This one is for Kate

Many times I think about Kate and James and Finn. But mostly, I'm reminded of Kate during some ugly moments, as I pass the grates in the sidewalks.

Let me explain.

Kate loves to wear heels. Not necessarily spike heels or anything, but she likes crazy, fashionable shoes with pointed toes and sharp heels and great decorations. As a direct consequence, she has developed a fear of grating in sidewalks. The small shoes catch on the holes or can make her fall.

I'm not sure that I have developed the fear of grates that Kate has, but the strong aversion to the smells and the creatures that creap from these holes often makes me walk around the grates and sewage covers. I have thought about Kate and her heels so many times in these moments, walking on a curb around a grate or peering into a suspicious hole as I sidestep another person. I haven't gotten used to these smells yet.

A few of the smells are heavenly, though. I think I wrote about the spice shop. This is one of my strange pleasures on my walk home at night. It is such a concoction of so many different spices that it probably should not smell right or even good, but it smells fresh and interesting. Just when I think I can smell cinnamon or oregano, I think I smell four other spices.

But back to Kate's shoes. The Korean women dress in a variety of ways. Some dress very comfortably, some dress for school, but some dress "the Korean princess" style. They wear high heels, short skirts, complex fashions, and beautiful patterns. This is amazing to see the Korean princesses swaying on the buses and stumbling on the uneven pavement. Again, I think of beautiful, stylish Kate and her fear of street drains.