The stink of sheep was thick in the bar after the monster bingo a couple of Wednesdays ago. Maureen and I were well into our drinks when a man approached me. He said he had a lady friend in the Philippines he liked every much, and could I help him get her here, as Daragh had brought me over. God. Maureen said I should have demanded 10K to do it, 5K upfront.

A few days before that, a little old dude asked me where I was from, shouting "TAIWAN!?" before I could answer. When I answered, he said, "CAL-LEE-FOUR-NYA?! You're NOT from CALIFORNIA!" God. Then he said, "Well, I know a Senator from California," as if that meant anything. I thought of what Helene Cixous wrote, which is all too applicable these days: "People do not see you,/ they invent and accuse you."

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