Origin Tuesday, Mar 24 2009 

14

Today was Dad’s birthday; we went to eat at a sushi train. I would say it was because of the occasion, but we eat at sushi trains semi-frequently. :D

In any case, when you look at the photo, you see regular old sushi, correct?

Anyone with eyes can see that. Probably only someone who was an expert on sushi could tell the fast-food kind and the real kind apart, unless the latter was really classy-looking.

In any case, did you know that most of the Japanese fast-food restaurants or food court stands are run by Korean people?

In most cases, you can barely tell the difference.

But I wonder; wouldn’t it make more sense to sell Korean food if you were Korean? I mean, that’s probably what you’re most confident cooking, right?

I think I’d fail miserably if I was a chef at say, an Indian or Mexican restaurant.

I thought at first that maybe it would be because Japanese food is a bigger seller; but Korean things are really popular nowadays, aren’t they?

Well, I guess if it still tastes good it really doesn’t matter. :)

Culture shock Friday, Mar 13 2009 

3

Today I should’ve gone out to the city to drink and be merry (and go to karaoke), but as it turns out everyone was a lot more busy than expected.

So I went to Strathfield instead.

This is apparently “beef and rice in stone bowl”; pretty self-explanatory. Korean food’s actually quite nice, but stay away from it if you can’t take spicy things.

I lived in Hurstville until I was eleven, so I practically grew up finding nothing wrong with seeing signs in two languages and hearing people talk but not being able to understand them.

But for some reason, I was really intimidated in Strathfield.

In Strathfield, everyone is talking a different language. Even teenagers my age and younger are siting in groups and speaking in what I think was Korean.

More than any other time, I felt like a tourist in the very city I’ve grown up in.