FOOD IS LIFE

There is something I noticed recently. Well, actually, it's something I've noticed for a while, but I've really cemented how I feel about this subject: food. I've long seen how food is not merely sustenance that one is required to have throughout the day in a means of survival. It is rather a way of life. I can recall the very time I visited Europe and how people would gather in a restaurant and stay for hours. I can remember thinking, in my inexperienced 14-year-old self, how can people talk for that long? Surely, there must be a time when the conversation ends and people return home. Whenever I visited Zurich, there were clusters of people gathered on the seats and tables outside if the weather permitted such a pleasure, or inside, when the temperature plummeted and the apples of people's cheeks were bright red. People would still gather to talk, to catch up, to discuss important matters, to inquire pertinent information, or to discover whether a romantic interest is worth pursuing. There was just something magical, enticing, and enigmatic regarding the faces of people I would pass that would laugh, drink warm coffee, or politely discuss important subjects over pastries.

Whenever I visited the continent, whether it was for vacation or an extended stay, the food was the first thing that I was always excited about trying and experimenting. The ingredients were different, the flavour was more intense, and the experience was much more savoury. The coffee, the bread (oh, goodness, the bread), the cheese, the chocolate, the pastries, the cold meats, and the croissants. Every country is different, and yet, every country has a particular taste that I have yet to forget. So again, I was entirely ecstatic to learn that by living in Europe would mean constant indulging in delicious foods (and subsequently, constantly exercising self-control). Going out for pizza, grabbing a shaorma, eating a croissant, sipping a Fanta, nibbling on some snacks while with friends...it all adds up eventually.

While going out with small group members, we ventured to a patisserie to talk, get to know each other better, and just simply to hang out in a less obstructive environment. I initially thought that it would last an hour, an hour and a half max. But, oh, I learned that was not so. Lasting longer than two hours, we discussed many things and the funny thing was that it was never about the food or what we're eating. It's the atmosphere that it creates. Drinking a fizzy pop while eating a chocolate mousse cake makes a discussion less stiff and informal. Moreover, it provides a safe place where we can share and talk, strengthening relationships and friendships. It is so common for people to meet and to stay hours while talking over coffee, or a pastry, or a drink. It's a small thing, if you think about it, going out and grabbing a small portion of cake or a cappuccino, but the effect is ostentatiously profound. You disclose information, you sense a more fortified bond, and the time spent is genuinely pleasurable.

As I'm out to get pizza with some of my friends, again, I was under the impression that it would be at most two hours. However, I was severely underestimating two things: how much we can talk about and how much we can talk. So, with this combined and food, it was a recipe for a long night out (no pun intended). Ordering a simple margarita pizza with a Pepsi, the discussion veered from various subjects to a very serious one that included similar opinions from everyone in the group. The restaurant was small in comparison to other restaurants, since it could seat, at most, twenty people. But the owner is related to one of my friends. As a result, he constantly came over to us, explaining what he did that day, how he hand-prepares the desserts, and ensures that all the ingredients are fresh and wholesome. At the same time, a group of men seated besides us were avidly watching a soccer game, cheering when their team scored and jeered when the opposing team scored.

Even going to Carrefour to get some snacks--some biscuits, cookies, and apple-flavoured water--to eat while talking in a park in the evening is not something that should be understated. I would be remiss if I did not add that it was not the fact that we had food, but that we were eating together. Eating snacks together lead to people sharing tales from their childhood, things they aspire to do, and astute observations from everyday life. When people get together to eat, life happens. A normal meal can last anywhere between thirty minutes to three and a half hours. I noticed that people bond over food in a way that produces a profound effect. People laugh, people cry, people share, and people express themselves over food. Food is not just something that we need to survive, but it gives us the privilege of thriving as well.