Picture This: You’ve been away from home all day, running errands,
working, etc. You haven’t really had time to eat, so you are really looking
forward to eating those leftovers you left in the fridge as soon as you return
to your humble abode. When you enter your house, you walk straight into the
kitchen. Your mouth begins salivating before you even reach the
refrigerator, and you can already taste the deliciousness your mouth is about
to experience. Once you reach the refrigerator, you open the door and scan the
premises only to learn that your leftovers are no longer there, someone has
eaten them. Ahhhh!
Experiences
like this happen all the time in China. There have been many instances where I have my heart set on going to a specific store or restaurant to enjoy one of my favorite dishes, but upon arriving to the specified location I find nothing. No one is coming to my apartment to literally go into my fridge and "eat my leftovers," but that feeling of disappointment is what I experience when I really want something and I find out the store has vanished. At first I thought I was going crazy or having navigational issues, but then I noticed that it was happening quite often. Recently, I went to get some Takoyaki, a Japanese, ball-shaped bread snack with pieces of squid in the middle, topped with mayo & sauce (it tastes way better than it sounds). I was surprised to find the store had been completely torn down as if it never existed. I stood there, in front of what had been the squid-ball shop, for 2 minutes with my jaw dropped. I didn't want to believe what I saw. Although I was a little upset when I learned that I couldn't have my tasty squid balls, I'm excited to see what kind of shop will pop up next.
Here's a picture of what was left of the Takoyaki shop when I visited:
- FBG