good atlas

#1

Jeruk vendors walking from car to car stopped at a red traffic light. No one winds down their windows. But perhaps, this methodology of sales worked better in Indonesia or at trunk roads, where long-haul or lorry drivers would crave a sour snack to keep them awake on a long journey. I’ve always wanted to buy one from them. A salve they need from standing under a merciless sun. But the light turns green, they limp towards the nearest curb, and I have no way of stopping and so I pass them again, and again.

#2

Park at night time. An elderly lady on a bench. She says to me in Cantonese, it’s so late and you’re walking alone! Be safe! I want to say something and ask her what she’s doing there. Does she live in this neighbourhood? What’s good around here? I want to sit by her side while we exchange pleasantries. But I think about the difficulty of conversation. My Cantonese is only as good as ordering food. So I said “OK aunty!” and walked pass her with a longing smile.

#3

A loaf of bread lasts me four days. In the next four days I eat bread. But it’s still too much for one. By day five, I throw three slices of uneaten bread into the bin.