No. I Would Not

A colleague wrote last night.  Wanted to meet when he got into the airport this morning.  Sounded like a capital idea at 8:00PM last night.  He called this morning around 7:50AM saying his plane had arrived and would I like to come over.  No.  I would not, I thought.  I’d been sitting noodling around in deep chair reading one paper after another.  I hadn’t really started anything meaningful.  Just slowly rising on a Sunday morning. 

I asked if he wanted to come over to my neighborhood. Well, he had lots of luggage.  I asked what he was doing in the afternoon, but as I said it I knew and he knew we’d never meet up.  Surely, we have some things to discuss.  But nothing that couldn’t be handled on the phone.  And I’m not sure why but I just didn’t have it in me to tell the truth: “It’s Sunday morning.  I’m feeling lazy.  I don’t want to go anywhere.”

I am most of the way to the airport now.  It’s autumn outside.  Most of the leaves still have green leaves but that won’t last much longer.  It’s singles day here: shuang shiyi.  The greatest shopping day on earth.  Take that Santa.  I wouldn’t have had a clue but I just read a text message that my friends at China Mobile sent me.  I usually ignore such notes but this had the phrase “the last day” within, and this made me concerned that tomorrow that would suddenly turn off my service as they oftentimes suddenly do.  But it’s OK.  There are no threats.  They are simply offering me extra data, for my big shopping needs.  I think. 

Last night the little one who is obsessed with the southern Hermit Kingdom, had us out at a Korean restaurant.  We asked her to ask her friend, who is Korean to recommend a place.  I had a gritty bulgogi place in mind from seven years ago in Wang Jing.  I can almost taste the charred beef and garlic bits.  Another Korean family had recommended it and though the decor wasn’t much to speak of the food was great.  This place was rather fancy and the took a foreign card but the food wasn’t as memorable.  They grilled the beef for us.  I missed being able to grill my own garlic and didn’t like having to pay for more extras plates of lettuce wraps.  The Yukhoe (Korean tartare, with lots of sesame and salt) though, was delicious, as it often is.  I haven’t had that since our North Korean restaurant visit in Vladivostok last summer.   Still standing.  Though perhaps one ought to be careful.

Sunday 11/11/18