Tuesday, June 16, 2009

behind the counter

7 comments:
 
Spring China is a little storefront Chinese restaurant a couple of miles from my house. All I know is, someone mentioned in passing that there was a good place in that shopping center, and then when I went there on one of my breaks, I saw a Mexican place, a fish place, and a Chinese place. I picked the Chinese place out of curiosity.

Does it show how BURNT I am on Missouri and their "Mexican" food that I would just pass it by- I'm not falling for that one again...

Inside, SC is a little rough. They have one two seater table, about 6 random chairs and two booths, one of which is typically occupied by a sleeping elderly man and a phonebook. He is very, very thin and he wears brown pants that are a mix between velvet and suede, and old brown dress shoes, and a hat with an American military insignia. Sometimes the young guy who works there sits in the booth with the sleeping man and reads the paper.

When I come in, the young guy goes behind the counter and takes my order. He never smiles or appears to recognize me or remember my order, even though I come in about once a week and order the same thing. He and a young girl wear Hollister shirts and apathy.

There's another older man behind the counter. He's heavier set and his hair is all silver. He uses open flames and a giant handheld skillet/wok. My General Tso's takes about 20 seconds to cook, and I'm always disappointed that it's over.

What brought these guys here? How do they stay in business? Are they happy, lonely, bored? Did the old guy fight in Vietnam? I want to know the stories, and sometimes it just makes me a little nuts.

Oh, and the General Tso's is awesome, enough for 2 meals and $5.45. Yessssss.

7 comments:

  1. awwww.

    i love little old chinese men.

    when i lived in hong kong

    it was So Cute

    the little old men

    they walk their birds!

    yes, they have these little
    bamboo cages.

    diminutive ones
    and they take them out
    and walk along the streets
    holding the bird cages up
    and they walk real slow.

    they are so cute..i mean
    you would want to take em home
    and talk to them
    and ask them questions
    and feed them!

    wow

    that was a life time ago.

    ReplyDelete
  2. it makes you want to read
    "Ping" all over again

    did your mom ever read that to you?
    the duck who lived on the Wise Eyed Boat
    with his mother and father and brother and sisters and aunts and uncles and 29 cousins?

    a great kid's book

    one of my faves.

    ok
    i'm getting all mushy

    better go...

    ReplyDelete
  3. i think that you should take a notebook (the kind with paper) and next time you go to order food, go sit down across from the sleeping man and ask him to talk to you.

    they do that kind of things in hallmark movies all the time, and it always works out great...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Could be he is a terrorist. Ask him who he voted for-G

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sometimes people are happy to share their history and it makes them feel so valuable if someone asks-- especially if they are Oooooold.........

    ReplyDelete
  6. the vibe in this place is not so welcoming to the Hallmark interviewer...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Two words. Asian Mafia.

    ReplyDelete

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