I will always remember the times when my friends and I shared great times at the fast food restaurants and how much fun we had whenever we cooked during the barbeques on weekends.
Once, when it was my birthday, my friends and I decided to go to MacDonald's. We walked about a mile to get to the restaurant but we sang songs all along the way there. We told jokes and recounted the funny happenings that we encountered during the day or those that happened in school. On reaching the McDonald's we would comment on the posters of the toys they were giving away and had a good laugh over it. Then we would go to the drive-in and pretend we were sitting in a car when we were actually sitting in a shopping trolley. One person would be sitting in the trolley holding his arms in front of him as if he were holding a steeringwheel and another would push him from behind while the rest of us watched and laughed. We'd get a few frowns from the waitress but it didn't matter to us. All we cared about was the fun we had there. We would then go in and order super king sized double layered burgers, which are bigger than our faces, and make fun of each other's comical eating pose. We thoroughly enjoy every meal we have and grateful that it has made us feel so pleasant.
Another time, my parents took me and two of my best friends out to the beach for a barbeque party. It was an amazing experience which I enjoyed very much. We reached the beach after an hour of driving and then laid out all the barbeque equipments we had brought along. It included a small metal casket like thing where we put the charcoal and a long shiny fork that was used to pierce the chicken and beef. My mom had prepared a large quantity of meat that was mixed with all kinds of sauce to create an original taste. The sauce was quite hot and tasted like tomatoes and chili but I did not know what was really in the sauce. I loved my mother's cooking and her food always seems so appealing. My father would be the one who, with a fan in hand, looked through the process of making sure the fire was the correct temperature and the meat stayed tender. He would say it was his area of expertise and he did a good job of making delicious, soft and juicy meat. My friends I would play in the sand all morning and come back, hungry and eager for the food that we attracted us from a mile away. These all relate to the great times I had whenever we got amazing food around us.
I think that food and tradition are closely linked together. We often see people of different races around the world identifying themselves by the food that they usually eat. We would say that dumplings are the main kind of food in China, Macaroni or pizza from Italy, biryani from India. It is a way for people to telling others who they are and what type of traditions they have. Food not only lets us enjoy living life more but also provides us with a new experience each day. It can brighten up your days when you're depressed or it can entertain a person who is bored. Food can bring out the distinct characteristics of a nation and the popular choice. For example, in United States of America, a large portion of the population think that fast food is a way of life and they cannot imagine life without it. In China, people believe that food is a vital part of their life and they have special dishes for the different occasions throughout the year. These dishes have their individual meanings and story behind it. During spring festival, people all over China would sit in front of their chairs and eat dumpling that they had made that morning.
It is believed that eating the dumpling would bring you luck and prosperity for the following years to come. Although, it is a myth, everyone still follows the tradition because it has been integrated into our culture and lifestyle.
Another aspect of food is that it bring family together. Very often, we would see a group of family members get together at a table during New Year to eat a dinner or lunch together. No matter what pops up during the day, a member of the family would always try to get back home and have dinner with his or her family.
My mother would occasionally try to teach me to cook and we would always end up with a big mess on the kitchen tables and a lot of vegetable peels in the sink.
It would be a fun afternoon and I enjoy learning to cook with my mom every time. She would actually do all the cooking herself but she takes pleasure in telling me how everything works and what sauce to add for which dish and so on. I would usually take a break from studying just to visit her in the kitchen and she would constantly tell me all about the new recipe she had seen on television or some new dish she had picked up from a cook book.
This experience kept me close to my family and created a bond in our relationships. I think that food is a very effective way of getting people together and creating a relaxing environment. Not only does food bring out the differences in people but also their similarities. I do not merely accept food as a requirement for survival but rather a enjoyment in life.
pictures:
family at the table pic: nurturingfaith.wordpress.com/
beach: httpmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.commediaphoto-s01280a70beach-barbeque.jpg
kitchen sink: http://images.veer.com/IMG/PIMG/BLP/BLP0007303_P.JPG
Chinese dumplings: http://www.fenfenyu.com/JDWPPath/三鲜饺子.jpg
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