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SHAMEshe walks on the dusty streets of Taipei loosing weight, starving--on her way to a job interview to teach English as a second language--A job she didn't want--The strap on her Joan & Davids broke--the flat heel of the shoe slapping-up at a long odd rhythm falling back down too heavily--no longer matching it's mate on the right foot--she limped along like this for several blocks until she came to a covered walk-way and an old man with a shoe repair service, out of a wooden box on the sidewalk. She sat on a stool and removed the bad shoe--speaking a few words of Mandarin with the old man and one of his old cronies as he glued and nailed her shoe. When it came time to pay the old man didn't know how to say 15NT (NT= New Taiwan dollar) in English so held up his full hand to mean 5, pushed it forward 3 times--"FIFTY?" she asks in Mandarin. He nods yes. Dropping his eyes in shame, takes the money--Later he buys a sweet rice cake and takes it to the temple as an offering to the gods--incense burning-- placing it on the offering table beside two large Dominoe's Pizzas in delivery boxes--
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© Marie A. Kazalia