SCOTLAND'S GHASTLY NORTH

Having probably had too much strong tea, I am bright and chipper and swacked to the gills. Which began this afternoon, when I went out for something to eat. At that time the city was awash with fans of the Golden State Warriors, and there were also mobs of tourists in Chinatown. So I decided on a place which I knew would not appeal to them.
Roast goose over rice, and a cold yuen yeung. Plus hot sauce.

Indeed, the title of this post has nothing to do with that; I had started a painting of a street in Wan Chai before lunch, and got distracted by a coastal scene in the northwest of Scotland upon my return, which was fun to paint too, and prevented me from finishing Wan Chai. Wan Chai might have been more appropriate, given that Cantonese roast goose can indeed be found there. Lovely for lunch.

It is doubtful that there is an authentic Cantonese restaurant anywhere on the northern shore of Caledonia overlooking the North Sea. I suspect that the place itself may, in its desolation and remoteness, not appeal to an exiled chef from Hong Kong or Guangzhou.

No 燒鵝飯 ('siu ngoh fan') anywhere.
How heartbreaking!

Naturally I had two briars with me, and I was planning to have some tea in the neighborhood later followed by another smoke, but I decided to head home after finishing my first bowl. Too many people. Father's Day Weekend, Juneteenth, and the Warriors parade down Market Street brought too many people out. I am not social enough for that.

Last night while I was having a puff outside the young woman who cannot really understand me when I speak Cantonese went past on her way home. I bade her a good evening, and I realize now that I wouldn't have minded a conversation, but I was deep in thought, and she had probably gotten off work and would not have relished a chat with an older man.
Besides, what could we possibly talk about?
How my legs hurt all the time?
Painting?



Somehow I feel that antidisestablishmentarianism, existential angst, and the weather are not the most thrilling things to discuss on a summer evening. And I'm not very good at small talk. I'm not quite social after a long day at work.


BTW: Today is National Vanilla Milkshake Day. I wish I had known that earlier.



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