A NEARLY NAKED BLACK MAN

When I left in the afternoon for a late tea time or early supper, there was a dissolute looking gentleman lounging in front of the building opposite. I studiously avoided looking at him, not wanting to catch his eye and end up in a conversation that I did not want. After all, what does one say to a black man wearing next to nothing? "Nice weather we're having"? Well duh. Had it been inclement or stormy, I doubt he would have been there.
Or showing off so much skin.

It's probably ungentlemanly of me, but to my eye he didn't look particularly clean, or sober. This is San Francisco; one knows to avoid unnecessary talk with very strange strangers.
Oh, and avoid waterbuffalo. They don't like our smell.
Even in mud, they're pretty fast on their feet.
I'm just mentioning that in passing.


There was a waterbuffalo at Lapang Landut airfield. Consequently I spent three hours safely off the ground, flicking bugs off my trousers while high on a tree branch. And smoking my pipe. The others were very much amused by my predicament.
When the truck finally came the beast wandered off.

I tried explaining that I had hoped that tobacco smoke would change my smell, but none of them swallowed that. Instead, they argued that lazing up a tree smoking was about as useful as they had expected me to be, damn' lazy Dutchman. Obviously I had just wanted to smoke my pipe in peace.

Well, yes. I do like smoking my pipe in peace. For that reason I walked down to Waverly after finishing my meal and cup of milk tea. Where halfway through my bowl of tobacco a young lady with a camera stopped, opined that I was cool, and would I mind if she took a photo. In all honesty I don't mind being disturbed by a well-spoken miss telling me I'm "totally cool".
So yes please, feel free to snap a picture. I'm "totally cool" with that.

I'm probably also totally a picturesque old fossil, though I'd rather be cute and photogenic.

At least I don't look skeevy and daemonic.
Or like a crazy naked guy.



Or, concevably, like a grubby and pissed-off Dutchman up a tree.
With beetles in my underwear that I cannot reach.
And a waterbuffalo underneath.
Angry.

Nesa-nesu sekali, dia.



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