Love Bird

As Valentine's Day approaches, thoughts turn to love...
love bird fried rice....yeah, that's it.....

Last night, after attending a Celtics game (which they
actually won for a change), I was standing in the subway
station. The size of the crowd waiting for an outbound
train made me painfully aware that I wouldn't be
able to get on and would have to wait for a second
train. Anyone familiar with Boston's subway
can tell you it could be awhile before that next
train comes....there doesn't seem to be any
hurry to move people at night.

So....I decided to take an inbound train to Chinatown
to one of my favourite restaurants for something that
is only (to my knowledge) served there: Love Bird
Fried Rice. It's sort of....sticky white rice on the
bottom, covered half with chicken in a tomato-based
sauce and half with shrimp in a white sauce.

Chinatown is right next to the old "Combat
Zone", where all the strip clubs and adult book stores
are located. Oh, yeah, and lots of prostitutes.

For awhile the area was pretty much "cleaned up" - most
of the adult establishments had gone out of business and
there wasn't much "criminal activity". That was in the late
90s, though, when the economy was better. Now the
area seems to be reverting to its former "glory".

As I stepped out of the subway station and started walking
to the restaurant, I was immediately pursued by a guy
who was selling either drugs or a hooker....he "Yo!" 'ed
at me for a good half a block before giving up. Ah, just like
the old days....when I lived in Boston and worked a second
shift job north of the city, I used to stop in at the same
restaurant for takeout on my way home. After weeks
of telling prostitutes "I'm REALLY just here to buy food",
they finally started letting me walk through the area without
a hassle. Then it became a very strange friendly relationship,
with pimps and hookers saying hi to me as I passed through,
because we all saw each other so often.

Back to the present: I got my food and headed back to the
subway - this time taking a different route to avoid all the
"action". Sitting on the train with the bag on my lap, I
noticed that the bag was leaking. I'll be working on the
stain today.....grrrr.....

Got home around midnight and couldn't wait - had a nice
big bowl of Love Bird Fried Rice....perhaps one of nature's
finest foods.....

Oh, and for breakfast this morning, I had....well, you get the
picture.

This post must be EXTREMELY boring, due to the lack
of "Web Tasting Technology".....I'm sorry.

But if you're ever in Boston, could I recommend....?