A while ago, I blogged about a comment I heard at a Photographic Resource Center lecture. Either Max Becher or Andrea Robbins said, “In order not to go blind, you have to travel.” Oddly enough, that post got picked up by Radio Barachois, which might or might not be a radio station in St. Pierre & Miquelon. Go figure.

But I digress. My point is that I did travel recently, to London. While there, I ate Chinese food, Cantonese style dim sum at New World in London’s Chinatown, to be specific. I felt more at home during that meal than I had all week. Perhaps it was the charming company, perhaps because the dining was more unhurried than most of my week, perhaps because the decor was nearly identical to that of big dim sum houses all around the world. The cool thing about diaspora is that if you’re comfortable there, you can find a bit of home almost anywhere. Even if its not your diaspora. Robbins & Becher, right again.

It reminded me that I hadn’t had dim sum at home nearly often enough. So this weekend, I was one of eight adults and three toddlers who descended upon Empire (or perhaps Emperor) Garden and utterly laid waste to everything that came within reach for $12 per adult.

I think it’s safe to say that a grand time was had by all. Spilled tea, clashing dietary restrictions, screaming children. Hot and noisy (热闹), just how life should be.