lunch

hungry and conveniently close to this place and miraculously luck out on the last table for two in the place after which we watch the waiting benches outside fill up with an unstemmable gloating feeling. 

the food is good too.

quickie trippie to penang

starting with an early morning visit to the air-side passenger lounge, all shiny and freshly renovated. we serendipitously meet an old friend and catch up over coffee. after that we circle the place a few times looking for the exit, on account of unhelpfully discreetly placed signs, together with (we notice surreptitiously) a few other passengers also trailing their suitcases behind them.

my next seat neighbor today is adolescent-sized and most pleasantly self-contained. he kindly spends the flight engrossed in his soccer movie and does not seep into my seat at all except during a particularly exciting bit o' footwork, when he grips my armrest and raises it in his excitement. nothing a friendly tap on the shoulder does not solve.

as for me, i watch food porn. which the japanese do really well, with lots of macro shots in saturated colors of glistening munchies in osaka and kyushu today. my only grouse is that they really need to ditch the close-ups of people eating. most de-appetizing.

also, we catch a glimpse of a former government minister boarding late, without fanfare, into cattle class (with us hoi polloi!) most democratic of him, i think. i also think that he must like the color pink, because he wears it and so does his carry on bag.

and finally, in the grab ride to the hotel, in the middle of a rather comfortable journey, i put my hand to the aircon vent to adjust the airflow and discover that malaysian grab rides may not come equipped with a/c vents.

fare thee well

my aunt died peacefully. thank you for looking after her.

more than many others N saved me from chop chop self-righteous institutionalized efficiency. her trust was full her faith grounded and her acceptance complete. she expected my time and i learnt to give her my presence. she expected my prayers and i learnt to plead for her. thank you for telling me, i say. it was my privilege to know her.

monsieur mediocre - john von sothen (2019)

disarmingly self-effacing and charmingly self-aware socialist democrat. he writes an especially good counterpoint to the earnest anodyne the newspaper columnists sprout these days.

gasp

slowly crawling out into the sunshine of life

after a long week of work

after vacation

that's payback for you

plus size seatmate

very big 

with a big backpack 

oozing into my center seat 

the foot the elbow the arm and the jacket 

excuse me 

i am asian 

i really do not like 

to be in contact with a male 

who is not my husband 

please

goodbye massage

 

personalized to my sore points

with piped-in muzak

my little cocoon of 30-minute bliss