Yesterday I had the luxury of having the day off. I enjoyed wandering down the streets. A few months ago, someone asked me if I loved Chinatown more than the neighborhood I reside in.
Answer: Hands down; Chinatown rocks! But what about the C town hood makes it so special?
As I continued to roam the streets, trying to put into words why this place was so special, I would wave to all the people that I knew on the block.
When I park my car in the Chinatown lot, I'm greeted by the guys at the lot give a warm welcome, "Good Morning Mammi". This year they've even remembered my birthday and bought me a card and offered to take me out for a night of dancing on the town.
Then as I continue to walk, I bumped into our mailman who greets me with a kiss on the cheek. My dad gives him wine for every year for Christmas(perhaps that's why he's so jovial!). We chit chat and shoot the breeze whenever we see each other. He takes special care of CICF mail and it's hardly ever lost.
Most of the shopkeepers know me. Some of them are even the parents of my friends. Lots of times, the restaurants give me bigger portions (which definitely isn't helping my waistline!) because they think of me as part of the "Chinatown family". Food=Love
Chinatown will always be my home, no matter where I move. It's a space in this crazy city that brings everyone together.
