Changes around town

I was so happy last fall when a Polish deli opened in Oban. It makes me happy in general to think about immigrant populations, far from home, having a bit of the familiar around them. And food-wise, it could be an adventure for the rest of the town.

This is how I feel also about the Thai Take Away restaurant that opened at the beginning of the year. I want it to survive and thrive. For some reason I'm comforted by the fact that it's there. Perhaps it reminds me of "home" in Oregon. It makes Oban feel just that bit more worldly.

The other lovely, cheerful thing about the Polish deli was that it was bright red. I saw them painting the shop on a sunny afternoon--two punkish young people in their plaid, leather and metal.

Up on a ladder, a young man in tight black jeans, looking Eastern European, punked out and cool. And a young woman, kneeling in her pleated skirt, hair in disarray, looking optimistic and revolutionary, wielding that red paintbrush like a graffiti artist her spray can.

They painted the whole thing from top to bottom, a red Stop sign in the middle of the block of white storefronts. They were Polish! They wanted to be noticed! I have to say, it looked great. Scottish towns are not known for their colorfulness.

The end of the story is that the beautiful red Polish deli is gone, disappeared, empty and for rent. I never went in; now where am I going to get Polish sausages?

The saddest part--it's all painted over white again.


This is all that's left--some red paint splatters and red showing through on the windowsill where the white overcoat has chipped off. I feel like this building needs some beautiful red graffiti to cheer it up.