Monday, 24 October, 2022 – Before I reflect on our conversation with Elias today, and share links, I want to mention that I created galleries of the images Elias uploaded to Dropbox, and posted them to Day 89’s installment. Not that he wants to sign away rights to his pictures, but when I see Elias’s pictures, I think he could make money selling them as stock images on Shutterstock or a similar site, since the pictures are framed so nicely and are sort of iconic images of each city he’s visited. (Yes, I know, I am biased. It doesn’t mean I am wrong, though.)
Elias called today, to catch us up on his plans. He is eight days from his trip to Europe coming to an end and his Thailand trip beginning. I can hear in his voice how excited he is about a change of venue, but also, how much more secure he is about what he is looking forward to (new food choices, new people to spend time with), what he wants (a nap on the beach), what he does not want (10-hour bus ride to southern Thailand is not in the cards, rightly so), and what he has left in his budget to spend (plenty, it seems).
Before he called, Elias texted: “I think I’m staying in a very strong Asian neighborhood cause there’s some really good restaurants around here. I got Vietnamese last night and Chinese tonight. Needed a break from the Italian French style food.”
Then he called and we got to talk and hear more about his visit with Eli and his parents. I think about the people I considered good friends while I was in Hong Kong, or traveling in China, and then lost touch with, partly because that happens when you are 22 years old, but also because the shared experience of travel can make friends in people you would not otherwise seek out back at home. I used to feel bad about that – like I had failed to keep up with every person I traveled with. Then I realized, Hey, they didn’t keep up with me either. And I am not hurt or disappointed; I simply look back on that time with them and feel grateful I had people I liked to share the experience with.
All of that is to say, I am not sure if Eli is going to be a lifelong friend, but I know that one evening with Eli and his parents is going to remain a good memory forever. Elias is a good listener, and a good storyteller, like David, so I am sure that Eli and his parents enjoyed his company as much as he appreciated theirs.
He sent the links to the two restaurants he visited. The Asian restaurants are not only a nice change of pace – they tend to be more affordable, too.
This is the Chinese restaurant from tonight (Monday night in Nice): Festin d’Asie on TripAdvisor at 15 Rue d’Angleterre. No website but here’s a picture from Google.
He told me a funny story about being at the Chinese restaurant. When he was brought the check, he said “thank you” in Chinese, as he has heard me say many times. The woman did a doubletake and asked him if he spoke Chinese. He explained that his mother spoke a little Chinese, but because the woman’s second language was French, their conversation did not get very far. It just struck me how little it takes sometimes to bridge the gap between people who don’t look or sound alike. With just a “thank you,” Elias was suddenly seen in a new light by a Chinese woman living in France, maybe paving the way for the next young, American man who comes into her restaurant alone. Instead of being slightly suspicious of him – which I think Elias has encountered more than a few times – maybe she will be welcoming, and ultimately, change the young man’s experience, too.
The Vietnamese restaurant the night before was even better, apparently. If the website and reviews are any indication, Elias found a gem. Here’s a link to Restaurant Lao Viet. I will interested to hear what he thinks after he’s been in Thailand. Google says from his hotel, he’s 500 metres from the restaurant.
