"Do you know what the word 'etiquette' means?"
Gaël's favorite foods are pizza, pasta, hamburgers, smoothies, crepes…and cupcakes? ("Dad you know I have a lot of favorite foods" - also adding that he has many favorite friends). The red, white and blue part of me is pleased, but the world is both broad and wide. Full of flavor. Even I know that. To quote Bourdain:
"Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once."
Powerful words - ones that resonate. Ones potentially to live by. They give me that itch, to leave the stresses of Seattle in Seattle and hit the wide open road. Two travel duffels hastily and poorly packed, big bright eyes and an open heart - ready for adventure. It has always seemed to me that the only excitement that matches leaving is the excitement of coming home after a long trip…
Sadly our escape must wait. Bills, work, school and the general weight of adulthood serve as an anchor for the time being.
So in the spirit of Bourdain, I have declared Tuesday as the official "eat-something-new-or-else" night. A break from the hamburgers. A break from the pizza. A break from the pasta. Never a break from ice cream.
The loose goal is to find a cuisine that Gaël has never tried before and to get him to eat at least one bite.
On this particular rainy night the intention leads us to a small Ethiopian cafe in North Seattle. Breaking injera with a small motley crew. I've bragged to the New York contingent that the brother/sister team that runs the place serves "proper portions" unlike the hipster den we went to in Brooklyn.
The waitress asks if we want the food spicy. In my infinite wisdom I respond, "you choose". In my opinion, it's best not to have an opinion at a restaurant. Do you really think you know what's better than the person who has been serving the food for years? Be polite, kind and nice (you are at a table and table manners are in play) and let them steer the ship.
A giant fermented flatbread covered in every mix of vegetables and meat under the sun arrives. On it a whole world full of bright colors and smells. I am a good dad. This is heaven.
Gaël takes his first tentative bite and immediately his jaw drops open and he begins sucking big lungfuls of air. His hands wave wildly, generating gusts of wind in my direction. Before I can do a single thing he begins screaming "HOT! HOT! HOT!". I am a bad dad. This is hell.
After drinking half of the water on the table I am able to calm him down and convince him to try a bite of one of the less…flavorful dishes. Through peer pressure he eats a little meal before we retreat to McDonald's or something like that (honestly I've blocked most of this memory out).
"Eat-something-new-or-else" night is currently on hiatus.
---
Gaël is good. School can sometimes be rough as kids aren't always nice, but we're navigating it. One highlight is the school has updated their menu and he now likes the food ("before the food update it was TERRIBLE"). We're playing through a Plants versus Zombies game together.
---
Life feels like it is trending in a positive direction. New job feels right in the right ways. Navigating a long distance relationship is challenging - especially so as a single parent (Andrew: "You always choose the hardest road"). But watered with wit, kindness and creativity romance is abounding. Shelby was just here for a month where we explored Seattle, hiked and watched Audrey Hepburn films (1).
While struggling to write this I have received one call and message from people on this list. These connections buoy me. I walk a tight rope of wanting to share more balanced with fear of coming off as ingenuine. I realized on the phone call how little what I write matters, but how much the act of writing does. If it can serve as the heartbeat for these connections - it is everything.
I hope your spring is affording the opportunity to get out and walk among the flowers. It's beautiful here. I love many of you and generally like all of you,
Cowabunga Dude,
DJ
PS: Tom Hanks says "just wait" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5U37MkA2E).
"Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once."
Powerful words - ones that resonate. Ones potentially to live by. They give me that itch, to leave the stresses of Seattle in Seattle and hit the wide open road. Two travel duffels hastily and poorly packed, big bright eyes and an open heart - ready for adventure. It has always seemed to me that the only excitement that matches leaving is the excitement of coming home after a long trip…
Sadly our escape must wait. Bills, work, school and the general weight of adulthood serve as an anchor for the time being.
So in the spirit of Bourdain, I have declared Tuesday as the official "eat-something-new-or-else" night. A break from the hamburgers. A break from the pizza. A break from the pasta. Never a break from ice cream.
The loose goal is to find a cuisine that Gaël has never tried before and to get him to eat at least one bite.
On this particular rainy night the intention leads us to a small Ethiopian cafe in North Seattle. Breaking injera with a small motley crew. I've bragged to the New York contingent that the brother/sister team that runs the place serves "proper portions" unlike the hipster den we went to in Brooklyn.
The waitress asks if we want the food spicy. In my infinite wisdom I respond, "you choose". In my opinion, it's best not to have an opinion at a restaurant. Do you really think you know what's better than the person who has been serving the food for years? Be polite, kind and nice (you are at a table and table manners are in play) and let them steer the ship.
A giant fermented flatbread covered in every mix of vegetables and meat under the sun arrives. On it a whole world full of bright colors and smells. I am a good dad. This is heaven.
Gaël takes his first tentative bite and immediately his jaw drops open and he begins sucking big lungfuls of air. His hands wave wildly, generating gusts of wind in my direction. Before I can do a single thing he begins screaming "HOT! HOT! HOT!". I am a bad dad. This is hell.
After drinking half of the water on the table I am able to calm him down and convince him to try a bite of one of the less…flavorful dishes. Through peer pressure he eats a little meal before we retreat to McDonald's or something like that (honestly I've blocked most of this memory out).
"Eat-something-new-or-else" night is currently on hiatus.
---
Gaël is good. School can sometimes be rough as kids aren't always nice, but we're navigating it. One highlight is the school has updated their menu and he now likes the food ("before the food update it was TERRIBLE"). We're playing through a Plants versus Zombies game together.
---
Life feels like it is trending in a positive direction. New job feels right in the right ways. Navigating a long distance relationship is challenging - especially so as a single parent (Andrew: "You always choose the hardest road"). But watered with wit, kindness and creativity romance is abounding. Shelby was just here for a month where we explored Seattle, hiked and watched Audrey Hepburn films (1).
While struggling to write this I have received one call and message from people on this list. These connections buoy me. I walk a tight rope of wanting to share more balanced with fear of coming off as ingenuine. I realized on the phone call how little what I write matters, but how much the act of writing does. If it can serve as the heartbeat for these connections - it is everything.
I hope your spring is affording the opportunity to get out and walk among the flowers. It's beautiful here. I love many of you and generally like all of you,
Cowabunga Dude,
DJ
PS: Tom Hanks says "just wait" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5U37MkA2E).
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