So...
We went to the Chinese Culture Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
www.mobot.org
The Chinese Fest isn't as big as the Japanese Fest in the fall (held every Labor Day Weekend), but it is growing quickly. We decide to eat lunch at the food court before entering the venue. Our choice: Emperor's Palace (the biggest Chinese Buffet in the St. Louis area) has a booth set up there, and we decide that this establishment is where we wish to spend our $$ - and our daily allotment of calories.
http://theemperorspalace.com/
I mean... C'mon. How much food can I get for $7? The calories can't be too high, eh?
Why is it, I ask of you, that when my ass was fat, nobody gave me food. Nobody. When they took a gander in my general direction, were "they" thinking "That chap has already had enough food - I'm not going to give him MORE??? The point is that when I was not watching my calories or trying to eat healthy, if I wanted food, I had to buy it myself. Now that I have forced myself to realize that I have several dietary restrictions (extremely limited gluten / flour intake, extremely low fat, low calorie, and relatively low sugar), people are hurling food in my general direction.
The $7 sampler plate that we ordered consisted of a bit of EVERYTHING at the booth. We ate until we though it wasn't safe to engorge ourselves any more, and I had to go back up to the booth and get 2 "To Go" containers for the food we couldn't poke in our mouths. At these events, we usually get just a bit more food than a sample, but not enough for a full meal. The folks that were working this booth saw my skinny ass approaching, and they decided that they needed to help me by throwing food at me. I do know one thing is certain:
You will definitely get your money's worth if you go to this booth!
There were a couple items on their menu that were "American Chinese" food, but most of it was fairly authentic, which is a rare find, in itself, due to the fact that many restauranteurs are selling out to a weaker and increasingly lazy American public by saying, "I will alter my menu according to your tastes." rather than "This is the food I offer you. This is the manner in which I like to prepare the food that I serve, and the image I like to portray to the public. It is wonderful if you like the food I serve. If you do not, I am sure there is a restaurant that will become a sell-out to you, and be your permanent bitch by changing their menu to suit your spoiled tastes, rather than to stick to their guns, but I am not that particular restaurant. Good luck to you in your search!"
Another little episode happened in my vicinity while we were enjoying our lunch. A little boy was sitting at the table next to us. I had an Almond Fruit cup (Almond Tofu / Fruit Cocktail / French Vanilla coffee creamer on top) sitting next to my plate. This was to be my desert. I have had this particular menu item several times in the past, and it is a personal favorite. The little boy (age: 6) said, "Mommy, what is that?" She answered, "Oh, that is yogurt. You won't eat that. You'll just say 'Yuck', and you won't eat it."
My intent is not to tell that woman how to mother her child. She should be aware, however, that she is quickly creating another individual that closely resembles herself, and you must trust me on this one when I say that we already have entirely too many people that live like that in this damned country. (Every one of my immediate family members comes to mind. Specifically, my sister, Jennifer, her daughter, Ashley, and to a large degree, her son, Jared).
What would I have done, instead of telling that child the same thing? I would have immediately told that child that he made an excellent choice, and I would have purchased one fruit cup for him, and one for myself. **That**, my friends is how to create an open mind. After all, an educated mind is an open one. A closed mind is, well - just that!
If you start introducing a child to other cultures **from birth** that child will grow up in a diverse world. where he will use his senses to the best of his ability to live on this planet, instead of using them to control those around him (which is what happens when one says, "I won't eat this.... I won't eat that.... I won't go there...I won't do that." THAT is all about control, not likes / dislikes, if you stop and think about it. A child that is exposed to different experiences will have a greater understanding of the world around him, and he will live a fuller, enriched life. If you want to know what the lack of this exposure will do to a child, you need to look no further than my own immediate family - and I do mean every one of them. Your view won't be pretty, folks, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better from here on out, if you know what mean.
- Michael
We went to the Chinese Culture Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
www.mobot.org
The Chinese Fest isn't as big as the Japanese Fest in the fall (held every Labor Day Weekend), but it is growing quickly. We decide to eat lunch at the food court before entering the venue. Our choice: Emperor's Palace (the biggest Chinese Buffet in the St. Louis area) has a booth set up there, and we decide that this establishment is where we wish to spend our $$ - and our daily allotment of calories.
http://theemperorspalace.com/
I mean... C'mon. How much food can I get for $7? The calories can't be too high, eh?
Why is it, I ask of you, that when my ass was fat, nobody gave me food. Nobody. When they took a gander in my general direction, were "they" thinking "That chap has already had enough food - I'm not going to give him MORE??? The point is that when I was not watching my calories or trying to eat healthy, if I wanted food, I had to buy it myself. Now that I have forced myself to realize that I have several dietary restrictions (extremely limited gluten / flour intake, extremely low fat, low calorie, and relatively low sugar), people are hurling food in my general direction.
The $7 sampler plate that we ordered consisted of a bit of EVERYTHING at the booth. We ate until we though it wasn't safe to engorge ourselves any more, and I had to go back up to the booth and get 2 "To Go" containers for the food we couldn't poke in our mouths. At these events, we usually get just a bit more food than a sample, but not enough for a full meal. The folks that were working this booth saw my skinny ass approaching, and they decided that they needed to help me by throwing food at me. I do know one thing is certain:
You will definitely get your money's worth if you go to this booth!
There were a couple items on their menu that were "American Chinese" food, but most of it was fairly authentic, which is a rare find, in itself, due to the fact that many restauranteurs are selling out to a weaker and increasingly lazy American public by saying, "I will alter my menu according to your tastes." rather than "This is the food I offer you. This is the manner in which I like to prepare the food that I serve, and the image I like to portray to the public. It is wonderful if you like the food I serve. If you do not, I am sure there is a restaurant that will become a sell-out to you, and be your permanent bitch by changing their menu to suit your spoiled tastes, rather than to stick to their guns, but I am not that particular restaurant. Good luck to you in your search!"
Another little episode happened in my vicinity while we were enjoying our lunch. A little boy was sitting at the table next to us. I had an Almond Fruit cup (Almond Tofu / Fruit Cocktail / French Vanilla coffee creamer on top) sitting next to my plate. This was to be my desert. I have had this particular menu item several times in the past, and it is a personal favorite. The little boy (age: 6) said, "Mommy, what is that?" She answered, "Oh, that is yogurt. You won't eat that. You'll just say 'Yuck', and you won't eat it."
My intent is not to tell that woman how to mother her child. She should be aware, however, that she is quickly creating another individual that closely resembles herself, and you must trust me on this one when I say that we already have entirely too many people that live like that in this damned country. (Every one of my immediate family members comes to mind. Specifically, my sister, Jennifer, her daughter, Ashley, and to a large degree, her son, Jared).
What would I have done, instead of telling that child the same thing? I would have immediately told that child that he made an excellent choice, and I would have purchased one fruit cup for him, and one for myself. **That**, my friends is how to create an open mind. After all, an educated mind is an open one. A closed mind is, well - just that!
If you start introducing a child to other cultures **from birth** that child will grow up in a diverse world. where he will use his senses to the best of his ability to live on this planet, instead of using them to control those around him (which is what happens when one says, "I won't eat this.... I won't eat that.... I won't go there...I won't do that." THAT is all about control, not likes / dislikes, if you stop and think about it. A child that is exposed to different experiences will have a greater understanding of the world around him, and he will live a fuller, enriched life. If you want to know what the lack of this exposure will do to a child, you need to look no further than my own immediate family - and I do mean every one of them. Your view won't be pretty, folks, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better from here on out, if you know what mean.
- Michael
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