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My Turn by Wayne Chan

From The Asian Reporter, V33, #9 (September 4, 2023), page 7.

When I became an empty-nester, no one told me what to prepare for.

I mean, if you asked me at the time, I would have said, "What’s there to prepare for?" It’s called freedom! Freedom from responsibility! Freedom from parenthood! Free to find your own path!

I had no idea what I was walking into.

Sure, there was and is a lot more freedom. I can do whatever I want and go wherever I want — and that’s exactly the problem.

For the last few months, my wife Maya and I have been doing a lot of travel. No children to lug around, COVID-19 is more under control, and we can catch up on all the places we’ve wanted to go in the past but couldn’t because it would be too complicated bringing three kids along. So, we figured, why not?

We’ve gone to the United Kingdom and France. We’ve gone to Canada twice. Now we’re headed to Switzerland.

And since we’re both foodies, it’s been a veritable culinary paradise since we started taking these trips.

Cheeses and pâtés in France. Pasta and pizza in Italy. Poutine and salmon in Canada. So, you may ask, what’s the problem?

Simply put — I never knew how important Asian food is to my diet.

I was born and raised in the U.S. I love pizza. I love burgers. I love steak. I love Taco Tuesday.

The problem is, when travelling to non-Asian countries, we try to follow the old saying, "When in Rome …" And what does that mean? Well, that means cheeses and pâtés in France, pasta and pizza in Italy, and so on. At first, it’s not a problem. In Italy — bring on the pasta! I’m game!

The problem arrives around the fifth day. I’m all pasta’d out. I look at the menu and actually get a little hostile. At one point, I may have wagged my finger at the menu and uttered the following words to Maya: "If I see another bucatini dish on this menu, so help me, I’m gonna …"

Of course, these countries have Asian restaurants also. And at first, I try to resist the temptation. I mean, how does it look? You’re in the south of France looking for a decent won ton noodle soup?

I don’t think I’m the only one here. In fact, I’m thinking there must be a name for this syndrome. There’s got to be a clinical term for it. MSG withdrawal? Soy sauce detox? Pot sticker abstinence?

On these trips, we went cold turkey for Asian food. During one outing in Monaco, after a long day of visiting various sites, we were famished and stopped at a café for something to eat. The only thing I could find was a turkey sandwich. I was literally going cold turkey with cold turkey.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love to travel. It’s amazing to get better acquainted with a new culture, with people from different backgrounds. And it’s a gift to try the foods they are accustomed to.

I just need to find a solution to the withdrawal that usually begins on the 4th or 5th day. We’re headed to Switzerland. What can I expect there? They like fondue, right?

I wonder if I could just sneak a few dumplings into the fondue when no one is looking.

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