The Commissar’s Dinner
China 2003
I was walking down a street in one of China’s large cities. I was on the lookout for something to shoot. For me that includes peering in open doorways. As I passed this man being served his midday meal, I lifted my camera and gave him a questioning look. He laughed and nodded.
He must be someone important. He has his own chef. Look at all the dishes set before him. His chef seems to be explaining how he has prepared the dish he holds. Whatever it is, I bet it is delicious. (I shot this before we learned about adulterated food in China…the melamine in baby’s milk and similar stories.)
Our Chinese guide, Lily, chose our food when we went to the restaurant. She’d always ask us our preferences but she’d also choose new dishes we hadn’t tried. I enjoyed the food immensely and couldn’t stop exclaiming about how delicious it was. Even if I was stuffed, I’d take some of everything…just to try it, because it might be my one and only chance to taste a delicacy. Lily used to like to play tricks on me by ordering things like pickled snake skin and asking me how I liked it. BTW, it was chewy and rather bland.
I especially like this photo because it shows a Chinese man in his home. I love the expressive hands of the chef as he gestures and the hand of the man holding his chopsticks.