Ways of eating
un croissant, svp
Last week, I went to Nice for a few days, to write and to be somewhere sunny and to get out of my own head and because I needed a break and wanted to travel before it gets too expensive this summer. Anyway, it was glorious weather and I had a lovely, even if stressed out time -- too stuck in my head, still; anxiety, stress over my body. On my last day there, which was a Sunday, I went out to buy breakfast, and I was desperate for coffee. On the way back, I walked down the street, eating my croissant, drinking my coffee. I could tell, even from the few people out in the street at that time in the neighbourhood, people clutching their bags to do their grocery shopping before stores closed -- that people were judging me for just walking down the street, chomping my croissant, not even taking the time to sit down and eat it properly. But I was hungry, in that moment, and I thought to myself, fine, I’m Dutch now (I’m not.) and I will eat walking the street, holding my croissant like everyone else walking out of Albert Heijn. I was reminded of how, even until a few years ago, the idea of fast food -- specifically, the kind of food you walked down the street and eating -- was such an outlier to an older generation, and how that is now so common, to just eat while you’re going. It is always amazing to me, to see how quickly everyone buying their snacks from Albert Heijn and Jumbo eats them; almost gone by the time they’ve walked out the door; eating as a functional exercise. Is there pleasure in this way of eating? I don’t know. But sometimes, on a Sunday morning, that is what you need.
I really really enjoy reading your work. Your writing style is fabulous, super vivid, makes the reader feel as if one is inside the piece. Love the piece. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
I used to work with a Dutch company. Initially, it was difficult, but I gradually understood what my colleagues meant when I thought they were rude or disrespectful. Cost is the most important consideration in the buying decisions of Dutch consumers. They can go to any length to save money. Eating at Albert Heijn is a practical consideration to save money. Most Dutch people do not work hard, so naturally, I stood out among them because, as a habit, we, the Pakistanis, work very hard and long hours. Once, my manager invited me to her home and offered me dinner to thank me for my work in her team. The other Dutch colleagues said that it was an exceptional act on her part (that she spent money for my dinner). I could not fully understand Dutch culture, even though I had worked with them for almost eight years. Sometimes, I miss some of them because they were so straightforward in their replies that I laughed for days.