A Little Good News: Taste of Asian Food

My mother-in-law was kind enough to watch J while I escaped to a cultural feasting event a couple of weeks ago. It was called "Taste of Cultures", but it really should have been called "Taste of Asian Food", since almost everything there was Asian. Then again, we are in the Pacific Northwest, so I guess that's to be expected. What was I thinking??

When we got there (Braden's dad works at the university where it was held), there were national flags up all along the walls, so I headed straight for Mexico. I get to the table, and I'm trying in vain to figure out what the crap is in front of me, so I finally given in and ask, "Um, what is this?" The kid standing there says, "Oh, that's [insert gross Americanized food here]." Mmkay, thanks...zoooomm down the table. Come to find out that the flags behind each table do not correspond in any way to the food in front of them. Silly me! Besides, how many Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Korean flags could you put up, really?

I went to the other side of the gym, and, I kid you not, everything was Asian, all the way down to the end of the line. Good thing I've learned to like some of it, otherwise I would have been out of luck! It was pretty good stuff. I felt bad, because I have this problem called "FREE FOOD...MUST GET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, OR I WILL EXPIRE HERE AND NOW...oops, i'm full." So I had two plates literally piled up, plus a couple of little cups of soup. Another problem was that it took so long to get everything that by the time I sat down to eat, most of my food was cold. I cowboyed up, though, you better believe it. I shoveled as much food down as I humanly could...which, okay, let's be honest here, was really not all that much. I really do have every intention to eat what I've put on my plate at the time I get it, I promise!! :)

In the middle of eating, we see that someone in full African tribal clothing is making her way around the room, asking who is brave enough to have a headdress tied on her/him. And, oh, oh, my friends, I was brave enough. Little did I know *why* bravery came into the equation: she tied it on so tightly that I think my head exploded. I actually think I'm politely saying, "Um, it's a little tight..." in this picture: