In the Khumbu Region

The morning feels damp, with the fading smell of burning garbage. The day had just begun and the local morning market is scrambling to get into its daily rhythmic chaos. I was listening in on a conversation when I was interrupted by my friend Doris who said excitedly, "we're here!". I followed her gaze and found two old ladies sitting on a low bench with a huge pot of oranged-colored soup next to them perched on a charcoal stove. In front of them were two big rattan baskets filled with jars of chili sauce, noodles, and cuttlefish. Doris sat on a little wooden stool in front of the rattan basket and ordered two bowls of curry noodle. She asked the two ladies in Teowchew dialect, originating from the South East region of China, "Ah Ma (grandma), how long have you been selling curry mee?". One of them stuck out six fingers and said "sixty years". These two ladies, apparently sisters, are dressed in beautiful traditional "samfoo". "Sam" means blouse, "foo" means pants, and they are worn mostly in the olden days by a lot of Chinese women who migrated to South East Asia from China.

We sat down on two red plastic chairs and dove into our curry noodle which was topped with extra stewed cuttlefish and chili. The soup was spicy and a little creamy, the yellow noodle and thin rice noodle were smooth in texture and the chili made my tongue tingled, it is at once painful and pleasurable. As I ate, I kept peering over to look at the two ladies. The deep wrinkles on their faces is a testament of certain hardship they've endured. Being the first generation immigrants from China, seeking a better life in a foreign land was not easy. It is quest that many are continuing to do, all over the world. There are untold stories behind the lines on their faces, there are storms they've weathered and even wars they've witnessed.

After we finished the food, we sat down in front of them and they asked "are you full?", I patted our bloated belly and grinned . One of them said "next time also order the fried noodle". I asked if they worked everyday. They said they do except during Chinese holidays. I walked away feeling overwhelmed by their work ethics. The culture and the food of the island are so complex yet so easily tied to the simplicity of what makes it great; - the people who keep doing what they are doing because they want to.