Close my eyes and pretend:
this is all just preparation
for the real thing,
an interactive sneak preview.

Barely a white face among the crowds
or any trace of bearable English: signs
that suggest we Take For A Lucky Today,
another store offering Cheap 4 U souvenirs,

but once inside I can’t find anything
that screams Canadian or even Chinese:
purple leather stress balls?
Red and white pyramids? I brace myself
for a little basket
of plastic tikis on the counter.

At the specialist tea store
the saleswoman forces
samples of tea-flavoured mooncakes
into my hands, promising me
a generous discount
for three or more boxes. She is small
and full of voice. I can see
the commission
behind her determined eyes.

While I half-listen to her offer
the World’s Ugliest Moose
stares at me from across the road.

Outside, a man slaps his palms
on a sack of glutinous rice, then crooks
his body down to meet it.
He inhales. The beating
brings out the fragrance. He sighs.
An impossibly large smile blooms
on his face.