I love to eat. anyone who has spent twenty minutes with me has heard me speak on behalf of my stomach at least once; anyone who has been unfortunate enough to live with me knows that I am capable of eating five or six full meals a day. once, while systematically sampling all of the edible merchandise in brugges, an italian friend said to me, "god, laura, you eat like a man!" I had just inhaled a (real, bought off a street vendor, best kind there is) belgian waffle and a large order of (also bought off a street vendor, best kind there is) fries, and was working my way though the remainder of her fries while deliberating over which topping to put on my next waffle. and that's why this weekend was such a humbling experience.


I've seen italians eat. I've seen french eat. I've seen fourteen year old girls just returned from a weeklong canoe trip eat. but I've never seen such a vast consumption of food as I did while spending chinese new year with gabby's family this past weekend.


it started friday night. when gabby said her mom was going to cook us steak, I expected to be served steak. the quarter of a cow I found sitting on my plate that could have fed half my family was highly unexpected, though by no means unwelcome. the next night we had ribs and I noted that the chans kept eating for a good fifteen minutes after I called it quits.


sunday afternoon, new year's day, they took us out for chinese food. I don't know how long we were there, or even how much/what we ate. every time I looked up a new dish had appeared on the table. I tried valiently, I really did, but anyone who has attempted to cook for me knows that there are only eight or so foods I will consume voluntarily, and they'd better not be touching each other or contaminated with sauce or, god forbid, flavour. I did eat a lot of calamari, though. sunday night we took out chicken wings. I sucked up my pride as the proud spawn of buffalo and tried honey bbq. I pretended not to notice as gabby ate twice as many wings as I did, finished my fries, and topped it off with a burger.


monday night, I admitted defeat when stuffed turkey, chicken, shrimp and lasagna appeared on the table at the same time. I was speechless. I'm still speechless.


my stomach, on the other hand, is highly verbal. especially after all this talk about food. is 1am too late to make kraft dinner?