MULTIPLE LAYERS

For some reason I dreamed of foreign places again. Possibly because the weather in the Bay Area has been that beastly that anywhere else would be okay, and if it were warmer there that would be splendid. Why, I'd even semi-patiently tolerate somewhere that hurts my legs if I moved around too much. For your information, that starts in the seventies.
By the eighties I'm grumbling.

When it heads into the nineties you are all ugly, smell bad, dress funny.
And if you're American, most of you eat too much.


The window of ideal weather is actually rather narrow.
And in any case, low fifties isn't it.

Bloodpressure and circulation issues. I am no longer the vibrant tropical sprite that I once was, which would be natural for my tribe, given our known tendency to despoil exotic places and strongly suggest profound changes to their administration, and their tax system, as would benefit us. Ceylon, Indonesia, and Formosa, for instance.
Plus the cape, and Suriname.

We calmed down in that regard roughly when the British were ramping up.
Our insular cousins have always been a bit slow.
It's probably their ghastly diet.
Not genetics.

It's actually rather sad that the English discovered food after their foreign enterprises ended. In many areas they've gone from postwar stodge into curry everything and excess beer, rather than anything even approaching cuisine. Plus McDonalds and deepfried Snickers bars. It's filling, I suppose, and perfect for a horrid climate -- so probably their preferred menu choices from the beginning of October till May -- but rather nutrient poor, as well as leading to constipation and acid-indigestion.

Oh, it's four o'clock. Let's have something greasy and a cuppa.


It's eight o'clock?
Time for stodge.
And warm beer.


They've kicked us out of the pub because it's closing time?
Let's go see if the local Bengali will put up with us.
Time for greasy birdie and some vindaloo.


You know, a plate of vindaloo, given that it's fifty degrees outside right now, would actually make a splendid breakfast. Accompanied by a triple-strength cuppa. Not such a bad idea, when you think about it.



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