July 23rd:
Five minutes after I wrote yesterday’s entry, everyone was up in my father’s house and we all woke up over a hot cup of chai. My father, grandmother and sister dropped me off at the airport. I felt very groggy after the drive. I got through check in-immigration-security-boarding-take off.
On the flight I was given two meals: a big one at 8:15 am IST and a small one at 12 pm BST. The big one was one of the best meals I’ve had flying. Usually they have options, but everyone on the flight seemed to be served a vegetarian meal that consisted of: one idli and vada in sambar, with a side of upma as the hot part of the meal. The upma tasted a bit weird and I noticed everyone in my row left it aside too. Then the cold foods included: fruit box(pineapple-papaya-watermelon cubes)–croissant with butter-jam–fruit yoghurt (mango)–sweet cakey muffin with a small dollop of unidentified jam? A bottle of water and option of tea or coffee for drinks. I ate slowly and was very full. On the flight I watched Scream (1996) and Turning Red (2022).
The small meal came in a white cardboard box consisting of: small serving of cold vegetables(cucumber-peppers) in couscous (i think?)– a cold chicken sandwich in a baguette, with mayo and cucumbers–small dairy milk chocolate bar and some water. I was hungry then, so I was just happy to have some food. I landed-took a train to arrivals-went through immigration-collected my luggage-sat on the Piccadilly line to Green Park for about an hour. My partner met me there and helped me carry my stuff home. We had a Twister on the final walk home, and it began to drip on me and I wheeled my suitcase around. I finished the lolly on the sofa talking to my housemate.
I felt nauseous for a while, but at 7 pm I was reeeaally hungry. Takeaway evening. We ate a reduced box of cold Linda McCartney cocktail sausages with ketchup as we ordered. I need to do a food shop tomorrow. We got Chinese food from Spring Way in Brockley- which is very close to the house I lived in previously. I got a meal deal of Salt and Pepper Chili Prawn with Egg Fried Rice and my partner got Szechuan Style Roast Duck (Spicy) with Egg Fried Rice. We also shared a box of snacks: Spare Ribs (for him)–Prawn Toast (for me)–Spring Rolls & Crunchy Seaweed (for us both). I just wished my prawns were more spicy, but the meal hit the spot that we were craving. I was so full and tired, I was fast asleep at 9 pm.
Hi all I’m Ru (she/they), a designer and researcher based in South-East London. I’m part of Em–Dash Press, a small press that produces (amongst other things) a series of zines on our shared love of eggs. I’m also a part of à la carte, a collective that explores the relationship between food and care through a series of workshops. Find my instagram here.