Lunching on Mystery Meat

800px-Calhan_Colorado_High_School_Cafeteria_by_David_ShankboneIf you attended (went to) a public K-12 (kindergarten to grade 12, for children ages six to 18) school in the United States, you probably ate a lot of school lunches. Most medium to large-size schools in the U.S. have cafeterias where students go to eat a hot lunch in the middle of their school day. The cafeteria usually has a lot of long tables and chairs where students eat. Students pick up a lunch tray (large, flat plate with compartments or sections for several different kinds of food) and stand in a cafeteria line where the lunch servers put meat, vegetables, and a drink onto their plates. In some schools, parents pay for the lunches in advance so that students only need to show their lunch cards as payment.

A lot of attention has been given to school lunches in recent years because many say that the food served to students is unhealthy (bad for your body). Typical school lunches include pizza, hamburgers, and chicken fingers (deep-fried pieces of chicken meat).

From the students’ perspective (point of view), school lunches have a reputation of being unappetizing (not looking delicious; not making you want to eat it). The term “mystery meat” is often used to describe what students are served because it is not easily identifiable (able to say what it is) as being beef, chicken, pork, or some other commonly-served meat.

The website DoSomething.org, an organization that is trying to get young people to speak their minds (give their opinions) and to change things around them, recently asked students to post pictures of the school lunches in a project called “Fed Up.” If you’re fed up, you’re tired of something and won’t tolerate it anymore. Other students viewing the lunches can vote to “eat it” or “toss it” (throw it in the garbage). Students posting photos also fill out a survey about their school lunches and preferences, giving the website information about students and their eating habits.

You can see some of these “delicious” meals by visiting the Fed Up project website. Looking at it, I can see that little has changed since my own school days.

Do schools where you live serve hot lunches to students? Is there a general loathing (intense dislike) by students for school lunches as there is in the U.S.? What types of food is commonly served?

– Lucy

Photo Credit: Calhan Colorado High School Cafeteria from Wikipedia

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40 Responses to Lunching on Mystery Meat

  1. Dan says:

    Thank you Lucy,

    That website with all those photos of “Food?” is too funny, and the names that students call those unidentified object. Lol!

    Something I noticed is terrible over there is the quality of bread. I see in those pictures bread that over here I would not dare feeding the chickens.
    Came on! is that bread? that looks like plastic.

    Looking at the photos it looks like the people employed in the kitchens do not always know what they are doing.

    Thanks.

  2. Dan says:

    Me again,

    I will tell you something Lucy.

    I work shifts of eight hours. This week it is like I am in California because I am working the night shift.

    Sometimes I go through all my shift without eating a thing beside a piece of fruit.

    I would rather go hungry all night instead of eating one of those things pictured on that website.

    I kind of feel sorry for those kids. I hope that those pictures do not represent all the public schools over there.

    thanks

  3. elcomandant says:

    I’m Spaniard living in Spain for my entire life. So, my three children have been going to School in Spain, but we never have needed leaving our children in school to lunch. Lucky us!.

    However I know that the Spanish government, since several years ago, are watching the diet schools are giving. Thanks to this, this diet is varied and has a complete nutricion for health. I know too that nowadays, this diet cares the weight of people because the authorities have realized that boys and teenagers are gaining weight even they reach to be obese.

    Anyway, I suppose that there will be different opinions among the Spaniards.

    Greetings
    😀

  4. Dan says:

    Again,

    Having no kids, I am not able to answer your last question.
    I am not positive they serve food over here (Italy) in public schools.

    I am going to ask some of my co-workers about that.

    Lol “Mystery meat” 🙂

  5. hanmi says:

    Thanks for sharing a nice web site “dosomething.org”
    Interesting watching and funny titles students have given on fed up corner, it made me a thought,”we are not much different”
    Anyway in my school days everyone had carried lunch box and we were used to have wet books oozing lunch.
    Now most of students are served it in their schools.
    Parents get letters lunch menus and nutritional reports monthly.
    Representatives visit the cafeteria and have it regularly to check up.
    Usually students having home mom don’t like school lunch but students having working mom say it’s good enough not boring menu.
    Here’s my idea. Public meal is worse than home made and better than me. ha ha

  6. Myo ko ko says:

    [some tee hee here]
    Lucy, you’ve tickled our funny bones again!
    The students call those “delicious” foods mystery meals?
    Well, I’ve heard of these objects called UFOs, Unidentified Flying Objects.
    Now, according to your post, a new definition for UFO has emerged: “Unidentifiable Fried Objects.” 😉

    And good use of this phrasal, two-word verb “fed up,”
    Students are fed up when they’re fed up!

    And also, this word “public” always gives me a headache because if I get it right it means “private” in US of A. 😉
    I always have to be careful with its meaning!

    Here where I live, there are no such complaints from students because no school here serves food! 😉

    Thanks, as always, Lucy, good to learn what’s happening in your country.
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    @Betty

    I do have such an app installed on my tablet.
    And I always use it to compose my notes here. But the problem is that mine doesn’t save the notes automatically, so it’s needed to save a file manually.
    Well, it is where the problem arises!
    Because I usually (if not always) forget to save my writings as soon as I’m done with typing!
    Anyway, thank you for your advice.

    BTW, I’m sick of typing on a tablet! You see, many “taps” on the touch screen to type a line opr two.
    So, now I’m considering trying an app, something like Speak To Type.
    I speak and it types.
    Maybe it could help me. If it could, very cool!!

    Thanks
    _________________________________________________________________________

    @emiliano

    I’m looking forward to reading your episode 3!
    I love it. I also have a question as a reader. In episode 1, you wrote “boy friend.”
    Did you mean “boy friend” or “boyfriend” ?
    From a reader’s perspective, it was a sensitive word here I think that can bring something emotional to the readers as well as to the character, yourself in this case.

    Hope my words here are constructive for you.

    With regards,
    Myo ko ko

  7. Wang Luu says:

    Jeff, I’m telling you that the situation here in my country is just much worse than that!

    We don’t have another choice than eating the food in cafeterias. You eat or you starve until death. But I remember like the Yankees you have the practice of carrying a lunch box along so, you can eat the food made by yourself which is supposed to be more healthier :D. I remember when I was in school (elementary school, notice: we usually come home for lunch time in middle and high school 🙂 ) we all received a bow of rice, meats and another bow of soup (like most of Asian, rice is the main dish in our house) which had been already displayed in cafeterias before we arrived the place. I think it’s even much worse as we live near the equator, you may know that the monsoon lands, it provides a perfect environment for flies to rise up its population…Therefore, during the summer time, sometimes and at some places, you can see there are some curious flies hovering around the bows.
    So personally, I think the American students you are living in a much better place…many times, as you might notice, there are up to ten perspectives as there are only nine people 😀 and there are also people who never stop mouthing off at things. However, It’s part of your culture and I have to admit that it does help in making up the value of America now. It makes your society gaining many remarkable achievements, it pushes the envelope 😀

  8. Tania says:

    Hi! Interesting post regarding the “mystery meat” in school. It seems that all is “toss it”.
    In our kindergarten there is no “mystery meat”.
    The meal is fresh prepared in the kindergarten kitchen every day. We don’t use the frozen food nor caterring.
    We have started a real fight against obesity.

  9. Tania says:

    Hi! I think it’s a challenge to live in the McQuillanland if we suppose it is Minnesota.
    Now with minus 50 Celsius degrees…with snow storms…I don’t know what to say.
    But on the same parallel, there are plus 15 Celsius degrees in my country.
    The snowdrops have bloomed, migratory birds have started to come…and we are waiting for winter with snow and frost.

  10. emiliano says:

    Dear Myo ko ko, I think it is the same boyfriend or boy friend, but even more
    after the story was end, and Cuca was with me, I could knew that this young
    man was her fiance, what was a subject I didn´t know at the moment.

    Cuca told me afterward that they have exchanged rings, yea, real they have
    exchanged rings……

    I am going to follow just now as it is very pleasant to me just remembering our
    love story as I write it.

    Thank you Parviz, Myo ko ko, and LIAN you are the first to me.

    emiliano

  11. emiliano says:

    PUAAAGGGGG TOSS IT TOSS IT

  12. Myo ko ko says:

    Hi, emiliano
    Sorry, I didn’t make it clear in my question.
    Of course, these two words are the same.

    I just wanted to know whether that guy and Cuca are in a romantic relationship or they are just friends.
    Now I got it.

    In fact, I’m jumping the gun here. I shouldn’t have asked this question too earlier!

    Sorry for that, emiliano.

    Yours
    Myo ko ko

  13. Dan says:

    Hey wang

    Looking at the funny photos the kids posted, there actually is one with a fly in it.

    Compared to the food pictured there, at least that fly is “fresh meat”

    I am not sure about that, but a guy once told me he saw a documentary about an African tribe.

    Over there, they had so many flies that these people used to catch those with a bucket and make meatball out of it.

    It seems that those flies are a huge source of protein.
    ——————————————————

    Hey, I was thinking that I have seen so many movie scenes shot in schools’ cafeteria.
    It almost seems I have been there too.

    Thanks

  14. Lassana says:

    Hi Everyone,

    I have a daughter who is 3 years old.
    She eats at nursery school canteen every day.

    Her school has made something very good, all parents have the possibility to consult the menu of the canteen each week on internet.
    Day by day you have the possibility to see meals proposed by the canteen.

    I notice that there in a deep change compared to nowadays.
    The meals are much more various, moreover they are composed with vegetables.

    The fat meals reduce for the benefit of balanced meals.

    See you soon.

    Lassana

  15. lilian says:

    Hi everybody
    my daughter goes to a private kindergarten here in Tehran.they are served hot lunch .I think their meals are much better but in spite of all that she prefers to have lunch at home.
    Hanmi I am a working mom but put enough time for cooking because I like that and of course do it with passion. I think some people just cook to have something to full their stomach with .in that school their meal is like that because they don’t cook for their own children .they just want to do it and be paid for it and whose taste are better than children’s?children live in the moment ,they enjoy every minute of their lives so how can we expect they waste their time with eating that junk foods other than they have to ,like me when I was in shift at hospital,we had to be awake in ward for 36 hours ,most of the time we had not time to go to the self (cafeteria)and if we could we had a little time.so in that situation who cares?I remember on time on of my friend found a part of comb in her dish she just put it away had her meal and headed to the ward because she had an emergency pages to the ward.it seems like military service again Dan?I THINK SO.
    lilian

  16. emiliano says:

    He Myo ko ko, dear friend, don´t be sorry for asking questions about this story, it is a signe you
    are interested and to me it is the best that could happens if I am writing about something, and
    this is a very speciall subject as you could imagine.

    If I write here it is becasu I am like home telling our story to some friends that could have been
    to visit us, so every one of you may ask which ever question you like ask me for.

    Despite I would try to be clear it is sure something could be confusing and if you ask me about
    that to me is better knowing how is the style.

    The world here in Madrid was absolutely different by those time I was in the class with my dear
    Cuca. Girls and boys had different customs than now and societe was not so free as we can be
    now.
    For good or bad everything was different than this world we are living now. Madrid was smaller
    of course, people were more friendly but customs was quite different about girls, boys, and
    loving relations, as you may imagine.

    Less material in fact, evidently not so many sex relation as there is now and just an example could
    be enough, Cuca has to be at home not later than 22 hours, even when we were dating, so somethime
    being in the cinema we have to left before the movie was showing THE END.

    Interesting kind of life, don´t you think so?. It could be a good subject to talk about…..sure it is.

    Thanks Myo ko ko, THANKS A LOT LILIAN, SPECIALY FOR YOU DEAR, and sure tomorrow the story will
    continue, now I am interested too and remembering it I AM HAPPY AGAIN.

    emiliano

  17. lilian says:

    Dear Emiliano
    I am eagerly waiting to read your writings. You know everything happens for a reason ,as I can see coming to this site just to learn English but ends up in having such a great friend like you . That’s why Paolo Coelho says we should follow the signs.You helped me in many ways even more than you can think by all your meaningful and full of experience posts.thanks a lot.
    Thoroughly yours.lilian

  18. emiliano says:

    There we go again…..

    cont…..

    Leaving the class and steeping down the stairs to the street, emiliano´s
    mind was out of reality.

    He likes the girl and nothing more was important at the moment, so he lets the other three free to go
    where they wanted to go and he didn´t ask anything about where they were going to.

    It was cold and the academy was far from his house, he needs to take the subway to return home and have
    nearly an hour’s subway ride to be his parent´s house, but he doesn´t care about all this, that wasn´t important
    as it could be in other circunstances.

    He likes to return home early as getting up at 7 a.m. to go to the army office it was necessary to sleep well at night.

    Nothing about this subjects were in emiliano´s mind now, he only wanted to be close her talking and looking at her f
    ace as long as possible, it was like being in heaven.

    Maria Jose´s boy friend was going ahead with the other young man, they were talking about futbol, nearly the subject
    every man talks about but that wasn´t the theme emiliano likes very much.

    The other two young, Maria Jose and emiliano, were walking behind the other two and talking vividly between them.

    What were they talking about this couple?, let me see….., yes it is easy to remember because they were talking frequently
    about the same items that they were interested.

    Music, books, freedom movements like hippies, and so forth.

    This walk was not going to be repeated frequently as Emiliano can´t say anything about going on or repeat the walk when
    he wanted. He was at the will of his friend Jesus, and the will of the couple, so what can he done to be more time
    close to the girl? nothing in fact, along several days he had to wait to repeat the same walk and of course doing the same thing,

    Soon these nice walks were going to finish and Emiliano return home as usual, taking the subway in time to be in his bed soneer than later.

    ****
    Looking to these four people walking up the Jorge Juan street it was something very strange.

    Jose Luis, that´s the name of Cuca´s boy friend, was talking with Jesús, the friend of emiliano. But Cuca, it was her familiar nick name, and
    emiliano were behind them, two meters aprox., talking peacifuly about different subjects.

    The first one was about her work of the New York´s garbage strike.
    He said to her New York was his dream city, that he would like to go overthere and be familiar with all aspects of this incredible city.

    It seems they know each other for a long time when in fact it was the first time they were walking together, close enough to
    listen clearly what one of the other were talking about.

    In fact this situation was peculiar, we could say, Cuca´s boyfriend talking about futbol with Angel two or three meter
    ahead and the other couple, Cuca/emiliano together talking about which ever other subject they were willing to talk about, and
    of course for them there were a lot of good subjects instead of futbol.

    Emiliano more that walking was floating over the street, talking close near this incredible nice girl as it was Cuca.
    Where have you been till now?, my dear, he was thinking simultaneously to his chat with her.
    For him everything was changing inside his mind and heart and he was brilliant as he wasn´t other times that he has to talk.

    With her all was different, easy, nice, cool, warm, exited, just falling in love without having sense of it. Poor boy, soon
    he was going to see that things were not so easy and it was difficult to repeat this kind of feelings.

    There wasn´t anything round him, no people, no cars, no time, nothing, only this nice beautiful girl whos name
    was Maria Jose or Cuca as she was called by who?, ah, yes that boy who is at her side and goes out from the class every rest time.

    The time for emiliano to talk with her briefly just waiting for their walk till the house where Cuca lives.
    Yes, that was the end point of the walk, Cuca´s home in Hermosilla street, ten minutes or even something more from the class
    till the dear Cuca´s house.

    Short walk, very short if we have in mind he would go walking for hours of full life with that girl called Maria José.
    These feelings were inside him, being not conciously known by this young man who was son fascinated by the girl walking at his
    side.
    What could happened if this man, emiliano, could be fully aware he was falling in love?.

    No body knows as love wounds are very painful and hurts a lot in the heart of a
    young boy or girl by those or always ever time round the world.

    to be continued…

    **********************************

    Never I have think in doing a thing like this I am doing now, but is beatiful to remember
    those time in Spain, and of course in our life.
    I have to thank ESL Blog first, that teach me and let me write this way.
    My thanks goes to you all who could read the story of these two persons that were a Young
    Cuca and a Young Emiliano, living different life and situation in a city, Madrid, very different
    as it is now.
    Siktuation and rules were also absolutely different, we were living under a dictator as it was
    Franco, religión and chuch were a strong forcé that make a great influence over the people.
    Nothing was alowed respect sex or other loving subjects, even more the Young girls and frequently
    boys, go to the marriage just without having other loving experiences before, sex inside the
    marriage only, if you wants or think in going to the bed with the loving one………..pass through
    the church first, ………..so you may compare customs of our time with the customs of today,
    or even with our daughters habist so absolutely different.

    That´s the point my friends, a strange world for today but appealing of remembering at least
    for me.

    A BIG THANKS to Parviz, LILIAN, and Myo Ko Ko now that asked me to write more, THANKS A
    LOT DEAR FRIENDS.
    What about you Tania, Betty, Dan, do you like it, do you wat to read more or not.
    Ja,ja, tell me.

    My best, emiliano

  19. Wang Luu says:

    Really Dan? Tell me you were joking about the fly 🙂
    Dan, i believe that fly`s flesh does provide protein but think about that, eatting flies, ít sounds pitiful and horrifying simultaneously!
    i dont know how ít is in other countries bút in mine, fly usually lands on poopoo so ít probably takes on lots of germs on its legs

  20. Dan says:

    Hey Lilian,

    I know something about nurses lives, shifts, wages because the sister of my ex wife was/is a nurse
    working over here at the local hospital.
    Again, congrats for what you are doing that’s not an easy job you have there. And say hi to your little daughter. What’s her name?
    ——————————————

    I wanted to tell something about the food I eat.
    That is really simple and mirrors my simple lifestyle.
    My staple food is Pasta, Potatoes, Legumes, Vegetables and Fruit. That’s 90% of my diet.
    As for liquids intake, only Water and Tea and that is all! simple and easy.

    Some of my coworkers make fun of me saying I have a “sad life”, but I do not care what they say, so, I mock them as well. 🙂

    Thanks

  21. Betty says:

    Hi Emiliano

    Yes, of course, I have been reading every single word of the story of young Cuca & young Emiliano.

    I was so concentrated in your story that I didn’t write.

    I was wondering why you didn’t mention my name as one of your readers. Now you asked and I answered.

    Yes it’s as vivid as watching a film.

    On the one hand I hope to read your story without having to wait. On the other hand, I am worry about someone stealing your story and started making a film out of it already.

    It’s a dilemma.

    Yes, Emiliano, I repeat, I love your story. Thank you. You really are very clever and skillful in writing. That’s why Cuca was attracted to you.

    Best Regards

    Betty 🙂

  22. Dan says:

    Hey Wang,

    Youtube: Mosquito hamburger from Africa.

    Bye!

  23. lilian says:

    Hi Dan
    my daughter’s name is Viana which means wisdom in Persian.
    She is 3yrs old and the only one who is soothing my heart and my mind.
    Thanks

  24. Dan says:

    Appreciated Podcast 963 Where we learn how to relate/describe babies

    I am using that for describing animals.

    That’s me when I see an animal. I am like: AWWWW!

    Thanks

  25. lilian says:

    Dan
    I think your dishes are very healthy so why should someone make fun of you?JUST because you care about what you eat?

  26. emiliano says:

    Waiting for you dear Betty, yes, I wanted to see your
    opinión, thanks so much.

    I think the story would be long as I am goint to tell
    other subjects about life in Madrid/Spain those years.

    Everything it is just start, and it comes on without
    thinking, mind is marvellous and if you started to write
    about somethin you have live so far away in time, Little
    by Little you could remember everything and other
    incredible images that are deep inside your mind, mine
    in this case, that´s true.

    Thank you Betty, thaks very muy.

    ****

    What about other? Dan, Tania, ….waiting for you, but
    also for Parviz, the first who asked me, ja, ja,……where are
    you my friend?.

    So long, emililano

  27. Parviz says:

    Dear Emiliano,
    I am astonished (better say speechless).
    I didn’t write any comments on your stories, but I’d like you to know that I read all of eat.
    And I felt like I am reading a professional novel.
    A great story from two great persons.
    It started miraculously, continued with faith and become eternal in your hearts (and of course in our hearts).
    I Love your story,
    Parviz

  28. emiliano says:

    Thank you Parviz, in fact you gave me the idea and I was thinking how to write it.

    First I have written a disaster that when it was on the Blog to be aproved it seems to me very
    bad and asked to the person who aproved the notes in ESL to delete it, and Jessica
    (I think it was her) deleted the first note as I asked her.

    Thank you so much Jessica or which ever person who follows my intructions of deleting that
    first note.
    Yes, she or him did a good work deleting my first note.
    Now it is better and I am living again those years that are clear in my mind as the are
    in Cuca´s mind either.

    I think it is a good story and it follows still for long. Thank you Parviz, you gave me the idea
    and my dear LILIAN, Myo Ko Ko, and Betty have given me good vibrations, now i have the good
    vibrations from you Parviz.
    Thanks, Í´ll follow with the nice story if you all like it.

    Ja,Ja, I am with the list like in the class, some of the pupils are still missed, and yes I miss some
    of them……..

    emiliano

  29. Parviz says:

    emiliano
    Keep going on man. I love adventures.
    T be honest I am also in love with somebody who is very shy, and somewhat skeptical.
    The reason I asked you to tell your story was because you spoke highly of Cuca (I am sure she deserves it).
    I needed you to put a spotlight on marriage relationship.
    Since I was very young when I lost both my parents.
    I keep reading till the end.
    Thanks,
    Parviz

    P.S. If you allow me I would like to copy your story and keep it for myself. It deserves reading over and over?

  30. emiliano says:

    Of cours Parviz, it is a honor to me even to Cuca, it is our story after all
    and it is a pleasure to share it.

    emiiiano

  31. emiliano says:

    DREAMS… cuca/emiliano cont.

    It seems this world is a joke, this boy emiliano was a difficult one, he has tastes that not other boys have.

    He doesn´t like futbol or bull fights, he doesn´t like flamenco or other Spanish music, he does like classical
    music, rock, folk, and other kind of music not one knows round him, he likes to study English instead of French
    that was the language that was studied in Spain for those years,

    no body he knew was studing English, but what he most likes it was just to read, always reading with a
    book under his arm, in the subway, in the bus, in the short times when there was a rest, and so forth, he
    doesn´t find his place in the world he was living so he wanted to go out from it. Just to be off as soon as
    possible that was his inner desire.

    In fact he was waiting to finish his military service in the army, it was obliged for that time and without doing
    this service he couldn´t go to the foreigner as it was impossible to get the passport to be off from his country.
    First military service, being in the army nearly two years was an obligation to all the boys when they were
    twenty years old.

    No one could elude this subject and Emiliano was really angry of having to be in the army like a soldier.

    So yes, emiliano was some how odd, serious, studing English by those time, thinking in going far away from his land
    immediately he finished in the army and return to the bank work previously to obtain his absence once a period of five
    years working inside the company were fullfilled.

    He was going to ask for and absence of two years at work as soon as he could and have his work assured if he return
    back after the two years. For that it was necessary to work in the company for five years as it is said above and it was
    his goal in a short period of time.

    Just improve his knowledge of English, get more money in the company, and ask for his absence to go…., where to go?, easy
    for him as he was thinking the possibility since a long time.

    Inside his mind wasn´t the idea of any return to Spain, not, but who knows about future, it was better just to have something
    to grasp here if things in Canada could be go badly.
    Canada was his will, Columbia Britanica and if could be possible to Vancouver.

    He have finished his studies of designer in the high school and wanted to work on this profession instead of a Bank which was
    really boring and difficult if you don´t know the language perfectly.

    Looking at him we could say he was a young with a fix idea in his mind and he was working to realize it, nothing about
    girls, romance and so on. The way was clear for this boy and there was a long time he didn´t think in other things.

    Just going out from this his world that he doesn´t like at all. So it was a long time he like a girl, it is a subject really
    difficult as there is not one thar really like to him. A problem as year were passing and real love was out from his life.

    Suddenly, without noticing it, a new feeling was growing up inside his heart or his soul, a feeling it was going to change
    his life for ever and ever.
    All his projects were going to be off and he will remain in Madrid for all his life.

    That´s life after all, we have our dreams that frequently can be real because something happens, it could be for good
    or not, who knows but some how we are not owners of our destiny despite we think we are.

    Great mistake, we don´t know anything about future.What about the girl?
    Just a good question, as this two persons were absolutely different in their thought of their own world, the city
    were they were living, and their idea of future.

    But this is another story to talk next episode.

    el gatufo

    *******************************************************************

    Dear ESL friends, a big thank you to all of you, your interest has been fundamental to be writing this Little
    story, the first I ever have written, and I enjoy so much it as could be for a person of my age just
    remembering a episode of his life that changed everything to be happy with his soul mate for long.
    Yes, I know we were very fortunate but I think there are lots of people tan could tell a story similar to this
    one, that is for sure.

    I think I have several things to talk about beside our own story, just what happened round us in Madrid
    those year, our thoughts, the life under a dictatorship like was Franco here in Spain, way of life so different
    from now, and so forth.
    It is real that one person only could write about the subjects he or she knows so well.

    See you later as the story continues …..how long? I don´t really know now, if you like it sure we have for
    a long while.

    emiliano

  32. Myo ko ko says:

    Hi, emiliano
    What is the name of guy talking with Luis? Jesus or Angel or Jesus Angel or Angel Jesus?
    And also, please take care of the sentence structures, my friend. In my opinion, the structures
    are “loose” and some proper punctuations (such as comas( , ) ) are missing. As you’re, say, writing
    a novel here, I expect to read more compact and understandable sentence structures in my friend’s much-anticipated art work! 😉

    Hey dear emiliano, you see, here I’m giving my review about your work NOT in a bemoaning manner, but in an appreciative attitude. Hope you don’t mind my comments on your story, do you?

    Also, I’m glad you’ll include in your writings as many dimensions as possible of the Spain in the past. Well, we’ll get to see contradictions and contrasts of your land.

    Looking forward to new episode!

    A reader from distance,
    Myo ko ko
    (Giving reviews with his limited English!)

  33. emiliano says:

    Sorry, as it is my way I always have mistakes about names.
    The name of the second boy was JESUS, I have to read again
    what I wrote.

    But this man is a second figure on the plot without not more
    action after all, till the end, that is absolutely transcendental

    Thank you Myo ko ko, I write too fast, and I need a corrector
    jaja, you are the one to do the work my friend, your English
    is so good.

    emiliano

  34. emiliano says:

    Please, please Myo ko ko, you are the one who has to make my English
    better, it is your turn to correct my writing.

    So please, do it and send me to my mail………THANKS
    If I publish it I´ll be my second writer.
    I promise…..yes, that´s my Word dear.

    emiliano

  35. emiliano says:

    sorry………..you´ll be the second writer and we share the honors……

    of course you are right……but my mind is not an English mind
    and English gramar is far away of me………so, to work Myo ko ko.

    Thanks in advance. emiliano

  36. emiliano says:

    Reading again, YOU ARE RIGHT, it is necesary to polish it, but I am not the
    teacher dear Myo ko ko, the professors are LUCY, JEFF AND WARREN, so
    I am asking you to re-write it in good English, sure you could do a nice
    good work.

    After that you may put the cuca-emiliano-love-story revise by Myo ko ko
    their good friend, in fact the person who put the gramma and the language
    in order, in the ESL BLOG as a good lesson for other students….

    How do you see it?

    Think about it, dear. emiliano

  37. Betty says:

    Thanks Dear Lucy for this article about “delicious” school meals.

    As you probably know I haven’t attended a public K-12 school in the United States. Nor had I eaten a lot of school lunches during my school years.

    Nearly all the schools I went to when I was little operated morning and afternoon classes. Children attending morning classes go home to eat lunch after school, whilst those attending afternoon classes eat lunch at home before going to school. Therefore, I didn’t eat a lot of school lunches.

    I attended one ‘whole day’ school for one year when I was about 12. The school provided hot food for lunch in the canteen. I bought a lunch voucher at the beginning of the school year. The food was so different from what I ate at home and I absolutely loved it.

    For the first time in my life I had a plate of food in front of me, all for myself! In Chinese family we always share the meal and so the experience of having one whole plate of food for myself was a pleasure that words can’t describe.

    I only bought the lunch voucher for about a month. It was somehow a luxury and so I decided to cook my own rice in the morning and put some rice plus some tin food like luncheon meat in a thermal flask container and brought to school. That did not last very long neither because I could not get up very early to cook the rice every morning.

    What else did I eat then?

    I remember joining some of my classmates to restaurants near the school. Most restaurants offer special discount for student lunch and so I was once again very lucky to have experienced good yummy food that was so different from the food that I ate at home. Unfortunately that only happened a few times and we did not go to restaurants any more. School lunch time was too short for eating in restaurants!

    During those other months afterwards, I sometimes brought sandwiches to school. My classmates always wanted to find out what’s inside my sandwiches. Do you want to know? I only put a thick layer of butter in the middle of two slices of bread. That’s all. No meat, no fruit and no vegetable.

    One of my classmates told me that the sandwiches would only make me grow sideway, I would not grow taller.

    She was right. I had not grown much taller but had grown much fatter during that year.

    That’s the story of my school lunch. How about my children’s school lunch?

    My children have never complained about school lunches. They just said they preferred to eat home food than school food. My daughters sometimes did not have time to eat the school lunch and so they ate them after school when I picked them up. I was not very impressed with the sight of the food and told them not to eat them because they might get a tummy ache eating them cold like that.

    They said, ‘it’s all right’, and they stated eating the cold lunch already.

    They had been taught by their schools that they should not waste food. There were many children and even adults that had to go hungry because of no food.

    Sorry Lucy I probably have digressed from your topic. This is all I could think of about school lunch anyway.

    Many thanks again for providing me a chance to talk about something so important for me as part of my life in the past.

    Best Regards

    Betty 🙂

  38. Betty says:

    Very sorry, mistake in my post above.

    “They said, ‘it’s all right’, and they stated eating the cold lunch already”.
    Should read as
    “They said, ‘it’s all right’, and they started eating the cold lunch already”.

    Thanks
    Betty 🙂

  39. Dan says:

    Thank you Betty,

    What a nice story!

    Really? at 12 you had your first single plate! And you really prepared you own food at 12? Congrats!

    There is this guy at the workplace, the one I commute with, he is almost 30, and I always mock him because he still has his meal box
    prepared by his Mom. Usually it is Pasta. I have mine prepared by myself.
    So, with a voice like talking with a little baby I say to him: Mommy prepared you pasta you little kid.. and so on.

    I know, that’s stupid. It’s just to have fun, you know.

    Thanks Betty.

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