We were atop a double decker bus in London, near the Thames and Parliament and all that. Big Ben. An Indian family came aboard, the mom and dad and a little boy and girl. They all had food in lidded takeout tubs, from some Italian restaurant, dishes of pasta in red sauce, already cold and gummy in the plastic. The dad was sternly admonishing the little girl to "eat, eat, what is wrong with it?"

She made a face and looked away. "It's not spicy enough," she said.