Intertain: Chapter 11

This Intertain session took place on my birthday week, so there was a bit of a celebration happening in tandem with our usual gaming activities, drawing a bigger crowd than usual. Newcomers included Chris, Joyce, Min Yee, Jennifer, Vanessa, plus three babies as part of our local produce!

Theme: FOOD

Everyone eats, but some eat with a vengeance. To determine the fiercest munch warrior among us, we played the Eating Contest in 1-2-Switch as our entrée for the evening’s program.

Here is a list of contenders and the number of sandwiches they managed to devour:

• David set the bar at 9¾ sandwiches — a very solid first effort.
• Joyce, being the lady, felt content eating no more than 8 sandwiches.
• Chris downed 8½ sandwiches, which isn’t bad for a growing ten-year-old.
• KJ absolutely killed it by smashing 11¾ sandwiches with his jaws of lightning.

Subsequently, we unveiled some of our real-world eating achievements.

What food do you crave most often?

SHARING

Hot chips, fried chicken, beef noodle soup, and rice paper rolls were mentioned as some of our preferred delicacies, as well as my personal favourite: doner kebabs.

GAMING

We checked out Battle Chef Brigade, a cooking competition type of game requiring both monster hunting and food preparation within the context of a chef duel, while paying attention to the flavours that each judge yearns to taste. In the first round, Chris went out to fight creatures for their meat (but to also pick a few herbs along the way), and then Min Yee worked her culinary skills to transform the ingredients into a highly presentable dish. Breaking from traditional gender roles in the next round, we had Janice do the slaying and Daniel ruling over the kitchen. Together, they turned a fearsome beast into a bowl of bauran steak noodle soup, very much to the judge’s delight.

WISDOM

As with all things, we must approach food with a level of discipline and contentment. After all, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). But if you were wondering what Jesus would crave, check out chapter 4 of the Gospel of John. Following a conversation where the Son of God proclaimed to be an everlasting source of sustenance, he engaged his disciples to discuss dinner plans.

The disciples urged Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

Well, what else did you expect from our Saviour who upholds God’s work as more essential than anything in the world? Matching his unselfish character, this “food” of Jesus is seeking to satisfy the Father over his own cravings — a challenging lesson for all of us, to say the least.

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

SHARING

In light of our Asian heritage, it wasn’t hard to come up with examples of weird stuff we have managed to sink our teeth into over the years, even as some may shock those unfamiliar with our cultures. A few mentionable examples include reptilian cuisines consisting of snakes and turtles, and for those who have been on a short mission trip to Cambodia, nibbling at a tarantula or two seems to be an essential part of the experience. Back in Taiwan last year, I also attempted a bowl of chicken testicles. Let’s just say that I needed some balls to be able to chew on that gourmet dish.

GAMING

As food, a piece of bread is as common as they come. As a videogame protagonist, that would be an oddity. I Am Bread lets one play as a slice aiming to make its way through a perilous kitchen in order to fulfil its purpose of becoming toast. The physics-based gameplay turned out to be pretty tricky; many of us couldn’t really master basic moves like flipping over, shuffling across, or gripping onto surfaces with the corners of the crust, let alone execute advanced, acrobatic manoeuvres. In the end, only Han Sol completed the level sticking to a slow and cautious pace, and preserving his edibility by avoiding hazards such as dirt, water, and hungry ants.

WISDOM

Revisiting the Gospel of John, we read the account in chapter 6 where Jesus fed at least five thousand people with a mere five barley loaves and two small fish. Further into the chapter, the crowd questioned the trustworthiness of Jesus, a conversation that led to an important comparison between the Rabbi who miraculously provided for their bellies to God releasing manna for the wandering nation of Israel back in the time of Moses.

They said to Jesus, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat’ (referencing Exodus 16:4).”

Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Not everyone received this revelation with faith. But for us in the present, we now know that the flesh and blood of Jesus — his body sacrificed on the cross for our sake — are indeed the bread and drink that will bless us with life everlasting. What a strange, yet essential combo meal!

What do you like to cook for other people?

GAMING

Overcooked is a co-op cooking simulation game that has been wildly popular within my community ever since I introduced it to them back in 2016. The gameplay offers players control over a number of chefs in crazy kitchens filled with various obstacles and hazards to prepare meals for restaurant customers under a time limit. Working well as a team is, of course, the main challenge. Our time playing this on the night was characterised by the expected chaos and hilarity scattered with moments of sound collaboration and synergy.

WISDOM

The final bit of theological encouragement for the session pointed us to Revelation 19, which talks about the banquet that will be held in honour of Jesus and his bride.

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

Have you received and accepted this invitation from God? Make sure to RSVP!

SHARING

Toward the tail end of the night, our gathering drifted into party mode. We didn’t conclude with much formal discussion, but Janice proved that action speaks louder than words and took “sharing” to the next level by bestowing upon us two dozens of her home-baked cupcakes — splendid treats celebrating the culmination of our joyous, fulfilling time together.

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Attendance [20]: Angela Sun, Anthony Byun, Ayk Iano, Cheer Lin, Chris Cha, Daniel Juhn, David Ahn, Han Sol Kim, Janice Lee, Jennifer Juhn, Jimmy Wong, Joyce Lee, KJ Jang, May Chien, Min Yee Ong, Robin Zhang, Vanessa Kim, as well as three babies (Jordyn, Nathaniel, and Nicholas).

Giveaway: Leftover cupcakes.