I made wontons this morning. I was, actually, hungry for dumplings. However, it would take more time/work to make dumplings since I prefer homemade wrappers. Store-bought wonton wrappers, on the other hand, taste all right for me.
When I was in high school, a lady we knew started a wontons stand near our house. She was well educated and had a good job, but her husband owed a lot of money (gambling? I don’t remember), so she was selling wontons at night trying to pay off the debt.
I felt heartbroken for her. She was a nice, soft spoken lady. She wasn’t supposed to stand on the street selling wontons at night, I thought. For months, I avoided walking by the wonton stand; I didn’t want her to see how sorry I felt for her.
One night, a friend asked me if I would go eat wontons with him. Since there were two of us, I figured it would be easy for me to hide my feelings, so I said yes. After all, I was a little curious how tasty those wontons were.
While waiting for our food, we watched her two daughters making wontons. They use a bamboo stick applied a thin layer of pork fillings on each wrapper and then folded it to a wonton. When I finally bite into one, I could only taste the wrapper.
After we paid the money, when we were far away from the stand, my friend said, “There wasn’t any meat in those wontons!” I agreed. We were not happy; we said we would never go back again. And we didn’t.
I have forgotten this incident until today. Thinking back, I realize how “wrong” I was back then. If I can go back to that time of my life… instead of feeling sorry for her, I would admire her courage for getting out of her comfort zone, selling wontons on the street to save her family; instead of focusing on my unsatisfied stomach, I would focus on finding something to do to help.
It’s interesting how we change the way we think. Sometime, I wish I could turn the clock back.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
HHC Blog 
Such a touching story, Helen… I am sure, you feel much relieved after sharing this.
Here in south India, there is a Tibetan settlement with a big monastery and a university. I tried this
dumplings there for the first time a few years back. It was called ‘Momo’.
There are both veg. and non-veg varieties and I really like to taste both, whenever I get a chance 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing and have a beautiful day 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sreejith. So nice hearing from you. I am glad you like dumplings. Now that I started study Buddhism, India means a lot more to me. Hope I can visit one of these days.
Back to dumplings… if you use store bought wrappers, it is very easy to make. I bet you can use curry meat inside. Hmm… maybe I will try that one day 😉
You don’t blog as often nowadays, I think. Hope everything goes well for you. I am always happy to see a new post from you 😉
Take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Helen, I am doing great 🙂
The interesting thing is, I managed to make a career switch from ‘Software Professional’ to ‘Sustainable Tourism’…
Quite an interesting job, where I need to travel a lot and meet different kind of people and interact with them.
Due to all these, I am not getting enough quality time for blogging.
But, trying to balance things and planning to get back on track with full steam 🙂
Have a beautiful day ahead 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sreejith, what a career change you have made. I always admire people who have guts to make a change like this. For me, those are the people who know how to live this life. Hopefully other than seeing wonderful photos,we will read some stories from your experience and learn something too. I am looking forward to it.
LikeLike
I love dumplings, from the ones you showed in the photo and from those you have at yum cha. There is a dumpling place next door to my work, and it is so tempting to go and eat there every day.
The woman and her daughters who sold you and your friend wontons sounded like they were very hard workers. I am sure that they appreciated the two of you stopped by. And I think they would be flattered that today you still remember that experience 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for your comment, Mabel. My dad was from northern China. Noodles, dumplings, pancakes… are my type of food ;-). It took my husband a while to get used to it. Even now, he would only eat it once in a while.
The woman and her daughters were hard workers indeed. I was aware of that, but was totally surprised at how little fillings they put inside of each wonton. They really needed money.
Take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Helen, sad story, sometimes I want to go back to the past, so I could do things differentelly, but there is no way, what was done can’t be fixed. The only comfort I think off is that I didn’t have the knowledge I have today at that time, I was another person, so what was done was the only thing I thought was right, so we shouldn’t punish ourselves. I’ve never had wontons, seem delicious. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Elizabeth. I like what you said. Your words comfort me. Thanks.
I wish I could mail some wontons to you 😉
Take care.
LikeLike
I know exactly what you mean in this entry. Often, something will spark a memory that takes me back to a thought pattern or even an action (horrors) from my youth. Now my view point is totally different.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carol. You always know what I mean. I told you we were twins in our previous life, didn’t I? 😉
Is it true that you haven’t posted for a while? I am not pushing. I just don’t want to miss it..
Happy Holidays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing another well-written story, Helen. So true, we change our thinking as we grow into adult life. Btw, I enjoy dumplings, noodles, breads, and pasta dishes. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Amy. Me too!!! I enjoy all of those things on your list!!! 😉
Happy Holidays! And thanks for the tips or taking holiday decoration photos! I will try to take a couple of photos with my iPhone next time I see a pretty house.
LikeLike
I’m still distracted by the plate of perfectly wrapped wontons. How do you do that?!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha… It’s quite easy, actually. You place the fillings in the center, fold the wrapper to a triangle and grab two ends and press them together in the back.
I made some pulled pork the other day, and later use it to made Chinese dumplings out of it. Yummy! 😉
LikeLike
I just watched a youtube video and you’re right? It looks so easy …. surely even someone like me can make a wonton. Now I want to give it a try! Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, YouTube — That’s how I learn a lot of things too 😉 Good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is strange how we change so much over the span of our lifetime. I think especially for women over 50. We tend to get a wisdom and understanding that we didn’t have earlier. Maybe call it a stronger sense of knowing or intuition. She was a brave woman that is for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true, Cee. I wish I had known better… I guess this getting wiser thing makes life more interesting. 😉
LikeLike
Experiences of our youth make us the wise women we are today. 🙂 I have often wanted to turn back the clock and handle situations with the experience I have now, but then I would never gain the experience in the first place I guess!
I have never had wontons – they look yummy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wisdom words you wrote here, Sue! Yes, we do need that first experience to gain some knowledge. I feel better now. Thanks 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a difference time and perspective make, Helen. Thanks for the post and merry Christmas.
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Janet. Hope you have a wonderful 2016! One thing for sure is that we’ll all become wiser 😉
LikeLike
We can but hope, Helen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes the first response is the wrong one, and I don’t suppose mine would have been any better. It can’t have been any fun trying to make ends meet on the streets like that. I walk past countless people selling, with scarcely a thought. A privilege I don’t fully appreciate.
I hope you had a good Christmas, Helen, and best wishes for 2016 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have a wonderful 2016, Jo. You brought up a good point. I, too, walk past many people selling and usually I don’t buy anything because I don’t need anything. Once or twice I did buy something, and only throw them away when I got home (and I wasn’t happy 😉 Hmm… you taught me to have compassion for them even though I may still not buy things I don’t need. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Helen – I want to taste one right.now!!!
LikeLike
Helen – I also enjoyed your story about the way we change – I am drafting a post right now and mentioned how about 8 years ago we were in a store going out of business and all I did was shop – ignored the soon to be jobless employees – and this time when we were in a store closing I chatted with workers and had empathy!!!!
LikeLike
Yes time and experience can certainly change our perspective, perhaps these moments happen for a reason… Hope you have a very Happy 2016 and continue eating dumplings, I LOVE THEM TOO!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have a great 2016! I started learning Buddhism a year ago. I like to believe that every moment happened for a reason (I am working on it 😉 Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And to you too Helen all the best for 2016. Interesting to hear about you learning Buddhism..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not a better meal than dumplings, although wontons come close 🙂 Great photo ~ the heart of good food. Wish you well Helen in the New Year of ’16.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have a great 2016, Randall. Haven’t made dumplings yet since that day, but I made some bao-zi, and I am quite satisfied.
Wish there is a magic wand to stop world hunger!!!
LikeLike
I think that’s acceptable to complain if you get duped with your food. 😀 But yeah, me, I never complain about things like that anyway. I am just always happy I get food in my stomach when I eat, taste is just subsidiary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy 2016, Rommel. I am sitting here, smiling. Not sure what to say. 😉
I like to think all of our senses are equally important… the taste, the smell, what we see… In that way, life is full of treasures. Ha.
LikeLike
Beautiful article, it reminds us things what we own are not taken for grant…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Edward. It’s so easy to take things for grated, isn’t it? I keep telling myself not to, but I know I still do 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Time and distance can really change our perspective. With luck we grow wiser with both. Thank you for sharing your story….and wisdom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your comment, Steven. I do hope I am wiser than before. 😉
LikeLike
Even later with this comment… I love fresh wontons. I’m unsure it served much purpose to look back and feel how ‘wrong’ we might have been. I prefer to focus on looking forward and contributing to constructive change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Eric. I totally agree with you. I was hoping it would help younger people to see that we do change our minds in our lives. We may change our minds even for those things that we firmly believed in. I didn’t think that could happen when I was young 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Change… a life facet that is both constant and often, value yielding. We get wiser as our awakened souls grow more chronologically gifted. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person