Sunshine and cheese, or I could not think of a clever title, but I will try harder next time

Last week was my second to last meeting with Jeff, my cool conversation partner. Neither of us can believe that the semester has flown by so quickly. It seems like spring break was just last week, and these cold mornings we are still experiencing are not suggestive of the fact that summer is just out of reach. 

Jeff and I were talking about this strange weather pattern, and we decided that it would be wonderful if Texas would decide on one season to stick with, preferably summer. I don't mind the heat, especially since I have lived here my whole life. Jeff only likes it to an extent but would rather have the heat than these mornings of frost and coats, only to have to discard the coats after 10 am when the sun appears and makes us sweat. 

The topic of our conversation this week consisted of plans for summer. Jeff is hoping to go home to Taiwan, although he is not sure yet when he will be able to. Since his parents were not able to visit him in Texas this spring, he is pretty excited at the prospect of seeing his family soon. He is also looking forward to the authentic food he will eat at home. From our conversations throughout the semester, that's one of things that I have picked up on as being important to Jeff - food of his heritage. We have talked about food a lot, and I think Jeff really misses the authentic taste. Though he cooks here, he doesn't have the ingredients to make "real" tasting food from Taiwan. 

I can definitely sympathize with Jeff in this area. Living in Texas, Mexican food is a huge deal to me and my family and friends. Whenever I go to an area without  "real" Mexican food, I become sad and disappointed with the world (NOT a hyperbole...). Chips and queso make up their own food group in my life. I don't feel at home in a place lacking good chips and queso. 

OK, so maybe I AM exaggerating a bit. But, seriously, I do understand why Jeff misses the food of his home country. It cannot be substituted here, similar to how queso cannot be substituted for anything that Northerners think is just "melted cheese." How did we get on this subject again?

So, summer plans... Jeff hopes to go home, and I plan to remain in Fort Worth, working and researching and enjoying the sun. It has been a wonderful (albeit busy) semester, but it's time now for the Texas sun to emerge and start frying and fading everything it touches. Bring on the sun!