Pictures of Food

Dim Sum Deliciousness - Jan 2013

On a recent Sunday I found myself back at my old congregation in Kuala Lumpur. From the pulpit, Pr. T remarked, "Wherever you find Chinese you find three things: 1) Triads; 2) Gambling; and 3) Food!" In this latter category my gracious-former-master devilishly declared (quite publicly, I might add) that I have been "totally corrupted."

I'm not going to argue with him.

Spending so much time in Malaysia has made me very food-aware. This is a nation of foodies - people who tell directions not by what you see or do in a given place but by what you eat there. For example, consider this exchange: "Oi! We stop in Bidor" "The 'duck place,' ah?" "Yeah-lah, got tasty one."

If the steady-stream of instagrammed photos of food in my newstream is any indication, this gastronomic way of seeing is something I've already adopted.

But the pictures of food are more than that.

The images trigger sense memories of meals shared with family and friends or of significant moments: Char Koay Teow with my brother last week in Penang; Homemade Mince Pies on Christmas Day; a stiff drink of Tuak in Sumatra; a decadent snack of Yau Cha Guai paired with conversation with a volunteer and her supervisor; Thai Red Curry and an ice cold Tiger to close out a particularly difficult week.

The pics are a way to remember - a way to share meals and moments.