for Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) of 1 September 2020, uncertain.

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Anna was set for her second evening in Oxford. She was having fun, enjoying the city, and feeling adventurous as she ambled back to her small hotel. But this was still a strange city, and her plans for an evening meal were uncertain. Arriving back, she had a brief, friendly conversation with the girl on reception, in which she enquired:

– Where might be a good place around here to get something to eat?

– Well, if you walk back towards town, there are plenty of restaurants. Were you looking for something in particular?

– No, not really, but while I’m here… Okay, thanks, I guess I’ll head back up that way when I’m ready to eat.

Anna turned to walk up to her room when the receptionist continued:

– Did you say you were feeling adventurous…?

Two hours later, Anna walked out of the hotel again, this time, for something to eat. Instead of walking towards the city centre, she set off in the opposite direction. “In for a penny, in for a pound.” The first restaurant she discovered was Thai, exactly as the receptionist had said, but since she found Thai food quite carby, she carried on.

Crossing some traffic lights, she could see the Jamaican restaurant not far along the street. Bedecked in traditional Rasta colours of red, gold, and green, it was difficult to miss.

“Novel”, thought Anna, “you don’t often get Jamaican restaurants, even in London”. Well, certainly not in the parts of London that she normally frequented. But she knew that most authentic Rasta food was vegetarian, at least, so she took a chance. Studying the menu in the window, she was relieved to discover that two thirds of items on it were vegan.

Settling down to her main course of jerk fried eggplant, served on a bed of rice, Anna was really warming nicely to Oxford.

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I’ve written a background to these characters, in the posts below.