Pass The Soup

This was one of those really bad meals, yet again.

I knew what to expect before I even went to the cafeteria, however, since I saw the dreaded "筑前煮" on the monthly meal plan.

Oh, how I hate seeing those words...

Somehow, today's main dish wasn't as horrible as it usually is, but I guess that's only because the server didn't fill up my bowl to the rim with the disgusting stuff as per usual.

When I aired my displeasure with the dish, a girl at my table said that she'd gladly take whatever I didn't want off my hands. Deal!

I dug out the few bits of potato that I could find and handed the rest over to her. Thank you very much!

Somehow I ended up eating the whole (albeit small) salad, but I wasn't very happy about that. I think the only reason I finished it was that the ham wasn't ham, but rather some pastrami-like meat.

The soup was pretty bad, too. I just picked out the chunks of tofu and eggplant and left the rest (the liquid).

Since all the kids are essentially trained (told?) to finish everything on their trays, another girl I was sitting with jokingly told me that I had to drink what was left in my soup bowl. I used that opportunity to start a little game of "Pass The Soup" (a.k.a. "Pass The Salad," "Pass The 筑前煮," or "Pass The [Whatever Food You Don't Want]") with her and the one other girl who was left at my table.

The game is simple: You just take your soup bowl and put it on someone else's tray, and then you grab their soup bowl and put it on your tray. You keep passing the soup until someone finally gives in and keeps your soup (good!), or, as in yesterday's case, you end up with your own soup back (bad!).

The version of "Pass The Soup" that I played today was the one with all players present, but my favorite version of the game is the one that is played when one or more players are momentarily gone, usually because they went to get a drink or seconds. The great thing about the latter version of the game is that you simply can't lose!

One time last year, I played the game so well that the guy I switched bowls with didn't really notice and ended up eating my food as well as his own! I took note of that and suckered him again a few days later! You'd actually be surprised how easy it is to switch with others.

If you need any tips, just ask. I'm good at it!

Total points: 2