The Floating Restaurant, from the "Lost Memories" series

When I was 9 years old, my family traveled the world. While we were in Hong Kong we went to a floating restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was a giant floating barge three stories high. To get to it you had to take a small taxi boat. The boatman would row to the restaurant and then after eating, back to shore. I remember the ride, I even took a picture of my father with my Brownie 2X2 Camera. But the real memory of this event was when we arrived at the restaurant and were taken to a table. Soon a waiter came along and asked us if we would like fish? We all said yes and he asked us to come to a giant aquarium in the middle of the restaurant full of exotic fish. The waiter asked me which one I would like, and I saw a beautifully colored fish that I thought would be wonderful to take home. My Parents and Sister chose their fish as well and we all went back to our table. After a while, the fish arrived on a plate well cooked with greens, onions and lemon. I turned white when I realized I had chosen my dinner and not a pet! I suddenly did not feel like eating. On the way back to shore from the restaurant, my father photographed me and my mother. The moment of confronting the reality that the food on our plates was once alive was still lingering on my face.

This image is part of a series of water damaged slides from my childhood. These images along with my written memories accompanying each photo, make up the "Lost Memories" series.