memories are funny. sometimes the one small thing you remember is irrelevant and sometimes it's just a feeling.
one my earliest memories around food is banh mi. there was this one spot we would always go to and our parents would grab a couple to share. never one full sandwich per family member. my sisters and i never got out of the car... we've never seen the inside of the store. this banh mi holds a memory in all three of our minds. we all remember the taste of the special sauce.
for the first time in 16 years, we're going back to find the banh mi. i ask my dad what the spot is called. he doesn't remember but recalls the general area. i send him google maps links of some restaurants and he points one out and confirms it's the one.
the best seller is sate beef and it's sold out. i get one chicken and one pork rib. there is indeed a special sauce and the taste is familiar. but the one thing that none of us remembered about this banh mi is that between the pickled daikon and carrots, the chicken and special sauce... is a slice of cheese.
what do we remember because we want to?
do we remember the feeling or do we remember what's true?
camera notes from my trip to calgary, alberta
january 9 - 12, 2025
is everything the same as it ever was?