I hardly ever skip breakfast, for me it is the most important meal of the day, without it I may as well stay in bed all day - I'm just a nightmare to be around.
As a student for three years I've lived with people who frankly have the worst eating habits in the world, particularly when it comes to breakfast. I've seen people tucking huge fry-ups, mountains of toast, and basically anything greasy and left over, most commonly pizza and garlic bread from the night before.
But a week away in Howden with some students from my MA course, and 3 years of living in student accommodation with stomach churning meals was starting to look normal.
My week in Howden highlighted the total cultural differences between people from different countries. Food in China and Japan is not only totally different, with completely different flavours, ingredients, and textures, but its role in daily life is so totally opposing to ours that it is almost alien to us.
I was amazed by the food habits I witnessed over the five day stay. My incredibly slim Chinese colleagues eat more in a day than I do in three, and they just don't seem to exercise. I have to say I was astonished, and spent most of my time there wondering 'just where do they put it all?' - and ultimately going slowly green with envy.
I witnessed tiny-waisted Amy putting away the largest selection of pub lunches I've ever seen in my life, slender Lillian eating hundreds of cream crackers, and astoundingly, super slim (could be a male model) Taka shovelling food in his mouth like a human dustbin.
But the daily breakfast rituals that I witnessed were nothing short of shocking. For my Chinese and Japanese colleagues breakfast was not just a necessity but a daily indulgence, where anything and everything considered edible is up-for-grabs.
Everyday I sat down with my bowl of Asda Price Cornflakes and soy milk, only to be faced with a table of my bleary eyed friends wolfing down plates of the most unusual breakfast dishes I have ever seen. I'm not really sure how anyone can start their day with a bowl of tuna pasta bake, chocolate biscuits, or a large slab of chocolate cake, but somehow they did.
I watched in wonder at the various dishes everyday. For breakfast, it would seem, anything goes. It is not only the most important meal of the day, but a chance to real pig out, and fill yourself up for the day ahead. I saw my friends scoff down, among other things, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, left over pasta bake, all accompanied by gallons of hot water and a large variety of exotic teas.
By far the strangest thing I witnessed, and, I'm sorry to say, the most revolting, had to be watching Taka stuff his face with stuffing and chilli sauce on toast - makes my stomach turn just remembering it.
What amazed me is that by lunchtime they were always starving, racing for a cafe, and snacking on cream crackers - how do they do it? It was incredible to watch, and by the end of our stay I was green with envy, and starting to feel weird for only eating toast and cereal for breakfast - I must be missing out on a trick somewhere and a feast.
So as much as I still think that chocolate cake for breakfast is not a good idea, particularly if you want to live a long healthy life, I might begin to spread my wings a little bit on the breakfast front, and possibly try eggs, or pancakes.
But, somehow, I don't think you will be seeing me abandoning my cornflakes and soya latte anytime soon.
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