The Calm Before the Storm
At the time of writing this post, Typhoon Krathon will hit the populated west side of Taiwan in four hours.
I was feeling rather cooped up earlier so I went out for a walk. Smack in the pouring rain. Thankfully, my sneakers were worn and in need of replacing so getting them soaked wasn't the biggest deal; still, one is forced to ask oneself if they're capable of making good life decisions when the wind starts howling against your umbrella. By the time I got to the halfway point of my walk, lightning was flashing furiously. Like I said, not a good life decision.
Almost every store was closed today. The only things left running were big corporate: convenience stores and chain cafes. I stopped by a Louisa (Taiwan's Starbucks equivalent) and saw that there was only the barista inside.
I asked if she was going to be okay.
She shrugged. "I might sneakily gap it if I sell everything?"
I looked at the cabinet. There were only four things left: three bagels (matcha, hazelnut, and ube) and a piece of cake. No pun intended, but it really was a piece of cake what I needed to do next.
I told her I'd take it all and then she quickly laughed. "No, I think the manager would think I was up to some mischief if they drive by later. But why don't I give you something for free?"
She said the cake was the hardest to sell, so I took it along with the ube bagel I originally had my intentions on.
It's a black sesame and mascarpone mousse. That tiny slice is just how portion sizes are in Asia, and I prefer it this way.
I told her to take care. Her shift hours certainly extended past Typhoon Krathon's entry, and while Krathon was recently downgraded from "Fierce" to "Medium", it's the rain and the wind I'm worried about. Everyone in Taiwan rides a scooter instead of driving, and we're not known for servicing our badly worn tires; doubly dangerous in this weather. I was tempted to say, just leave if the weather gets too dangerous, but the work culture in Asia is what it is. And no one's hiring these days.
Even behind the mask, her smile was radiant. She cocked her head to one side and waved me a gentle goodbye.
The mousse was fantastic. Just the right amount of sweetness and depth.
I hope she'll be okay.