The tastes of, empty nest, is what you'd, ended up, with here…translated…
I live in Taipei with my son, like I am his, older, sister. Without any elders, we're, of the same, generation. Same for our cats too. They'd become, roommates. Living on their own, separate, schedules. We find warmth in the same house, with the doors, all opened, up, because the animals, they can't, open the doors, it would be best to leave the doors open, so they can come and go as they, pleased.
No feelings for Christmas, or any other, holidays. We'd, stayed away from the crowds on the, occasions. We don't cook, because my son and I, we never, agree on, food
Do you want some starch balls for the Winter Solstice? Not necessary.
How about the moon cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival? Nah.
The Dragon Boat Festivals, do you want the specialty sticky rice wrapped in the bamboo leaves then? Nope.
With no other, relatives, the most direct response was, that we don't, celebrate, holidays. Even on his birthday, I'd inquired, "do you want a cake?", "Not really!"
Absolutely nothing is needed. He'd only needed his comic books, as his companions when he ate, I listened to my radio program. Like two roommates. I live my life, and he lives, his.
I'd hated the stewed meat sauce over rice. My son has to have it several times a week. I'd hated the food, just like I'd hated my, husband. Hated how he'd, spent the entire morning to cook up a pot. I'd not wanted a single bite of it. I'd hated that everything gets, drizzled with the meat sauces or the minced, meats. The simple noodle soup, the broiled vegetables, all had some on them. Took me a long time, to finally find that noodle stand, without the meat sauce drizzled on the items. We'd gone as a family to the place to purchase at least, once every, week.
I hate everything about beef. Steaks, beef noodle soups. And yet, the shop closest to my home is a, beef noodle, shop. We'd gone there a lot, because of how close it is. But I'd, never ordered the beef noodle soup. The closest they have to the simple noodle soup was the bean curd paste over noodle, I'd not known how to appreciate the sauce, always, scooped it out when I'd, ordered it; those who'd come, almost all ordered the beef noodle soup. From when I was taken out for steaks, I'd never ordered the beef, the closest was fish, so many steak shops in Taipei, as I'd come to live here, I'd gone to the shops a couple of times, but in the recent decade, not even, once.
A lot of people pursued the good foods. I have, no clue. And I'd hated it when people asked me: what would you want to eat? What's good around here?
My food preferences is like sleeping. It didn't matter the kind of mattress, I'm tired and need to put my head down to the pillow, when I'm hungry, I would, eat. It's just, the gasoline for the, human, body. Although, I had no demands of any form of food specifically, but, my son who came from me, is a product of, society, and he has, his, demands of foods. He'd known if something is good or bad, what he wanted or didn't want to, eat. And sometimes, I'd, allowed him to get what he wanted to eat, and ordered up a bowl of soup, or the sides, to sit with him and eat. I'd purchased the meats, the fish for him, but for myself, no meats, go home and eat together. Sometimes, I'd, eaten what he'd enjoyed, he'd loved everything that the kids loved, corn chowder, chicken legs, hams, sausages, pork floss, once or twice a week, he'd needed these, items on the, menu.
There's nothing specific I'd wanted to eat in Taipei. I don't think about food when I'm in Taipei. In the winters, seeing those full hotpot shops, I can't understand it, what's so good about the foods? When I'd made the hotpots at home, it was like, we're, eating the, dipping sauces. But my son told me, he'd wanted the hotpot. I'd ignored his, requests. Sometimes, I'd, allowed him to have what he wanted to eat, and other times, I, didn't.
And, after awhile, I'd become, acquainted with where to go to eat. Where the foods are served. I'd hated being stuffed up, it'd, drained out the energies when I'm too, stuffed. Eating the gourmets didn't feel like sustenance. The foods in Taipei are, ordinary, very, plain. Like there's a protocol of everything, everything is not that bad, not good either. Food is not important to me, so long as I don't, feel, hungry.
Maybe, I'll, always be, a foreign entity here in Taipei, I lacked the desires for food here in Taipei. I'd raised son for a decade, and slowly, it was his sense of taste that I'd, "inherited". All my memories of food revolved around what he'd loved to eat. And, when it was just me, I'd, gone to, buy what he'd, enjoyed, and it'd, tasted, lonely.
So, this is on the empty nest, you'd left home, and, you'd only seen food as sustenance, nothing more, you'd never, had any, specific preferences for food, which is probably from your younger years, your socializations, and, your son has the specific preferences of food, unlike you, and, he'd, socialized you to become, more like him, and now, you would, go and buy what he enjoyed, to ease that sense of, empty nest, because he's, gone off to school, and no longer, around you…
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