Sunday

Got off my four day jag drinking black tea.  Plucked the tea leaves off me, pulled the lace doilies from my hair and pulled myself out of the gutter.  I didn't exercise last night because of joint pains due to tea consumption.  

Went to Chinatown again, to a new dim sum place that is supposed to be so wonderful; lines out the door.  I did a good job of navigating the one way streets and into the obscure parking lot.  This place is in a special Chinese mall the government built to preserve Chinese culture.  It looks governmental.  The architecture is bleak.  Searing sunlight was bouncing off the concrete.  There were no lines at the dim sum place.  The help was difficult.  They left three things out of my order.  The food seemed ordinary. I tried bitter melon stuffed with pork.  That shit is bitter.  They aren't kidding.  It doesn't even taste like food.  It is supposed to be good for you.

You want to love Chinatown, you want to love Downtown, but it defeats you.  You overlook the skeevy people and the inconveniences.  You try to groove on the cultural stuff, the bargains and the historic buildings but on a certain level you are kidding yourself.  The place is unlovable and surly.  It wants to bite you.  

A lot of the tea I bought on my last adventure was no good.  It smells like cigar smoke and mold.

I am glad I was out of the house and trying new things.  I'm just afraid that I already discovered all the good places and the rest will not be worth the trip.  I am more high functioning now, though and I'm grateful.  I just hope I will find places that return my affection.  

I went to a special place to pray.  I was a little early and it was a little busy.

I came to the mall.  I was going to shop but my hip joints ached.  I decided to eat.  Fresh fish, potatoes and a little spinach at a restaurant cost $31.00 with tip!  It wasn't even a lot of fish, and I think they switched the kinds of fish on me, but it was what my body wanted.  I feel better now.  I tried to shop for swim stuff in Surf shops but I felt like they would think I don't belong there.   I will try again later.

My hair and clothes and sheets and hair are clean and I'm liking that.  Makes me do more things and feel less-self conscious.  

I saw a surf movie last night about Australia.  I did find parking right outside.  The movie cost $12.00 and it sucked.  I was thinking that a semi-underground movie shown at a sponsored film festival could cost less than a commercial movie.  There were not more than 35 people in the audience. At least I was able to get out and about.  I'm glad of that.