Monday, March 19, 2018 2:12 PM

Inside an apparently-dying fashion mall by the sea: Half the storefronts are empty. One store that is still hanging on is blasting "Seven Nation Army" really loud. All the conversations I overhear are in North American-accented English or in Southeast Asian languages that I can't sort out. The food court consists of a McDonald's (of course) and a pizzeria. The workers' lunch from the pizzeria is disappointing: something in the salad is on the verge of going bad, and I break my fork trying to cut the calzone. The server speaks to me in English right away. Only mad dogs, Englishmen, and Americans on job interviews go out in dust storm weather wearing business suits. My family texts me to insist that I drink lots of water today. I pick up a bottle at the mall's supermarket before I head out.