What's That? I Found...A New Euphemism!

I'll be honest, as much fun as I've had with the toga Murder Mystery game dinner party, and then with watching Tonga beat France in the Rugby World Cup, the last couple of weeks has been faka-crappy.
Stress is one thing, but pure sadness is another. Within the last 3 weeks, I've learned that two good friends of mine are leaving Peace Corps to pursue other things. It's made me extremely torn because these people are doing great things with their lives... but they're leaving us. My group has a wonderful cohesive bond that shocked the heck out of all of us, including PC staff and the PC group ahead of us.

But life is such, I suppose. To cope, I've been watching the 2nd season of Community like a madwoman while finishing up Camp GLOW final paperwork and eating my feelings.

There are bakeries in town. Within a 3-mile perimeter of my house, the amount of bakeries (5), for a feelings-eater, is bitter, bitter-sweet.
So before a little farewell dinner to my friend, I decided to stop at the bakery nearest my house for a yummy snack. I bought some warm rolls with an orange glaze, traipsed to the cooler for a cold Sprite, and behold. I saw it. Held in that little plastic container, lined ever so perfectly, swirled so delicately as to show the details and charm that drew me to addiction three years ago...
Sushi.
SUSHI?! I exclaimed to the girl behind the counter. How MUCH is that?
5 pa'anga, she said. (Less than $3 US.)
OH YEAH, I said. I'm gettin' that!
So my attitude was getting perky despite my tension headache, and I was still on cloud 9 and didn't even CURSE when I nearly ripped my skirt and ate gravel trying to two-step over my bicycle.
I got home and devoured an orange-glazed roll, sipped Sprite, and stared at the plastic box of fulfilled dreams. I rotated staring at the box, then my clock. I still had 20 minutes before the dinner. I could eat...3 rolls of sushi and not even be full! It would be PERFECT! I got out the soy sauce, prepared myself for heaven.
Box opens.
Puzzlement. I cock my head to the side in confusion. That's not rice. There's no rice, where is the rice? What is this faux-RICE?!
I poke it.
Bread. I giggle. Of course it's bread. What bakery makes sushi?
Oh well, I'll try anything. I ate ants for protein/revenge back in 'Eua, what's a little bread in my sushi?

I took a bite, chewed, and my mind stuttered to a halt, leaving rubbery, smoky skid marks on the pavement of my frenzied brain.
Sponge cake. Not just bread. SPONGE CAKE. Like the kind you you serve with mashed, sweetened strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.
Sponge cake is NOT rice-substitution for a TUNA ROLL!
I was so shocked I ate a second one. WITH soy sauce (I'd try anything to improve it.) You can probably imagine my facial expressions before I dumped the other six tuna rolls into my backyard for the roosters and chickens to BgKOK! over.



I went to the farewell dinner, told my story, and the laughter and back-slaps took off the weight of frustration and sadness. It led to stories about Fish Water soup (a disgusting tale of aquarium water as soup) and Peanut Butter Burritos (that one's only a fantasy.)
Spongecake Sushi, my friends. It was a Spongecake Sushi day.