Today is an appointment at the doctor's. In the late morning, on my way, I stop at the Roman Catholic worship centre, a mid-20th-century brown building. A bell rings as it is the end of recess for the noisy children at the adjacent school. It is practically empty in the spacious interior of the worship centre, except for a middle-aged, dark-haired Caucasian woman by the candles and an Oriental who looks like George Takei and who passes me by as he heads out. I sit at the pew, centre right. The banners above are in faded pastels, blue, pink, yellow, and green, with three butterflies printed on them each. A month ago, the banners were all purple. The statue of floating JC, front centre, is adorned in white and yellow cloth. The standing cross to the right is covered with green paper bits. I stand up and walk to the lobby area. Therein, I marvel at the Mexican Santa María painting and whisper the Spanish words on the caption. I gaze at the elegant photographs of Pope Francis and some other high-level religious authority figure. As I exit the building, a Filipino woman approaches the statue of white and blue Virgin Mary at the outside corner.
I walk to the Richmond Public Market, I first climbing the stairs outside. Inside, the wide atrium-like building is like a garden in a jungle surrounding, I imagine. Already quite hungry, I trot to Captain Wa, the food vendor, to get noodles with squid, fish, and tofu, as well as hot tea. As I eat, a handsome First Nations man in a purple T-shirt walks by. Then a handsome, stocky Jewish fellow walks by. A few minutes later, I begin to thirst, so I get a cold Mint Bubble Green Tea at the vendor QQ Bubble Tea and Coffee. I sit by the stairs to sip. A threesome family sits eating nearby, the man being black, the woman being Oriental, and the child being a hybrid. Addicted to Bubble Tea, I get another one, this time at Peanut's. It is a cold Green Apple Bubble Green Tea. It is delicious. I take the escalator down. On my way to the washroom, I notice a big aquarium full of probably giant red Alaskan king crabs with barnacles on their legs. They remind me of extraterrestrials, somehow. At the bookstore, I buy a heavily illustrated green botany book in sinograms. I left it on top of a box a month ago and it is still there. It is $14. I take the escalator up. Addicted to Bubble Tea, I spend my remaining coins on a cold Lychee Bubble Green Tea. It is delicious with even bits of white lychee flesh.
Low on cash, I exit the market. I head to my bank to the south to use the cash machine. Then I head to a Western mall, Richmond Centre, to while away the next hour. Afterwards, I head to the doctor's. We chat a bit about my current hobby about Native cultures and languages, especially here in the Downriver Halkomelem region. Downriver Halkomelem was the language spoken in this area. I imagine that the Halkomelem paddled their kayaks around here, over what is now Lulu Island.
As I walk home, I encounter a couple of young Oriental women who are Mormons. I say that I already have frequent talks with Jehovah's Witness members as I confuse Mormons with JW. I apologize for the confusion. I talk a bit about my religious background. I grew up in a Roman Catholic country, the Philippines, but in Canada my parents converted to Baptists and go to Pentecostals'. I assert that I prefer Eastern spirituality such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Dao, Shinto, and Native American. One woman asks, "What is the most important thing in your life?" to which I could not answer because it is such a difficult question. "Keep smiling for us!" she almost commands. Nature is far for the moderns. Ancient people seem happier than the moderns. "Keep smiling!"
I reach home. I feel a bit tired. I have doing taxes still on my mind. Esperanto and Lojban are my hope in life.
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