[讨论]英语随笔-小镇意境,05.2午餐择位[原创]

Johnlakeshore

英语随笔-小镇意境,05.2午餐择位[原创]
Would U mind sitting only inside? The lady asked.

英语随笔- 小镇意境,05.2午餐择位[原创]
-Would U mind to sit only inside? The lady asked.

午餐, -So happy that we finally saw a Chinese restaurant, though it was the only place in town as we were told, but it was really a surprise for us. It proved my guess was not wrong that Chinese food is everywhere.

The food was in Hong Kong (or Cantonese) style, to be more accurate. The Hong Kong accented Lady-Boss greeted us in great hospitality. I specially requested to add bit more “spicy” as I pointed at menu.

Feeling myself in comfort and peace, while seated waiting for food, I was glad for being able to eat something from ‘homeland’; my mind escaped pretty far, and flashed back to the trips many years ago.

When you away from home for a while, say about a week or two  you would be hit by a sudden hunger for something homemade to eat after your want to taste outlandish foods died out curiously, the desire grew fast for a feast the way you used to.

Unfortunately, in some occasions, the food named same in style of homeland, but the tastes differed strangely, perhaps, it is result of variety of customers. Some thing called ‘Mandarin’ might be mixed with never-known flavors. Same as McDonalds and ‘KFC’ in China now, I suppose, tastes got changed with meeting local requirement. Sadly, food tastes are easily alienated from their origins.

However, one thing I am quite sure of, that people at home see having something foreign as a great pleasure for holiday dinners, at week-end tables; or when having party with friends; but for those left homeland would be definitely missing what their countrymen eat at home. Normally, the food no matter how it had been cooked, more ‘home-style’ the better, something provincial you would never eat, by this time they were so tasty, delicious, and even mouth-watering, just thought of it.

Sounds a bit foolish, maybe, if you ask yourself, of what make the food differed from nation to nation, when you sit in west-styled hotels in your city; at a gathering with friends for week-ends; a business reception; who would have his mind occupied by this silly questioning; Wasting your appetite to the food attempting right in front of you, thinking what makes the difference in breakfasts between West and East?

‘Your food is coming, please enjoy it’ ‘Good’, and ‘Thanks’ I was awake and served by a man accented northern in his mid-age ……

It was a “Sliced Pork Meat ( Fried Twice, 回锅) with Veggies, single dish, yet very Spicy” as it should be to my special ordering, very ‘northern’, ‘home-land flavored’ as I missed that.

Though food on menu was very affordable, we decided not to order much for we were not lucky as to be sit outside in the open; a window seat could be the only option. Then we led ourselves into a right corner next to the window with a view to the sunny street.

As we could imagine, there were not many guests inside, this was totally differed from what we used to hear, “Please, we have a more decent room, quite 'in-side', back there’ as we would normally heard in many eating places back home. Maybe intimacy and comforts placed only number two importance to the reputations of the food. Sunshine could never be considered at same place as the food itself or price, otherwise.

As I could recall, an outside seating might be charged little more than those inside ones, even the tips, if you were touring the Europe, this really interested me for long time; only, as if sunshine days are too rare? The Chances of being exposed to the sun are too little? This tradition can be easily traced in Northern America, where winters are even longer, and severer.

It reminded me, a while ago, I saw on the street two elderly ladies dined outside of a shop, before we came to this Chinese one.

In a moment, I noticed, there were an elderly couple seated next to ours, seemed ready to end their launch. But what amazed me was not the food but an interesting conversation we carried out shortly after the greetings I started.

Food, quickly consumed, I intended to have a little talk with them more than just Hello and Hi. So, I cleared my voice… started a chatting which impressed me even more than the food I ate.

When I stood on the street again, I turned my second look at this Chinese place, as if to remember the place for a return. I had a photo taken. Not very big, renovated from an ordinary house, colored heavily in red; having 10 to 12 outside seats; It was named “飞腾阁” very Chinese.

To be continued……

湖畔呓者,习于: 788 words / Sunday, December 17, 2006

No man is an island, entire of itself..;

Notes from writer:
*if realy interested in this type of writing, please search  MSN live search by akeside2020,
there are a few more pieces to share, yours comments are always welcomed. @@

[此贴子已经被作者于2007-1-12 1:28:02编辑过]