For the first writing, I would like to write on the experience of eating alone. Personally, I'm the type of person who would find the quietest place to eat when I'm alone. The other way I would do, I'll prefer to take away the food, and eat it later. I somehow reject the idea of eating alone, just imagine the moment when you amused by one dish, but you have no one to share with. In this context, it could be your friends, family, or your partner, anyone. Sharing the taste of the food and having conversation while you were eating are the two important things for me. As a person, it doesn't mean that I never been in a situation that I had to eat alone. Since, I have work to do in Jakarta, it made me to cope with the situation of eating alone - because most of my friends are working from 9AM to 5PM, then the only time I had a chance to eat with them is dinner. So, what happened when I had to eat alone? The first thing is I make myself busy by looking at my cellphone, reading some books, or pretending to take notes, acting like I'm on brainstorming mode. By "acting busy", people would think that I came to eat lunch/dinner while doing some work. I came to this decision of "acting busy" while having meals, based on my own experience watching other people who eat alone. When I hang-out with my friends, treat ourselves with good food, enjoying stories (or mostly gossiping), we tend to made a comment of other people who came alone to a restaurant. There are two most common phrases we use: "Eh, liat deh tuh orang sendirian, kasian amat makan sendirian" ("Hey, look at that person, he/she's alone, poor him/her had to eat alone") OR "Itu orang makan sendirian malam minggu gini, pasti jomblo deh" ("That person eats alone on this saturday night, he/she must be single") Yes, I know, it's bad to make such a comment like that to other people, but we're just a human, who likes to gossiping (pardon me). By those comments, I sometimes reflect on myself when I eat alone, or I might say insecure, of other people who saw me eating alone. Did they have the same thought like I did? Did they found me pity? However, the question now is, are we really eating alone in this era? I might called it as the miracle of internet. We're always connected with internet, who doesn't? With the assistance of internet, it helps us to uploaded our meals onto our social media, also it provides us to chat with our friends or anyone while we're eating. How easy was that? We don't have to be in the exact place to eat and have conversation - we can use our social media, just upload your picture and you'll interact with your friends who leave a comment on your post. Don't like posting on social media? Try to use chatting application on your cellphone, like what I did, I share my experience during lunch or dinner with my friends, it happened almost everytime I eat alone (thank God they my friends can handle this). What if you got bored interacting through social media and your chatting application, but you're still want to share something while you were eating? Then, try to watch online eating channel. It's a common secret that I'm an avid K-pop fans, not only for the music, it's already spread into every parts of Korean culture. By this reason, I've been watching and reading several articles also videos of "Meok-bang". The rough translation of meok-bang is an eating broadcast (excuse me if I'm wrong). From my short observation on meok-bang, I found it very exciting. How could it be not exciting when your job is eating and talking in front of the camera, connecting with other people - but the most important thing is you get money from it. Just imagine that. These people who worked that way, called as "BJ" (Broadcast Jockey). As a BJ you're not only eating and talking, you obligated to interacting with all of the people who watch your show live. By conversing with them, they will appreciate you with their "virtual money", which shape as a balloon. What a beautiful life, when you only had to stay at home and eat, but you earn money from that.
It looks very enchanting to work as a BJ, but what does the benefit from the spectators side? Again, from my short research process, the people who watch the show live, they felt happy by it, it makes them less lonely when they had meals. They can chat with all the strangers across the globe, ordered some food from home, then conversing through the live broadcast. Having this new (for me) way of eating together but not really together in physical, made me thinking is it still necessary to having meals together? I mean, having meals together just because you don't want to feel lonely. Is it still looked odd for someone who eats alone?
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Greetings. Those who already knew my blog, I used to have a personal blog specialized on food. Everything about food, starting from sharing recipes, reviews on instant noodles, and also shares some romantic memories inspired by one dish. However, I haven't updated that blog since the time I went to Freiburg, which means almost 2 years ago.
In just (almost) one month left, we're going to meet another new year, this means another resolution. So, here I present to you one of my resolution, having personal blog (again) about food, and this time I'm trying to write it down in English. I know, I know, those who have the "grammar-nazi-radar" must be very eager to correct my grammar. Even so, I'm trying to be open with all the critics, about my grammar or the content of my writings. Again, those who knew me personally, or happened to know me on Facebook - I am very passionate about food, and it represent on "Bakudapan Food Study Group" (http://bakudapan.com), a group that initiated by me and my friends. For those who questioning, "why does it has to be food study group?", I have two answers; 1. in Indonesia, we don't have anyplace (far as I know) that concern discussing issues on food, in cultural, social, or art, 2. we chose "study group", because we wanted to learn and discuss issues on food from various perspective. Now, we're on the process on finishing our last topic, hopefully it will be done by January 2016. My hidden motivation making this blog, other than my passion about food and get inspired by Bakudapan is, I want to take a master degree on Food Studies. For that reason, I trained myself with this blog to write and discuss various issues on food. I also hope this blog will encourage me to continue writing about food. Inspired by my activity with all my friends in Bakudapan, I wanted to start my personal food-blog again, and I named it "Pengudap" means, a person who like to eat snacks. By this introduction, I present you "Pengudap". |
AuthorA food researcher and serious eater. Archives |