Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days
Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:45 am
Pacificfords wrote:
I started with a few pieces of Sushi, a dab of Wasabi Paste and hot tea. I looked around me, ate slowly and observed. The ratio was about 10 to 1... obese to thin people. (that might even be generous to the thin people) The plates around me... stacked often about 4 " high with food. Some people carried two entirely full plates. I couldn't really figure out if they were just wanting to walk back and forth to the buffet less or if they were afraid the food they enjoyed was not going to be there the next trip up. I went back once for some steamed rice and veggies. I watched more. It was incredible how much people ate. Even more incredible was how fast people gulped food down. They didn't even look up. I was able to really watch people without them even noticing. Many had 3 or 4 soda refills, 4 or 5 plates of food (heaping), and then desserts... often going back for seconds and thirds. There were times when it appeared to me almost like a feeding trough with people rushing to get their fill. There were even small children eating more amounts of food than I have ever seen children eat. I was saddened by how their lives will probably be affected by starting to eat so much, so unhealthy at such a young age. One little boy (about two years old) was laughing and playing with me for almost a half hour and NO one at his table even noticed because they were so busy gulping down copious amounts of food. I couldn't believe that I could interact with the child so long without either of his parents taking notice. It was rather shocking to me. But... their focus was on their food not their child.
This reminds me of the movie "Spirited Away", and especially this scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6cK62Y8-Y
A kids movie, but that scene is pretty scary for a little kid to watch - it is about the girl's parents turning into pigs because of their gluttony - terrifying for a tiny child!
I am glad you remained in control,PF, and had the opportunity to observe rather than participate.
I was also just like the folks in that restaurant not too long ago - bolting my food, food, food food was the center of everything, panic about not getting enough, etc. Amazing how our perspective changes.