Good lord it was crowded at the bakery yesterday! Behind me, at a table largely out of sight of the customers at the counter, over a dozen Toishanese were celebrating that it was Thursday and not raining or something. If one left, two more arrived. Opposite me another table also had shifting numbers. They knew the table behind me. Old school week, for no discernible reason. At my table, just me. The only one of me felt distinctly few, given that there was only one.
The veggies for the day had been purchased, I'd bought more ginger than needed which I only realized once I got home, and having as usual breakfasted on coffee and tobacco I needed something to nosh on before smoking my pipe while strolling in the neighborhood later.
Hot cup of milk tea, plus a flaky charsiu turnover.
Was that why all of you were there too?
There is reason to believe that I'm one of the few pipesmokers, perhaps the only one, regularly in Chinatown. I've not yet run into another pipesmoker there.
If there is another one, he or she might be hiding.
A shy person who only comes out at night?
Or only smokes during a full moon.
I tend to head over the hill to C'town every day when I'm not working, for groceries, occasional medical appointments, late lunch, snacks and milk tea, and walks with my pipe.
Sometime between early afternoon and twilight.
It's very good for my sanity.
Restorative.
TOBACCO INDEX
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