PRECISELY WHAT'S WRONG WITH AMERICA

The exact mid-point between lunch and afternoon tea was a cussing match with a Caucasian mask-rejector at Walgreens. Seeing as there is an immense overlap between mask-resistance, Trumpism, racism, Karenism, and syphilitic Texans, I'm quite glad it didn't come to blows; if it had I might have caught something. Other than that, it was a delightful afternoon. The waitress asked me how come I was having lunch there today. Didn't I usually come on Thursday?
Well yes, but sometimes I shake it up.

蒜蓉焗龍脷

Baked garlic filet of sole. With rice, soup, and a cup of Hong Kong milk tea. Note that they wrote the word 茸 ('yung'; sprouts, buds, downy fuzz, bits and pieces) on the daily specials board instead of 蓉 ('yung'; hibiscus, Chengdu, seed paste or similar mashed ingredients).
The use of 茸 always strikes me as a little sloppy in such a context.

And no, dear girl, It's not that I have a commitment or business to attend to tomorrow. I planned to have a baked snack a few doors up at tea-time, and they're closed tomorrow. At other places the lunch would have been too heavy to follow it with a pastry so soon after. But I don't wish to try to explain that in Cantonese, because I honestly don't think I could.
I already sound like a halfwit half the time.

According to the mask-rebel at Walgreens, people like me are what is wrong with this country. And you know, that's perfectly fine by me. Seeing as Florida, Miss'pi, and Texas are part of the United States, there's room for improvement; he can go there and they can leave. No one really needs angry elderly conservatives, racist hillbillies, and insane redneck cowboys.

Did I already mention the immense overlap between mask-resistance, Trumpism, racism, Karenism, and syphilitic Texans yet? Correlation is not causation.
Sometimes it's just a horrible coincidence.

The pipe and stroll after tea was splendid. I did have to dodge a few tourists -- sadly, they're back -- and there were too many people about for comfort, but the weather is gorgeous today.

Sometimes, all a grouchy Dutchman needs is Sriracha hotsauce, fish, milk tea, flaky pastries, and a bowlful of Virginia tobacco flake with a very minor addition of condimental leaves.
It's so simple.


There's a little moppet with a small pink piglet backpack who lives near the bakery.
I mention this, because it was absolutely the cutest thing I saw today.



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