womens weekly cooking from the 70's

Such a fine line, trying to decide - do we get it right and feel proud - or do we get it nearly right and have more fun? Sometimes we think we have it right, have a stack of fun, but then realize we have been doing it wrong all along.

For me dancing is like eating. Its like eating your mums chow mein, and then growing up and going to a real Asian restaurant and realizing that chow mein is indeed not fried mince with two minute noodles and tomato sauce, which is actually more delish than what it sounds but still no where near the real deal. This simple dish is actually a master full dish full of delicate flavours, subtle nuances and depending on where you go, a real feeling of authenticity.

Dancing is the same, for years and years you can get away with thinking that you're dancing chow mein when really you're just dancing fried mince, and although, you will always love that home made recipe, there is a whole new world out there, god forbid some Peking duck, some udon noodle, something that you cant even pronounce on the menu but looks like its good when its served up at the next table.

The thing is though, when you go home and your mum cooks you your "favourite" chow mein, you cant exactly say to her, "mum, you've been doing it wrong for years, this is some on the cheep recipe Womans Weekly released in 1973 to be all exotic", you just gotta love your mum, pile on the soy sauce and tell her that you loved it and would love it again next Sunday.

When you have traveled the world, eating out at restaurants highlighted in swing dancings "gourmet traveller" and you have sucked the bones clean of many a miscellaneous animal, remember, someone out there is still living at home with their mums, still eating fried mince and calling it chow mein, offer them some soy sauce, but don't be too keen to tell them how badly the have it wrong, sometimes, we all just wanna enjoy the simple things in life.

I guess what im really trying to say is, be kind to your fellow dancers, no one needs to be told their mums chow mien is rubbish, and no one needs to be told their dancing is not quite right, takes us all time to figure that out ourselves - you need to keep in mind, your chow mein, might not be the same as mine, or his, or hers, or thiers, does not make it not as good, just makes it a provincial recipy of yours!