As I am sipping my drink in one of my favorite watering holes in central Zagreb, I am watching an old couple I have been seeing for years. Both of them in their eighties, they are quite a sight. Their flabby fat is in full view due to the heatwave that is in full swing in the Croatian capital. In terms of ugliness, they are not far apart. But her valiant attempts at beauty make her much uglier than he happens to be. His hair is gray while hears is bright red. Besides, she wears red-rimmed glasses that are impossible to miss. Her prominent jewelry is ridiculous at best, whereas he wears only his wristwatch. His shirt with short sleeves hides the drooping fat, but her skimpy dress lets it hang out with abandon. The floppy lard on her bare arms is amazing to behold. And so I cannot tear my eyes from her. Human ugliness fascinates me no end, but it fascinates me even more when it is paraded as beauty. This is where women are in the lead in our age. The lead is often staggering. Nay, breathtaking.