Drifters
(What I remember from my last travelling stint)

The moving belt of the brightly lit counter displays a variety of pastel bowls and plates carrying seaweed stuffed sushi and cones with colourful ebi, tamago and unagi. Watching hypnotically as the food pass by, I almost forget that I’m not in Vancouver – I’m in a Japanese restaurant in the heart of Shanghai. I pull my gaze from the food and notice Chris grinning at me from across the table. We’re sitting together because we’re both Canadian and we’ve been travelling around China together with some others we met along the way for the past week.

When we first meet on a train heading to Guilin, Chris’ eyes brighten the moment I tell him that I am Canadian. But I soon realize that other than carrying the same passport, we don’t have much in common. A waiter arrives with a ceramic bottle and cups on a tray and pours everyone at the table strong hot sake.

Chris is from Toronto. He went to cooking school straight from high school and has been working in the food industry for almost ten years. Starting out as a sous chef, he soon found himself at one of the most prestigious resto-bar in town, serving many local and visiting celebrities. As the head chef, his responsibilities include thinking up eclectic fusion dishes that are fresh and exciting. Recently, he broke up with his girlfriend of six years and decided to take time out to travel.

“I used to want this picture perfect settled life and I really lived that for several years. Then I just decided that it’s not what I want anymore,” he explains.

Starting off his Asian journey in Thailand, Chris then moved onto China, and will next hit Australia, where he plans to find work in a restaurant for the next year and then possibly back to Canada.

“But I haven’t decided yet,” he says, happily stabbing his wooden chopsticks into the sticky white centre of his salmon roll. “I’m just going to see what happens.”

At that point of my life, I am heading home to Vancouver to re-establish my life after a couple more weeks in China. Suddenly, Chris makes the sound effect of a chicken we had seen a few days earlier, interrupting our thoughts and we laugh. He is forever the clown and jester of our group. But at times, he also brings up the topic of Buddhism and different cultural practices he witnessed in Thailand.

Heady with rice wine, we gush about our fun travels - the freedom, the food, the adventures, and the scenery. At the end, we agree that we all thrive on learning and discovering new things. Looking at everyone, it struck me that only a small advantaged percentage people from developed nations including Canada could afford to not work for an extended amount of time just to explore a new world.

“I can just travel forever,” somebody says dreamily.
I wonder what forever means and how that could be possible.
“That’s the life of a drifter.” Chris interjects, chewing thoughtfully. He raises his small cup at everyone.
“To being drifters,” he announces suddenly.
“But I’m not a drifter,” I protest.
They laugh. “You are now.”
Everybody clinks their cups against his and turn to me, waiting. I hesitantly lift my cup towards them.
“To life.” I say simply.