A Truffle Tale

It took me ages to find the right power cord. I was determined to bring this old Compaq back to life and take a glimpse at my former self. Moving from house to house, country to country, I had one dedicated moving box just for power cords. Playstation One, Two, Three, the Discman charger, the air humidifier, that tiny flat screen Sharp TV I was so proud to have bought - They all met their fate on a scrap heap many years ago, but not the power cords. You keep them. You always keep them - just in case…

The 200lb computer came to life.

Windows huh? It’s been a while. I can’t for the sake of me remember my login password.

“The user name or password is incorrect.”

Try again…

“The user name or password is incorrect.

“Password Hint: Nunu !”

Thank you Bill Gates for reminding me of an ex-girlfriend I had long since forgotten.

Microsoft Narrator kicks into gear…

Oh my, it talks ! Maybe this computer wasn’t so old after all.

“Open documents”

Yes thank you computer girl with the Stephen Hawking voice.

“Exit Microsoft Narrator”

Yes I know, I am the one clicking the “x”!

As I screened through the work related documents, one file caught my eye.

“Casual Observations in Humanity”

Bingo !

I was desperate to devour this file and understand the mindset of the author.

Was it me? Was it the same me?

I heavy lifted the monster laptop to my armchair and dug in.

I read the “Forward” section.

What a load of tripe! My sentiments are still the same, but couldn’t I have articulated them a little better! No wonder I abandoned my book at Chapter 5.

I plodded through each page.

Who writes like this?

No wait ! Chapter 4...

“And the best way to eat fresh pungent Alba Truffle?

Freshly grated over sautéed spinach.

I came across this simple miracle during a date at an exclusive Italian restaurant in Singapore.  I didn’t realize they were having a truffle fair, and when I saw the prices, I was humbled and gob smacked to say the least. So in order to avoid embarrassment I asked the waiter to do something special for me.  For my main course I asked him just simply to bring a side dish of sautéed spinach (the cheapest thing I could find on the menu), and grate thin slices of freshly flown truffle over the top. The waiter applauded me for my creativity and that dish is now standard fare on the menu during truffle season.”

It is said that Seasons change, but people don’t.

I haven’t changed a bit!

Dean Owen is Co-Founder of Quimojo, a revolutionary new concept in Global Campus Recruitment.