It Doesn't Matter How Much Money You Have But What Kind Of Person You Are

I just finished peeling and slicing what I think must be the biggest mango I have ever seen.  The slices fill a large soup bowl and this is what remains from what I have just enjoyed for dessert.  It isn't the tastiest mango I've had but it's still pretty good.  I have another one as well, ripening in a bed of lavender in my fruit bowl.  The lavender is to repel fruit flies and so far it has worked.  I will probably have a few strawberries as well but the rest of the mango goes in the fridge till tomorrow.  Speaking of big things I just made and had for dinner a bit of what will likely be my last big dinner salad of the summer.  Instead of cooking this summer I have been making big vegetarian dinner salads, which usually last for around five days.  They have become rather formulaic, with variations.  I always begin by steaming up a large sauce pan full of broccoli with lemon juice and let it cool while cooking whole wheat pasta and six hard boiled eggs.  Once the pasta is drained and the eggs are cooled I add the pasta in a big bowl to the broccoli.  Then I add soy sauce to taste, about one teaspoon garlic powder, a bit of lemon juice and around a quarter cup more or less of red wine vinegar.  Then come the chopped red onion, the grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped English cucumber (optional), chopped red or yellow or orange sweet pepper (optional), black pitted olives and artichoke hearts (also optional), with basil and oregano and either crumbled blue cheese or chopped Asiago and grated Parmesan.  Then I mix everything together and peel and halve the eggs which I use to cover the salad.  I forgot to mention as well that either I mix in a whole package of chopped extra-firm tofu or two cans of beans (either mixed or one tin each of black beans and Romano beans).  I have not been disappointed or bored yet though I am beginning to miss hot meals.

It has been otherwise a typical day off.  I went to Pacific Spirit Park for a walk in the warm sunny weather with plenty of cool shade thanks to the abundant trees.  I stopped for an iced Americano at the Beanery Café.  They have renovated and repainted it and it looks beautiful, all light, open, spacious, bright and airy.  I am also happy to report that they have taken out the pool table.  This was a cause of contention between me and a regular, a very unpleasant and disagreeable woman who would sometimes speak very rudely to me (for example, once on the patio there was a family group seated next to me.  The parents were speaking in extremely loud voices, though their kids were beautifully behaved, and I was trying to read.  I asked them politely if they could lower their voices a wee bit.  They took offence and this other lady--in her case I use the term very loosely--chimed in that I should mind my own business and that if I wanted to read I should go to the library.  This was the last time she was rude to me.  I let her have it.  I told her she was very rude and that since this was none of her business that she ought to start treating such occasions as though they are none of her business and leave me and others alone.   There must have been something menacing in my tone because this time she did back right off and I have never seen her since and this incident must have occurred at around four years ago?  The first time she bothered me was when I mentioned to the server that it would be nice to see the pool table taken out since it makes the space kind of tight and the players do get underfoot of other patrons, and I have seen this happen often enough, and it is distressing especially when the players are young males who are poor losers and swear a lot in loud voices no matter whose kids are present.  That said, the pool table is gone along with the nasty bitch and the place looks a lot better.)
I'm not in the habit of getting into conflicts with strangers but if anyone wants to take me on I will stand up to them.

I was working on a drawing today of a fiery throated hummingbird Cute, eh?  Two little girls approached my table, smiling shyly, and began asking me about my art.  I kept looking around hoping there was an adult with them but they were there on their own, ages eight and nine respectively.  One is Chinese Canadian and speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese as well as English.  The other is part First Nations and speaks a native language as well as English.  Both seemed like very bright and friendly children with a keen interest in art and in talking to me.  So, while I continued to draw and colour we also chatted for maybe half an hour as I also showed them some colouring techniques.  I eventually had to leave in order to resume my hike and later as I walked by a playground they came bounding over to say hi to me again.

If I find this remarkable it is because I am not ordinarily huge on kids and actually find them quite annoying at times.  Still, I cannot help but feel touched and honoured that in this age of paranoia and fear that for a few minutes we could enjoy a friendly visit, more as three friends than as grown up and kids helping enrich each other's lives.  A celebration of innocence.  What particularly stands out from the course of our conversation is that the Chinese girl actually wanted to brag about how much money she has.  I replied to her that "It doesn't matter how much money you have but what kind of person you are."  She was very quiet for a few seconds as though pondering and absorbing the meaning of these words and I really hope that in this way I have been able to influence her for life.