We turned a corner and walked, a large golden “M”, the classic sign for a McDonalds, appeared in front of me. In the small store, a large line had formed, I was astonished to see that Pork Belly Rice Bowl, the most authentic Chinese dish was being served in a McDonald. I had never thought of McDonald carrying food besides hamburgers and fries. As I got closer to look at the menu, I saw the classic Big Mac and McFries, but in the middle of the lines there were also soy milk, fritters, and bowls of gruel.
I sat at one end of the table and was digging into a fresh sandwich, the rest of my family enjoyed a mix of “Chinese American food.” This sparked an interested inside of me because when we were in the U.S., my parents called “General Tso’s Chicken” as “American Chinese food” since they had never heard of this dish in China. I checked on my phone and found that “General Tso’s Chicken” was first introduced by a man named Peng Chang-kuei or Mr. Wang in the mid twentieth century in America. This amazing delicacy was named after a famous Chinese general from the Qing Dynasty. I was amazed at how a general from an ancient dynasty was able to be named after an astounding delicacy enjoyed today in America.
The next day, when my family walked into a small yet busy plaza, there was a very famous cooked poultry food store called “Jue Wei Ya”, which sale special prepared ducks. The large blue and red opening sign flash on and off like a badly screwed light bulb. Just as I pushed the large yet light door, a small bell rang. The smell of sour, sweet, and spicy seasonings hit me all at once. I was standing at the door awkwardly taking in the delicious aroma as a young lady walked up to me and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yes please,” Mom answered quickly from my back. “Can I please have a pound of Jue Wei Ya Chi (duck wings), extra spicy please?”
The sales woman grabbed a food clamp and started to put up roasted duck wings and dropped them one by one into a transparent bag. Just as the duck wings fell into the bag, the sides of the bag started to fog up. The woman grabbed two rubber bands and began to tie up the bag; she twisted and twisted the rubber bands on so tight that even touching the rubber band again can force it to snap. She handed the bag to mom and took the money from her hand as exchange. Walked out the store, we wanted to try them immediately. We looked around and found a “STARBUCKS” on the other side of the Plaza. We quickly got into there and ordered our own favorite drinks. Being in a more American styled store made me feel very familiar and comfortable. Sitting in there, one hand with a freshly brewed decaf frappuccino, and another with a piece of duck wing. Inside the small café, two cultures mixed perfectly together. Here, at the corner of the other side of the world, there was a melting pot, inspiring people to create their own mixture of cultures.