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Essay

Happy meals

By Samantha Loong


幸せな食事

筆者が生まれる直前、母親はマレーシア風のプリンを作っている最中だった。 だから当然、そのプリンは食べ損ねたわけだが、その時の気持ちが後の筆者を「食べ物」へと向かわせることになった—というのはもちろんジョークだが、気の置けない人と共にする食事の幸福感を、筆者はとても大切に思っている。

This year, my mom and I both celebrated significant birthday milestones. When my mom was pregnant with me, she was in the middle of making some kueh (a sweet, sticky Malaysian pudding) when her water broke. The fact that I was brought screaming into the world before getting to enjoy the fruits of her labor might explain why I am forever seeking out my next meal. It might also explain why my earliest childhood memory is of food -- a doll at my second birthday, her dress made of cake.

The children's stories I found the most memorable are also those that involve food. I clearly remember feeling incredibly disturbed when I first learned that the delicious edible house Hansel and Gretel were enjoying was in fact, a trap.

Fear and anxiety are the sorts of things that don't mix with food. Food, and the eating of it, should be something pleasurable. Nothing ruins my appetite more than heated arguments during meals, especially the kind where people are gesturing accusatorily with their utensils. Mealtimes, in particular dinner, should be a time for people to enjoy each other's company by eating, talking and ideally, laughing.

Studies have also shown that people are more receptive to ideas and discussion when eating something. You would think that this means mealtimes give you the perfect opportunity to relax with your loved ones. Unfortunately, eating together seems increasingly difficult as families get caught up in busy schedules.

My mom makes a fantastic eating companion -- especially when I manage to hide from her scaremongering books and articles that inflate the supposed dangers of her favorite foods. When she visited me in Osaka, for lunch one day she ordered several platters of sushi, and after admiring the beautiful presentation of each dish, she made me eat most of them. According to something she had read, prawns were apparently a death knell to healthy eating. So, as much as she loved prawns, she denied herself even a little taste.

Everyday, we are bombarded with conflicting messages on what healthy eating is. Advertising tells us how obesity is a problem that can be overcome by the latest fad diet or miracle pill. But at the same time, TV continues to broadcast programs where celebrities stuff themselves silly with every restaurant menu item as part of a "challenge."

Food and eating should not be seen as something challenging. When I last met up with my mom, she thankfully had decided that enjoying her favorite foods in moderation was a much more balanced approach to eating. It sounds like a smarter and happier way to eat.

As quickly as I was whisked away from my kueh and into existence, life itself is short -- it should be celebrated with food, friends and family.



Shukan ST: May 28, 2010

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