The unexpected benefits of buckweat

I know that mood swings are to be expected and that it is perfectly normal to go from heightened elation to profound unease in my situation so I should just rationalise what goes through my mind and wait for all these extremes to settle down, however it is not always so easy so it's with a grumpy and foul temper that I set off to take my morning walk.

Nothing appeals to me today, the sky is grey and it rained earlier this morning meaning the air is heavy and damp, there is absolutely no breeze and I feel the world has far too many Asians living in it for my liking, the big malls look cheap and dated and everything feels fake and artificial.

I set out to complete my shopping task for the day and that is buying a pair of socks for Max. Easier said than done because sizes in this place are here, there and everywhere and clearly the shop assistant does not have a pair from an open pack to show me so I need to buy a pair and hope for the best.

This means that even my shopping experience leaves me feeling a bit deflated.

It's too hot to walk outside so I dive down the escalators of the Paragon shopping mall for a little cool air and a look at the food courts.

The food stalls are slightly different than usual and are more like little restaurants than stalls anyway. I pause at the New Zealand ice cream shop but I need to keep my resolve and remember I have a juicy banana waiting for me at home. This does nothing to help my mood though it does wonders for my hips.

Round a corner I see a little crowd in front of a window. I amble close to it to see what the interest is all about. It's a Japanese restaurant specialising in buckweat noodles. Outside the restaurant a big sign tells you about the benefits of buckweat, how it removes cholesterol, how it improves one's mental functions and how it is good for the digestive system. "Humbug" I think but still move closer to the window.

In a small space a man in chef's attire and hat is slowly but steadily flattening sheets of dough with a rolling pin. To his left a milling machine . The whole grain falls through a funnel and then it is crushed between two round stones. The flour falls onto a sieve and then it's conveyed to a bucket of white, powdery flour and one of dark grey bran. While this is happening the chef is still flattening the dough and when the sheet reaches a certain length, he stops, slowly takes out a knife and cuts it in two. At the end, when he has 6 sheets he dusts each one in flour, always painstakingly slowly and then places one on top of the other. With a knife he pairs the sides and removes the extra bits. He picks up more flour and dusts the table. Then he picks up a larger knife and a wooden block. He pairs the knife edge to the block and in controlled movements slices expertly through the dough. In a couple of seconds he has created a handful of noodles all identical in width and length. He stops, he picks up the noodles and shakes the excess flour off and then places them carefully on a sheet of paper in a tray. He repeats this operation another 5 times always slowly, always peacefully.

I am hypnotized by his movements and expertise and my mood is lifted at the joy of experiencing such beauty, of seeing something so real and so close to art. Clearly another benefit of buckweat then.