i was watching rachael ray's travel food guide throughout the states in usa. looking at the food featured were so yummy-licious.
then, i started thinking about how i'd have to hunt for halal or close to halal food if i were in the states for a holiday, for instance (i hope, some day it will happen! hehe. insya'Allah.) i suddenly thought how am i supposed to ask around the locals for non-pork origin food and non-alcoholic food (yes, not drink cos they love to put a dash of wine, beer and etc. here and there in their food, especially the higher end restaurants.) without offending anyone by just a simple question of " does your food have any forms of pork origin or use any alcohol as an ingredient?"
based on my experience in singapore, a multicultutral society which should already be used to muslims asking about such questions, people weren't really that honest or kind or polite or understanding as though the question was meant to accuse them of some crime. sheesh.
so, i've thought of a brilliant plan, hehehe. instead of asking outright whether they use pig origins or alcohol in their ingredients just to receive another dishonest answer, why not pretend that you are looking for such dishes? for example, instead of asking " does your food use pork or alcohol?" blatantly, instead, try asking " i'm looking for nice pork dishes with generous dashes of wine in it. do you happen to know of such restaurants around?". get what i mean? make it sound positive.
i sound like i'm so experienced at travelling and dining in countries with few halal restaurants eh? hehe. the only country that i've been to would partially qualify as this category would be bangkok, thailand. seriously, even their macdonald's and burger king, my favourite here in singapore, sells the original HAM, yes, pork burger. heh. yucks. so disgusting man the pictures in the menu. the funny thing was, when i asked the female muslims girls my age there if they know any halal food places in the shopping centre, they said they don't know. so weird! and, don't be surprised to see arabs and middle easterns who are clearly muslims eating at such places though. you'll see them doing that even in malaysia. yup. of all countries, malaysia. tsk tsk.