NINETEENTH AND NORIEGA

No thank you, I don't need a seat. I've been sitting down for the last hour listening to two old men trying to get their mental bearings on Nineteenth and Noriega. So I have had plenty of gluteal rest, as well as an intellectual clobbering. No, I didn't set them straight. They were born here and have lived in the city all their lives. And they were both right.

At around four o'clock I turned into the bakery for some tea and a pastry. Where three customers recognized me, one of them being a birdlike old lady who spent ten minutes marveling at my Mandarin and Cantonese. Okay, that latter ain't bad. But my Mandarin is crap. Still, apparently I am smart as blazes, because her son doesn't speak either.


So far over a dozen people recognized me on the street in Chinatown today. Several of them refered to me in conversation with others as daai lou (大佬). Which is better than ah sook (阿伯), which means uncle and can generically be used for any old dude. Daai lou means 'older brother'. Also 'triad boss', 'important fella', 'the big dude'. OG, homey, the dude. A senior level operative. A kinsman. Edler brother. It's more familiar than uncle, but it has a certain amount of seniorage.

Heard a kid hollering for her grandpa to hold up a bit. 爺爺 ('ye ye'), which is used in both Mandarin and Cantonese. In Mandarin, it often sounds affectionate, cringing, and suggestive of the helplessness of the very young. In Cantonese, it's more matter of fact. Hey, old man. There is almost an implication that eventually the youngster will walk much faster, be more vibrant, and catch up. It just sounds different, okay?

Nineteenth Avenue runs North-South, Noriega East-West. The ninety-year old had recently eaten at a new restaurant there, where the portions are huge. The other ninety-year old then automatically assumed that it was a Cantonese restaurant, which hadn't been stated -- and the first ninety-year old had not mentioned what he had eaten there, so it could not be inferred either -- and was desirous of knowing where it was exactly.

This all came down within five minutes of both of them arriving. Then for the next hour both of them agreed that this way was North, that way South, one of the streets was Noriega, which was intersected. And that Noriega did not run North-South, as well as that it intersects. Also that Stockton did, whereas Jackson, one block away, did not. Which to one of them did not relate at all to Noriega and Nineteenth, despite any directional similarities.
Noriega runs East-West, Nineteenth goes North-South.

Meanwhile, practising both my memory and calligraphy, I wrote down on a napkin what I had eaten for lunch: 香酥魚柳包 · 薯條 ('heung sou yü lau baau, sue tiu'). fish sandwich and fries.

Yeah no, there's nothing else I can contribute to a discussion of map quest dinner when you two uncles are so agreeably disagreeing while both of you are saying the same thing.
I don't think either of you should drive, that's all.

It's all kind of like me giving my elderly Indonesian Chinese downstairs neighbor a bag with fresh fruits and vegetables every week. Which is actually a polite non-prying way to make sure she's alright. That's why I'm having tea and pastry here.
I'm just glad all of y'alls still kicking.


And please, none of you drive.



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