Portions at Chinese restaurants are sized to share. It's really great, but when you're only going to lunch with one other person, you're guaranteed to have leftovers. Often enough for a whole 'nother meal. This afternoon, Corey and I decided to take our leftovers to go since there was an extra large amount left.
We were walking down the street, and rendezvoused with a coworker. We were chatting and what not when I feel a tug on my bag of food. I turn around to see a near-toothless old man pulling at my bag. Confusion sets in, but it only gets worse when a woman (my guess is his daughter or something) starts speaking rather loudly and agitatedly at me in Chinese, gesturing that I should be giving my food to this man.
Thoroughly confused, I have no idea what to do. On the one hand, I'm all for giving my food to a (potentially) homeless man. He needs it WAY more than I do, it's a non issue. But then there is his daughter who is now pretty much yelling at me. Do I say no?
The decision is made from me when she just yanks the food out of my hand, and the two of them frolic down the street with my... err.. their lunch.
I could have said no. I could have made a scene. I could have yanked my food back, but really I just didn't know how to react to something like this. If it was just him, this would have been a non event, but really what happened was that my food was removed from my hands by someone so they could eat it themselves. No attempt was made to bridge the communication gap. She could have tried to make me understand the situation, but there was no concern there. No bother. She wanted my food, so she took it. I mean, there was no reason for her to assume that they were leftovers to be honest. They could have just as easily been my takeaway lunch.
As they walked away, Corey, Vicky (my coworker) and I were pretty stunned. I mean, it wasn't scary. It wasn't dangerous. It was just... weird. I mean, who does that?
I'm not sure how I feel about this, or how I'm supposed to feel either. Just... strange.
- S
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3 comments:
Well...I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be nice BUT I will say this:
You should have grabbed your food back because now you're like the woman in an all male prison...you're their bitch...now they're going to take your lunch whenever they want...
I know it's not in your character but if you were in jail, you would have kept your lunch...
It's a sad truth you point out. Next time I see the pair, I may have to beat them to death with my leftover Kung Pow Chicken and a pair of Chopsticks.
I feel like the rice won't add too much of a punch.
Wow, that's kind of fascinating... I gotta tell ya... either you're revered as a westerner in asia, or you're made well aware of the fact that you are an outsider and they are entitled to anything they want because they belong here and you don't. I've never seen anything like it.
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