THE ART OF AVOIDANCE

What with the United States rapidly becoming a failed state, the rational man seeks escape. The rational man in this case is a Dutch American whose ancestors arrived here when New York was still Nieuw Amsterdam. Also, several members of his kin have served in the United States military. Which means that I thumb my nose at recent arrivals like the two draft dodging shitstains energetically dismantling the country at present.

Quite naturally I prefer places where I don't have to listen to people speaking English and being total Karens. Ninety percent of the country.

[I also tend to avoid places where I would hear Dutch or German. There is NO need to get involved in conversations where I end up trying to yanksplain this country or agreeing that it's weirder and worser than anyone thought.]

So I often head over to Chinatown.

Look, modern America is a dystopian and contentious place. I'm just not up for that all the time anymore. And despite speaking a modicum of Cantonese, in Chinatown I am not required to put up with stupid or insulting comments from people who have never been anywhere and know remarkably little. In English-only environments that's standard.

LAAP MEI POU CHAI FAAN

Because of the weather and the time of day there were half a dozen customers instead of the usual happy throng. It was cold and nasty outside, and had been so for several hours. On such days claypot rice is seriously appealing, along with hot Hong Kong Milk Tea.
They specialize in the latter, but have a limited spectrum of the former.

Preserved meats and a vegetable, rice, and after being put in front of the diner soy sauce poured around the edges to loosen the crackly bits.

臘味煲仔飯

Marvelous. Didn't hear any English or Dutch being spoken, the two Germans paid and left when I arrived. The Hong Kong morning news was on the telly. Including the traffic report (交通新聞 'gaau tong san man'). Which, in a densely packed city with almost no convenient parking, especially in this quadrant, is both surreal and fascinating.

It was thoroughly enjoyable.



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