YELLOW FLECKS, DARKNESS

Having left the building while there was still plenty of daylight -- which at this time of year means just around teatime, no later -- it was still not quite cold as the dickens when I got to the dumpling place. Where they were glad to see me, and greeted me warmly. Caucasian dudes who talk lousy Mandarin are, of course, a dime a dozen. But caucasian fellows who can actually read Chinese, albeit speaking it like crap, are slightly more unusual.
Especially in a city where so many locally born can't even do that.
My skills are strictly pedestrian.
Exceptionally so.

One plate of dumplings (豬肉白菜水餃 ' 'jyu yiuk paak choi sui gaau'), chopsticks, dribbles of fried chili crisp. Great enjoyment. Satisfaction. Pipe afterward. Filled while waiting for food.

A complex Virginia blend, smoked while strolling down toward the Financial District. Where a gentleman waiting for his vehicle remarked that it was nice to see a fellow-pipe smoker.

Which I can confirm. There used to be more of us. And we were somewhat more visible.

In the last two decades we have become oddities in this city.
Probably in most other places in this country also.
Vast herds, edge of extinction now.
Sad. Blah blah blah.

There are leaves scattered on the dark sidewalks along certain streets downtown. Hues of gold and yellowish brown-green. It is all very lovely. This time of year there aren't so many pedestrians to scatter them, they're probably stuck over the hills and through the woods at grandmother's house, having unwisely gone there for the holidays when foul weather strikes huge parts of the country and air-travel is packed with long delays. Also, they're not allowed to smoke inside and the heater in the garage is out, so they can not enjoy their pipe without freezing their squidgy bits off outside in the snow drifts. Whereas the day here was nicely mid-fifties, and positively tropical by comparison.


So yes. A quiet day, a lovely late lunch, warmth, cheer, condimental joy, and some good solid enjoyment of tobacco without people screaming about their lungs and what about the children you heartless fiend. It was very nice.



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