Culture Fail

The hors d'oeuvre spread was impeccable, particularly the goat cheese filled filo cup topped with a bit of walnut.

It's goat cheese whipped with mascarpone, the Caterer/Restaurant Owner revealed as she handed each of us a yellow envelope. The envelope was beautifully embossed with gold lettering and an image of a rooster.

Do you live in the area? (This shin dig had folks from out of town.) Here's a little something you can use when you visit our restaurant…

Oh - Year of the Rooster! Gung hay fat choy! someone exclaimed.

Gung hay fat choy, I murmured, flipping over the envelope, eager to discover what was inside.

Yes,

In retrospect, the pause was akin to a tired sigh

Lunar New Year. Just a few gift cards…

I don't remember the rest – after determining the nature of the gift cards, I pondered whether to eat another goat cheese yummy.

(I could've easily eaten half the serving tray in under 3 minutes. Those things were delicious.)

Once home, I took the time to admire the beautiful stationary...

Ummm…that's not a Chinese language

Smack my head. Of course Chinese folks aren't the only ones who celebrate Lunar New Year. I suspected (and the Internet confirmed) the language is Vietnamese.

Instead of giving respect to a specific culture, my New Year's greeting reflected the myth that all Asians are all alike. I was horrified. 

It was a Culture Fail, if you will,

A reminder to do better next time.