This weekend my husband and I went to Boston’s Chinatown to enjoy some dim sum together.   The term dim sum in Chinese literally means “a bit of heart” which I think is very appropriate for what it represents.  The experience of going out for dim sum is very special for me and it is something that brings to mind many fond childhood memories.

 

To backtrack a little, it’s worth mentioning that I was born in Bangkok, Thailand.  And after the age of three I moved to the United States (New York City of all places.)  It was there that I spent many of my weekend mornings having dim sum with family and close friends.   During these occasions (which lasted for hours) we would leisurely drink hot tea while we ate and socialized.  I can remember how the restaurant would always be crowded with tables full of people and their happy chatter (picture about a hundred people in one room all eating and talking at once.)   It was not unusual for us to be seated with strangers at the same table during the busy dim sum rush.  And the tables weren’t the only crowded areas either.  It is customary during dim sum that dozens of servers would be swarming with their carts full of scrumptious appetizer-sized plates of food.  Then our job would be to simply pick and choose what looked good from these carts.  Yummy!

 

The tradition of going out for dim sum helps keep me connected to my past.  And although I’m a very long distance from my original home, I am reminded while sitting at the restaurant with my family and friends that home can be anywhere, as long as I’m with my loved ones.

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