Down with the Sickness

I love oxtail. And before I continue expanding on this, let me just enlighten those who don't know what oxtail is. It is a rich stew made with veggies, gravy and the meat of an ox tail, hence the name. I'm not sure if this is purely a South African dish, but hey, it tastes good. I have just one problem; every time I eat it, no matter who makes it, I get sick. I have tried family recipes, internet recipes and various restaurant versions. No matter where I eat it, I end up like this...

Shortly after eating it I experience crippling stomach cramps, and then a OVERWHELMING desire to run to the bathroom, shut the door and make a variety of interesting and amusing noises.

Then I have friend who loves chocolate. If that is the only foodstuff that was left on earth, she'd be happy. She even has a full desk drawer filled to the brim with various chocolate bars. Other people have underwear/sock drawers, she has a chocolate drawer. There is only one problem; she is allergic to chocolate. More specifically, the cocoa in chocolate. Shortly after indulging in a chocolate bar (or five), she winds up like this...

A splitting, hangover-like headache, without the fun of having consumed any alcohol beforehand. For days on end.

My lovely companion suffers from a similar affliction, caused by any form of white bread or starch containing flour. But she enjoys pizza and pasta, and hence winds up holding her head, groaning softly and glaring at everyone after indulging.

This got me wondering, why do we do these things to ourselves? Why do we eat or drink things that we know will make us feel like we got hit over the head with a Klingon pain stick? The answer is simple, in my opinion; we enjoy the taste. We enjoy food. There is no point in eating if all you are going to eat is some nutritional slush that looks like week old porridge. We enjoy aromas, sights and tastes. Is it a good idea to continue eating the things that make us feel that way? Probably not. Are we going to keep doing it? You bet we will!

Tale as Old as Time

This time of the year always makes me panic slightly. Not because seasons are changing, or the leaves are starting to turn brown or anything so mundane and ordinary. No, it's because for some weird reason all my family members are celebrating a birthday. You have my mom and step-dad on the 1st of March, my father-in-law on the 22 of March, my dad on the 29th of March, my mother-in-law on the 2nd of April, my grandmother on the 3rd of April, my grandfather on the 5th of April and various friends throughout the rest of April.

So March/April is usually filled with cakes, presents and lots of spending. While I do enjoy a good measure of merriment, it got me wondering. Why do we celebrate birthdays? Is it a way to say "Congrats, you've made it through another year! Well done!". It wasn't that difficult really, I just did what I did every year so far, which is breathe, eat and sleep. Occasionally there is work and exercise somewhere in between. So I didn't do much.

Then I know some friends and family members who dread an approaching birthday, because you get older! Oh no! But then, aren't we getting older every day? Why must just this one day be such a big deal?

You know what, I'm not going to worry too much about it. It's a celebration of life. I will enjoy having some cake, having fun at the party and celebrating another year done and dusted. And seeing as my birthday also happens to fall in April, I will keep calm and party on!