After all these many years, the Kiwi Brand knife is looking a bit old. Although it’s had nine lives, it can’t possibly last forever. This one was bought years ago at Saigon Supermarket. Today, although there were other Kiwi items and cutlery of other brands, including a cleaver of considerable weight that could smash through just about any bone, my favorite Kiwi was not there. In fact, although there were fresh Hell banknotes and generous packets of joss paper, other than fresh vegetables, the shelves looked a bit sparsely stocked.

At the New Oriental Market, there was plenty of cutlery, with both carbon and stainless-steel blades, but nothing Kiwi was to be found.

My Thanh was passed before we knew it, and the auguries didn’t foretell happy U-turning, so the Kiwi kwest will continue another time. In the meantime, I’m being very, very careful with my favorite knife, now that I realize that it’s not so easily replaced.