Ten Dollar Dim Sum Dillemma

Today on our journey to little panda aka Kung Fu Panda I only brought ten dollars. Because I figured if we had to get lunch in Chinatown, $10 is way more than enough for three baos and way more than enough for an order at Chinatown Cafe, where we usually bring our business. It is also way more than enough to get Ngau Cherngs at May's Cake house.

Except for whatever reason, May's Cake House has construction going on outside of it. I thought, "Does Eldo's have Ngau Cherngs?" They probably do.
We went to Moh Goon house first to see Jing though. And after Noah ate more candy than he should have, and Jing had to step out, we were back out biking down the street. And here is where something interesting happened. My brain, which has perhaps been hanging around kids too long, listened to Noah's yelling about how he "Just only want Ngau ChernggggggGGGGSSSS!" to the point where I attempted and carried out something equivalent to buying things with monopoly money.

I did dim sum with ten dollars.

We walked up to China Pearl, "How Many?" the front person asked.

"Hold on I have to check how much money I have." And indeed I had not a dollar over ten and I let her know. "How much is two Ngau cherngs." And it came out to $7.50 "And does it cost anything extra to sit down?" And of course it doesn't but I was forgetting about the tip. Needless to say Jonah decided that he didn't much care for Ngau Cherngs in the first place and wanted a Dan taht. I realized I could buy that at a bakery if I took the money out of the tip money, which I did. Which meant I only left $1.50 for a tip. That's still more than 15% right?

Right?

As I put that down I felt a look from an old lady and I realized I had committed a sin. I would be forever labelled horrible tipper and incur the ill will and wrath of all waiters and the spirits of past present and future restaurant workers.

What harm could they do?


This song (Irish not Chinese) illustrates some of the ways they would probably curse me under their breath.

Well know people really came at me, but the Dim Sum gods were alerted of my crime against their realm.
Oh you never heard of any traditional Chinese deities having to do with Dim Sum? Well let me tell you, there is no Kitchen God, he is a front for a mafia of the Chinese version of Fairies, Nymphs, pixies, and other spirits who organize to collect the burned money and enact mischief. C'mon does that Kicthen God story really make any sense to you?


Anyway no sooner had Noah paid for his Dan Taht at Hing Sing did one of his training wheels fall off and he fall to the side of the sidewalk. The dim sum fairies had spoken.

I fixed it and we were back at Moh Goon House, under the protection of Gwan Gong, who can scare of Dim Sum spirits for us even though we were in the wrong.

I told Jing my story.

"Is $1.50 okay for a tip?"

Apparently this is so not okay that Jing told me he would give an extra tip (in  my name) next time we went to dim sum there and explain the situation.

I suppose I have lost my mind and attempted the to buy real food with pretend money. But the truth is I should have just told Noah to shut up and come with me to a bakery and buy a freaking BAO. I mean, then I could have eaten too and we would still have money left over.
Or better yet, I should have packed Peanut Butter sandwiches. I guess the truth is that I have no business messing around in enchanted dim sum land. Bakeries is the reach of my Budget, and takeout in a fix. But really I should be packing my lunches and I guess I forgot my place after playing Tourist in Florida.

The worst of it is, it's not like I don't have money, it's just I didn't have it with me, and then that is the worst offence of all to the hard working waiter looking at my change.

I guess when it comes down to it, is Noah is the one running the show and making the decisions here to the point where I have forgone food and any sense of shame. I guess I have to reassert my place as top dog in our little trio.