First, an admission, in case you’re not a regular reader of this blog, or in case you don’t already know me well.

I’m Polynesian-Asian-White.

Dad’s the Poly-Asian, Mom’s white.

This may explain some things you read here occasionally, like my sensitivity to minority issues.  I walk that line between worlds, all the benefits of “passing” and all the misery of truly knowing what’s on the other side of the fence.

Now that we’ve gotten that bit of business out of the way, I’ll get back to the lighter side of blogging…in today’s case, the ‘rents continued visit.

After spending 9 days here, my parents left today for a five-day “tour” of the Midwest (in a manner of speaking).  They’re headed to Amish country, then on to visit family further south in Indiana.  They don’t want my siblings to be left out, spending this Turkey Day with them and then returning to spend Christmas here with my family.

While here, Dad’s been working around the house on all kinds of projects, indoors and out.  He’s an inveterate putterer-tinkerer.  (He can’t sit still and just relax, either, has to be reading something even while watching a movie.)  The week’s chores, from new gutters to ceiling paint to trailer wiring-harness repair, to furniture restoration, has taken its toll on his hands.  They’re all dried up and scaly like a reptile’s talons.  Mom, an inveterate complainer, has been nagging at Dad to slather on more lotion and do something about the scaly condition.

No problem, I interject.  Try this “Papaya Sea Salt Scrub” on your hands.  Just wash hands per usual, apply a gob of this peachy-colored fruity-smelling concoction on your hands, scrub into the dried areas especially well, and rinse thoroughly.  Hands will be soft and smooth.

Dad takes the tube and inspects thoroughly the list of contents.  Papaya? he asks.  Must be the key ingredient.  That’s the source of papain enzyme -- it’s used in meat tenderizing, he explains.

Gee, I thought it was a factor, but I thought it was the sea salt granules scrubbing action and the fruit-nut oils that were the real active ingredients.

Dad laughs.  He says, back in the day when we roasted a pig at home, we’d first scorch off the hair over the imu fire pit.  We’d cut a green papaya in half, and then rub it all over the pig flesh.  The pig flesh would turn soft and white.  He grins at the memory.

Mom and I bust out laughing at this image, pig flesh and Dad’s hands.  Another one of these family anecdotes for which I’m glad; one that I’ll be able to share some day with my grandkids.

 Of course, I’m now wondering where I can get my hands on some green papaya around here…

9:09:22 PM    comment []