Though I’ve not done the typical research through Ancestry.com, I’ve heard from relatives who are interested in our lineage that I am probably half Irish and half German. Since this is St Patrick’s Day, I celebrate any Irish heritage I might have because I love a party as much as anyone else. What’s not to love about corned beef, cabbage, and green (or regular) beer?

On my first day of work as a technical writer, my boss and teammates took me out for lunch. Since our office is in Koreatown in Los Angeles, we ate Korean tofu soup. Having never had authentic Korean food before, I needed some tutoring in how to order and what to expect. Everyone showed me how to break a raw egg into the bubbling soup in the stone bowl and then stir it around until it was cooked. I fished out the shrimp (with eyes, legs, and tail still attached) and peeled it by hand like a pro. I found out I like kimchi, a Korean pickled cabbage dish, as long as it’s not too spicy. I’m looking forward to another trip there to see what else I can try.

Maybe I don’t need a direct ancestor to connect with other cultures and countries. Sometimes I feel a little British while I enjoy my morning black tea, or after meditating, I appreciate some peaceful Zen time with my green tea. Red wine and thin crust pizza remind me of Italy though it’s been 31 years since I was there. Good food and drink connect us because it’s one of the best parts of being human, and exploring other cultures’ food can gives us a taste (pun intended) of how they live. Now I can hardly wait for Cinco de Mayo.

Photo by ThePhotoQueue