The definitive guide to things I think about

For most of my life I have been a tea person. Nothing fancy like chamomile or oolong or any of the other stuff that people drink with their little pinkies in the air. Just regular working-class chai , made with black tea powder, milk, and sugar. Here is how you do it. You first boil the water on low flame, add the tea powder (or leaves), and give the concoction some time to wake up. Then, you put in the sugar and optionally ginger, cardamom, or whatever else your sick heart desires. You set the flame to high and a couple of minutes later, add milk. Of course, there are some people who, unable to control their vulgar impulses, put everything together in one go. These people should be arrested and locked up for good, but I will post a petition on Change.org for that later. About a year ago, something changed. I have always treated coffee with the politeness that is reserved for acquaintances. To me, coffee is the silver medalist of beverages. It is almost tea but not quite. Every h...

Some time ago, I happened to pay a visit to the dentist. I say ‘happened’ because I didn’t go there to get myself examined. I was there to have my daughter’s teeth checked. But while I was waiting, the dentist insisted that I should get my teeth looked at too. So reluctantly, against my better instincts, I let her examine me. It turned out that I had a couple of cavities and more than a few enamel abrasions, the treatment of which caused a small implosion in my bank account. I was also duly admonished for not taking better care of my dental health. “You should get a dental checkup every six months. Just to make sure that everything is okay,” she told me as she peeled her latex gloves off. “Also, you are brushing too hard. You should use a soft brush, not a medium one. And flossing. Very important for you, because your wisdom teeth are crooked.” I took her advice to heart and stopped by the supermarket on the way home to buy a packet of floss, a soft toothbrush, and a 5-Star chocolate...