HERE TO OBSERVE

Left late in the afternoon yesterday for a plate of dumplings. Which are perfect winter food, as well as good luck around Chinese New Year. And I love dumplings.

It's more subdued down in Tongyanfao than it used to be at this time. Not as many people about, fewer signs of festivity. On the edge of Portsmouth Square a father lit sparklers for his todler, a few old women walked up the street toward Grant. Most shops and restaurants were open. Unusual for the second day. Only a few years ago most places would close down for the first three days, even up to a week. But things were quite different then.

It is probably a bit difficult to celebrate as was once the norm.
These are still unusual times, nothing is the same.
The mainland is getting whacked by Covid.
And travel is a thing of the past.

I myself don't feel any different. But it's starting to drag on me. My tolerance for my fellow humans is considerably less than it used to be. As a species we don't seem to have an intelligent design. Much of what we've done in the past three years has been rather dumb, and our leaders have often made fools of themselves. Plus much of the country has their heads up their rears.

Maintain. Maintain. Maintain.

But those dumplings were very delicious. And I enjoyed watching a happy bustling in the restaurant, with not too many non-Chinese in the place. Over the past few months it has become obvious that most non-Chinese have given up on masks, and I suspect that in the US those nearly six hundred Covid fatalities a day are overwhelmingly among the deniers and Christians. No vax, no brains, no distance, and no masks. No clue.

You know, I'm okay with that.



One does not need Christians to enjoy dumplings at New Year.
They are at that time, and in general, superfluous.
And I for one am happy with fewer.



I've noticed that for many women the dangling cross pendant serves little other purpose than to point the eye toward exposed cleavage. That's just an observation, not a value judgement. Intellectually I like the idea of cleavage.



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