DIFFERING ENERGY LEVELS

Yesterday was dreamy. Meaning that I spent a lot of time elsewhere in my head. Which is restorative after dealing with irritating old gits (men only a year or two older than myself at best) during my working days. The one great thing about work is that it's a smoke-filled environment, with a strong set of fans so I don't have to smell their stinky cheroots too badly while I'm at the other end of the building enjoying my pipe during the day.
I've been smoking an old-fashioned Virginia most of the time.
Which I did yesterday also.

Goes great with a cup of tea.
And daydreaming.

Ended up having a very late breakfast -- lunch -- dinner at a chachanteng around tea-time, so more of an early dinner. One thing I've noticed is that most Chinese waitresses are not so sweet when I'm starving, almost as if they can psychically sense the tension, ravenous hunger, and low blood sugar. It's very strange.

Having entered the place with a decision about what to eat already made -- fish flavour eggplant rice (魚香茄子飯 'yü heung ke ji faan') it felt like an inordinate amount of time before they took my order, especially on a busy evening when a single white diner occupying a table must be fed fast to free the space up again. But that may have just been my imagination.

But I enjoyed my meal, while listening to two mainland academics in town for a conference at the next table. Not that I can really understand Mandarin, but one of them is from Shanghai, northern district. With only a trace of that accent when speaking. No, I didn't talk to them. What would I say? And why interrupt the sibilant choppy flow?

Just imagine me as a small owl who is keenly, judgementally, observing the wild creatures in my native environment, but not likely to swoop and rip. Fiercely territorial, but confident that they don't present a threat.


Unlike the two skeevy white eccentrics also there. One all the way opposite, the other a later arrival wearing a hippie top hat in the far left corner. Both eating by themselves and reading. Sometimes there are just too many of us Caucasians in a place, it changes the dynamic.
Much like, as you would imagine, at work most of the time.
There was a disturbing whiteness in the air.
Next time, go earlier.



==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================