I read an article about a vegetarian couple who spent a Thanksgiving holiday with some down home, meat eating relatives in Iowa. It was pretty funny. I related with it on so many levels. Not because I'm a vegetarian, though, because I'm not, but I know what it's like to be out of my element. It reminded me of a nice, but somewhat peculiar picnic.
I was living in Germany at the time. Many of the other military wives were not Americans. Military life really reflects a wide range of people. There was a new lady in the housing area, and one of the husbands mentioned that she was homesick. There were no other Korean ladies in the immediate area at that moment, so we felt bad for her. We had a little picnic one afternoon while the husbands were away at training. The food, naturally, was quite diverse. My friend Pam and I, both American, made fried chicken and cornbread. Other wives, German, Mexican, and the new Korean lady, made foods from their own cultures and we had a nice little potluck. Some of it was good, some yucky, and I'm sure all the others felt the same. Still, it was a nice time. I even choked down some kimchi because I didn't want to be rude to the poor lady who was so homesick. It was horrible, but she really seemed like a very sweet lady, and Pam and I knew very well what it was like to be homesick.
It was an interesting day. Pam and I were able to cook an American favorite, sample other foods, welcome a new lady, and even diffuse an argument between the Mexican lady and one of the German ladies. It started out something like, "Were your parents Wetbacks?" "No. Were your parents Nazis?" Yikes.
Anyway... Not all international events are conducive to satisfying one's appetite. Sure, we ate some of the other food, but when it was all over...
"Whew. What a day, huh?"
"Yeah. I'm hungry. You hungry?"
"I'm starving, but there ain't no fried chicken left."
"Well... it does seem that we sort of forgot to put out that last bucket."
"Yeah, we did, didn't we? We sure as hell did. And that last pan of cornbread, too."
"Race me to the kitchen?"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Whats your favourite food?
ReplyDeleteI actually love Kimchi. Even though other people don't particularly love being around me after I've eaten it.
ReplyDeleteI know what it's like to be out of my element, even in my own family. Many a time, that's just a way of life for me.
I became good friends with several people in law school who were of different nationalities. One night we went out with a friend whose husband who is from Mexico. He took us to an authentic Mexican restaurant and it was SO yummy. Another friend is from India and she took us to an Indian buffet restaurant where I tried goat. It was okay - a bit tough.
ReplyDeleteAren't they fun? Had a couple of those while living at the women's shelter. Unforgettable!
ReplyDeleteI don't know for sure, K. It changes. I really like salmon. I like really cold and juicy fresh fruits from the refrigerator. Especially tangerines, nectarines, and plums.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should say that, Lily. *I* couldn't stand being around me after I ate it. I'm always out of my element. I think that's why I related so much to the article about the vegetarians at Thanksgiving.
Oh, Enola! Yummy. I LOVE Indian food. I once dated an Indian chef. He sort of dumped me. But I ate well in the meanwhile.
That one was totally unforgettable, Amanda. Especially the kimchi. I must stop thinking of food at this hour. Sunday morning I ate leftover pizza and got heartburn. Now I crave schnitzel. Which is ridiculous because I'm not really hungry right now and there is no place open that could cook it anyway.