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Do you build up virtual expectations of a future event based on thoughts of unrivalled excellence?
After nearly a whole week of delightful anticipation we went out for dinner one evening to celebrate a special occasion. Several days beforehand we went to view the venue concerned, which came most highly recommended by work colleagues. We were told it was not cheap — in fact even quite expensive — but to us it was a once in a lifetime type of experience while staying in the “Top End”.
For those who know little about this vast land of Australia, the Top End refers to the northern part of the Northern Territory in Australia, where Darwin is the capital city with a population of around 145,000 people. According to Wikipedia Darwin is situated on the Timor Sea, and is the largest city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory. It is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian capital cities, and acts as the Top End's regional centre. We have been enjoying a vacation up here while working at the same time. Living up here as temporary visitors for a month has been quite an eye opening experience.
Upon said night, we arrived with great expectations. The car park was almost full to capacity as we found a spot to park our vehicle. The weather was balmy, warm and perfect for an evening dining in the great outdoors, however we chose to dine inside, albeit with the huge concertina plate glass windows set to one side of the restaurant. The effect was exactly like being outdoors as the high roof elevated upwards where we sat and no walls to speak off. We were blessed with an uninterrupted view of the panorama of Darwin city across the bay along with very interesting vegetation that set the scene of a perfectly manicured and landscaped paradise. As sunset came and the moon rose in visible glory, we enjoyed the exquisite sight of a glowing orange disc. The night of June 28, 2018 was a full moon to remember. Several pictures were snapped but not one could capture the colour or brilliance to do it justice. It would be hard to imagine a better view than this one in the whole of Darwin, or even in the Territory.
On the menu were half a dozen or so main courses and the same amount of variety for desserts. It was an easy choice. Jim chose the Barramundi while I had the Shoulder of Lamb. Most choices were instantly ruled out as unclean foods such as prawns, pork, crab, crocodile, and shellfish. We were offered an appetiser of raw barramundi (fish) in lime juice which sounded nice but tasted like vinegar. Needless to say Jim did not have his appetiser based on my response of feeling an odd sensation much like wanting to vomit. We came with healthy appetites and certainly did not need appetisers such as these. Quite ironic I thought upon reflection based on the size of the meals.
My dessert choice was chocolate served several ways. Jim did have eyes for the banana gateaux but unfortunately there was white chocolate somewhere therein. As he is highly allergic to cashew nuts, mangoes and chocolate, there was nothing else that took his fancy or was safe to eat. One wonders why chocolate seems to be put in so many dishes. We find that there is often no mention of chocolate, especially white chocolate in desserts with many a comment from others that they do not consider white chocolate to be the same as brown chocolate. Quite vexing to us! The allergic reaction is the same. The dessert in question was promoted as containing “peanut mousse, honeycomb, vanilla mascarpone replete with glacage” according to the descriptive spiel on the menu. Thankfully I felt compelled to ask if there was chocolate contained somewhere in the folds of peanut, banana and cream. The waitress checked with the chef and sure enough there was white chocolate enveloped within. Thankfully we averted another health disaster as his allergy can have him out of action for up to 2 weeks.
There were quite a few things that were disappointing with the food. For one, there was very little of it. At $45 per main course I did expect more than one small piece of lamb which was half fat and half meat. The waitress asked me how the food was when collecting our plates. In all honesty I could not say it was wonderful. I found my voice saying “interesting” to which she replied in a staccato voice “Now just what does that mean?” My reply was provided with quiet volume “There was as much fat as there was meat”. She very animatedly informed me that that is what gives the lamb its flavour. This young lady who was most likely a backpacker and working temporarily as a waitress had the gall to tell me that fat made the lamb taste wonderful. I am pretty sure I would have cooked more lamb roasts, grilled more lamb chops, and made more leftover lamb sandwiches than she would have had hot dinners in her lifetime. I could not help myself when I quietly vocalised “I would have preferred some lamb chops on the barbie”. If she walked away horrified, so be it.
Maybe I expect too much, maybe I am out of touch, maybe our usual dining out, which consists of Subway, Chinese takeaway, Barnacle Bill’s for Seafood, Indian curries, and the local hotel which serves incredible King George Whiting or Garfish, are considered simplistic and not trendy enough. We are people of simple taste but value quality and good service. We know quality when we experience it. At any rate there were many other things which did not go as planned and were quite irritating. By the end of the whole experience we had had enough. Jim valiantly coped with no dessert. It was meant to be his night and I so wanted everything to go well as we celebrated his baptismal anniversary of 38 years. The best thing was the view. We vowed never to return again. Some fish and chips from the local fish ‘n chippery would have been a real treat, washed down with some BYO wine while watching the view in the nearby gardens, and saved us well over $150. The whole night cost $165 and we didn’t dare order a bottle of wine as anything not consumed on the premises was not allowed to be taken away to drink later at home. I call this faulty logic. If a customer pays for something then it is theirs to have and keep. As the driver on a working night I allow myself one glass of alcohol but at $70 for the fruit of the vine Merlot we liked, we were not going to guzzle it down just to suit their rules, so we had soft drinks instead. They could get a license for take away alcohol but have not done so for whatever reason. Clearly not in the best interests of their genuine paying customers.
When we paid the bill all the floor staff were busy. There was a wedding reception there that night so staff seemed to make those guests a priority. I sensed the owner was the one sent to take our money and asked him if he was the owner — he indeed was. He asked how our night was. I wasn’t prepared to tell him the extent of everything because there was just so much to bring up. Other patrons were standing by and could hear our brief verbal exchange. So we kept it short and simple. He apologised and admitted lack of communication and too many staff to train, coming and going all the time, etc., which was very disappointing as just verbose excuses, full of justification.
This experience was a huge reminder that we are living in the world and not in God’s Kingdom yet...in case anyone hasn’t noticed. It is a constant theme with me. Not sure about you the reader. I am always hoping for the best, a real optimist, often getting my hopes dashed by poor service, “mutton dressed as lamb”, woeful quality, even mismanagement by others. Things are based on who you are, how wealthy you are, and appearances. How I hate this world’s system vehemently. It is all as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:8. Vanity of vanities, life is but as a vapour. We are here and then gone. So what do we learn from these experiences we would rather not have?
After the Mountains and Valleys Searching for the Final View
I grew up being taught, “If you are going to do something, you might as well do it to the best of your ability”. My physical father taught me this saying and enforced it without mercy. It was a hard lesson to learn but I am grateful for it now. Ironic, as he had a huge aversion to religion. Not sure if he realised this wisdom came from the Bible because he certainly never opened one while our family was together.
Oh how blessed we are to have God’s wisdom; in Ecclesiastes 9:10 we can read “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom”. If only people would put all their efforts into everything they do now for the benefit of others. Then things would have been very different the night we went to the most exclusive restaurant in the Darwin area. Big lessons to be learned.
It is alright to have expectations. We would not be human otherwise. We dream, we imagine, we think on or meditate quite deeply on any number of things during each weekly cycle. We like to choose well, things we like, things we think are worth spending hard earned money on, especially on special occasions. Most of the time they work out but sometimes they do not. This is the life we need to experience in preparation for God’s Kingdom. All the highs and lows, the triumphs and the disappointments — these life lessons are all designed to build our character of who we are, the choices we make on how we react to external situations, to adversity, and how we treat others, whether physical or spiritual family, friends, acquaintances, work colleagues, or neighbours.
This leaves me with one question to ask and for the reader to ponder…”What would Jesus do?” Or “How would Jesus react/respond?” Would He “sweat the small stuff?” Scripture provides the answer in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil”.
We need to let go and let God. We may crave justice now but we are living in this present evil age when justice will not prevail. We must have our eyes fixed firmly on what is to come and meditate on 1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of Man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”.