Yay weekend is here, earlier today my friends invited me out for some Chinese food despite my hesitancy... you by now know what I mean by that but read on. It was so sweet of them come to think of it. A treat. It’s supposed to be a happy, feel good moment, right.
But let me tell you, this was not so pleasant experience. First, the seats were flat, cold and wooden so hard it pains my bum literally and the table you see on this photo that is of the same material as the seats so you get the idea. The plates felt like they came from a kids' party, not a restaurant I am missing the clanking clinking sound from porcelain plates or China. And the whole time I’m eating, this food is slowly making me feel... not great. To add insult to injury, the spinach soup that looked amazing in the menu photo was a total no show. I spent ages deciding on it, too only for the waitress to say not available. Come on. There is a free pot of tea I am not a fan of it, tasted like the flower Jasmine It felt like drinking the flower itself some of you may like it but this is not for me. Good thing we had coffee after this.
But the real pain isn’t from the hard seats or the questionable yellow and oily rice. It’s that this was a treat. Their treat. And if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been able to afford even this. This supposedly cheap outing. That feeling, that moment of realizing you’re so broke you have to rely on the generosity of other people for even a simple cheap meal. That hits you hard. It’s a very humbling, very sad kind of gratitude.
So while I'm smiling and saying thank you, on the inside I’m just thinking about how much I miss being able to buy my own bad Chinese food. One day, I will buy myself a plate of bad Chinese food and it will be glorious.
Until next time,
Grateful, but also a little heartbroken.