Yum Cha!

I don’t know if I find this funny, worrisome, or just sad.

I enjoy Dim Sum, or “Yum Cha”, depending on which part of the world you’re in. I will try new things, but am still too western in my thinking to get down with chicken feet – and my dislike of tripe makes me stay away from the beef tripe when it rolls by in a little steaming silver cart. And I get worried about silly things like, will the waitress think I’m stupid, what if I don’t pronounce the dish correctly when I order it – anyway, I get through this and order. Generally I’m with friends, sometimes with someone that speaks Chinese, sometimes not. But every time I’ve had a delicious meal, and I always want a lotus/sesame ball.

So, when I was with friends this evening and heard the following I didn’t know what to think.

Rog and his wife went for a Chinese meal this past weekend in Chinatown in LA. Their favorite place was closed, so they went upstairs to the Dim Sum place.

They knew what Dim Sum is, but didn’t “know” what it was. He explained they were expecting a menu, so after sitting down and having the lady arrive with a cart offering the steaming dumpling she had within the cart, they were thrown for a loop. Hence, they waved her on, the next lady was approaching, they looked at each other, said “no” (to each other in the way that couples have), and left. In the space of about 30 seconds.

Then, I was asked by Amanda where I’d gone on my vacation. I said Thailand. The rest of the conversation went like this:

Amanda:
OH! Have you been to Thailand before?

Me:
No, but now I have!

Amanda:
Did you like it?

Me:
YES! IT was AMAZING! Great people, great food, it was just awesome. I loved it! I would really love to go back.

Amanda:
So, did you meet any nice Taiwanese guys on your trip?

Me:
......Yes...... I did, in Taiwan. I also met some super nice Thai guys in Thailand. That’s where I went, Thailand.

Anyway…..

I’m not sure which interaction disturbs me more, and I’m not sure if I’m mad at myself for being disturbed. I have SO confused people and places before; I’ve also been worried about new experiences. Then again, the new experiences worries have generally been in a country I’m visiting rather than the one I was born and live in.

However, these are people that can vote in this country that I’m currently living in, and have some very definite views on immigration and other subjects.