Barbequed WHAT?!

So a dear friend had a birthday party this weekend at a sushi place in San Francisco. I’d never eaten sushi before, mostly because I have an aversion to fish that borders on the pathological.

However, for this particular friend, I would do damn near anything. She is one of the strongest, most beautiful women I know. She inspires me. She is one of honestly only a very few people I will not ever allow to disappear from my life, or I from hers.

Extra-special.

Particularly dear.

So if she wants to have sushi for her birthday, by Our Lady of Permanent Press, we will have sushi, AND LIKE IT!!!

Items to consider:

1. I don’t like fish
2. I’ve never had sushi before
3. I don’t like fish
4. My seatmates were Sushi Experts™, who have forgotten more than I will ever know about sushi – which might be a good thing unless they are also ‘fish’ people who cannot understand the concept of someone, ANYONE, not liking fish
5. I. Don’t. Like. Fish.
6. Spitting food across the room while shrieking, “Hot holy damn what the @*^&@ WAS that?!?!” would be extremely socially unacceptable at this particular time
7. If I had to pick an animal other than fish that I really don't want to eat, I'd have to say snake would be my bottom-of-the-line don't-wanna-eat-it. And an eel is what, exactly? A snake, AND a fish. That's what it is, people. That is what it is...

And with that, I give you, Me. Eating not only sushi, but barbequed snake-fish-eel sushi (and yes, I knew that before I popped it in my mouth – this is also me, being what passes for brave in my pathetic little world):

Actually…it wasn’t that bad. Even if the surroundings hadn’t been what they were, I wouldn’t have spit it out. The expression on my face isn't so much disgust as 'holy carp, this is a big old wad of chewiness and I am having trouble chewing without looking like a cow dealing with her cud, so I'm going to throw my hand up in front of my face and hope nobody notices that I just totally took in about six mouthfuls of food I now don't have the chompers to deal with efficiently.'

It was a touch advanced for a rookie fish eater, but not only did I survive the eel (somehow), but I also ate some baked trout with no harm done, and grilled sole. And tuna (cooked). But when my seatmate began enthusiastically telling me how much I would love raw tuna, I put my spiky-heel clad foot down and said, “Thank you, but I think I will just have some more sake. Allow me to refill your glass! Kampai!!!”

I also had never had sake. It’s not a bit bad. Also, you can drink those little glasses down really, really fast. And also? Enough of those little glasses can make you brave enough to say, “What the heck! I’ll give it a go!”, and fling eel into your mouth.

Well, actually…you know what does that? Good friends. Those one in a million kinds, who can broaden your world in a hundred thousand ways, large and small.

You’re one of those, sis. Thanks for the eel. It was very broadening.

**smooch**, Happy Birthday, and Kampai!!