What does a Dutchman do after seeing his cardiologist first thing in the morning? Why, he goes off to Chinatown for snackies, of course. At around ten thirty I sat down to congee and a youtiao. Plus milk tea. The place where I actually planned to go was closed -- it's open seven days a week from early morning till late afternoon, so one wonders what's wrong -- and in consequence I spent more than I originally intended. But I got to people watch. Three tables had Mandarin speakers, two had Cantonese speakers, two had Chinese women with their non-Chinese love interests, and one table had a Mainland businessman who had ordered too much, but he manfully ate all of it, because, you know, the money.
[Everything about him screamed Mainland businessman. There's something about the type.]
To a certain extent I'm envious. If I ate that much food in one sitting I would be in discomfort probably till evening. Ooh, I can't walk, I'm bloated, why did I do that, and what, ultimately, is the meaning of existence?
Pork liver lean meat congee (一碗豬肝瘦肉粥 '
yat wun jü gon sau yiuk juk'). A little slivered ginger, a dusting of pepper. And a hot fresh yautiu (油條).
That's actually as close to the meaning of existence as you can get.
But I already knew that.
The appointment was exactly at the time the office opened. So I was there half an hour early and cooled my heels. It is most often the case that I show up for medical appointments far too early, and for anything else also. On work days I'm usually there over an hour before anyone else. I factor in errors and the unforeseen, and I hate rushing about.
It took me a long time before I learned to do this.
I'm kind of stupid at times.
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