Ritual: Eating Outside W1, D2

5.12 Breakfast

Breakfast Buddies

5.12 Lunch

5.12 Dinner

Meal 1: Cereal

Location: Front Yard

I had plans out of state this morning so I ate my breakfast on a schedule. My roommate asked if she could join me and I was happy to have her with me. I got my cereal and milk together and carried everything outside to our front yard. Our house is elevated up away from the sidewalk, so we sat on the ledge at the wall that keeps up our yard. Her PopTart wrapper flew away with the wind at one point, and she had to walk down the stairs to the sidewalk to pick it up. I was worried for our bare feet because there is often glass on the sidewalk. Breakfast was really pleasant and we even talked about the birds we saw doing antics up on the electricity wires.

Meal 2: Tofu sandwich with chips and salsa

Location: Market Plaza

I met my parents out of state for lunch. We walked around a market with mini restaurants inside and then took our purchased meals (in styrofoam take-out containers) to the picnic tables in the plaza. There was a disruption part way through our meal, perhaps some kind of civil dispute. Otherwise, we had a great conversation out there and stayed longer than we would have indoors at a restaurant. As a result, I did get a sunburn on my arms but I felt more free to be talkative and expressive outdoors than inside a place.

Meal 3: Adeep Indian Chicken Saag

Location: Fairview Park

My roommate and I went to Adeep to get Indian take out. We then drove to Fairview Park and sat on the rock wall overlooking the city. We brought cups of water to relieve the spiciness. Unfortunately we forgot to grab spoons and napkins from the restaurant! We ate most of the meal using the naan as a scoop for the rice and sauce. After looking it up online, we learned that in Southern and Eastern India it is very common to eat with only your hands and no utensils. In that culture, touch is part of the dining experience along with taste and smell. Northern and Western Indians prefer to eat with spoons and forks, but they also use the naan bread as a scoop for food. If we had eaten indoors with all of our utensils at hand, we would not have bothered to learn these facts about the Indian culture.