the first time i went to singapore wasn't the first time i chewed betel nut they sold it on a corner in little india or near there and it wasn't the first time but in singapore a first and you know you can't you shouldn't spit in singapore and you know the betel nut after a while no matter how long you try you have to get it out out of the pocket between gum and lip and then if you don't you look like some blood guzzler vampire anywhere near where the blue gods live the squarish spires the nested temples and charging gods on chariots and that's you if you've ever chewed betel nut the charging around and you can cover a lot of ground until you have to i mean you just have to spit and it's not easy as i've said i looked for a place but there were empty hands and closed afternoon shops 'no i don't give out free napkins' and offers of curry and biryani smiles offered no empty pots no trash can maybe it's three blocks down said someone my new sikh friend smiling 'be careful there's a fine for spitting' me with red lips drool the acid eating away and saliva percolating until finally a banana shopkeep and 5 cent plastic bag to get the betel out half digested mouth juice running and a nice lady whose family came a hundred years ago from chennai telling me a filthy habit here's some tea they say it's from assam we sell it too even here in singapore there's a world that lives here