I tried Mongolian Barbeque for the first time today. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first arrived at the Twin Dragon in Anchorage but the smell emanating from the building was more than enough to draw me in. The resteraunt was set up in an all you can eat style. Everyone went the length of a bar with a large brown clay-looking bowl, filling it with all kinds of raw veggies and noodles which were then seasoned by a friendly, exuberant woman whose first language was obviously not English. The food is cooked by a nimble man on a giant stone wok with what appear to be giant chopsticks. Now my true ignorance in the traditional cooking of Asian descended foods is revealed in my description, but watching him prepare the food is really something to behold. He swishes it back and forth in easy strokes with the oversize sticks, moving them around the full round of the giant wok. When he finishes cooking he swoops the entire portion into another large bowl with one practiced swipe (which is way more fun to watch than I can even describe here). I was advised to have my own portion seasoned in what sounded like "sesh wan". As it turns out, "sesh wan" is Mongolian for "This will probably set your mouth on fire. And not the kind of fire that can be easily smothered with a bit of baking powder. More like a slow enduring burn. We're talking lava. Or an oil fire." It was delicious. When the man at the wok hands you a steaming bowl of noodles and veggies that you just watched him cook with a giant pair of chopsticks you have a grin on your face large enough to tear a hole in the space-time continuum. When I had eaten as much of the noodly mixture as I could handle, we went in for dessert. It was there that I found my true love. They had fried sweet bread coated in cinnamon and sugar. Personally when I hear that description I think of an elephant ear or a churro, but this was so much better than that. This sweet bread was better than cinnamon rolls, better than donuts, churros, elephant ears, cookies... You get the idea. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only eat one food for the rest of my life I would choose this sweet bread. Sure, it wouldn't sustain my body and I would become horribly unhealthy before dying of malnutrition in all likelihood... But that's all irrelevant because I'm not stranded on a desert island and even if I were how could I possibly have the choice of an unlimited and singular food supply? Following lunch my parents and I visited an old family friend, Carol Smith. Carol's husband passed a few years ago and since she has become a regular point of contact for my family. We stop in and talk to her about life, love, religion, life, whatever crosses our minds mostly. Inevitably the questions I am always asked were asked. "How's school?" Ohh school is going alright. Got myself in a bit of a bureaucratic financial bind, but I'm worming my way through the proper channels. I changed my major from Dental Hygiene to Business. No I haven't narrowed it yet beyond general business. I'm thinking of manangerial, marketing, or perhaps taking it in a public relations direction. And secondly "Getting back into the dating game?" This question continues to leave me confused as to what people expect. I'm a young twenty year old. I don't see the merit of returning the attentions of any man who hasn't proven himself worth my time. Sure, I notice the perverted check-outs, the subtle flirts, and occasionally the totally creepy advance. But it seems like every time I spend any time with a guy he turns out to be a total loser. So you see, it isn't that I hate men, it's just that the limited amount of men I've been exposed to in Alaska have been either committed already or else not committed for a reason. I'm constantly being encouraged to "find a strapping young man" as it was recently put. But I'm content to wait until I find that guy that changes my world, rocks it off its axis, and makes me fall head over heels. Or just a guy who'll stand by me and indulge my love and sense of adventure... Either way. I want a guy like my grandfathers. I'm not deflecting the attentions of men, and I'm getting my share of attention. But I'm not actively pursuing a relationship either. Certainly the moment you cannot stand to be on your own is the moment you are not strong enough to be your best self, and be loved to your full potential. I don't have to be someone's girlfriend to be valuable. I am valuable in and of myself. I don't have to chase after men to give my life meaning either. I wouldn't mind a nice redheaded guy with a scottish accent. In fact I would be happy with Bash from Reign, Logan Lerman when he played in Stuck In Love, Nick OR Schmidt from New Girl, Zac Efron from pretty much any movie he was ever in, etc, etc. My interests in men are fairly open. I like men as a general. I'm not out of the dating game, I'm totally in it if my interest happens to be piqued. The great thing about being single is that I'm free to do whatever I want and I'm pretty much not limited in any way. Currently my interests lay more in travels and experiences. There are so many things I haven't done yet, how can I even worry about men? Even I have to admit that dating is fun, and makes for good gossip though. And if I manage to squeeze it in between my new experiences, or even perhaps within them, I think dating around is going to be.... fun. ;)
When I told Carol that I was just "Waiting for a guy to come along who was worth my time." She told me something that was unbelievably simple and yet incredibly beautiful. "Maybe there's some guy out there just looking for a girl who's worth his time."
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