Anthony Bourdain, 61세에 타계!

6/8 아침, CNN 뉴스를 보다가 너무 기가 막힌 슬픈 소식을 접했다. 저명한 Chef 이자 방송인인 앤터니 보오데인이, 

France 에서 CNN의 인기 프로그램인 'Parts Unknown' 을 찍는 중에 호텔방에서 자살했다고 하였다. 

주로 청바지 차림의 털털한 외모에 세계 어느 곳이라도  다니면서 현지인들과 어울려 토속 음식을 먹으며 환담하는 그의 모습을 보면서 항시 맘이 푸근하였는데, 자살이라니, 믿기지 않을 쇼킹한 뉴스이었다. 

그의 털털한 웃음뒤엔 극도의 우울증이 자리잡고 있었던 걸 어찌 상상할 수가 있었을까? 좀 더 자세한 기사를 검색해 보니, NYC의 유명 패션 디자이너, Kate Spade가 6/5, 우울증으로 인한 자살에 큰 충격을 받았을 거라는 추측도 있다. 어째튼, 사흘 뒤인 금요일 아침에 목매어 자살한 그가 발견되었다는 사실이 믿어지지 않는다. 

아침나절에 아들 딸과 집 사람한테 이 소식을 전해줬더니, 딸은 What a sad week!, 아들은 I know, it is terrible!, 집사람은 " What are you going to watch now?!" 라고 하였다. RIP~!!

New York (CNN): Anthony Bourdain, a gifted storyteller and writer who took CNN viewers around the       world,  has died. He was 61. CNN confirmed Bourdain's death on Friday and said the cause of death was    suicide.

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,     " the network said in a statement Friday morning. "His love of great  adventure, new friends, fine food and   drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to      amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at       this incredibly difficult time."

Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series "Parts 

Unknown." His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room

Friday morning.

"Tony was an exceptional talent," CNN President Jeff Zucker said in an email to employees.   

"Tony will be greatly missed not only for his work but also for the passion with which he did it."

Stunned reactions to his death from viewers, fellow chefs, celebrities and others swept through social media Friday morning. Author and humorist John Hodgman recalled eatingwith Bourdain some 14 years ago.

"He was big even then, but he took time to sit with me in Chinatown to talk 'weird' food for a magazine piece I was writing. He taught me that our 'weird' is the world's delicious, "Hodgman wrote on Twitter.                   "We ate chicken feet. The afternoon vibrated with life. RIP."(*)