Now, Chinese food has never been a favourite of mine, but this food was amazing.
I even ate Thai noodles.
Pat had made some amazing sushi but tried to kill me with wasabi.
Jaysus, that green nastiness is hot!
A huge amount of wine was drunk and there was even an empty whiskey bottle this morning.

The things you find out about people after a few drinks is amazing.
Mrs Next Door’s Dad is a bigamist! How cool is that?!
Her Mum knows, but is very traditional and won’t get divorced. Fortunately they live in different countries.
It must have been a good night because I have no recollection of going to bed.
I did have a nosebleed during the night and woke up looking like I had survived an autopsy.

Today, I was taken to a hospital appointment as ‘moral support’.
Yeah, I know?!
Who’d take me?
I couldn’t go in the MRI room so entertained my self with a game my sister and I used to play at the hospital.
“Find The Morgue”.
You take the lift down as far as it will go and look for a door with a cheerful name.
That’s usually the morgue.
The one at this hospital is called ‘Rose Lodge’.
There is no Chapel because of extensive building work but there was a prayer room.

I walked in just as a Muslim doctor rolled out his prayer mat.
We had that awkward moment when we just stared at each other, so I said, “Can I have a go?”
He looked really shocked, laughed and said, “Yeah! Alright!”
He showed me how to say the prayers. When to kneel down, when to stand up, when to fold my arms, the lot.
It was excellent!
You have to stand in front of G-d, then thank and praise him.
You also have to ask G-d to show you the right way.
You stand and let G-d know that, in your heart you are ready to pray.
Then you hold your hands up and say, ‘G-d is great’.
Some verses of the Qur’an are recited and you bend over from the waist.
Several more verses are spoken then you bow down and touch your head to the ground.
I probably haven’t explained that very well!
I’m used to spending time on my knees before G-d, but this was a really unique feeling.
Real submission and deference.

This evening I have eaten Kurdish food and fecking yummers it was too!