Me： Chicken Noodle， please. （I didn’t catch what the server said as she jabbered[快而不清楚地說話] the soup list in one breath. I picked the first one that echoed the loudest in my pea brain.）
Server： What kind of dressing for your salad？
Me： What do you have？ （The server probably knew I was foreign as local Americans seem to just pop out a favorite on cue[恰好在這時候].）
Server： We have Honey Ranch， Italian， Thousand Island， Blue Cheese， Strawberry Vinaigrette and Creamy Caesar.
Me： Thousand Island. （I only recognized this one because I saw it sold in China.）
Server： OK. How would you like your burger done？
Me： Medium.
Server： Your dinner comes with two sides. What would you like？
Me： What is side？ （I had never heard of this phrase.）
Server： We have cole slaw， green beans， home fries， mashed potatoes， baked potatoes， apple sauce and hush puppies.
Me： Green beans and baked potatoes， please. （Play it safe， choose the names you know.）
For those who are smarter than me but yet have no idea about what “sides” are， it means side dishes.
Now you’re almost there—ready to enjoy a quiet dinner， except your server will return a few more times to make sure you’re satisfied. After all， he/she expects you to leave a good tip for their services. Bon appetite！