Taj Mahal is not unique to India. There is another one in Brighton, Royal Pavilion. Apparently, George the IV built the summer retreat to house all his mistresses when he took time to visit the this seaside town. The inside deco is undoubtedly how 19th century Orientalist see China. It proves the point that when kitch-ness has reached to a level, it has the ability to regenerate itself; forming a genre and becoming a classic.
Through a park near the North Lanes where kids learn to glue their faces with cotton candies and young lovers creating new phrases to describe each other, old pals sitting down side by side with grande Latte and exchanging little mischievous jokes. Then I heard this duo playing. For a moment, I forgot the camera that was attached to my palm and let my restless eyes rest on this everyday beauty in front of me.
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I was included in the farewell lunch of Emilia's friend. Behind the Thai grocery, couple tables are put down behind racks of Thai curry paste, fish sauce, prawn crackers, lemon grass, curry leafs, ginger pepper candy jar...and the kitchen is right behind the tables. Sat the 7 of us down and the restaurant was almost full. The rich smell of green curry blend with coconut milk and the fume of chillies and lemon grass coming from the kitchen. This could be my Madeline, transporting me back to somewhere in the back street eatery of Bangkok where hot summer and old lover are best kept.
