40-46 Main Street
Flushing, NY
Qingdao restaurant is next to the LIRR east bound station. It has been there for a very long time, over 10 years, which is long in Flushing. Actually I never paid any attention to its name until now. For some reason, I thought it was a Taiwanese restaurant [changed hand(s)?].
It’s convenient for me to zoom in and grab something then catch the train. And the one item I’ve buying is the popular Sichuan appetizer Couple Lungs – 夫妻肺片 fuqi feipian. It’s made of thinly sliced beef and beef offal, and could serve cold or at room temperature – great with beer or chill white or rose. I think theirs is the better one in and around Flushing. Today I ventured a little further and bought two full bags…
As I was looking for it name, I found there are nine reviews on Yelp and 3 on TripAdvisor. … Rudeness is a common complain. I do speak Chinese but …
Ok, you may say, it’s a cheap eat. But I don’t seem to recall any other ethnic vendors (or even street vendors) treat their customer like dirt or non exist. Is it our tolerance that led the Chinese vendors to treat other Chinese like dirt?
Today as I was buying, the woman behind the counter was constantly serving other patron.
Me, “hi, can we finish up here? I’ve a train to catch.”
She, “I’m not delaying you. I’m just taking a payment …” And next moment, she went to clean up a table.
When I saw the slow sautéed beef I asked how much because they don’t take credit card and I only had $5 left.
She, “$8 a pound.”
I, “May I have half pound?” then added “I only have $5 left.”
After weighting, I handed her the five bill. She said, “$9.”
“I thought you said $8 a pound.”
“I said $18.” She threw back the bill and turned to another customer.
I said, “can you have some manner?”
She, “What manner?”
I, “NOT throwing thing? It’s very rude.” Then I said to myself, “Irene, why bother? Move on.”
Many years ago (early 1990s), a group of us had lunch with the Consul General of China to New York and his wife in a midtown up scale Chinese restaurant. One of the dish was lobster. I looked around there wasn’t a fork, so I asked the staff, “May we have some lobster picks?”
The staff looked at me and walked away. My next companion was an elder gentleman and he said, “Irene, just eat. This is a Chinese restaurant.”
I was stunned by his resignation or tolerance and wondered how could I eat it without a mess on hands?
Another time, I was on line at a Chinese supermarket in Little Neck. A female cashier trying to push me away so she could go through. I stood my ground. She looked at me with a surprise, “let me go …”
“Don’t you know how to say ‘excuse me’?” …
The Chinese around me, both shoppers and workers, didn’t seem to be on my side.
Oh well …
醜陋的中國人 – 为啥呀？
今天在法拉盛一小吃买了七八样食物 – 这家开了很久了 至少十年以上 （一直买他们的夫妻肺片。。。从来没有留意过名字 。。。也许换过手？）服务员不停的收其他客人的钱 甚至去清理桌子。 我说 ”妞 先把我的东西拿完再去服务别人 行吗？” 她强词夺理说 “我没有影响你呀 ” 。。。其实我应该知趣 一走了之，非但没有，我反而又要了一个 。结果因为给错了钱 她把现金丢给我
我说 ”你怎么这样呀？“
她 “我怎么了？”
我 “为什么这么粗鲁？”
旁边的一个客人赶快说 “不要吵架 。。。”
觉得 中国人什么都能忍 所以要求不高？
很多年前被抓去和国内新来的领事吃饭 。。。龙虾来了 我问服务员 “没有小叉子？” 旁边一个中国人说 “这是中国餐馆， 吃啦。。。”
是消费者宠坏了服务业 还是 中国人什么都能忍 所以要求不高？ 我还真没有见过别国人 随地大小便的 。。。 好几星酒店往地毯上吐痰的 （上一次去法拉盛的图书馆。一个中国男人不停的吐痰 虽然他吐进垃圾桶 但是那也不卫生 最恐怖的还是他 从吸到吐的响亮过程。。。 ） 。。。 那天去中国超市 一年轻的收银试图把我推开，这样她就可以通过了。 我没有动。 她惊讶地看着我，“让我过去呀…”
“难道你不知道怎么说’劳驾吗’？”…我身边的中国人，包括购物者和工人，似乎都觉得我是多事婆。
