Nostalgia - written by high school afra >.<

Why am I a food blogger? And my answer to that question is nostalgia.

Food is a common language among humans. Time to time, I would take a bite out of a dish and it would instantly shoot me through a Ratatouille moment of my childhood. If you don't know, my dad passed away from lung cancer and that has always impacted me - and still impacts me. Since time has passed and time heals, I was able to once again explore areas that I have been with my dad, including a burger store that he brought me on a teachers' development day in elementary school. Memories came with places, but it also came with flavors and certain foods.

My dad and I shared a common love for a Chinese sweet: small green bean pastries. Every day, he would walk down nonchalantly to grab the plastic box of stacked green bean pastries and pop two in the microwave for exactly 15 seconds. When the annoying, dreaded "beeps" from the microwave came on, I ran over and held my hands out as he gave me the steaming, soft pastry.

When I shopped with my mom the other day, I came across the box of green bean pastries. Without hesitation, I bought them, and the next thing I knew, one is in the microwave heating. Pressing exactly 15 seconds, I stared at the spinning pastry in the microwave and waited for the obnoxious beeping noise. Hearing the three loud beeps, I opened the microwave and reached for the delicate pastry. As I took my first bite out of the steaming pastry alone, I did not feel lonely because this single bite took me back to the moment I shared with my father, as we both held our steaming green bean pastry, smiling at each other.

I did not feel alone.