For a dear friend, someone so dear I never met him, his passing has had an implausible impact on me. A virtual friend, inspirer and kindred soul, Anthony Bourdain, provided an epinephrine that medicated a part of my life. He reached me, facilitated by a matrix of electrons and bytes, streaming their way into my world through my flatscreen TV. His influence wasn't simply a product of the energy or personality with which he inoculated his viewing audience, but somehow it was the cadence with which he delivered his spirit. The intonation of his speech, the easy and almost slothful amble he devoted to the sauntering narrative he delivered as he drifted through lives, city neighbourhoods, markets and our imagination. The man could describe a simple working class menu as if it was a long lost scripture from the holy Bible, Quran or Torah. His genius, a concoction of edgy ingredients that dissolved into a unique personal melody, permeated my thinking, infiltrated my conscience and invaded my imagination. At times I have switched channels and compared the substantively shallow studio staged kitchen theatre on an alternative cooking show and marvelled at his ability to captivate so much more than my appetite. He rarely delivered sweeping conclusions, only questions and incomplete reflections. Afterwards what was left hanging and smouldering within my thoughts, as I continued to salivate over the dishes and company he shared, was the unforgivable conclusion that my shallow and safe life was almost treasonous.
Maybe that's enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom is knowing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go - Anthony Bourdain
The world was his kitchen, but his natural curiosity eclipsed what he rummaged around for in the refrigerator. Through his eyes, he took us on a pilgrimage through parts unknown, histories unknown, food unexpected and feelings untapped. Anthony Bourdain transcended the culinary phenomenon. He went from dishwasher to a teacher, exploring the complicated ingredients that drive mankind from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. His authenticity came from a heartfelt place that was never more than a step away from his roots in front of the deep-fryer. I will remember him the way I heard him, which was a voice that seemed to resonate with the curiosity that simmered behind my daily drudgery and a language that whispered to my conscience. Bourdain achieved a virtual evangelical status in my world despite the fact he never ceased striving to illustrate the flawed nature of his existence. Behind that wry smirk, which invariably followed the sampling of some deep-fried appendage that is systematically discarded as inedible in first world societies (except in France), he surreptitiously administered some form of philosophical defibrillation. It wasn't the taste or texture of the organs, kidneys or brains, stewed in a concoction of local herbs, spices and unorthodox customs that really captivated the audience, but the connection he was invariably able to build between these ancient recipes, often symbolic of heretical cultures, and the never ending basic ingredients of life.
Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life ― and travel ― leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks ― on your body or on your heart ― are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt. - Anthony Bourdain
Surrounded by daily breaking news that features political nonsense, narcissistic self centred leaders, school shootings and virtually everything distasteful that our society has become, Bourdain managed to simplify our lives and realign our moral compasses with the basic virtues that connect all of us. He reminded us that we aren't perfect, but when observed at the dinner table, in our homes or communities, next to our families, vulnerable and ethnically naked, we can be viewed through the single lens of simple and tasteful humanity. His gift was his ability to identify these shared traits, whether it was in Iran or Indiana, and deconstruct the misleading perceptions that stewed in our media dominant society. Every episode was an international summit disguised as a show about food, designed to brew some form of global "perestroikian" broth. "I'm not saying that sitting down with people and sharing a plate is the answer to world peace. Not by a long shot. But it can't hurt", he wisely observed.
Anthony Bourdain will still invade our homes with re-runs of Parts Unknown, The Layover or No Reservations and I will continue to enjoy his storytelling and journeys to the corners of our world and the recesses of my imagination. He wasn't just a lowly dishwasher turned media rock star or globetrotting celebrity chef. His self-deprecating authenticity illuminated his observations and elevated him above a decaying society filled with men with either too much charm or petulance and not enough truth. He appreciated that his voice was a gift and that his message was not meant to comfort, but to tear at the edges of social acceptability. He said he was against certainty and was always wary of overly confident people. Vulnerability was good, he declared. Perhaps this deep vulnerability and his ability to see into the darkness was what set him apart, or perhaps in the end, it was what tore him apart. He reputedly wanted to walk and talk the world Jospeh Conrad conjured up in the Heart of Darkness, but perhaps he was oblivious of the price he paid to get there. I will remember him. He will not be easy to forget. One of the biggest accolades one can leave this world with is that they mattered. Anthony Bourdain, in some sort of existential way, beaming through my flatscreen TV set, truly mattered to me. He wanted us to live like it matters, to connect with others, to drink more, to eat with passion, to travel to parts unknown and always push our comfort zone with an open mind. Not such a bad code to live by. Rest In Peace Tony.
IT'S BEEN AN ADVENTURE. WE TOOK SOME CASUALTIES OVER THE YEARS. THINGS GOT BROKEN. THINGS GOT LOST. BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD - Anthony Bourdain
