Eating Alone

Funny thing about eating alone.

Especially when I travel a lot for my work and sometimes I can't BUT eat alone.

It's all fine when you go to some old tried and true shack off some dirty street but it starts to get

weird once you decide to go to a high end place.

Sometimes the restaurateurs would sit you as far away from the main dining room as possible in case your loneliness was contagious. They're afraid you'll attract more lonely diners and not the big parties that Hong Kong seems to thrive on

I guess they assume that if you eat alone in Hong Kong, you must either be

A. Unpopular so better not show him off to the rest of the eating public

or

B. Must be stupid as hell so let's take advantage of his ass

So they'll put together some jury rigged box and sheet, set in near the corner and call it a table.

They would think they're doing you a favor. You know, in case you don't WANT to be seen eating alone.

And because by the time I made a decision to eat somewhere, I'm starving, so I'll take any table.

Oh, it's really quite cliched.

My table would be right next to the kitchen door.

And every time I would take a bite-BAM- A door would smack my table, or worse my face, and jarring the tepid illusion that I've created for myself that I'm a some hot shot and can't eat with the locals in case I get mobbed.

or worse.

My "table" would be next to the men's bathroom. And since they're so small, the bathroom that is, since they're so small and tiny, the time it takes for a man to finish his business, not wash his hands, walk out and zipping up...

his crotch would be to my eye level.

So basically I'm catching a glimpse of some guy's privates post-urination..

yup..

good times...

here are some photos of a day of pigging out in Hong Kong