Matt and I both felt pretty under the weather today, and, other than a couple short ventures out to eat, we mostly just hung out at our hostel.  I did make a quick trip downtown to the store to pick up some cough drops, snacks, and this fabulous “space cup” (aka wannabe Nalgene) complete with teddy bear decals, baseball cap lid, and hearts on the splashguard.  Now I can drink my tea in style.

(Yes, that’s right, “Constant creative major in the outerspace line.”)

By dinner time we were feeling a bit cooped up and decided to venture out and eat at somewhere besides one of our three usual restaurants.  Walking around, we passed several restaurants, but eventually ended up where we ate hotpot the other night.  (“Pumpkin things!” we both thought.)  Armed with a phrasebook, I did my best to match characters and order from the non-English menu.  With the help of the waitress, a one drawing, I was able to adequately order our little meal, including a plate of those delicious fried pumpkin things…whatever they are.  Matt and I leisurely cooked and ate our food as we discussed the Ted Talks we’d watched a few hours before.  (Coincidentally, one of which was about slowing down and even mentioned the “slow food movement.”)  The steaming broth all wafted in my direction, occasionally fogging up my glasses.  I counted it as an added benefit since it was like a humidifier, hopefully clearing up my cold and soothing my sore throat.  As we fished out the last slices of potato and pumpkin, I turned off the gas and the steam subsided.  Relaxed and full, we asked for the bill.  I could see why hotpot is more of a group thing, especially since the pot of broth cost as much as the rest of the food we ordered, but it was a good meal.  Satisfied, we walked back to our “home,” enjoying a mellow end to our mellow day.