Miserably painful first & last Chinese meal

Yesterday was a tough day. I had the strangest feeling in my life, sudden reminiscence and flashbacks struck me - how I miss my circle of friends – the party and non-party buddies, food and family back home. I finally felt what my friends gone through – the homesick attack. But somehow rather, I knew I was not close to the extreme – I was actually anticipating my sister’s arrival this weekend. She is flying to Zurich ( for her SIA duty ) and I believe she was my good reason I was already missing home.

Last Wednesday I went to a Chinese Restaurant ( Singaporean ). Not that I miss Chinese food but only for the good sake of my friend’s birthday request. I once promised myself I will never step into any Malaysian-related restaurant when clearly nothing match the price and quality we have back home. However, being in a foreign country, you do not have much say, I had to tolerate and abide by the majority, and the price to pay was completely unbearable. My hard earned RM60 went to just a bowl of Laksa, so miserable because when I thought about it again, I could have easily bought a considerably good Swatch watch by just forking another RM50-RM60!!!

While eating, Rahel ( my swiss gf ) who also took Laksa like me, ate with a stainless steel spoon, instead of the typical Chinese elegant-looking glass spoon which came along. So I asked her why, and when she said “Nah..this spoon does not fit my mouth” I was LOL. I wasn’t expecting anything like that from her. I burst into laughter, practically I was so loud that I could only hear myself in the restaurant, really. When I really laugh, you know I don’t stop. And that was how serious I was but after a while it wasn’t funny anymore but to me, it still was and I had to force myself into looking serious. No fun but my whole point was little things like that are beautiful cultural differences, clearly a clash of the West and East, isnt it? :)

Like when I just arrived work with my muffler and suit, my colleague was asking if I was cold. And I replied “of course, I was walking from the train station”. Then off she laughed again. I don’t really know what was exactly so funny, but yea…Of course, I am Asian ;)