Last night I ate dinner at Little Asia: Symphony of Flavors on Tomas Morato. Spent 315P for a bowl of rice, chicken satay, and bottomless iced tea. They stuck me in the corner near the stairs. The walls were of a vibrant red color, reminded me of my brother’s condo in Belltown. Considered about ordering their fried frog legs, but opted not to, would have ordered it if I was with someone more daring…Megan comes into mind.
When I eat out by myself, I usually try to look as if I’m busy and occupied while waiting for my food. I brought along a copy of 1984 last night, spaced off while pretending to read. Whenever I eat out by myself here, I walk into a restaurant and there is not a single person other than myself eating alone. Everyone is with family and friends, and I try not to get too homesick but I can’t help but reminisce the weekly dinner’s my siblings and I would have in Seattle. Our favorite and frequent stops: dim sum at New Kowloon, Japanese cuisine at one of the tatami rooms in Maneki, and “real” Chinese food at Ocean City Café in the International District. I’m also reminded of my best friends at the “lambda lambda cool” house. How we have our cultural nights once a month, which just consisted of eating out at restaurants that served a specific type of ethnic cuisine Ethiopian, Greek, Persian, Indian etc.
I use to hate eating alone. I still kind of do, but it has grown on me. I’m more aware of my surroundings when I’m by myself. I noticed that the people at the table next to me were speaking Chinese (I couldn’t make out which language, reminded me of that Mano Po movie). They were Chinese Filipino or is it Filipino Chinese? Distinguished themselves from the rest by speaking another language, but all I could think about was how they were using forks and spoons like Filipinos do. Why didn’t they use chopsticks I asked? Do they know how to use chopsticks?
Someone at the other table was celebrating a birthday. The waiters came out with a cake and a single candle. They sang happy birthday in Chinese and then in English. I thought this was interesting, two foreign languages…is there a birthday song in Filipino or in the other vernacular languages? --I thought to myself. I don’t remember anyone singing to me in Cebuano on my birthday. Maybe I’ll make that a special request on my 22nd birthday next week.
1 comment:
good post. i like the style and focus.
somebody told me that the ultimate sign of independence is being able to eat and watch a movie in a theatre by yourself (not at the same time, but apparently you can over in those megamalls right?)
"i was cryogenically frozen because i liked the old west, and i thought time was circular"
-futurama
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