Today, Julie and I had a beautiful lunch with a few of our ping pong friends at Jumbo Lobster Restaurant.
It was one of those afternoons that reminded me how enjoyable life can be when good friends, good food, and plenty of conversation come together.
The restaurant was completely full. Every table, both small and large, seemed to be occupied. There was a lively atmosphere everywhere, with people talking, laughing, and enjoying their meals.
Once all of our friends were seated, we ordered the special menu for eight people.
And what a feast it was!
We had around 7 to 8 pounds of lobster, with one large lobster and one smaller one. The portions were generous, and there was certainly no shortage of food.
There was also fish cooked with congee, mushroom with noodles, and deep-fried fish with Maggi sauce.
Then came several dim sum dishes, including:
Beef rice noodle rolls
Shrimp rice noodle rolls
Bean curd rolls
And several other dishes that kept arriving at the table
Everything tasted fantastic.
The lobster was particularly impressive, and the deep-fried dishes had that wonderful crispy texture that makes it difficult to stop eating.
Looking around the table, I realized that the food was only part of what made the lunch special.
The real attraction was the company
We are all seniors now, and many of us have known each other through ping pong for quite some time.
When seniors get together for lunch, we don't simply eat.
We talk.
We remember.
We tell stories.
Sometimes the same story comes up again—and nobody seems to mind!
There is something very comforting about sitting with friends who share some of the same experiences and memories.
After all, at our age, friendship itself becomes one of the best dishes on the table.
One small problem
There was really only one thing I didn't like about the lunch.
The round table was too big.
It was probably perfect for serving a large banquet, but for eight or nine seniors, it made conversation surprisingly difficult.
We had to speak loudly, lean forward, or sometimes ask someone across the table to repeat what they had said.
And with the restaurant completely full, the noise level made it even harder.
I found myself thinking:
If only the table were a little smaller.
A round table just big enough for eight or nine people would have been much better.
We could see everyone's faces, hear everyone's stories, and participate in the conversation without having to raise our voices.
The food was excellent.
The service and atmosphere were good.
The company was wonderful.
But for a group of seniors, being able to hear one another is almost as important as the food.
$45 each for a wonderful afternoon
When the final bill arrived, it worked out to about $45 per person.
Considering the amount of lobster, the number of dishes, the generous portions, and the enjoyable afternoon we had together, I thought it was very reasonable.
But more importantly, I came home feeling that we had spent a few hours well.
We didn't do anything extraordinary.
We simply had lunch.
Yet these simple occasions are becoming increasingly precious to me.
At this stage of my Grandpa Journey, I have learned that happiness doesn't always come from big events or expensive experiences.
Sometimes it is sitting around a table with Julie and a few old ping pong friends, eating lobster, sharing memories, laughing at old stories—and complaining that the table is too big!
That is a pretty good afternoon.
And I am grateful for it.
A good meal fills the stomach.
Good friends fill the heart.
— Grandpa 🦞
Hashtags
#GrandpaJourney #JumboLobster #LobsterLunch #DimSum #PingPongFriends #SeniorLife #GoodFriends #GoodFood #SharedMemories #Friendship #RetirementLife #LifeAfter80 #GrandpaStories #SimpleJoys #ChineseFood
🦞 一頓豐盛的龍蝦午餐——和乒乓球老朋友聚在一起
今天，Julie 和我，還有幾位乒乓球老朋友，一起到 Jumbo Lobster Restaurant 吃午餐。
這是一個非常愉快的下午。
餐廳今天非常熱鬧，幾乎座無虛席。不論大桌、小桌，都坐滿了客人。整個餐廳充滿了談話聲和笑聲，大家都在享受自己的午餐。
等所有朋友到齊後，我們便點了一套 八人份的特別套餐。
沒想到，這頓午餐真的是非常豐富。
我們點了大約 7至8磅龍蝦，一隻大的，加上一隻比較小的。龍蝦份量十足，而且還有很多其他菜式。
除了龍蝦之外，還有：
魚粥
蘑菇炒麵
Maggi 醬炸魚
牛肉腸粉
蝦仁腸粉
腐皮卷
以及其他幾款點心
每一道菜的份量都很慷慨，而且味道真的很好。
大家吃得很開心。
真正珍貴的，其實是朋友
不過，回想這頓午餐，我覺得最珍貴的並不只是食物。
而是坐在同一張桌子上的這幾位老朋友。
我們都是退休人士，而且大家因為乒乓球而認識，平時也有不少機會一起打球、聊天。
到了我們這個年紀，朋友聚在一起吃飯，往往不只是「吃飯」。
我們會聊天。
會回憶以前的事情。
會談起一些多年前的故事。
有時候，同一個故事可能已經講過幾次了，但大家還是會笑。
我想，這就是老朋友之間的珍貴之處。
到了人生的這個階段，朋友本身就是餐桌上最珍貴的一道菜。
唯一美中不足的地方
如果要說這頓午餐有什麼不足，我覺得只有一件事。
圓桌實在太大了。
對八個人來說，這張桌子可能太寬了。
坐在我對面的朋友，有時候距離實在太遠。大家要聊天，就需要提高聲音，有時甚至要身體向前靠，才能聽清楚對方說什麼。
而今天餐廳又是滿座，環境相當嘈雜，所以對我們這些年紀比較大的朋友來說，聊天就更加困難。
我心裡一直想：
如果這張圓桌小一點就好了。
如果只是剛剛好可以坐八至九個人，大家彼此靠近一些，可以看見對方的表情，也可以比較容易聽到對方說話，那就真的完美了。
對我們這些長者來說，能夠聽清楚朋友說話，有時候和食物好不好吃一樣重要。
每人 $45，值得嗎？
最後結帳，每個人大約 $45。
以今天的份量來說，我覺得相當合理。
有這麼多龍蝦，還有魚、麵、腸粉、腐皮卷和其他點心，大家都吃得很滿足。
但比 $45 更重要的，是我們一起度過的這幾個小時。
其實到了人生這個階段，我越來越覺得，快樂不一定需要什麼大事情。
有時候，只是和 Julie 一起，跟幾位乒乓球老朋友坐在一起。
吃一頓豐富的午餐。
談談以前的事情。
笑一笑。
分享一些人生經歷。
然後一起抱怨一下——
「這張桌子真的太大了！」
哈哈！
這樣的一個下午，其實已經很好了。
我很珍惜。
Grandpa Journey 的一點感想
人生走到八十歲，我越來越明白一件簡單的事情：
美食可以填滿肚子，朋友卻可以填滿心。
今天的龍蝦很好吃。
但我相信，很多年後，我真正記得的，可能不是那隻龍蝦有多大，而是今天坐在桌邊的這幾位老朋友，以及我們一起分享的笑聲和回憶。
這就是我的 Grandpa Journey。
平凡的一天。
一頓午餐。
幾位老朋友。
一些回憶。
而我覺得——
這已經是很幸福的一天。
—— Grandpa 🦞
No comments:
Post a Comment