It is Friday. We (coworkers and I) ate lunch in the roofed patio outside the conference room, the sun kept mostly out by bougainvillea on the long side and bamboo on the two short sides. In there, on green-cushioned furniture behind sunlit green leaves and reddish-violet blossoms, the temperature was a perfect summer warmth (except if someone ate a hot pepper in their Chinese food by accident). Several times we fell silent, partly from eating and partly from drowsiness in the warm shade. I think cultures that allow time for afternoon siestas have the right idea.

contents of the purple tricycle are copyright 2004 carrie lynn king unless otherwise noted.