Waitress etiquette

Sometimes it's like people have never seen a 'foreigner' in real life before... and it cracks me up to be such an interesting sight.

Today the school lunch was worse than the usual bad so D'Arcy and I went downstairs to a little noodle place in the next building. We've been there a couple of times before and the last time the waitress woman paid particular attention to us. Today was no different.

First of all, D'Arcy ordered jap che, a glass noodle dish with sparse veggies and meat. For some reason this dish is served with rice on the side when rice is the last thing we want. She told the waitress to hold the rice and she understood but kept coming back and making sure that D'Arcy didn't want it. How could you not want rice? Though D'Arcy said NO RICE (in Korean) three solid times, eventually the ajumma just couldn't take it anymore and brought rice in a bowl. It went uneaten.

Aside from lingering at our table, staring at us, and talking about us openly to the other diners in the small restaurant, what really sent me over the edge was when she brought some soup to our table, took a spoon, spooned some out, BLEW ON IT to cool it down, and spood fed it to D'Arcy. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. Could you imagine if a waitress ever blew on your soup back at home? I don't know what would happen but it wouldn't be pretty.

She blew on it. And fed D'Arcy. I'm astounded. I burst out laughing.

Walking home a small child saw me pass by and called out an enthusiastic "hi!!!" This is as common as someone bumping by you in the streets of Toronto.

I wonder how it'll feel to go back to Canada where I'll just blend in with the crowd.

She blew on it!!!