I recently got into a little friendly debate with my friend Jane. She once wrote on her facebook update: “People I will never understand: dog haters, people who don’t like swimming, and murderers.”
I had to reply immediately: “I’m a dog-hater. I also don’t like swimming. I’m not a murderer though…forgive me?”
Now, the last time I announced that I disliked something (it was avocado), I had an anonymous comment cry out in anguish, “I don’t like you too!” And I imagine that by revealing my dislike for those precious, tail-wagging, doe-eyed furry creatures called dogs, I’ll probably receive more passionate responses than that.
Well, I don’t hate dogs. I’m just insensitive towards them. No matter how small and cute they are, they don’t exactly tug at my heart strings, and I’ve never once went “awwww…” at pictures of adorable puppies (In fact, pictures of adorable creatures kind of annoy me).
“How can you not like dogs?” Jane exclaimed to me over lunch. “They’re so loyal. They love you no matter what. They never judge you. And they come back to you with open paws no matter how badly you treat them.” Her gaze hardened with accusation.
I tried to protest my innocence. I tried to explain that I’ve been bitten and mangled and chased by dogs. I also tried to explain that they were annoyingly officious creatures, always eager to please, and why the heck do they always like to sniff and paw at your crotch?
“Well, that’s the owners fault,” Jane said. “They didn’t train their pets well. And when dogs are mistreated, they can get overly defensive and belligerent. It’s the humans who inflict their messed up natures on dogs.” She shook her head sadly. “Poor dogs. Damn humans.”
I had nothing else to say. She was right. There is no such thing as an evil dog, but there are tons of cruel humans out there. Dogs forgive readily, but humans bear grudges to their graves. All dogs want is love, food, and shelter, but humans always seem to want more and more, never having enough. When you think about it, animals are pretty simple creatures. But us humans…there ain’t no creature as complicated as us.
In my reply to Jane’s facebook status, I also mentioned that I’m not a murderer. But that was a lie. I am a murderer. I haven’t done the physical action yet, but I’ve committed countless atrocities in my mind and heart. I’ve cursed people through both my thoughts and words. I’ve compared myself to others, and stung them with darts of jealousy. I’ve judged and criticized others, crippling them with my prejudices. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.
When it comes to human relationships, you’re bound to face conflicts. You are a flawed complicated human, interacting with flawed, complicated humans. There is no such thing as a perfectly smooth relationship, and if there are no conflicts, well…then you’re not really in a genuine relationship with that person.
What is my point in this? I’m not sure. It’s just something I’ve been struggling with right now, and I’ve been musing. But my basic conclusion is that when it comes to complicated relationships, the easiest route out is: just give in. Sure, that person might have done you tons of wrong, but it’s simplest to just be a “bigger” person and forgive. The more you invest yourself into that relationship, the more you’ll be complicating it.
Instead, the best way to keep your mind off it is to saturate yourself with other positive things. The worst thing to do is to stew on that problem, because let’s face it—you’ll never be able to understand the human mind and emotions…including yours. Leave that to God who created us. You just do your part in staying as positive as you can by trusting that God has His blessings within that relationship. For me, I’ve been trying to read and understand the bible more, visit the library frequently, spend quality time with my parents, and of course, cook fun and delicious foods.
My dear friend Barbara once suggested that I try recreating all my favorite dishes I had tried during my trip to Asian this summer. It’s actually kind of hard to procure all the correct ingredients, equipment, and technique for some of those dishes, but hey, that just means I get an excuse for mutilating their traditional cuisine.
Guess what I found at my local Chinese grocery store:
Wanton noodles! But instead of being the usual skinny kind, these noodles were thicker…a lot like the Mee Pok noodles I so happily enjoyed in Singapore. 
I cannot believe it took me so long to cook with these noodles. I cannot believe I took so long to even consider cooking with it. I’ve been missing Mee Pok like crazy, so I was really excited to try these noodles again. I did not use the traditional Mee Pok sauce and soup, however. I decided to blend together inspirations from both Hong Kong and Korea to create this dish:
Hong Kong-Korean Mee Pok
- 2 bundles wanton noodles (the thicker kind)
- spoonful gochujang
- bit of sesame oil
- soy sauce
- maple syrup
- bit of chicken broth (or water)
- 1 link Andouille sausage, sliced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1 stalk scallion, sliced
- small bunch of torn romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 fried egg (runny!)
- cracked black pepper
Cook the noodles according to package directions. For me, I just dipped the noodles in boiling water for a couple minutes. Drain.
Mix together the gochujang, oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, and chicken broth. I did not specify measurements because there is no need for that. Just mix and taste according to your preference. Just make sure the mixture is not too salty, runny, or thick.
In a drying pan over medium heat, fry together the sausage and onions for a minute or so. Pour the sauce over, and fry together until the sausage and onion is cooked through, and the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, fry up an egg.
To assemble, mix the sausage/onion mixture into the noodles, together with the scallions and romaine lettuce. Top with fried egg. Crack black pepper over, and serve. 
While I was cooking this, my dad was eating his lunch (kimchi stew). But the fragrance of the frying sausage and onions in spicy sauce made him turn his head, and he demanded that I make this dish again for him some day. With pleasure, daddy! 
If you’re wondering where the Hong Kong influence in this dish is, it’s the sausage and egg combination. If you recall from my trip to Hong Kong, it’s a common theme in a lot of Hong Kongese homestyle cafes. Remember this? Hong Kongese really love their hotdogs and eggs! 
As for the Korean influence, obviously it’s the gochujang sauce, a similar sauce used in the traditional spicy Korean rice cake dish, tteok bokki. 
I used chicken Andouille sausages in this dish because I happened to have a couple pounds of it in my fridge, but you can use regular hotdogs, too. If you can’t handle spicy foods, just tame down the amount of gochujang used. 
These noodles are SO good. They’re actually quite flavorful by themselves, but they also absorb the flavors of the sauce really well. I can’t wait to cook with them more! 
Sigh. Why can’t humans be as simple and interchangeable as food? But I guess that’s what makes them so much more rewarding and unique. We humans are one of a kind, indeed.
By the way, my neighborhood dog has been yapping away for hours now. It’s getting on my nerves. Sorry, Jane. As convincing as your arguments for dogs are, I just cannot bring myself to love them. I guess that’s three strikes out for me: dog-hater, unenthusiastic swimmer, and…murderer. Perhaps if I cook something nice for her, she’ll forgive me?
Question of the Day: Dogs vs. Humans. Whose side are you on?
P.S. Thank you for all your input on the name for my column! I have not decided on one yet, but all your suggestions have been very helpful! I’m leaning toward That’s What She Ate and maybe Foodie McSnob. A few of you asked why I don’t just name it Burp and Slurp…Well, the thing is I’m not comfortable in publicizing my blog in my school. But I do agree that Burp and Slurp is awesome. Tee hee!
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Oh hey, I’m 100% with the dogs! I’m definitely one of those people that “oo” and “ah” over adorable pictures.. hehe. I’ve always preferred animals to humans.. not sure if that makes me antisocial or not. Well, actually, it’s not that I prefer animal company to that of humans but more that I find them enjoyable to be around. My dog is a saint and I adore her to death but you would probably detest her because she’s a bit needy.. haha.
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I totally agree about being positive and trusting that God will make it right.
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MM, that noodle dish looks really delicious!
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I love food topped with a fried egg!
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sophia, your musings of an unsure point always seem to make a strong point to your readers…and the beauty is that we can kindof make our own positive point from what you muse on. hope that makes sense. its a good thing.
ive been dog bitten too. i like dogs, but hate dog smell. im more of a crazy cat lady.
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I do have an undying love and obsession for and with dogs. Except for little foofy ones (any dog that has a hairstyle and/or accessories is not a a dog). I’d gunning for a wolf breed in the future – I think I’m just a sucker for loyalty, slobber and hairy beasts (it would certainly explain my choice in romantic partners
We all have our things. As a little girl, I was never pony-crazy. In the age of My Little Pony, that made me a pariah.
Great recipe – love that you use authentic ingredients and don’t healthify stuff more than necessary (thank you, thank you for that!)
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I think training is a key to like “anybody”. I have met so many of cousins’ kids who are spoiled to the core and it really makes them worth hating just cuz they are not taught to behave. I think the same goes for Dogs some are just not trained well. But in general my heart melts when I see their cute eyes. So yes Dogs
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MMMMM Hong Kong hot dogs and eggses!! I think a fried egg improves any dish
Well Sophia, as usual, you’ve given me a lot to think about. I think bad dogs ARE the result of bad owners, but not necessarily cruel owners. Dogs with bad behavior can come from owners who are TOO nice – indulgent and undisciplined. In my experience, the indulgent owners are much more common. Well-intentioned and kind people don’t always produce the best results. Especially with dog rearing. I speak as a dog lover with a dog of my own, of course.
Also, I hate swimming. I failed all my swimming tests in school when I was growing up and that’s just made me bitter toward the whole sport. So there
(Congrats on the column, by the way!)
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Oh wow, what a meal – looks fantastic! I’d love to get a dog but our apartment is too small!
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I have a friend who got chased and attacked by dogs when she was little too, and now she’s still deathly afraid of them. Some traumatic events just stick with us.
The noodles look absolutely scrumptious by the way! Runny eggs are the best. Who cares about salmonella when you got runny eggs?
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same here w/the dog situation, minus the biting and mangling. so i’m deathly afraid of animals in general, and footage of ‘when animals attack’ doesn’t help the situation either.
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People get that way with me when I tell them I hate kids. I’m a vet, so animals..I do like!
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AMEN SISTA!! GOd made us right!! thank HIM for that! Its amazing how to body works too.. like everything is so perfect.
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I don’t like dogs or swimming much either. So there, world!
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So funny…because my sis and I are total opposites on this issue! I am much more of a human person – there’s only a few dogs I really like. But my sister would pick dogs (or any animals really) any day. To each their own!
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Got to admit, I’m not much of a dog person. I’ve always been a little afraid of them (though I try not to show it). I think this stems back from being chased by a dog when I was little.
Lovely looking dish, great presentation with that beautiful egg on top.
Have a wonderful weekend.
*kisses* HH
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I love that you added hotdogs and eggs into those noodles. Hehs you are becoming like me! The noodles seem like a wonderful blend of Chinese and HK style.I think you are missing Singapore and Hongkong still. =p
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ARGH! I just realized you added gochujang sauce! But it still looks chinese to me. Hehehe.
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Idiot! Read before you comment lah! lol! Love you devil!
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I absolutely love fried egg on everything (well, almost everything!). Your dish looks so delicious that I am contemplating making it tonight. Yum!
In the human vs. dog debate, I am always on the side of man. I was once attacked by a dalmation and still have a scar on my face as a reminder.
Also, I was on a busy bike path in LA a couple of years ago and this guy was with a dog he was letting roam all over the path with no leash–cyclists were swerving…so uncharacteristically of me I said “where is your dog’s leash? He could get hurt.” He said in a very snarky voice back “where is YOUR leash?” Nice. I felt bad for his dog.
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That looks yummy Sista! I am a dog person as I have one, whom you would adore if you met her in person, she is such a sweetie!
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Oh, that is really Mee Pok. Oh boy, you can sell this dish straight away
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Cute as they may be I don’t like to take care of pets. Why – we are busy enough. My mother was bitten by a dog and had to get rabbies shots and got a disease as a result. Just like you cannot tell a stranger whether he is a good person or not I cannot tell a dog if it is a good one or not. Some of my friends dogs I can touch. I like Swimming but some pools are not so clean so I dont and I am picky that way. It’s equivalent to running without getting ones knees and ankles hurt. I love that your posts are honest and some are inspirational and honestly humorous. Love your noodle dish. You are adventurous and creative with your dishes. Love your posts from Korea too.
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Holy cow that looks delicious! And you can tell it’s a Sophia creation by the egg on top!
I’m definitely on the dog side! I’ll send you a couple cute fwds about the debate.
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What a crazy delicious looking dish. Your dad certainly has something to look forward to.
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I am so proud of your SUPERIOR recreation!!! Genius Sophia! It honestly looks incredible!!!
I very much liked your ‘dog’-relationship analogy. What stuck out to me was when you said ‘I tried to protest my innocence. I tried to explain that I’ve been bitten and mangled and chased by dogs. I also tried to explain that they were annoyingly officious creatures, always eager to please, and why the heck do they always like to sniff and paw at your crotch?”.
This is so true of how we become prejudice; We’ve been mangled, chased and hurt by the people we trusted. We have felt manipulated, irritated, betrayed, frustrated, annoyed, compromised, uncomfortable etc- and due to this hurt and ensuing mistrust we judge others and view them through the guise/filter of mistrust/fear.
Just because your EX boyfriend hurt you, doesn’t mean this new guy will. The same goes with friends, family etc. We need to give people a chance, and not view them through other’s past transgressions and hurts.It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You start acting differently towards them or around them to protect yourself, and they respond accordingly. This was a great reminder to not judge ALL for the actions of one or through events of the past! Great post!
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Wow, Barbara! You are incredible. You read so much into the limited words in my post, and gather your own wonderful, inspirational thoughts. Love you, girl! God bless you!
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Awww.. Dun worry. I luv dogs but I hate cats.
And yes, many times i murder clans of ppl in my mind!
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