since i've been trying to go outside and walk around during lunch these days, i'm seeing a lot more reality kensington.

wed went to see dexter across the street. we've been working at the same corner all these months and never knew. so it was fun seeing the pharmacy and meeting all the feisty women he works with. they all told their boss about me and now i gotta go again to meet him and be neighbourly. apparently they gotta lock down the place real well at night because there was a break-in in the past where someone DRILLED A TUNNEL through the wall from the back alley to steal drugs.

dexter showed me a bottle of 500 endocet, which costs them about 45$. each pill can sell on the street for $5 each. meaning one could potentially make 2500$ for the bottle.

this is why we do not carry narcotics at esperanza. too much liability.

today i didn't have any food. went to turner's to maybe bring some baked goods to the pharmacy girls as a neighbourly gesture. and since i knew boss jimmy would be there. but marvin was out. i guess he just opens and closes as he pleases. he needs to get air conditioning.

finally, i decided to buy some produce - they were so nice there! $1.50 for a bag of peaches. not too shabby!

on my way there i ran into O. i haven't decided what i should do when i see patients on the street/in the subway. since a lot of people might not want to publicize who is their dentist/that they see a dentist. whatever hipaa rules and stuff. hipaa with dentistry is a little weird. lots of people tell me their dental stories alllll the time and are very open about what goes one w/ their teeth, telling the whole world and all. it's a little different than say, seeing a psychiatrist. or seeing an oncologist. or a plastic surgeon. or other more sensitive issues. however, we are all bound by the same privacy laws. anyway, so O saw me and made eye contact, so i thought, what the heck. i waved really dramatically, then was hoping for the euro bisou rather than a handshake coz who knows what he's touching on the street. but too late, he extended for a handshake and saw that i was extending my cheek so gave me a bisou anyway. then he exclaims to his friend (as they are both smoking on the corner), "hola! das my dentist! where you going?"
and i have no idea why i do this, but i tend to imitate the way people speak. and in this case sounded like a spanish fob. and replied, "i'm hohngry! going to get food!" then skipped away.

O is a recovering drug addict and who knows if he was in a gang. but he knows the streets. he's older now, so kinda retired from a lot of la vida loca. and of course looks older than he is coz of the drugs/smoking.

in contrast to this rather peaceful stroll amidst the urban heat and humidity, right after the produce station i went to walgreens to look for snacks. it seemed crowded but i could imagine a lot of the people were lingering in the store to witness lots of hullabaloo.

security guard was talking in a raised voice with this dude in handcuffs right when i walked in.
"YOU WOULD MUCH RATHER DEAL WIT ME, THAN DEAL WIT DA COPS OUT THERE."
"but i didn't steal anything."
"YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL AND TELLING ME ALL THE SAME STORIES. BUT YOU'RE NOT A PROFESSIONAL, COZ YOU GOT CAUGHT. I'M WATCHING YOU! I SAW EVERYTHING! I'M JUST DOING MY JOB."
"i didn't take anything out of the store."
"YOU KNOW WHAT MY PROTOCOL IS, IF YOU'RE PUTTING THINGS IN YOUR SHIRT AND TRYING TO LEAVE THE STORE. I'VE DONE THIS, LIKE, SIX HAHNDRED TIMES."
then they went back and forth so the entire store could hear.
well, mainly the security guard wanted to flash his badge and feel like he had some power, in a city where, as a minority, he's kinda disempowered in a lot of ways. and who knows what his home life is like. anyway, i'm glad he's doing his job and catching shoplifters. but, the flamboyant display of words was a bit unnecessary and disheartening.

meanwhile, there were two semi-older men trying to return a phone card (where he had already scratched the covering off the pin number). he swore it was unused and that there is no printed notice that it cannot be returned. a younger man in line was trying to translate/reiterate/mediate between the men and the manager. the manager didn't give them much time, frankly told them the no-return policy and walked away. the younger man tried explain what the manager said. the older men were so frustrated, they stormed out the door yelling, "WHERE'S HIS F****** CAR, I'M GONNA THROW A F****** BRICK AT IT!"
the manager was minding his own business when the security guard and cashier were trying to tell him, "they just said they was gonna throw a brick at your car."
manager walks towards the door to take a look.
cashier: "YOU BETTA NOT GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT YOUR CAR, OTHERWISE THEY KNOW WHICH ONE IS YOURS!"

i was gonna narrate everything else here, but time is short and i don't want to give glory to all the profanity that i heard over the span of 4 minutes paying for my snacks, then walking out through the parking lot, and across the street.

so much is happening on one corner, every single day. can't keep track of it all!

in my mind, i want to be a good citizen and be helpful. but it's moments like these that make me want to just mind my bidness and keep to myself. very typical asian-american thing to do. i guess there's a fine balance between wanting to serve versus wanting to be a hero. i always imagine these scenarios where i would go crazy on vigilantism. and i'm thankful that i have yet to encounter some scenarios and have not done anything foolish (street-wise). God is protecting me here!