Table for One
Would you eat at a restaurant by yourself? How about watch a movie in a theatre flying solo?
Such was the hot topic at both our office today and later on at our meeting of youth ministry coordinators. Inspired by my grand plan to enjoy a nice quiet dinner by my lonesome after the meeting (I didn’t get a chance to eat dinner before the meeting), the answers seemed to be split down gender lines. You guessed it: every single female I talked to said they wouldn’t dine or watch a movie alone, whereas the males I spoke to said they wouldn’t have a problem with it. To be fair, 2 of my best guy friends slightly qualified their answers by saying that they would try and find someone to go with first (which is funny because they are both married…haha…I presume they both meant their respective wives), or it would have to be a movie that they really wanted to see with or without company (ie. Transformers, X-Men, etc).
I’m not so discriminating when it comes to me, myself and I. If I gotta eat, I gotta eat. And I have indeed watched a movie by myself. It was Derailed, starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston. Did you see it? If you answered no, then you’re like the majority of North America, as it only grossed $36 million in late 2005. I was in Phoenix, Arizona and had a few hours before catching my flight. In fact, it was after a lunch at a Phoenix mall with Matt Maher and Josh Blakesley of all people (it was the first time I met Josh…and a short 18 months later he was in Vancouver for Youth Day! Okay…enough name-dropping for now). So after weighing my options, I watched so-called thriller with about 12 other people. Upon reflection, I think it was easier to see the show because I was out of town and didn’t have anything else to do.
Fast forward to today. As I was leaving St. Patrick’s Parish after our meeting, I told Gerard that I was going to go to Matsuyama on my way home. He asked, “By yourself?”
I gave him an emphatic “Yes sir!”
He then asked, “Are you going all-you-can-eat?”
We both burst out laughing. “That’s where I draw the line,” I said, “I’m not going to sit at a table by myself for an hour and a half…I’ll be in and out in 20 minutes.” Kinda like when way back in high school there was a certain department store that I would refuse to shop at, for fear of someone else seeing me there. As I got older I realized that if someone saw me in there…that means that he or she was in there too!
Anyway…I digress.
Before leaving the parish, I called Gail and told her that I was going to stop by Matsuyama to eat a quick dinner before coming home. Knowing that you can’t order take-out from their late night menu, she casually remarked, “I hope you’re going to sit at the sushi bar and not at a table by yourself!” Good point.
Driving to the restaurant, I was talking to Dave on the phone. As I told him of my plan to enjoy the best beef sashimi in Richmond, he offered these words of wisdom: “Bring something in to read. You’d look weird if you were just sitting there eating and doing nothing else.” I thanked him for yet another great point, and then ransacked my trunk for something to read. Thankfully, I found a youth ministry magazine. Saved me from reading meeting agendas.
I confidently walked into the restaurant and was greeted by Paul the manager.
“Just me tonight, Paul,” I boldly proclaimed.
“Where’s the family tonight?” Paul asked, noting that I’m usually with Gail and the boys.
“They’re in bed already…I came straight from work.”
“Oh, so you snuck out then.”
“No, I came straight from work.”
I figured that Paul was just doing his best Gerard hard-of-hearing impression and needed to hear me say it twice. He then showed me to a table. But before he could place the single menu down, I remembered my lovely wife’s advice.
“Is it okay if I sit at the bar?”
“Oh sure…no problem!”
Without even looking at the menu, I ordered my beef sashimi, salmon nigiri sushi, ebi sunomono and of course, my pepsi. The food came quickly, and I devoured it even more quickly, all while reading about the impact of social networking sites on youth ministry. I asked for the bill, and was just finishing paying it when Paul came by to say good-bye.
“So how was everything?”
“Just fine thanks…good as always!”
“Now you can get home so your wife will be happy.”
16 minutes total time in the restaurant. 16 bucks including tip. And no fighting over the bill.
Such was the hot topic at both our office today and later on at our meeting of youth ministry coordinators. Inspired by my grand plan to enjoy a nice quiet dinner by my lonesome after the meeting (I didn’t get a chance to eat dinner before the meeting), the answers seemed to be split down gender lines. You guessed it: every single female I talked to said they wouldn’t dine or watch a movie alone, whereas the males I spoke to said they wouldn’t have a problem with it. To be fair, 2 of my best guy friends slightly qualified their answers by saying that they would try and find someone to go with first (which is funny because they are both married…haha…I presume they both meant their respective wives), or it would have to be a movie that they really wanted to see with or without company (ie. Transformers, X-Men, etc).
I’m not so discriminating when it comes to me, myself and I. If I gotta eat, I gotta eat. And I have indeed watched a movie by myself. It was Derailed, starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston. Did you see it? If you answered no, then you’re like the majority of North America, as it only grossed $36 million in late 2005. I was in Phoenix, Arizona and had a few hours before catching my flight. In fact, it was after a lunch at a Phoenix mall with Matt Maher and Josh Blakesley of all people (it was the first time I met Josh…and a short 18 months later he was in Vancouver for Youth Day! Okay…enough name-dropping for now). So after weighing my options, I watched so-called thriller with about 12 other people. Upon reflection, I think it was easier to see the show because I was out of town and didn’t have anything else to do.
Fast forward to today. As I was leaving St. Patrick’s Parish after our meeting, I told Gerard that I was going to go to Matsuyama on my way home. He asked, “By yourself?”
I gave him an emphatic “Yes sir!”
He then asked, “Are you going all-you-can-eat?”
We both burst out laughing. “That’s where I draw the line,” I said, “I’m not going to sit at a table by myself for an hour and a half…I’ll be in and out in 20 minutes.” Kinda like when way back in high school there was a certain department store that I would refuse to shop at, for fear of someone else seeing me there. As I got older I realized that if someone saw me in there…that means that he or she was in there too!
Anyway…I digress.
Before leaving the parish, I called Gail and told her that I was going to stop by Matsuyama to eat a quick dinner before coming home. Knowing that you can’t order take-out from their late night menu, she casually remarked, “I hope you’re going to sit at the sushi bar and not at a table by yourself!” Good point.
Driving to the restaurant, I was talking to Dave on the phone. As I told him of my plan to enjoy the best beef sashimi in Richmond, he offered these words of wisdom: “Bring something in to read. You’d look weird if you were just sitting there eating and doing nothing else.” I thanked him for yet another great point, and then ransacked my trunk for something to read. Thankfully, I found a youth ministry magazine. Saved me from reading meeting agendas.
I confidently walked into the restaurant and was greeted by Paul the manager.
“Just me tonight, Paul,” I boldly proclaimed.
“Where’s the family tonight?” Paul asked, noting that I’m usually with Gail and the boys.
“They’re in bed already…I came straight from work.”
“Oh, so you snuck out then.”
“No, I came straight from work.”
I figured that Paul was just doing his best Gerard hard-of-hearing impression and needed to hear me say it twice. He then showed me to a table. But before he could place the single menu down, I remembered my lovely wife’s advice.
“Is it okay if I sit at the bar?”
“Oh sure…no problem!”
Without even looking at the menu, I ordered my beef sashimi, salmon nigiri sushi, ebi sunomono and of course, my pepsi. The food came quickly, and I devoured it even more quickly, all while reading about the impact of social networking sites on youth ministry. I asked for the bill, and was just finishing paying it when Paul came by to say good-bye.
“So how was everything?”
“Just fine thanks…good as always!”
“Now you can get home so your wife will be happy.”
16 minutes total time in the restaurant. 16 bucks including tip. And no fighting over the bill.
posted by Clay at 1:29 AM
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