Shutting the window on my neighbor
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="knock">knock</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="door">door</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="about">about</span> 2 <span word="pm">pm</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="expecting">expecting</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span>. </p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="chef">chef</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="whites">whites</span> <span word="filled">filled</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="frame">frame</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="hat">hat</span> <span word="gripped">gripped</span> <span word="tightly">tightly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="blinked">blinked</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wondered">wondered</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="he">he</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="knocked">knocked</span> - <span word="luckily">luckily</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="fiance">fiance</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span>. </p><p><span word="Over">Over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tea">tea</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="transpired">transpired</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="restaurant">restaurant</span> <span word="downstairs">downstairs</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bone">bone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="me">me</span>. </p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="floors">floors</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="restaurant">restaurant</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="campus">campus</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="teach">teach</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Tianjin">Tianjin</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fairly">fairly</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="one">one</span>. <span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="semester">semester</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="packed">packed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="meal">meal</span> <span word="times">times</span>. </p><p><span word="Unfortunately">Unfortunately</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="eating">eating</span> <span word="habits">habits</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="causing">causing</span> <span word="terrible">terrible</span> <span word="problems">problems</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="complaining">complaining</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="food">food</span>. </p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="fault">fault</span>, <span word="until">until</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="pointed">pointed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="cooking">cooking</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="habit">habit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="opening">opening</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="window">window</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="cool">cool</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="exposing">exposing</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="range">range</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="odors">odors</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chef">chef</span> <span word="couldn">couldn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="match">match</span>. </p><p><span word="Smell">Smell</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="powerful">powerful</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whiff">whiff</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="evoke">evoke</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="powerful">powerful</span> <span word="memories">memories</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="emotions">emotions</span>. </p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cooking">cooking</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="tied">tied</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="earliest">earliest</span> <span word="memories">memories</span> - <span word="cakes">cakes</span> <span word="baking">baking</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="simmering">simmering</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stove">stove</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="exact">exact</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="life">life</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="emotional">emotional</span> <span word="link">link</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="strong">strong</span>. </p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="richness">richness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="soups">soups</span> <span word="boiling">boiling</span>, <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spiciness">spiciness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="lamb">lamb</span> <span word="kebabs">kebabs</span> <span word="grilling">grilling</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="charcoal">charcoal</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sweet">sweet</span> <span word="notes">notes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fresh">fresh</span> <span word="brewed">brewed</span> <span word="tea">tea</span>. </p>
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