AND A CRISP NEWSPAPER

Quite a while ago a fellow pipe smoker mentioned a breakfast noodle preparation that he had eaten for lunch quite fondly. Which is what was lodged in my head this morning when I woke up. I rarely, almost never, eat noodles for breakfast. But from Central China all the way to the borders of Indo-China it's not unusual, however. Good stock, plus meat and noodles of any type, scallion or chives, with or without peanuts and a hard-boiled egg.
Plus, if I were doing it, chilipaste.

But I don't really eat breakfast. When I was still a teenager my preferred "breakfast" was one or two cups of strong coffee plus going out to smoke my pipe. Not the American or English breakfast, not the Dutch breakfast my classmates presumably had. And since returning to The States the only times I've really had breakfast is when I've been up several hours already and have had my coffee and the first smoke of the day.

Although I have enjoyed left-over pizza the next morning, which is hallowed by generations of college boys preparing for class. And I have sometimes headed over to C'town for dimsum, which is the Hong Kong lazy morning breakfast of choice.

Coffee, reading the news, pipe.
Breakfast of champions.

Intellectually I am fond of the idea of breakfast. Hot pork noodle soup with a view of a canal, birds tweeting, Spring weather, no one walking their dog at that hour, because any defecating pets will take away from the enjoyment of peace and quiet, plus quite possibly a crossword puzzle and a pipe afterwards, with a small cup of strong fragrant coffee. This is a cocktail of different geographies: Central China, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, plus Valkenswaard, Paris, Berkeley, North Beach in San Francisco, Manila, and Hong Kong.

If it's Vietnamese drip-coffee, this would be an entirely imaginary place on Nob Hill. One which doesn't exist yet, but I'm kind of hoping for an amazing confluence.
Tables in a dead-end, awning, smoking allowed.

Plus space heaters at the corners.
It's cold in the morning.

Maybe croissants.



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