Fortune cookies are very much a North American invention. Even though we think of them as being “Chinese Food,” people in China don’t know what they are. I know that many people have complained that these days fortune cookies aren’t fortunes so much as silly sayings.
That hasn’t been my experience. There are three times when fortune cookies have played memorable roles in my life.
The first time was in university, years ago (OK, decades). I was in a relationship but really wasn’t happy. We went out for Chinese food. Her fortune was “A friend is a gift you give yourself.” She absolutely did not understand that fortune. She went on and on about how the sentence made no sense and what the hell kind of fortune is that? Personally, I liked it, I thought it was a truism. Then and there I decided to break up with her.
The second time was just before I left for Korea. Mom wanted to gather the family together for a goodbye meal. We went out for Chinese food at a large buffet. My fortune stated, “China waits for you.” Of course, historically, Korea has been a liege state to China and Chinese language and culture influence Korea greatly.
Most recently, I was “home” for Christmas in 2007. Again mom gathered the clan for a Chinese buffet. I was between overseas jobs, having completed over three years in Korea, and being on the verge of leaving for Namibia, Africa. This time my fortune read, “you will travel far for business and pleasure.”
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