Post-Restaurant Review

          Before going to Zooroona, my expectations were significantly changed after reading the "Culinary Tourism" excerpt; I didn't expect to find true authenticity, as I wasn't even sure if authenticity existed or what it actually was. What I did expect from my visit to Zooroona was to have a genuinely different experience, even if it meant it was only a mere resemblance of a true Middle-Eastern cuisine. I wanted to have some kind of border-crossing experience, possibly going out of my comfort zone and ordering cuisine that I wasn't familiar with in an environment I wasn't familiar with.
          My expectations for a uniquely different, border-crossing experience were met -- I could have chosen to sit at a table, like the hundreds I've sat at before, but to get a different eating experience I chose the seating option sitting on the floor that the restaurant waiter said was "traditional". Sprawled on cushions in my socks next to friends created a much more warm and relaxing feeling, and I got to experience "Middle-Eastern" cuisine (presuming it did resemble actual cuisine served in the Middle East) by ordering "traditional" items recommended by my kooky waiter. Sure, all of this could have been far from an actual Middle-Eastern experience. But it was different and outside of what I was used to, which was what I was looking for. From this experience, I'll continue to question if authenticity actually exists, and will try not to expect certain features I consider to be "authentic" from places both on study abroad in France and wherever else I travel. I don't want to an existential tourist -- I don't want to have rigid, defined expectations of an experience that must be fulfilled in order to make it positive. I want to go into every culturally different situation with a really open mind, and experience whatever that cuisine/culture is about.