It started with my girlfriend Ray going to the hospital for an ear check.
She was there for her ears, and it reminded me of something: at some point, I’d started noticing that whenever I cleaned my ears and touched certain spots, it hurt. So I registered for an appointment too.
The doctor spent quite a while looking inside with an otoscope and didn’t find anything wrong. The advice was simple: stop digging around in there so much.
Once we were both done, I figured, since I was already at the hospital, I might as well get everything checked that needed checking. Every time we go out, Ray is always saying she can’t see this or can’t make out that, and the ophthalmology department was nearby, so I decided to get my vision tested.
That, in turn, reminded me of when I went to renew my driver’s license.
The very first step of the physical was the eye test. In daily life I can see just fine, so I didn’t think much of it. But I failed. My right eye didn’t meet the standard.
The staff member was very patient and asked me to adjust how I was sitting. Lean your neck forward a bit. Still no good. A little more. Still no good. Any farther and I’d have looked like E.T.
I told them to let the next person go first while I took a break.
Then I stood off to the side and started memorizing the eye chart.
Up, left, down, right, right, left. Left, right, up, down, left, right, left, right...
I should point out that I haven’t memorized anything that seriously since graduating high school.
After that whole experience, I figured it was probably time to get a pair of glasses.
At ophthalmology they first did an automated refraction test and measured my eye pressure before I saw the doctor. I hadn’t even had the chance to ask about my eyesight yet when the doctor told me my intraocular pressure was a bit high and recommended a series of additional checks and screenings.
I thought, well, eyes are important, so fine, let’s do it.
So before the actual prescription, I went through a whole batch of extra tests. In the end, the conclusion was that everything looked normal and I should just keep an eye on it.
Still, I did get the glasses.
I don’t know how many people first start wearing glasses as adults, but Ray said I gave off a completely different vibe once I had them on. My own feeling was much less dramatic: honestly, I barely feel any difference. With them on or off, it’s almost the same. I only really notice it if I close the eye with better vision.
I usually don’t wear them when I go out. I mainly put them on when I’m at the computer, and it does seem like I’m no longer constantly craning my neck forward. The downside is that after wearing them for a while, they leave marks on the bridge of my nose. I ordered a U-shaped silicone nose pad online, and it hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll see whether it helps.
So why am I writing this post at all?
That has to do with dinner.
My mom asked me to come over to eat tonight.
The moment I got there, I saw a table full of what I can only describe as "familiar dishes." By that I mean some of them looked like old acquaintances. Today is the seventh day of the lunar new year period; the last time I saw them was during the New Year, and the first time goes all the way back to Little New Year.
Before we even started eating, my mom was already pressuring me to call a relative and wish them happy birthday, and then she launched into stories about how good she was to me when I was little.
I was this close to leaving.
When we finally sat down, I decided I’d just pick at the fresher dishes. Mostly because I didn’t trust my stomach to handle too many of the old familiar faces.
And my mom’s cooking really is something. It really is quite good—just not quite master-level. Which master? You know, Master Kong.
Either things were too sweet or too fishy. The worst part was that even the glass noodles had a fishy smell to them. I took one bite and nearly threw up. Even now, just remembering the taste makes me feel sick again.
I’d rather go home and eat instant noodles.
Half an hour ago I was lying on my bed when my stomach suddenly twisted in pain. I got up and sprinted straight to the bathroom. After that, before turning on the computer to work, I sat down and wrote this.