While at a dinner gathering last night at the home of someone who is from Jordan, I was reminded of how different our view (or at least my view) of such events are in contrast to either older generations or newly planted people from other countries. For them, this type of gathering where one cooks all day for it is a special event. For me, I get irritable with all the planning and housecleaning and cooking and forget to enjoy the actual 'fellowship' of the meal. My favorite part is the 15 minutes after the last guest leaves. Their favorite part is the cooking and the sharing of the meal afterwards with the people that they love. I've seen this on occasion with Big A's mom and even more intently with his Chaldean aunt. Just a short visit turns into a big celebration where she grabs whatever she has from her pantry and refrigerator and creates a feast. She doesn't sit down and gab like the men in the family do. In fact, I didn't really hear her say a word at all, just the occasional look over at everyone at the large kitchen table and a smile as she kept cooking. Our dinner last night consisted of two salads, grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and some Middle Eastern delicacies along with two different kinds of desserts. The complete meal would have served a party three times the size of the number that were actually there but again, the hostess was in heaven to create this meal and to share it with her guests. There was no sign of crankiness although I'm sure she slept well last night.
I need to remember their 'food is love' philosphy for the next time I host a large gathering and try to forget about the tumbleweed of dog hair blowing out of who knows where and across the hardwood floor.
4 comments:
I think it has more to do with the perception that food equals wealth rather than love, at least in other countries.
That meal sounds delicious. But I like it best when the host at mealtime can sit down with the rest of us. I like everyone in on the fellowship at mealtime.
I was envying you--eating with Jordanians, then realized that along with the native foods, there was hot dogs and hamburgers--I would have liked to try her native food.
Tim - In Sunday's case, she did eventually sit with us although her husband was still at the grill, cooking the many, many pounds of meat that they had.
Sage - Come visit. Big A can make a few Chaldean dishes and they aren't very different from what she made.
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