Thursday, November 6, 2008

justwrite 5 november

It’s bok choy, is what it is. Why does Ryan know this? He just does, okay.

The crazy lady drizzles some more soy sauce into the pan, and then spreads some flowery garnishes along the side of the platter. A few more toss-ups in the air, for good measure, and the stir-fry is apparently done. With a huge, somewhat forced smile—or maybe her face naturally looks like that? It’s hard to tell—the woman slides the colorful compilation from the wok to the great blue open with the rice-white clouds.

Does Ryan think this bit about the clouds? No, that’s me again.


As the credits start to roll, the woman carries the platter to a table set for two just to the edge of her kitchen set. She seats and serves herself, and then deftly picks up a bite of bok choy with black lacquered chopsticks. Even as this bite passes her lips, she is nodding vigorously as if to confirm that by the time any of her tastebuds actually meet with this morsel, they will be well pleased. The camera zooms in close on her face and her lips seem impossibly huge as she chews and smiles at the same time. Try it right now. How easy is it to chew and to smile at the same time? It’s not. It takes practice. Ryan practices.

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