THE LOCAL WILDLIFE

While waiting for the bus this afternoon I saw a murder. That is to say, nearly two dozen crows, collectively termed a murder. Which is both pleasing, because I like the self-confident critters, and remarkable, as it indicates that this is a warmly hospitable city for the other intelligent species in this part of the world. Our cheery corvid fellow citizens.

There is less reason to be distrustful of crows than humans.
Crows don't act skeevy, do drugs, or get drunk.
They are exemplary.

Besides that they don't sing karaoke, so there is a lot to recommend them.
The bar this evening was not bearable because of karaoke.
Too many unwell modulated white people.


Also, I saw a coyote in Portsmouth Square. Which is in the middle of Chinatown, one block from the Trans America Piramid, less than two blocks from three top-notch restaurants, not even a block away from the best Northern style dumplings in the city, and less than three blocks away from the hospital where my doctor works. An actual coyote.
Looking reasonably well fed, as well as shy and guilty.
The local wildlife is thriving.

When I told my apartment mate about that, she was shocked. "I hope it doesn't harm the people who are there!" She needn't worry. Coyotes tend to be mostly nocturnal in urban areas, and elderly Chinese cardplayers may be small, but they're still far too large for something roughly the size of a fox to tackle, and they aren't edible.

Plus some of those old ladies there are hardcore cardsharks, and would cheat the poor animal out of every nickel he had. Mercilessly.


On the way back from our jaunt this evening I neurotically obsessed over the cloth shopping bag of the woman sitting diagonally opposite the bookseller and myself. Which advertised an enterprise I know very well: Nanhai Corporation (南海集團參茸行有限公司 'naam hoi jaap tuen saam yung hong yau haan gung si'). They're located at 919 Grant Avenue (都板街) between Washington Street (華盛頓街) and Jackson Street (昃臣街). Scarcely one block away from where I had seen the coyote (郊狼 'gaau long', canis latrans) earlier.
Nanhai has an excellent selection of teas from the mainland.
Well worth keeping in mind when visiting.

I recommend Hairy Crab King (毛蟹王茶 'mou haai wong chaa'), which is a mild Oolong-style tea from Anxi (安溪 'on kai') in Fujian (福建), with a lovely fragrance.



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