Meeting up with an old friend

Near the start of working for DTF.  Wow, Paul and I look younger.  Andy still looks like shit.

Today I was going to meet up with another Din Tai Fung trainer.  Just like with Nina, I hadn't seen Andy in almost 2 and a half years.  But this was special; Andy had been my favorite trainer because he had not only taught me how to serve well, he'd taught me some important life lessons too.  He understood that the people he was training weren't necessarily going to be at DTF the rest of their lives, so he didn't nitpick on doing everything "the DTF way."   I can still hear his lessons right now, so many years ago, dispensing wisdom in his smart-looking uniform-

"You're always slouching, you need to work on that.  Work on it outside of work too."
"Man, you're always getting so worked up about stuff.  You can't get so pissed off.  It'll go away as you get older."
"That kind of thinking is wrong.  You can't change others, you can only be sure about the way YOU do things.  You take care of your own shit, and people will respect you."

After we got off one night, I was asking him all sorts of questions, trying to soak up as much of his experience as possible.  He suddenly said in that even, patient voice of his, "If I see someone who wants to learn what I have to teach, then I'll teach them; I'll give them the tools they need to succeed."  It was praise of a sort, and it felt good.

Before he left, we had seen some of the greeters and female servers crying upon seeing some of the other trainers go.

Andy asked me, "Do you think they really feel that sad about them leaving?" 
"I dunno.  Women are emotional like that."
"I don't want that shit when I leave.  All I hope for is when I leave, I want people to think, "I'm glad he was here.  I learned a lot from him.""

No worries there Andy.

It was a huge morale hit when he went back to Taiwan, something he seemed eager to do.  Though I was happy for him, I couldn't help but feel there were so many more lessons to be learned, so many more conversations that could help me grow as a person.  Selfish of me, perhaps, but I also honestly enjoyed his company.  Andy was (and still is) a genuine person. 

We were going to be eating Japanese food today, at a superb restaurant owned and operated by two of his good friends.  I got off at Taipei Main and exited 北三門 (north 3rd gate), to see him astride his scooter dinking around on his cell phone.  I beamed at him and jogged over.  It was so good to see this fucker, and yet I'd expected to be a little more emotional at the sight of him.  I guess I've gotten older, like he said.  I don't get so worked up about things anymore.  If I do nowadays, it's purposeful, an act only meant to poke fun at myself, to rekindle the memory of that fiery optimism I once possessed.

Anyway enough of that, I was going to ride bitch on a scooter!  HELL YEAH!  Andy was surprised when I told him I'd never ridden a scooter before.  At one point of our journey he asked me if I was scared.  Quite the opposite, I told him.  This was exhilarating, especially in the middle of the week...I usually stay in Xizhi.  All that wind rushing by wasn't doing my cold any favors though (I was struggling during classes later that evening).

Upon stepping in the restaurant we were escorted to the seat closest to the kitchen.  Andy told me he's never looked at the menu here before; he just relies on his friends' expertise.  The only thing I heard him specify was that he wanted to eat scallops. 

Name of the place is 樂食堂, address is 台北市大安區臥龍街11號, or Taipei City, Da'an District, Wolong Street #11.  Nearest stop on the MRT is Technology Building (科技大樓) on the brown line.

A simple, yet aesthetically pleasing way of displaying the meats and liquor.

It's a small place, but it gets packed quickly.  Andy timed it so we just beat the lunch crowd.  The decor is simple but adds a colorful touch, and the place exudes cleanliness and simplicity.

Constantly getting messages from friends and work.  Goofing off for the camera.

Andy's two friends.  These guys are good enough to work at the top Japanese restaurants in Taipei, but they got tired of working for other people and decided to open up their own small little place.  They make quite a tidy sum, and part of the reason is the quality food combined with down-to-earth prices. 

We were served tamagoyaki (a sort of sweet, square-shaped omelet), followed by a cone-shaped roll of dashi mixed with salad.  Next we were served various sashimi, including the finest scallop I've ever had (even better than the ones at Sushi Joa back home in Mercer Island).  It seemed to melt apart with every bite.  Andy explained that all their fish was bought fresh from the market.  Later on these guys were washing the dishes themselves.  You could clearly tell they cared about their craft.

I could keep going about the food, but this isn't a food blog, and I don't really know shit about Japanese cuisine.  While we talked, I asked Andy about Cambodia.  You see, what also made this meeting special was the fact that Andy was here for all of a week.  Before I'd left the States, Andy had dropped me a line.  Apparently he'd seen that I was getting ready to go to Taiwan.  Andy's not the most reliable person when it comes to keeping in touch, so I seized on the chance to chat with him.  We shot the shit in Chinese and he told me he was working out of the country.  I didn't even recognize the characters, so I looked them up and...Cambodia?!

Andy was in Cambodia?  What the fuck?

I asked him how this came about.  The opportunity came up to not only make more money, but save more money due to the decreased living costs, so he and his wife moved to Cambodia, specifically the touristy part near Angkor Wat.  He's assistant manager of a hotel, some place called TonleSap.

We continued to chat, me about the changes to Din Tai Fung Seattle since he left, he about his plans for the future and the restaurant he wanted to open.  And far too quickly, our time was up.  He had to see another friend, and I had to get back to Xizhi to lesson plan for the evening.  Again I strapped on a helmet and swung on behind him.  He told me he had to see this person and this person while he was here and I grinned.

"Vacation's never a vacation, right?"
"Huh, yeah I know."

Man that was a fun ride.  Makes me want to get my own.

Thanks Andy.  For everything.

One last shot with the man, then we separated ways.  Enjoy the rest of your time in Taiwan Andy, and good luck...both in Cambodia, and when you come back!  Maybe I'll be around to welcome you back.