I knew when I met Stuart that he was special, but I could hardly envision how our natural bond would comfort me months later.
Whilst researching my dissertation in London, I frequently scurried past a Chinese restaurant at Russell Square. One day I decided to go in. I immediately felt at ease, even if it was one of those hard or punk rock afternoons when staff played music to please their tourist customers.
Stuart is a father of one little boy, is as sharp as a Ginzu 🔪 and as kind as Mother Theresa. I can't write this without tearing up.
I ate at his restaurant nearly every week whilst researching my thesis. It is about a 20- minute jaunt to the British Library from here, and a good midway point before hopping on the Tube at Russell Square or resting before walking to Holborn. I must admit it took me till the summer before I stopped walking all the way to Temple if I couldn't handle Russell Square, where my MacAir was stolen! But the saddest story of all was when I had to tell Stuart Mom died. He touched my shoulder and softly offered his condolences. He said he remembered my telling him how I felt conflicted about job hunting in London given that my mother in Texas was nearing 80. She only made it to 79, dying exactly a week after her birthday.
Stuart listened to all of this, always smiling and speaking to me in such a gentle way I would feel better after lunch. Oh yes, I almost always got the egg-fried rice. I liked especially the little rice cakes with sweet red sauce.
On what I knew would be my last lunch there, at least while on my Tier 4 student visa, I got adventurous and ordered sweet-and-sour pork. Yum.
Following is a transcript of my brief interview with Stuart. English is not his first language, but I know zero Chinese:
Stuart, where were you born?
China.
How old are you?
34.
How long have you been here in London?
Six years, and working here four.
Tell me about your family.
Father, mother, one wife, one baby two years old, Yuan Going.
What's your biggest dream in life?
That I will have my own delivery business in two years. Delivery with lorries.
Visit
China City at 51 Russell Square, just a couple blocks from the Tube.
I knew when I met Stuart that he was special, but I could hardly envision how our natural bond would comfort me months later.
Whilst researching my dissertation in London, I frequently scurried past a Chinese restaurant at Russell Square. One day I decided to go in. I immediately felt at ease, even if it was one of those hard or punk rock afternoons when staff played music to please their tourist customers.
Stuart is a father of one little boy, is as sharp as a Ginzu 🔪 and as kind as Mother Theresa. I can't write this without tearing up.
I ate at his restaurant nearly every week whilst researching my thesis. It is about a 20- minute jaunt to the British Library from here, and a good midway point before hopping on the Tube at Russell Square or resting before walking to Holborn. I must admit it took me till the summer before I stopped walking all the way to Temple if I couldn't handle Russell Square, where my MacAir was stolen! But the saddest story of all was when I had to tell Stuart Mom died. He touched my shoulder and softly offered his condolences. He said he remembered my telling him how I felt conflicted about job hunting in London given that my mother in Texas was nearing 80. She only made it to 79, dying exactly a week after her birthday.
Stuart listened to all of this, always smiling and speaking to me in such a gentle way I would feel better after lunch. Oh yes, I almost always got the egg-fried rice. I liked especially the little rice cakes with sweet red sauce.
On what I knew would be my last lunch there, at least while on my Tier 4 student visa, I got adventurous and ordered sweet-and-sour pork. Yum.
Following is a transcript of my brief interview with Stuart. English is not his first language, but I know zero Chinese:
Stuart, where were you born?
China.
How old are you?
34.
How long have you been here in London?
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