Inspiration Words: Prancing and Brunch
“Have some more, we have plenty!” Anne tried to smile as her boyfriend’s mom heaped cow stomach and some other unidentifiable animal insides on top of her bowl of rice.
“It’s okay; I can get it myself. Don’t worry about me.” Anne tried to decline the generous gift of what the woman viewed to be the choicest delicacies on the table.
“Don’t be shy! Eat up!” The woman smiled.
Anne looked to her Chinese boyfriend, Johnson, for help (even though she used his Chinese name around his family, she still thought of him mostly by his English name), but he was distracted in a deep Chinese conversation with his dad about housing prices in the city. She caught fragments of the conversation, but not enough to be able to join in.
Anne smiled at Johnson’s mom, who was watching her to see if she enjoyed the food. Anne picked up a piece of the stomach, which seemed like the safest option, and put it in her mouth. It was chewy, and she wasn’t sure exactly when to swallow, so she decided to just swallow quickly. Johnson’s mom looked away and started talking to her sister. Sure that no one was watching, Anne sneaked some of the intestines into Johnson’s bowl—he would enjoy them more than she would.
She had thought brunch would be a safe choice to avoid food she wasn’t quite used to, but apparently intestines are a menu option even at morning tea restaurants. She reached for a steamed bun that was decorated to look like a pig. This one was one of her favorite buns, since it was filled with a sweet sauce made from yellow beans and sugar. The whicker steamers in the center of the table were filled with a variety of both sweet and savory buns, She was glad to let everyone else eat cow stomach if she could fill her bowl with steamed buns.
“What’s your job?”
Anne looked up at Johnson’s dad, who had asked the question. She had just taken a bite of the bun, so she tried to chew and swallow quickly.
“She’s a teacher,” Johnson said, helping her out.
Anne finally swallowed, “Yeah, I teach university students.”
“Oh, what subject do you teach them?” Johnson’s mom asked.
“I mostly help them prepare for the spoken English portion of the IELTS exam, since my students need a high score in order to go to England to continue studying.”
“That’s great! What a good job.” Johnson’s parents said.
“Johnson’s sister is also a teacher, but she teaches kindergarten.” Johnson’s mom said.
“Oh, that’s nice!” Anne smiled at Johnson’s sister, who sat on the other side of the round table. “We’ll have to share teacher stories later.”
Johnson’s parents asked her several more questions about her family and her time in China, and Anne was relieved she could understand most of what they said and answer all of the questions. The brunch seemed to be going well, which was a relief, since it was her first time to meet Johnson’s parents. Well, what had started out as meeting his parents had turned into meeting his entire family, since Johnson’s aunt, uncle, and their family, as well as Johnson’s older sister, her husband, and her small daughter had also been invited.
Johnson’s niece was currently prancing about the table in the private room, ignoring her mom’s urging to eat some more noodles, another staple at Chinese brunch. The little girl wore a pink princess dress, and she seemed to be imagining she was at a ball in a castle, rather than at a brunch with her uncle’s new foreign girlfriend. Anne smiled at the girl as she danced around the chairs. She sure is cute! And she reminds me so much of my niece back home. I guess it’s universal—no kid will choose sitting calmly in a chair for a meal over running around playing.
Anne tried to eat slowly, making sure to always keep food in her bowl so no one would think she was going hungry and give her more food to eat. She tried to think of interesting things to say, and when Johnson’s mom looked back in her direction, she was ready.
“There sure has been a lot of rain lately, wouldn’t you say?” Anne asked.
“Oh, yes! Did you bring an umbrella today? It will probably rain this afternoon.”
“Yes, I have my umbrella.”
“Good.”
“At this time of year, it’s best to always keep an umbrella in your bag,” Johnson’s aunt joined the conversation.
“Yes, definitely,” Anne agreed.
Anne’s conversation skills failed her at this point. She always had a harder time being chatty when she was speaking in Chinese. Johnson leaned toward her and squeezed her hand under the table.
“You should ask my mom about her new dog!”
His mom heard the comment and immediately took out her phone, “You really have to see these pictures; he’s absolutely adorable!”
Anne was thankful for the new conversation to keep all of their attention, and she smiled at Johnson before leaning over to look at the pictures and murmur her admiration of the fluffy, white dog. He really was cute—just a tiny puppy. “My family has a dog in America, and I remember when he was that small,” she said. “When he was a puppy, he would sleep on my lap—now when I go back to America, sometimes he still tries to. I think he doesn’t realize how big he is now!”
The rest of the meal passed smoothly, and when they finished eating, the family stood to leave. Anne smiled in relief, and also pleasure, at finally meeting these people who were such a big part of the man she was growing to know and care for. Their kindness was genuine, and even if Americans didn’t usually show their welcome with cow stomach, Anne realized these people were quite similar to her own family.
“Goodbye!” Anne said at the entrance to the restaurant as she and Johnson headed toward the subway station and his parents, toward a bus stop.
Johnson’s dad patted Johnson’s shoulder in farewell.
“Have a good rest this afternoon,” his mom said.
Anne smiled and waved. “Do you wanna have a video call with my parents later tonight?” she asked as they walked away. “They’re so much like your parents—I think you’ll like them.”
“Good idea,” Johnson said.