I find myself missing the oddest things from the U.S. I miss the bacon turkey bravo (a sandwich) from St. Louis Bread Co., and I don't even really like Bread Co. I miss California, and while I've been there a lot, I'm not from there. And the worst craving of all, is that I miss American Pancakes. Here, the word "pancake" refers to what Americans, and more importantly, the French, call "crepes. " So finding "American pancakes" has been a struggle. I could make my own, but I'm lazy and my kitchen in York house is growing new kinds of mold never before seen on earth, so going in there might be damaging to my health.
But I found a restaurant that had American pancakes on the menu. I decided to go with my friend Amy as a post-exam treat (although I've been celebrating being done with course work for three days now). The cafe we went to had this great outdoor terrace and was so relaxing. I was so excited to dive into some big, fluffy, butter-smeared, syrupy pancakes with a side of bacon. But when my plate arrived, there were three small (hand palm-sized) pancakes stacked on top of each other with layers of bacon and strawberries in between. Most unorthodox of all, the so-called "American pancakes" were served with a SIDE SALAD of rocket. The American pancake experience was almost as upsetting at that time that I ordered a fajita and it had mayonnaise in it. Ewwwww.
However, while the American pancakes weren't what I had expected, they were still tasty. I don't really have time to phrase this nicely (I'm racing the sun--I want to go outside and read in the sun, but I'm worried the weather will change suddenly and ruin my plans) so I am just going to say it plainly. Basically, I think it is unfair to bring all of my expectations and comparisons based on the U.S. to England, which is another country and culture despite the shared language. So my dissappointment at that nice cae was really my own issue instead of any relfection on the cafe.
I've been thinking about this a lot, mostly because the Americans here have been complaining about England a lot. They don't like the food, the customer service, the weather, how all the shops close at 4:45pm etc. But the truth is, if you stop having expectations that are based on your experiences in the U.S., all those annoying parts of England seem less significant,. Yes, there are some waiters who forget to refill your water, or take forever to get the bill etc., but there are also really nice enthusiastic shop sales people who like to tell you all about how the shoes in their shop were designed in Brighton etc.
So while my American pancakes (and even the gross fajita) weren't what I expected, they were still good, just different (I'm being very generous towards the fajita). And I guess that is what study abroad is about: adapting to a different situation and trying to make it successful. Too bad I finally realized this two weeks before I have to leave. Maybe I'll just stay...
Quick sidenote: I keep meeting really cool, interesting people right before I have to leave. WTF, life? Life is cruel.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
you've come a long way if you no longer want to complain about British food. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree about the not having expectations based on America. When my parents were here, my mother kept asking "Why don' they..." and I just wanted to scream "BECAUSE THIS IS FRANCE!"
ReplyDeleteAnd nothing compares to American pancakes. When I went to Breakfast in America, Patience and I were seated next to these British girls who'd never seen or eaten American pancakes. We had to explain that you have to cover them with butter and maple syrup. I felt very cultured. Can we please go to IHOP when we're back in STL? Better yet, can we eat make our own pancakes and eat them in the co-op basement with all our friends?