How to Celebrate National Chop Suey Day
Stop by what once was the lighthouse keeper’s favorite Chinese restaurant – the only Chinese restaurant within 50 miles of the lighthouse. Order chop suey.
While you’re waiting, consider where the lighthouse keeper might have gone. Draw a little map on a paper napkin. Attempt an Internet search, but find the phone in your pocket intact, but dead. Search your other pockets to find a wallet, a credit card, some cash, and the note from the library you found so many weeks ago. Wonder why the universe is suddenly kind.
Your waiter will return with a glass of water and a smile. He’ll attempt to speak, but no words will come. Instead, a long stream of eggs, cabbage, and assorted vegetables will fall from his open mouth. He will extend his tray toward you. On the tray will rest a shiny red button.
Stand and back away from the man. The restaurant’s other patrons will rise from their seats and turn towards you. Chop suey will pour from every face.
The waiter – still smiling, still a fountain of chop suey – will offer the shiny red button again.
Politely decline.
He will insist.
Run.
Narrative Post
The story continues!
This August, we’ve connected several of our National Days posts with a little narrative – a story of love found, lost, misdirected, and otherwise repeatedly thwarted by a shiny red button and the undeniable urge to press it.
Today’s post picks up where National Cherry Turnovers Day left off and is the twelfth entry in the series.
Previous entries, in order, were:
- National Fresh Breath Day
- World Lighthouse Day
- National Book Lovers Day
- National Garage Sale Day
- National Creamsicle Day
- World Photo Day
- National Radio Day
- National Sponge Cake Day
- National Waffle Day
- National Just Because Day
- National Cherry Turnovers Day
Every post through the end of the month will be a narrative post, and will complete the story. Will you find the lighthouse keeper? Does he even remember you? Will you ever escape this stupid shiny red button? Stay tuned to find out!
Music
System of a Down’s Chop Suey!
Links & Learning
- What is Chop Suey? – Food Republic
- The Many Origin Stories of Chop Suey – Food & Wine
- Was Chop Suey the Greatest Culinary Joke Ever Played? – Smithsonian
- A chop suey recipe and the source of our image up top – NoRecipes.com
The end is near! Each post for the rest of the month will continue our narrative as we draw it to a close. Follow FMTCD and receive an email notification each time a new post goes live…
