Sunday Coffee and Chat -- 26th October 2025

Ok, so Weird Foods I have eaten. I will list them by country-region within trigger-warning boxes so as not to expose people with a squeemish tummy. If you do - please DO NOT READ the Asia ones!

Europe

Africa

Australia - kosher enough without a spoiler lol

Kangaroo, Emu, Crocodile, Boar, Rabbit/Hare, Possum, Camel, Goat, yabby (if that is unsual, I don't think so...) ...

Larvae, ants, snails, frog

Asian - Warning not for squeemish

I know there will be things I have forgotten to include. I have a "try everything once" policy as long as it is not harmful to health (or alive). Please don't hate or judge me for this. I totally respect others choices not to. Asian foods were as a child/teen with family - I did not know about how animals are sometimes treated prior to the food industry at that time.

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Thank you for not being upset with me @Former-Member 😊. It is very weird to say to people I have eaten the first one! I get the raised eyebrows - I am after all a female.

I have now googled "Les Hiddins" as I had not heard of him. I will add this to my list to read (as I need to go to bed ASAP). His shows could be quite interesting as I don't know much Bush Tucker / Aus. I have not yet been offered witchity grub. It will be a challenge for me to try it if/when I am, but according to my "life rules" I must!

@AlwaysMyself definitely not upset, jealous actually as I have the same philosophy of trying everything non lethal / non high risk once, and if I don't like it never again.

@Former-Member we’re here for you mate.

In chocolate we trust

Good morning @AlwaysMyself lol I didn't think of that! I know a little of my psych because I ask a lot of questions and been seeing him for so long. Whatever he tells me (not much) stays with me! Wasn't that a nice thing for @Historylover to share! He was where the rubber meets the road and came out appreciating the experience! It's raining here today so It'll be an indoors day. Not getting out will do my head in! I like to get out every day. That's a first world problem and I'm grateful for being well and safe! 💛

Yes, I do feel for and understand the downtrodden, @heartathome. After all, I'm one of them and I have 'inside information'. It doesn't take much to actually help people and it can save lives.

The biggest problem with 'mental illness' is the stigma people ascribe to it and it's difficult to get out from under the stigma. And that's just not acceptable. We've come a long way with homosexuality etc. It's time we all visited the pervasive rates of 'mental illness' in our society. I always use quotation marks as I believe that so called 'mental illness' is seriously misunderstood, even by the professionals—so what chance do the public have of understanding?

'Mental illness' doesn't just happen and is not self-induced (so we shouldn't blame the sufferer. That's just too convenient!), and I strongly disagree with those who believe that it is an imbalance of brain chemicals. It is an expression, in my opinion, of an individual's family history—which mis/shapes all of our personalities—and their experiences, including schooling, which further damage their sense of self-worth. They don't know how to be, how to behave, how to fit in. Of course, it's more complicated than this and I'm not an expert, but from what I see about me in society with the growing queues of those in need of help to disentangle the mess of their lives and reason, neither are the experts. They are all singing from the same hymn sheet and it's time to re-examinine it. What they've been taught is outdated.

I repeat, this is my opinion.

I couldn't help but chuckle at your son's $20 windfall! 😂

I hope my post is not out of line.

Well, @AlwaysMyself, you certainly have a selection of categorised friends! You're very lucky! I made the mistake of putting all of my eggs in one basket and that was a serious mistake. I'm a senior who hasn't yet found her feet and doesn't have family or friends. I thought I had friends until a few years ago, but that ended disastrously and left me high and dry. I'm trying to rebuild my life now and I am really asking what is a friend? How much do we need to have in common? And how can I make lifelong friends who can weather all storms with me? I'm, in a lifelong sense, unaccustomed to people working through their problems, just those who walk away from relationships when the mess of it all becomes considerable and the misunderstandings too great. This is completely new ground for me.

No-one I know dresses like me, dislikes pubs, loves— exclusively—opera and classical music, thinks our society has lost its values etc. I was thinking recently that I could lose my 'self' trying to fit in and I don't want to do that. This sense of self has been hard fought for. So I'm letting it all, hopefully, fall into place as it will. Time will tell. I'm still learning.

I share the same values as you. Respect, trust, truth, human decency are paramount. And that goes both ways.

As for board and lodging places, @AlwaysMyself, it seems to be one of those cracks the vulnerable can fall through. The place I lived at no longer exists. Owing to circumstances beyond my control, I am a renting senior. If, for some reason, I lost my now 35 year private tenancy, I am not able to afford more, would find a new area unsettling after all of this time, and would find buying a retirement village unit unacceptable owing to their, as I understand it, exorbitant exit fees which can leave you with less money than you entered with. And they can ask you to leave if you become infirm—so there is still no security even with your own home. Our society has left large areas of the population uncatered for. And no government can solve everything when they would lose office if they had the courage to make difficult decisions which caused disruption to the masses' comfort or upward social trajectory. I would very quickly lose office with the decisions I would make!

I don't think it's out of line @Historylover . Like you said, it's your opinion! I remember telling my psychiatrist that I didn't believe I had bipolar. He said that was okay and he'd treat me anyway. I just laughed. I trust him! Thanks for telling me about your thoughts on mental health. I don't know enough to make a comment on it, but my psych probably would. I also don't want to get into a disagreement. I looked at all the sides you spoke about and agree with most of it. My son is being treated for schizoaffective disorder with PTSD and depression. His diagnosis started off as drug induced psychosis. He's still hearing voices after 5 months of different medications. I think part of it is his own inner voice, which is very critical, demanding and nasty. He says the voices aren't mine and I'm grateful that he said that, but I believe some of them are probably mine. The only emotions that I knew back before therapy was glad, mad and sad! Hopefully each generation grows and evolves into healthier ways of dealing with emotions and thoughts. That's me at this minute. 💛

Hey @Historylover

I pretty much agree with all you said about so called mental illness. I am glad you had a decent psychiatrist.

I am very tokenistic about pubs. Many years will go by before I step into one. I am not tokenistic about music, and have sung many opera choruses.

I also have a sense of street people being close to my heart, because I have been there. But also done heaps of social justice work, from soup kitchen to Occupy movement.

@heartathome have you heard of Pete Walker

https://pete-walker.com/shrinkingInnerCritic.htm https://pete-walker.com/shrinkingInnerCritic.htm

@Former-Member @Glisten @Shaz51 hey

💙🍎