Quarantine Journals - Day 6

So I am back in Canada but have to sustain self-quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. That being said, what a great day to start a daily journal. I signed up to Isolation Journals where everyday it sends out a journal prompt. I decided to give it a try and I am writing these not in any order that was sent to me but based on random.

Prompt: Think of a brick-and-mortar store that you love. It could be a place you go all the time, or at least you did pre-pandemic. It could be a favorite shop from childhood—a place where you went to buy sodas and candies or to eye things way beyond what you could afford on your allowance. Write about what you saw, smelled, tasted, purchased—or didn’t. Write about the first time you visited, or the last one, or anytime in between.

One of my favourite type of stores to visits are bakeries. I am not a baker and would never be a good baker because I tend to not follow directions when I cook and baking can be more science than art. There are several reasons why bakeries are one of my favourite places to go. When I was young and still lived in China, going to the bakery was a treat more than a necessity - partly because bakeries are a foreign concept to most Chinese at the time. Similar to every other Chinese child, I was signed up to many after school programs and lessons. Luckily my parents only pushed me toward visual arts. At some point during those time, my parents signed me up to sketching classes after school. Sketching classes are not fun, it is mostly focused on technique and we are often spending hours drawing one geometric sculpture. This was also the time I’m beginning to lose interest in drawing. My mom would pick me up from art class and instead of going directly home, she would take me to a bakery a few blocks out of the way. The smell from the bakery would entice anyone who walks by to come in for a visit. This bakery was a Japanese style bakery, with a lot of sweet buns available for you to self serve pick up. My favourite was always this red bean bun that is fried on the outside. They are very common in these type of bakery these days but in the 90s in China, this was such a treat. I would sit at the table after checking out and finish the bun in a few bites. This was also the few moments during the week where my mom and I would chat about my day. Even after all these years, whenever I am back in China - someone from my family would get my from the bakery or talk about walking past it. It was only the last few years that the bakery closed and also part of my childhood memory turns into something that exists solely in a memory. However, that going to the bakery habit has not changed at all. During my stay in Taipei, I found a French-Japanese bakery that has the BEST red bean buns I've had in a while. Therefore, every Friday, I take a trip to the bakery and pick up a few buns. It continues to be a treat after a long day/ week.