An old friend from Belgrade came to Reading to spend a week with me. We’ve known each other for some forty years. All kinds of things come up in conversation, and no subject is too sacred. Trivial things come up, as well. At some point I asked her whether she knows about those cheap Chinese bags that are being used all over the world for transporting bulky things. “You must have seen them,” I said. “They are square and are made of some light plastic material with simple plaid patterns.” She nodded: “They are all over Belgrade, too.” “The biggest ones,” she added and spread her arms wide to show how big these bags can get, “are known as ‘pigs’.” We laughed. When the bags are stuffed full, that is precisely how they look. Indeed, my place is now full of pigs. The movers are coming this Saturday.