(no subject)
There is an art to dining alone. To paraphrase a the movie Hope Floats, you have to look like you want to be there.
My first experience came when I was 20. I was living in New York--perhaps the first time I ever really felt like an adult, or at least was expected to act like one. Being that I was living on a budget and from a dorm, I rarely ate meat. It was a random summer day and after work I took a cross-town bus to a little diner around 87th that I knew had killer sweet potato fries and big fat hamburgers. I craved a hamburger. I sat outside reading my book attempting to look cool and collected though I was feeling so awkward inside. I had terrible service. The waiter didn't flirt back when I made a joke. He acted as if my very presense was a burden. I left a bad tip. He left a bad taste in my mouth.
When I was 21 I spent a few days exploring London on my own. Arriving via the Chunnel I walked to Victoria with my 50lb backpack afixed tightly to my body. I checked into the hotel and attempted to find food only to discover that London is not America--most things are closed on Sundays. I eventually found my way to the Victoria rail station and ate lo mein over a pint in one of the station's pubs. I put a lot of effort into reading the articles on Emptiness for my Buddhism class. Part of me felt empty. It is strange to be alone.
Although, at times, I do not mind.
My first experience came when I was 20. I was living in New York--perhaps the first time I ever really felt like an adult, or at least was expected to act like one. Being that I was living on a budget and from a dorm, I rarely ate meat. It was a random summer day and after work I took a cross-town bus to a little diner around 87th that I knew had killer sweet potato fries and big fat hamburgers. I craved a hamburger. I sat outside reading my book attempting to look cool and collected though I was feeling so awkward inside. I had terrible service. The waiter didn't flirt back when I made a joke. He acted as if my very presense was a burden. I left a bad tip. He left a bad taste in my mouth.
When I was 21 I spent a few days exploring London on my own. Arriving via the Chunnel I walked to Victoria with my 50lb backpack afixed tightly to my body. I checked into the hotel and attempted to find food only to discover that London is not America--most things are closed on Sundays. I eventually found my way to the Victoria rail station and ate lo mein over a pint in one of the station's pubs. I put a lot of effort into reading the articles on Emptiness for my Buddhism class. Part of me felt empty. It is strange to be alone.
Although, at times, I do not mind.