Rice Pudding

A pinch of salt, cup full of, add some… Zhāodài bùzhōu, qǐng duō bāohán.

—Jig3125

There’s an announcement.

Zhāodài bùzhōu, qǐng duō bāohán.

Well…

that sounds official.

Translation:

“招待不周，请多包涵”

Oh.

So that’s the ingredient.

Hospitality.

Add some.

How much?

Apparently, that’s up to you.

A little kindness.

A generous welcome.

Maybe an extra spoonful if company is coming.

Rice pudding suddenly sounds less like dessert and more like diplomacy.

The rice is getting soft.

The conversation is getting softer.

Everybody is being accommodated.

Nobody knows exactly how much “some” is.

But somehow…

there’s enough.

One person’s “some” is another person’s “a lot.”

One person’s pinch is another person’s handful.

And one person’s hospitality…

might be exactly what somebody else needed.

Just remember…

Make room for whoever is sitting at the table.

Because sometimes the best recipes aren’t measured in cups or spoons.

They’re measured in how welcome you make someone feel.

And if the rice pudding turns out good?

Even better.

— JIG3125