Chinatown part 2. Yum cha

Had Yum cha for the first time today in Chinatown. The 8 of us sat at the table, relishing the portions of food ranging from chicken feet to shumai. The place was filled, mostly occupied by older generations. We were probably the only group of college students there. Everyone conversed in the colorful language of Cantonese or Mandarin. I was unable to decipher anything. Even the television on the wall was running a Chinese program with Chinese subtitles. The server pulled the cart over and placed a plate of chicken feet on the table. Everyone started to grab one and eat it, skillfully spitting out the bones and eating every part of the skin. My baby Ting grabbed one for me. I was hesitant at first but because she said it tasted delicious I began to eat it.
"No, you're eating it the wrong way. You have to take out the bones first."

I've never in my life eaten the feet part of chicken. Breasts, wings, sure. All the time. But not the feet. I couldn't eat it. More and more food I've never seen before came out. Shumai, pork buns, manju (at least that's what it was called in Japanese), and beef were the only ones I knew beforehand. At one point I felt like a kid trying new dishes. I'd eat something and all eyes would stare at my direction, curious to how I would like it.

A dish of durian came. Green things that looked like miniature croissants. I asked what it was.
"Durian," she said.
Noticing my clueless expression on my face, I repeated once again.
"What is this?"
"It's durian," her friend said.
"What's that?!" I asked.
All 7 of them looked toward me, seeming perplexed that I didn't know what that was. My baby showed me a picture of it on her phone.
"Pretty sure I've seen that fruit on a video game," I said.

It appears in Super Mario Sunshine, where Mario can kick it and feed it to Yoshi.

"You either like it or you don't," her friend said.
It was alright.


Everyone knew everything about yum cha. The customs. I was the only one who knew nothing. How the person filling tea for others is considered gracious, how leaving the tea lid open is a sign for refills, and how knocking two fingers on the table when the person is pouring the tea is considered a sign of gratitude. So legitimate.

In the end the server collected all of our cups and plates, stacked them all together, and carried it with one hand. Nothing but skill right there.

But I really enjoyed having my first ever yum cha. I thank my baby for that, for I would have never had the opportunity to eat yum cha.


After eating she went back home to grab her personal belongings. I escorted her to the front of her house as she told me to wait at the entrance. At the time it was the closest I've ever gotten to her home. Can I come in, was the words I was about to ask. But seeing that it was impossible, I didn't ask and just waited for her outside.

The entire group decided to go to sing some karaoke, while I passed since it was too far away. Way too far. I went uptown, met my mom during her lunch break, bought a Bob Dylan and George Gershwin CD after, and rode the train home.