CANTONESE GIRLS; BEARS, BIRDS, AND BOOKS

On Monday I left the house fairly early in the afternoon. My apartment mate stayed home because Columbus discovered the Indies, so enjoying a pipe in domestic tranquility was not in the cards. I have noticed, over the years, that lighting up a briar filled with even the most innocuous mixture in the presence of a Cantonese girl and her teddy bear (aka "the Head Roomie") is a sure-fire way to guarantee fierce recrimination.
Or, quite possibly, horribly painful physical violence.
Cantonese girls are, in a word, terrifying.

Especially if they're convinced that you're going to make their teddy bear smell like tobacco.


Once I got to Taylor Street, I lit up, and ambled down by way of Jackson Street. Dang, this bowl of Samuel Gawith's Golden Glow (an exceptionally fine Virginia flake) tastes good. It's positively sinful!
What is wrong with people that they cannot appreciate that?
Especially Cantonese girls. It's just strange.
Maybe they're just weird?
Hmmph, Cantonese!
冇品味！


When I got to Hoi Waa and Ming Fat, I turned down Trenton Street (登頓街), which passes the Ping Yuen projects (西平園) and connects to Pacific Avenue (柏思域街). Down two more blocks, right on Beckett (白話轉街). Tamped the pipe again just beyond the Ma Tsu Temple.

At that point I noticed that a little Chinese Catholic School Girl was staring wide-eyed past me.
So I turned around. And saw a white street person with his pants around his ankles, and his rump against the fence of the housing development.

On the bright side, she probably didn't notice the naked black woman sleeping on the other side of the street in a pile of rags.

[EXPLICATORY INTERSTICE -- Hoi Waa: A traditional medicine and tonic company (海華參茸藥材公司 'hoi waa saam yung yuek choi gong si') on Jackson (昃臣街 'jik san gaai'; "slanting statesman street") between Powell (跑華街 'paau waa gaai'; "pawing elegance street") and Stockton (市德頓街 'si dak tuen gaai'; "market virtue bowing street"). Ming Fat: A fish and fresh seafood shop (銘發海鮮 'ming faat hoi-sin') next door, on the corner of Trenton (登頓街 'dang duen gaai'; "ascend bout street"). Ping Yuen: 平園 ('ping yuen; "peace gardens"); a housing development with four locations, all on Pacific Avenue in Chinatown. Pacific Avenue: 柏思域街 ('baak si wik gaai'; "cypress thought region street"). Beckett: 白話轉 ('baak waa juen'; "vernacular convey"). Ma Tsu: 媽祖 "mother ancestress", miss 林默娘 ('lam mak neung'), who died at a young age, and whose spirit has in the centuries since then protected seamen and guided their boats.]


Chinatown is a fascinating place. Often because of the non-Chinese who have descended upon it.


The local child life is getting quite an education from their exposure to modern America.


At that moment I felt the need for a brighter environment.


花園角 ('FAA YUEN GOK') PORTSMOUTH SQUARE

Having finished my pipe, I got some Vietnamese coffee to-go, and found a bench in the sun.

On the other side of the walkway a gentleman and his little daughter sat down. I had seen them earlier, when they had gone into a store. At that time I had assumed that she was so enthusiastic upon entering because the place also sold toys and candy. When they sat down near me, however, the cause of her radiant happiness became apparent.
Freshly baked muffins!
Her tiny little hand took one from the container. A beautiful little hand, but so small, so small. She broke off a piece, and gently tossed it at a pigeon. Within moments a flock of birds surrounded her and her father, and she squealed with pleasure as they fluttered about.
Her father took her hand and showed her how to hold it out with a morsel in it, so that the birds would feed right out of her palm.

On the other side of them, the old folks continued their penny ante card game without noticing at all. In the slanting sunlight, the little girl looked perfectly content feeding her muffin to the birds.
I'm fairly certain that the pigeons looked content too.
But I don't know; they're expressionless.

Her dad was happy as a clam spending time with his daughter and her feathered friends.


I watched discretely for several minutes. Then, having finished my coffee, I walked over to Sacramento Street to catch the bus.

At Stockton a mother and her tiny daughter got on. I would have offered her my seat, but I overheard her say to someone else that it was alright, she'd stand a while (我徛一陣 'ngo kei yat jan'). Besides, her little girl held on to the pole right next to me, and it gave me a chance to observe.
Small face. Small nose. Perfectly shaped eyebrows, velvety cheeks.
Little girls really look adorable at times.

This one was dressed in bright ice cream pink.
Only little girls can wear that.

As we crossed Powell, the child indicated very strongly to her mother that she really liked the library (圖書館 'tou syu gwun'). For which this was the stop. Indeed, the library was an exceedingly wonderful place, and so very nearby! Patiently her mother explained that they would go some other time, they had to get home now.
But soon. Soon.

How remarkable that a three or four year old has such enthusiasm for a place filled with books!


And what a splendid parent to have inculcated that.




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