strange things vol. I

An otherwise normal-looking man standing next to me at one of those "make your coffee unhealthy" Starbucks station-things emptied no less than four sugar packets, one after another, into his coffee, vigorously shaking each packet for several seconds before carefully pouring it in, stirring the results after each dump with a different stir stick.

..the stranger part: I stood by watching, idle, engrossed in the whole affair as if witnessing some unique, coffee-inspired modern sacrament, one part ancient Teotichuacan ritual-cum-Fordist manufacturing assembly line, two parts OCD-engendered dementia.

I've taken a break from blogging to get some thing done — including a book on North Korea — but now I am back. O Ye nonexistent readers.