No More Chopsticks at Restaurants

My dad heard on the news that the Chinese used some type of bleaching chemicals when they made those chopsticks that we find at the restaurants.  This is not a surprise to any of us.  The Chinese are very notorious for doing things like this.  We have shied away from food imported from China.  Now, chopsticks, too? 

Tonight, my dad wanted to go to a local Vietnamese restaurant.  He rarely or likely never wants to go to a Vietnamese restaurant because he really likes my mom's cooking.  So, when we go out to eat, he mostly wants to go to an American restaurant, like any good steak house.  My sisters recently took my parents on a long trip visiting the Mid-West, where Asian restaurants were rare.  The day they got back, we took them to this Vietnamese restaurant, where the food is ok.  However, because they were craving for Vietnamese food, everything tasted wonderful.  To make the story short, my dad wanted to go back there again, tonight, to everyone's surprise.

About my dad, he's the typical Asian dad.  He rarely talks; but when he does, we don't want to go against his wish...And, yes, Jim, I'm 46, and I'm still afraid of my parents.  He's 80 years old, what's wrong with a little indulgence.  OK...my dad is more like a dictator.  None of us wants to deal with the after-shock effects...too much headache.

Anyways, when we arrived at the restaurant, my sisters and I pretty much knew that he would not forget about the chopsticks.  Indeed, he didn't.  So, I had to tell the Vietnamese waiter to give us 6 forks.  He looked at me a little funny.  What was funny was we actually had to eat the noodle soup with forks!  It was weird, the whole table of Vietnamese eating noodle soup with forks.  When does that happen?

I know this is a free country and we can eat however we want to.  But this was just odd.  I imagined myself standing back and looking at us.  It was such a funny picture.  My sisters and I couldn't stop laughing.  Of course, my dad didn't notice anything because he has severe hearing loss.  We were more scared to upset him than scared of the chopsticks.  And, yes, Jim...we are all more than 40 years old.  We should get therapy...LOL