THE APPLE OF MY EYE

This morning, in that half wake period before actually waking up, I realized that in speaking Indonesian to a fellow from the neighborhood in my dream, I had said something incorrect. Which is not surprising, as my Indonesian is now far from fluent, kind of rusty, and was not au courant even at the best of times. Colonial era Malay learned from classmates and adults in my vicinity in the Netherlands long after Indonesian independence, and even after the events of Lubang Buwaya. Not good, but semi okay. still. Flawed.

Sometime during the morning the phone rang. I answered as I alway do in in Cantonese. Because most calls I receive are spam, and foreign languages baffle them. "Do you speak English?" Wai, may-ah? "Do you speak English, sir?!?" Nei hai pin-go? Nei dim gai taa din waa pei ngoh-ah? My friends, in those extremely rare occasions when they call, would tell me in English to cut it out. And medical staff would interact in Cantonese anyway. Before, as the eye-doctor's office person did, switching to English because it is somewhat ridiculous to continue in Cantonese when speaking to a Kwailo whom they know is quite fluent in that language, and not entirely quite so in Cantonese. Un-native sounding.

I have never needed to speak Dutch on the phone.

My Cantonese is passable, better than my Indonesian.
And there is no need to NOT baffle call centers.
So English is out of the question entirely.

Anyhow, eye doctor's appointment tomorrow. Crack of dawn.

Naturally I shall have a pipe picked out for smoking aftwards, which will be in my coat pocket along with a pouch of tobacco. I had to search through various storage boxes to find it, having taken it out of the regular rotation probably over a year ago.
It is of a very suitable shape.

COMOY SUNRISE APPLE

An eye-ball on a stick made by Comoy back in the stone age.
So it's absolutely perfect for the occasion.
And an excellent smoke besides.
I am looking forward.

COMOY LONDON PRIDE APPLE

Either illustrated briar would be perfect, but the top specimen is probably the one. A man should always have the perfect pipe upon his person. A woman too. If the woman doesn't, a gentleman will be able to lend her one. The reserve which is not in use.
So two pipes. Because of course.



The apple is not my favourite shape, but it is indeed one of which I am very fond. Good to hold. I have several of them, various makes. Years ago Pauline at Drucquer's had a lovely Sasieni apple, tan sandblast, which made grown men drop their jaws when they saw it.
"Nice, huh?", she would say when she noticed them drooling, then smile.
I haven't seen Pauline in very many years. Since FWB.
But I hope she still has that apple.



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