Monday, May 31, 2010

I cannot live without rice, I can live without rice.

I really stick to the rice. When I stay at a hotel, and have a choice between Japanese and Western breakfast, I always choose the Japanese one. My morning simply cannot start without a bowl of rice and preferably a cup of miso soup. If there were some pickles, that would be divine.

Having said that, my preference does seem to be context dependent.

When I am on the road, for example in Europe or in the United States, I simply discard my usual preferences. When I walk into the restaurant, I am quite forgetful of the fact that in the world there are such things as rice and miso soup. I am quite happy with bread, bacon, cereals, orange juice, and the usual suspects.

When I reflect on this very convenient change in my taste, I realize how flexible one's custom is. It is important to know your customs, and yet it is also important to know how flexible you can be.

I cannot live without rice, I can live without rice. These double aspects of my existence is an interesting problem poser for me.

You could build a whole system of philosophy from here.

2 comments:

Nekokichi said...

Mogi-san,

I always think I am everyone. Just like your rice case, various elements some of which are quite opposite to each other coexist in me, and it must go with anyone.

砂山鉄夫(Tetsu Sunayama) said...

I agree. This flexible philosophy is significant in this era and the world of diversity.

How about chocolate with coffee?
That's OK. Ideal.
coffee after rice?
OK,OK. Usual.
rice ball in coffee?
Yes,O...k...flexible!