I've had a bunch of conversations lately about what people do and don't eat - vegetarians, Muslims, and of course, Jews.  Growing up in a committed but not uber-observant Jewish household, I was never forbidden from eating pork or shellfish or cheeseburgers, but somehow I grew into a dislike of pork.

I don't know whether was psychological, a precursor to my sensitive stomach (which really only reared its ugly head in the summer of traumatic 2001 after dinner at the 99 - seriously!), or what, but after a certain point in my youth I never liked bacon or ham, and roast pork made me queasy, and sausage made me out-and-out sick.

Until now.

See, I'm married to a Filipino.

It is now 100% impossible to avoid pork.  It's in the soup, it's in the noodles, and sometimes it's even in the chicken.  And I'm beginning to like it.  One of our "aunties" - not related exactly, but nearly - makes this ham...and it surprises the heck out of me every single time, but I always want more.

If there is some sort of a hell, I'm going there anyway, so I suppose it doesn't matter.

I just don't think I'll ever get used to seeing the snout on the table.