Food played a very important and different role in the two different communities, which Sandra cate and Mary O’Donnell were studied. 

After I read the article “ ‘Breaking Bread with a Spread’ in a San Francisco County Jail”, written by Sandra Cate, I found a interesting thing that the author talked about a new definition “spread”, which is a kind of food cooked by the prisoners for themselves and shared with others. In a prison, the food always made by potatoes, so the food was very simple and has a bad taste. Moreover, the dinner time for prisoners is at about 4:00 P.M, so they would feel hungry at night, which is very uncomfortable for a human being. In order to keep themselves from hungry, they used some sources, which they saved from their meals, to cook for themselves. After they cooked the “Spread” by using microwave oven, they were likely to share the food with other inmates. 

In Cate’’s article, I know that the “Spread” not only mean a food cooked by prisoners, but also stand for the friendships between inmates.

After I read the article “The Cultural Politics of Eating in Shenzhen”, written by Mary O’Donnell, I know that Shenzhen is a special city comparing with other cities in China. Because I am a Shenzhener, I can obviously feel the differences between Shenzhen and other Chinese cities. The author discussed about Shenzhen’s eating cultural politics in her writing. The northern plains, people are easily to kill a cow for their meal, because cows are stupid. In contrast, Southerners eat fish and seafood, which are the most common types of protein in the region. Fish and seafood are smarter and more agile than cows, so Guangdong people had to be sneaky to catch the fish. That’s why Guangdong people had to have quick hands and eyes. Because the old Shenzheners constructing Shenzhen all their lives, they preferred to eat in alfresco restaurants, which could represents the spirit of Shenzhen appropriately in Shenzheners’ minds. However, the people come to Shenzhen later did not prefer to eat like old Shenzheners in alfresco restaurants but to eat in the restaurants with better environment. They were more focused on the tastes and vanity than the spirit of Shenzhen. 

In Cate’s article, I am very surprised by the the children, who like to eat spread, which was made by the second-hand sources, and could not accepted by me. I realized how wonderful life I have right now! In O’Donnell’s article, I find the article is very warm for me, because I am very like to eat in alfresco restaurant, which is the habits the old Shenzheners have. Eat in alfresco restaurant just a habit for me, not because the tastes in the restaurants.