Life Under Duress

Simon Says:
Hey all, I've been a little busy lately. Probably trying to do too much but things are gradually getting done. I've been living in this group home since May 1 of this year. Everything started out OK even though this guy that owns the house was ignoring everything we talked about during the intake, I was able to tactfully remind the guy of our original agreements. He complied, reluctantly, but I didn't care much about that as long as we came to an understanding.
I don't remember if I mentioned my dissapointment in the food here but it is definately a dissapointment. My hosts here are natives of Nigeria, Africa and have quite a few different customes when it comes to food. I can handle just about anything given my experiences of late. There was a time when I wouldn't put up with any shit, but I've been humbled and I believe my humility is a sign of my progress. I was thinking last night how much I've actually changed in the last few years, all good changes. I still have have a lot of the same old thoughts run through my head, but I've learned that there are better ways of expressing myself. My old way was very direct and straight to the point. Now I'm a bit more tactful, which is much more productive because the direct approach usually stimulates emotional responses. Beating around the bush and the art of flanking the issue is much more fun as well. I never request quarter (definition no. 23) when I'm in battle with someone and I offer none, this personality trait of mine has not changed.
Anyway, back on topic, this guy whom I won't name because too many people are beginning to read my blogs and I need to be a little carefull. I still only write the exact truth, only I need to be cognizant of my personal survival. This guy, I'll call him Dissanus, because he talks out of the side of his ass. Every time we sit down to eat the routine is that all glasses are turned upside down until our thanks to god is expressed. We all have to hold hands around the table and Dissanus directs an individual of his choice to say grace. Then we can turn our glasses right side up and begin to eat. At this time Dissanus begins to comment on how we only eat the healthiest of foods. These comments are only expressed because Dissanus is so cheap with the food he won't buy any food that isn't just basic sustanence foods. A typical meal consists of the cheapest hot dogs he can find as well as hot dog buns that you have to slice open yourself. I don't know where he gets them but I've never had a hot dog bun that wasn't presliced so you can just open it up and stick the hot dog in. There's never any ketchup or mustard on the table (you have to ask) before he'll get it out of the fridge. My theory on this routine is that Dissanus is hoping that we will take the hint that he would rather we didn't use ketchup and mustard because it's too expensive. Then I have to ask for onion, because I just can't eat a hotdog without onions on it. At this point I have to go myself and dig around in the fridge for some old piece of onion and chop it up myself, I guess I'm the only one here that'll eat onion, no one else can stand onions. Well, that I don't care about, I do like onions. I know he's found a place where he can buy old bread because the last time we had hot dogs I noticed one of the buns had mold on it. This isn't a problem with Dissanus and his familly because they eat the same crap, not much of it though, because they have to save stomach room for when they go out to eat when we're all done eating. We have other things for dinner but it's all along the same line as the hotdog thing.
Day before yesterday I told him I'm eating my own thing and I don't want to eat with the familly anymore because the kind of food I eat no one will like. He was surprised and didn't know how to respond. Then I told him that the only thing I usually eat is rice and tofu with seeweed and that it won't cost as much as the hotdogs. Hmmm, well if it costs less than hotdogs then maybe that'll be OK. He wanted to go to the Asain food store on Cliff Rd to see what it costs and he was delighted. So now I'm the only one in the house that can use the kitchen and cook my own dinners, as long as it's only rice and tofu. So now I guess I'm a vegan, I will only eat rice and tofu, no more cheap hotdogs and moldy buns. I'm happy and I'll be a lot healthier eating this way. Only I'm not really used to eating the same thing every day, but I will just to avoid the really healthy hot dogs. I think I was getting sick from the shit.
One other thing I feel the need to mention is that Nigerians don't worry about refridgerating left over food. They just leave it on the counter and will eat it the next day. I actually found that part to be a little scary but I was surprised that I only got the shits a couple of times.
I only feel a little angry about this situation because I know that the county pays him pretty good money to provide room and board for us, "nut cases". But I've heard of this kind of abuse in the past and I know it doesn't do any good to file complaints to the county. It just makes things worse because the owner of the house is able to make any rules he feels is necessary to maintain order in the house.