Outside In

One of my best friends happens to be of Korean decent but was born and practically raised in the most whitey mcwhitiness areas of the province; Orangeville, Ontario. Years ago when we first started hanging out she made an observation to me, that I suppose is fairly common in Asian circles. She called herself a banana. Yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Clever. Well, don't you know...I'm at lunch a weekend not too long ago with another great friend, who relays a story to me that her and a cousin refer to themselves as coconuts. At first I have the confused yet interested look on my face until she explains; refreshing my knowledge of comparing food to nationality colour assimilation. They are of Guyanese decent and so are brown on the outside, but technically, let's get real: growing up in the Kitchener area, they are most definitely brown on the outside and white on the inside. Like a coconut. There are certainly other thoughts that come to mind when thinking of banana's and coconuts, that we'll digress. Now let's throw the items of culinary delight into a cauldron. What do we have? A melting pot! Never really understood the term as it relates to metropolis' across the continent. Think Chicago, Toronto, New York. Cities that are well known for their acceptance and richness in multiculturalism. I've just never really liked the title. Melting Pot. An apparatus to make stew or dream up potions for witchery and their spells? For a fondue restaurant; cute. For a blanket observation on how a city can live and thrive with a mix of cultures and backgrounds. I don't like. As a second generation Torontonian I'm often amazed, proud and impressed that we are on the most part simply able to see right through colours, shapes and whatever else gets mushed up into the said pot...and accept, embrace or co-exist with all. Regardless of who is what colour and in what spot. Now it's off to dinner with banana friend.

Toodles