CONVERSATIONAL FOG TEA TIME

Russell was at the bakery yesterday, for the first time in months. Apparently he's had a valve fixed. The two other gentlemen also showed up, and the three of them spent half an hour plus talking about food. Which is not surprising. Cantonese gentlemen. In the centre of Chinatown. At a food place. Surrounded mostly be other Cantonese wishing to snack.

The average Cantonese person has only three subjects that must be discussed endlessly: food, mahjong, and Hegelian dialectic. Plus Hello Kitty. Four subjects. And medical issues. Five. As well as Mexican restaurants that used to be out near the beach. Among the six subjects.... Plus Raleigh cigarettes. Seven.

Back when one of them owned a drugstore in the Financial District, he sold a tonne of Raleigh cigarettes. There were those coupons. Were they still around? No, sadly that brand was discontinued back in 2014, because of declining sales. America has changed.
Many once-popular brands have fallen by the wayside.
Youngsters these days, you know.

Chesterfield, the excellent cigarette brand favoured by both Humphrey Bogart (famous Dutch American) and Ronald Reagan (nicknamed 'Dutch') still exists, fortunately, and is preferred by many famous people. A wise choice.

Ox tails, chicken feet, spareribs, preserved meat, and white flour.
Plus pineapple sherbet. No dairy. Essential for old men.
And a restaurant south of Market Street.

When I left after an hour they were still talking about food and Hegelian dialectic, but at that point I could no longer contribute to the conversation, because my knowldege of either subject is limited and soon exhausted.

Besides, at that point I had finished my tea, and wished to light up.

See, as a Dutch American, I'm not fully capable of talking about food. We're not exactly known for that. Basically, we use nutmeg in many meat dishes and often have mustard on the side. Some of us just aren't happy or comfortable if there is no sambal. And that's it.
Oh, yeah, cheese and raw herring. Plus oliebollen.

We've barely discovered Hello Kitty.

Or Hegelian dialectics.



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