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{chinatown delight} 12/31 #sol18



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The March Slice of Life Story Challenge
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My husband Jon's co-worker from his previous job invited us to lunch downtown. It has been four years since the last time we got together. I wasn't too thrilled about the commitment, but we agreed to go as a family ... with many grumbles.

"Hey, I'm not very excited about this, but we need to be respectful and try to enjoy ourselves, myself included," I told the girls as we were making the hour drive in traffic on a Saturday afternoon to Chicago.

We arrived and then it hit me. I have never been to Chinatown. I snapped some photos as we walked to the restaurant. We were showered with welcomes and hugs. And then the food served Dim Sum style. Our hosts continued to order all their favorites for us to taste and enjoy.



"Are those chicken wings?" Jon inquired.

His buddy laughed. "No! My favorite! Chicken feet!"

Jon laughed along with him, but I could see the worry in his face.

"You should have left it at chicken wings!"

We were all out of our comfort zone for the food selections. Yet, we made the best of it. The girls and I nibbled and taste-tested many choices finding that we liked the rice the best. The tea was delicious too!

Our hosts mentioned that they had another surprise for us at the end of the meal. Again, I was a little concerned as we walked to the next stop in Chinatown.


Here we were surprised with Thai ice cream. This was a delectable treat! And to watch them make the ice cream was incredible ... it's made right in front of you on a cold slab, smoothed out thin and rolled. Such a treat!

We made the best of the experience and I was so proud of my girls for being respectable and trying a variety of unknown foods with interesting textures and tastes. We walked a few more blocks to take in the experience and take some photos.

I expressed my gratitude to our old friends. "We would have never experienced anything like this on our own. Thank you for today!"

We hopped in the car and the girls summed it up best: "That was actually a lot of fun."









Comments

  1. There are times when we need to step outside of our comfort zones and try new things. We had Cuban food with Dick & Phyl - it was actually pretty good. Glad the girls tried some of the food - I'm sure they liked the ice cream the best.

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  2. Sounds like fun! But I understand your trepidation too. At least you left full of ice cream!

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  3. Trying new foods and stepping out of your comfort zone is a great way to become more of a risk-taker and to be open to other cultures. Glad you got to experience this and expose your daughters to it as well!

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  4. What a fun discovery! Of course you had a great guide to lead you through all the unknown foods. I loved the way your attitude was not too great at the beginning, but reflecting on your day, you discovered it truly was fun.

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