Like many other normal children, the only places I ever went were the places my parents brought me. It wasn’t until I was in middle school that I realized that one of my favourite restaurants was a little bit different than the rest of the ones my family usually eats at.
For starters, this restaurant was in a location completely different from where the others were. And secondly, this restaurant spoke in a strange language I didn’t understand.It turned out that for years, my family has been going to a Colombian restaurant.
I wondered how my family even found out about the restaurant in the first place so I asked my dad.
I asked, “Hey, how come we eat at the Colombian restaurant so often?”
“Because I like it.” he retorted.
“Why do you like it?” I asked.
“Because I used to live there when I was younger.” he said.
I was blown away. I found out my father and his brothers grew up in Colombia before moving to the United States.
Its funny because we only order take-out from there now and whenever I go in everyone looks at me with a puzzled look. They’re probably thinking, “the chinese take-out place is next door. What’s he doing here?”
I also find it funny that when I take my order, the boss who recognizes me always calls me Julio because of a Spanish custom to name the first son after the father.
My typical Bandeja Montanera (Mountain Platter) that I always order to go!
I love food, any kind of food, but I never tried Colombia food before. It looks so good it the picture! It’s funny how people can encounter so many different things just in a restaurant, like the food, the language and just people in general. Isn’t it?
I thought it was really funny how you mentioned they way people look at you when you walk in. In Forest Hills there is a Tex-Mex place and a Chinese food place right next to each other. There are Spanish workers in the Chinese place and Asian workers in the Tex-Mex place and it was just a funny reminder of that because they get that same look.
I agree that it was a nice touch to your story with the way you shared with us the way people looked at you. I would like to add to your story and Chris’ comment, that there is a restaurant called “Chinese Take-Out, Mexican Take-In” in Far Rockaway by Rockaway Beach. Whenever my friends and I go to that beach, it has been a “tourist attraction” for us; we must point to it every single time and joke that we should take Chinese in and Mexican out. (Inside joke hehe)
I think it is excellent how your cultural encounter at the Columbia restaurant led you to learn that your Dad lived in Columbia when he was young. I think all remarkable cultural encounters allow us to learn something new about ourselves or those around us. That’s an interesting fact that they called you Julio after your Dad, as is custom in Spanish tradition. Great Post!