first ramen noodles

[juldea]

Can you believe I still remember the first time I had ramen noodles?

It was at LaRita Hamilton's house. She was my best friend in 3rd and 4th grade. We both lived on base, although my father was an officer and her mother was enlisted, and a single mom. Her older brother, Hank, was quite possibly the first gay person I ever knew, although I never quite knew how to describe it at that age. He was 17, tall and thick, built like a football player... and a dance instructor. I adored him.

I remember LaRita and I having conversations about how our hair was so different, and how we treated it and styled it in different ways. Ah, youth... not knowing the pains of racism.

Anyway, ramen. She was astonished I had never had it. We split two packs between the two of us. She made it herself! She was always so resourceful, what with her mom not always around.

Comments

[eustacia42.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of the time I accidentally left the ramen water on the stove boiling for like an hour because I had gone outside for a minute and barkingkat (my next-door-neighbor at the time--i was like 15) was out there, so we started talking, and then i'm suddenly like "oh crap! the water!" (no noodles had been added yet) and when i went back inside, there was the pot, completely empty, weird colorful patterns on the bottom, and so hot that a few drops of water i dropped into it jumped and sizzled and disappeared.

i just realized that was all one sentence. wow.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Haha... reminds me of the time I put eggs on to hard-boil and forgot about them. ;) The water boiled off, and the eggs cooked onto the pan... NASTY. :P

[eustacia42.livejournal.com]

haha, awesome.

[christhegeek.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, was ramen really around back then? Seems like it didn't really register on my radar until 96-97ish. Then again, I lived in a spoiled yuppy neighborhood so sadly I'm guessing that had something to do with it.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't known her... she was, bluntly, from a lower-income family than mine.

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

I know Ramen was around as early as the late 70s and it later was a staple of my poor-college-student diet.

[tpau]

you knew someone named LARita?????

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Yup! We took jazz and tap classes together, went to school together, I think we were in girl scouts together... thick as thieves, we were! But I don't know how to find her now. :(

[tpau]

google?

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I try every now and then... no luck.