Cooking for a Chinese Wedding

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Saturday evening I was visiting the Decatur Square when I happened to hear a racket emerging from behind a row of boxwoods at the side of the Old Decatur Courthouse. When I went to investigate, I peered down to the basement level of the Courthouse and was astounded to see a makeshift kitchen outside the door, lit by a single floodlight. Tony, the chef from the restaurant, Royal China, was cooking a full Chinese banquet for 200 guests at a wedding reception. It was amazing to watch him skillfully prepare one dish after the other as he commanded the four woks before him. He was in perpetual motion for over two hours.  After scooping the last dish, fried rice, onto a serving platter he took a deep breath and sighed with exhaustion as beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He then proceeded to give me a to-go box with shrimp fried rice. I carried my prized possession home and enjoyed a plate of the best fried rice I have ever tasted. This comfort food soothed my soul.

Flipping Out

Saturday evening I needed some cheering up so I wandered down to the Decatur Square with my camera in hand. Going out with the intension to photograph always lifts my spirits. The evening did not disappoint. I first met a young man who was doing flips off a picnic table in front of the Old Courthouse. He told me that he had been studying martial arts for many years and was now working on imbuing his craft with a personal style.  Shortly after, I noticed a group assembling at the Courthouse steps waiting for the Decatur Ghost Tour to begin. I thought I might join them. While I was waiting I heard a loud scraping sound coming from behind the row of bushes in the background of this image. I wandered over, slid behind the bushes, and was astonished by what I saw. The scene was mesmerizing and had me transfixed until late evening. But that’s a story for my next blog post.