How they come to share something unique and special together, living in separate places, one in Taiwan, the other, in Japan, translated…
In the long-distance relationship shared by my husband in Taiwan and Japan, my husband and I had a pact: on the weekends, we’d find a time to cook together through webcam. I was originally, a woman who ABHORS the kitchen from before this.
And, during the years we lived together, he’d, loved playing the chef, selected the produces himself, researched the pots, the pans, the cookery, the technical skills of making each and every dish; while I, ordered which items I wanted to eat, and eat what he’d prepared for me. In the morning of Saturdays, I was still, in bed, unwilling to get up, he’d, already gone to the markets, and as I woke, brunch, prepared. In the past, I’d often felt: it can’t get better than this!
they can’t do this…
Back then, we’d, shared this game, he’d, challenge himself in cooking a new dish, and I’d, write out a review like those gourmet tasters, giving him commends, both of us got what we wanted from the interactions.
As he’d gone abroad to work, we’d, continued this “game”, but no longer was he the one cooking, and I wait to eat, instead, it’d become, this, battle of chefs, toward the same dish, one of us in Taiwan, the other in Japan, picked out the local produces, made the meals for our selves, and, critiqued our own, skills, then, shared our thoughts. There was a time out of the week, set aside for this, that belonged, to us, this, cooking time we’d, come to, share.
To synchronize the cooking time, we’d, scheduled the time slots.
Even though, there’s only a one-hour time zone difference in Taiwan and Japan, seemed like it wasn’t, a big deal, but, if we cook, and eat in synchrony, then, it became, quite difficult, to do it at the same time; and if one of us is late, it’s enough, to make the other one of us, angry, from the hunger!
To make sure our clocks are in synchrony for lunch, I who is, usually, lazy and late to start, had to, get up on time, to shop before the morning market ends; as I prepared my own meals, I’d, used the loud speaker on my LINE, and, followed his guidance, and moved in synchronize motion with him.
For the pesto pasta, I’d, placed a full cup of basil, nuts, garlic, along with other herbs into the blender, and the blender rolled on, and on, and on but the stems and the leaves of the basil, aren’t, blended completely, it took forever, until time for afternoon tea, then I was, finally, done. This whole thing taxed me, it was, ever-lasting, and, the foods I’d created, didn’t taste, that special, and it’d, reminded me of how when he was the cook of the house, this was, one of his, best dishes, and he’d, made a pesto pine nut sauce in a jar for me too.
I still HATE cooking but, I’d, enjoyed, doing these things with him, to experience life together with him.
When I cooked, I’d missed him, even more; and yet one day, we had a fight on it too.
One weekend, he’d, carelessly, not “made the date”, my upset snowballed, and no matter how hard he’d, apologized, I refused to budge, and it became, this awful fight. Although I get, that he, being in a new environment, interested in trying everything that was, new, at the same time, I’d felt, that he wasn’t, paying enough attention to me, and I, left behind in Taiwan, without, my closest partner, felt, lonely. That time, I wrote him a poem, telling him, that the time we spent cooking together online was not just for the sake of us spending time, doing something together as a couple but to share that common bond that keeps us connected in our marriage.
And ever since, he started, making “cooking together” a priority in his life.
He’d understood it, and kept it in his heart, and what other forms of expression can say, that he’d, loved and, cared for me so?
Cooking, eating, like how the tuning of instruments worked, it’d, matched up our frequencies; even though we’re, separated by the seas, we’d still, felt how we’re, on the same page with each other, in life together. This, is the tiny, but important focal point, of our, lives.
I had made the CORRECT decision, in renting a full apartment, with the complete kitchen!
And so, this cooking together in separate corners of the world that the two of you shared, became this special way you have, of connecting with each other, and, it is, very important, to find something to SHARE, a common hobby, that the two of you enjoy doing together, to keep the relationship going on strong, and you’d, found it, in your weekly “cook-off” together, separately here.
JUST the Unwinding of Thoughts 