Toast Box

Toast Box could not possibly exist in its native, source culture. England, France, the U.S. This was mimicry pure and simple, pursuit of the outstanding model of success and attainment, adopting the guise, the style and form. Part of the transformation, jumping the train to modernity, to the first, leader world. Nutritionally no doubt it could only be retrograde.

Lad at the hot end, brewing the teas and cafes, chuffed at the Mandarin. Prior to alighting from the bus the small notebook consulted for SOW UNN – or ZHAO UNN may be closer. The routine NI HOW? and SYE-SYE needed to be extended after almost two weeks

— When you back you speak Mandarin, he smiles shyly.

Sailor caps the house style, for boys and girls alike, young and old. Puffed white on top; striped blue band below, elasticised. Same blue in apron and then below simple white tee suffices. High camp.

Couple of long cushioned bench seats, dark faux-leather. Otherwise rustic tables and slatted chairs—doll-sized more or less. 

Prawn noodle soup for the stragglers still living in the past of their coolie fathers and grandfathers.

...— so I think key is...Young company biz strategy meeting left.

Ahead the body-builder: always hard for him to keep his eyes out of the mirrors. The number of hard boiled eggs downed not visible from a distance.

One Indian; two Westerners.

Narrow wooden floorboards allowed to lose their colour—part of the rustic, on the edge of the large, modern shopping complex. Long-bladed fans on the ceiling —from a couple of unobtrusive corners slim-line air-cons do the real cooling. Not yet 10:30AM, much needed. Old paraffin-style lamps on the walls. The wood-framed colonial-era photographs tell the narrative as the British and the others would like it told: a Euro family on a steamboat with Chinese maid suitably attired; another family in the shade of a tree presented for camera, while out back a native in the elaborate dress-up for those entrusted to keep peace and order. (Broad sash over white tunic.) Old Victorian era streetscapes. A pet terrier.