Covid snacking

17:36 local time, 33⁰C (91⁰F), hum. 65%

THESE are imported Japanese rice cracker savoury snacks pronounced « BAY’ee-kah » (be ika 米菓 or べいか : ‘rice cracker’).Vital statistics:—

• Comes in tear-off strips of four packets
• Regular price is HK$12 (US$1.50 or €1.2) a strip at my local Daiso (the famous Dollar Store in some countries)
• Each packet 11 grammes, or ⅓rd of an ounce
• 8 to 10 blobs per packet
• Each blob around 15mm in diameter, or ⅔rds of an inch
• Each blob weighs 5 carats (1g), if you prefer it that way (smiles)

There are several other brands of these rice cracker balls around.

These cute little beauties are pretty common snacks throughout the entire Asian region for the past 30–40 years. There is nothing particularly exotic about them.

But as you can see from the photo, they look vaguely like the Covid-19 coronavirus.

That’s what makes them a bit special now.

Some retail merchants here in Hong Kong have been pitching them as “fun virus-shaped snack for good eating” for the kids — words to that effect.

I know, it’s a bit of shameless retailing, but what the hell. I have no problem with the pitch.

Everywhere’s been in quarantine lockdown for eight months already. Everyone’s been taking to « quaran-tequila » to deal with the cabin fever and the facemask rugburn.

Worldwide, the retailers and restaurants are in a stonking bottomless commercial abyss.

Gotta find ways of paying the bills and the wages, eh? Every little shameless bit helps.

If the sales pitch goes viral — pardon the pun — then it can only be a good thing, all things considered.

At least it isn’t SHAMEFUL retailing, which is a different ballgame altogether.

I’m not into shameful, but I so ‘dig’ shameless.

Below is the Covid-19 coronavirus that’s been fuxxing us saps changing the shape of the world (and people’s wallets) since December 2019. The virus pulsates because it’s laughing its head off at saps like us. My prediction is we’ll never develop a proper vaccine for this cnut (geddit?) earlier than 2025 because of its basic properties — most high-school students know why from basic biology.

(via Giphy: Matthew Butler)

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© The Naked Listener’s Weblog, 10 Aug 2020.

Images by the author (thenakedlistener) unless otherwise indicated.

Texte originale de dimanche 08 août 2020.

Which comfort food?

11.01pm local time, 27°C (81°F), AC on

Americans and Chinese living abroad are the ones who will ask what your ‘comfort food’ is.

It sounds almost as if they’re unhappy or or sad or something living overseas — as if they’re on some hardship posting whilst on corporate relocation package, superannuation, etc, etc, etc. Never mind. Money cannot buy happiness, after all.

So what is my favourite comfort food in my locality or country?

Six years here and a bit more besides

11.57pm local time (19 Aug 2014), 27°C (82°F), fine

Dear all

I’ve been in pain. Physical pain.

My kneecaps and pretty much most of my left side are creaking like a pair of rusted-up pliers, which explains why I’ve gone AWOL for three or four weeks now.

I blame it on the weather: the soupy heat of Hong Kong summers and I have never really gotten on too well.

In other news…