I remember the first time I saw a dragon fruit. It was one of the strangest looking things I'd ever heard called "food". The taste, however, seemed like a tremendous letdown after getting past a peel that looks like the commander of an invading alien army.
Dragon fruit is no stranger to Canadian supermarkets anymore, but if you've tasted dragon fruit in Canada, I would like to humbly suggest that you have not yet actually tasted dragon fruit. Like so many tropical fruits which don't travel well, the dragon fruit must be eaten a little closer to its home to get the full flavour.
As we wandered around Bangkok today in a jetlag-induced daze, we were bombarded by sights, smells, sounds and tastes. And we realized that, like our poor, misunderstood dragon fruit, what you get in Canada can't prepare you for the real thing.
In a "global society" linked together by technology, we are exposed to many different cultures. As a nation made up largely of immigrants, we've probably even met people from a lot of those cultures. It is tempting to think that means we actually know something.
Stepping out into the crowded streets of Bangkok and letting the sensations wash over you is not unlike biting into a slice of fresh, ripe dragon fruit - it reminds you that you do not truly know anything at all, and in so doing opens you up to see the beauty you might easily have overlooked.
Evan
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