2016 Friends over Lai Lai Garden, PA(初中二年级·来来花园请客)
2016-04-22
【Aiden in English】
And we’re back in the Lai-Lai Garden tonight. It wasn’t initially planned, as the first dinner plan was at the newly opened Madang Korean & BBQ nearby, but we like our food the Chinese way. You may be wondering, however, what’s the occasion? Mom is hosting her college folk and his wife, whom she has only seen once in three decades. That was thirteen years ago when I was carried around in a cradle. The couple just moved from the Midwest to Philadelphia early this year. Jefferson University professors are engaging in the immuno-neurological study on the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, or MS, an autoimmune inflammation in the brain and spine. Hopefully, their research will help find a novel therapeutic target for treating MS.
Although the Lai-Lai Garden is great, many intense NBA playoffs are happening. Seeing how the Boston Celtics have tied the series with the Atlanta Hawks after being down 0-2 makes me wonder if the league has a reincarnation of Isiah Thomas (with an extra “a” in between the “s” and the “i”). Indeed, I was growing tired of the same food. The purpose was not to satisfy me but my mom's friends. It has been 13 years since they last met, having come face to face once in my birth year. It's creepy when strangers say they saw you when you were so much smaller. I usually immediately place them under the “stalker” category, but that’s just what I do. The reunion wasn’t all that exciting for me, but Mom seemed to care a ton about her long-lost friend from college. The moment the guests said they weren’t big on spicy foods, the look on mom’s face was a facsimile of the time, realizing I didn't like my birthday gift. Please remember that I didn’t care too much about birthdays. Luckily, the tofu in a clay pot with assorted seafood and vegetables was great, and no drop of oily red was seen on the surface. Coincidentally, it was the fastest to go. As much as I liked the pot, I still enjoyed the red pepper particles on my plate. It may be food coloring, but I'll never know. Not that it matters since it still tastes the same.
A similar feeling often occurs for me at the beginning of the school year. To have that feeling amplified to 13 years is quite crazy. Not having that trustworthy person to talk to is nerve-racking, and my experience with it is only for three months. Friends are indispensable for comfort and to help you through life. Over time, they become a part of your soul, and the piece breaks off when they leave. The bridges between the friendships can’t be broken, and even thirteen years later, the bonds are still strong between Mom and her friend. Whether at a park, in a movie theater, or at Lai-Lai Garden, it is essential to continue strengthening the bonds.
Good friends are like angels, and they add blessings to life.
