Just Eat It, Please!

Whoever is stuck in any of these lifestyles – “live to eat or eat to live” – it’s not worth arguing – it’s somebody’s business. My flesh and spirit are telling me to set aside those meticulous behaviors or unnecessary nosiness for it only triggers judgment.

Let it be a plain comment then or a gentle persuasion rather than a provoking remark driven by one’s aggressive opinion. I don’t have any cruel intentions after all – just want to make my spoken statement into words about my life as an outsider.

So grateful for those countless excursions in the past, the many cultural exposures, and this seemingly endless immersion to go into detail among insiders – not a resident yet, for they have been wonderful experiences of growing and learning.

Exactly thirteen years to reckon – both the joy and struggle in the hands of different hosts – to stand alongside with what insiders think cool – now my chance to put them in one frame but memoirs of dos and don’ts in eating local food. And with constant reminder (got lost track the number of times though), I had to remind myself again and again and again about this existing standard operating procedure (S.O.P.) – just eat it, please!

When I started living a lifestyle not my own, putting off a comfort zone was one of those non-negotiable sacrifices. But then someone and a situation had to remind me of that or else had a tendency of misbehaving. It was always a hygiene issue rather than being picky – I eat anything. 

It only went for a very short while, the rest of these years I’m so adjusted with eating scenario. Many times they’ve got me feeling that I’m not really different from them – any exotic food or those funny ones  they just don’t upset me.

“Your stomach is made in Japan.” An insider joked. It was his way of saying that I have a strong stomach. For me, it’s a gift to understand God’s grace deeper because every meal doesn’t always please our eyes or our tongues. But we must eat it as much as importantly possible.

Thanks to mentors and to adaptable outsiders for living up as examples and for unraveling your secrets in this area – you all deserve a commendation for this golden lesson.

A decade and three years is already a long way to learn and relearn this stuff, an epoch – now it’s time to speak out my mind. I’m going to reverse the scenario and address insiders some valuable lessons. Let say, have them step into my shoes, and have themselves reminded as well of this simple S.O.P. – just eat it, please!

Tried to be in the cool side all this time, but when offering insiders some food that I cooked myself occasionally, they won’t even touch it. They still preferred their own cuisines. It’s just so ironic from reality – you eat theirs and they don’t eat yours.

Internet has a lot to offer about getting informed culturally or more than that regarding eating local food, but seldom about having insiders consider the possibility likewise. It’s always the insider has to learn about adjustment, flexibility, adaptability, blah, blah, blah. This is just a lame information or way of educating people. Duality plays a safer side.

I’m not really sold out with this idea, and so had to teach my kids at the center to start exploring things outside their comfort zones.

There is no harm in trying – that’s one good reason. It’s not like they die or get sick for eating pizza or spaghetti or hamburger or… Just eat it, please, and you’ll know how it tastes like. It isn’t my intention to have them eat these food everyday either – trying is different from indulging. I respect a healthy lifestyle, and it’s always a choice.

Besides, life doesn’t evolve in one particular place or in one specific culture or in known comfort zone or in one familiar home or in common way of life – at times it varies – take it or leave it. Like outsiders in countless dilemmas, these kids will soon see themselves in the same boat – the question is how willing they are to step in – tell themselves…just eat it, please. 

So who needs this cultural orientation aside from outsiders? Shouldn’t authors who are writing books about this particular concern orient insiders as well? 

“Just eat it, please!”  I think this applies to both outsiders and insiders – if one is willing.