Where s the real food?
By PAT WICK
© Another Day in the Country
When we came back from Hawaii, we had to buy another suitcase to bring home all the treats we had purchased. "Is there anyone in Ramona that you aren't bringing something back to?" my daughter asked incredulously as Jess went down the list.
"Well, they don't all live in Ramona," retorted my sister as she headed for another muumuu stand.
"We can't forget the kids in art class," I said. "And Jeannie, who's watching out after Mom," Jess pauses for breath. "And then there's Reign and Marlene who are getting her groceries and Aunt Frieda who came to stay. There's Becky and Ken who came to get Aunt Frieda and I'm sure Aunt Anna would love a muumuu, too." And the list went on and on. "There's David and Jane who are watching out for the houses and, of course, we can't forget Em."
"I've got three sisters and Mom," added Tim, "It's muumuus for them, too." We were on a roll! "Just get another suitcase," said Tooltime Tim. "Listen to me! You are gonna need it!" And we did. Of course, I didn't listen the first time he said it so that meant we had to take another trip to one of the biggest outdoor markets I'd ever seen. It was like this giant flea market only no one was selling old junk. It covered a football stadium and we never ever made it all the way around before our arms were full of treasures that we were bringing home.
We wanted to be able to share a little of our Hawaiian adventure with everyone back home whether it was the flavor of a macadamia nut smothered in smooth chocolate, a sweet Hawaiian song or the bright colors in a shirt. Over 50 shell leis went into the suitcase, silk leis and even an orchid lei made the trip from Honolulu to Ramona. For sure, we didn't bring back enough macadamia nuts!
Sojourners to another time and place, we devoured the history and immersed ourselves in Hawaiian culture. We'd come, like explorers of old, from a Kansas winter where the elements are harsh, the temperature can change 50 degrees in a few hours, and survival means hard work. And here we were in the tropics where everything was easy, balmy, "Why didn't we move here?" wondered my sister.
Explorer Tim found it difficult to eat so much rice, however. "Where's the potatoes?" he wondered. We discovered that the standard meal in Hawaii is something called a "Plate Special." That's not all that different from Kansas, we thought, until we discovered that it was basically the meat of your choice over rice, rice, and more rice. "Salad" was macaroni salad — not coleslaw — or you could make a special request for lettuce.
"Isn't change the whole idea of coming on vacation?" I said to my buddies as I savored a Vietnamese-style noodle soup that had to be eaten with chopsticks.
"Well, I've got to have something besides rice," mumbled TTT. "Enough is enough." So, we finally headed to a restaurant that was the closest thing to a buffet back home. Tim was thrilled! They had roast beef, ham, MASHED POTATOES and gravy. (Jess and Jana turned up their nose at this Midwestern fare — they went across the street to eat green papaya salad.) Back and forth to the food line Tim went, "It's the first time I've been full in two weeks!" he exalted. "Now this is real food!"
It's 30 degrees outside, snow on the ground. And we're all back on a real food diet again. (Now, it's normal, but I remember when baked beans, scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, and fried chicken were an oddity to me — it all spelled Kansas.) It's another day in the country. Our Beim Bop and lettuce wraps are pretty much a thing of the past. We're home again.
