Wednesday 6 May 2009

I love rock 'n' roll...


06/05/09
On the tram on the way home I was stood opposite a skinny, young man wearing a fashionable, knitted hat perched on the back of his head, which I can only think of to describe as tea-cosy-like (but which young people think are so cool). He had a terrific belt buckle on his skinny jeans in black and white which showed each of the 6 sides of a die and was playing some form of thrash metal at a very high volume. I love all kinds of music but heavy thrash is way too scary for me, especially when the singers 'bark', which I could plainly hear that this particular singer was. He was generally fashionably kitted out and was behaving as a nonchalant, cool, rock kid.

Halfway through the journey he was joined on his side of the aisle by a more conservatively dressed, and slightly chubbier, young man. He was wearing a shirt and trousers (although he had removed his tie and unbuttoned his top button) and was obviously returning home form work. He was also listening to music, though I could not hear what he was playing. He, however, was enjoying it immensely and was bobbing his head like a feeding chicken. At one point he clasped his index finger and thumb together as if holding a plectrum and started quickly strumming his thigh, as if holding a low-slung guitar. If that wasn't amusing enough, for a few moments during his mime his nose was wrinkled and he was biting his bottom lip. I had to smile at that point (and stifle a laugh).

Of the two young men that stood opposite, he did not appear to be the type who would rock-out on the tram. If he was dressed like the other guy he might have got away with it, but then again, if he was dressed like the other guy then maybe he would've acted a little cooler? I'll never know.

Note to self: this incident also confirms that I should not wear any form of portable music device in public due to my innate need to move in rhythm with any kind of beat. I would end up as John Travolta in the opening sequence of 'Saturday Night Fever' listening to any kind of music, though I would not look cool, I would not look cool, I would not look cool, I would not...

What's Flu Got To Do With It?


05/05/09
On the tram on the way home it was filled with older, female, rock-chick types going to a rescheduled, Tina Turner concert (postponed because of flu. She is 70 years old which I find amazing). As the tram sped along I looked out into the rain, although the condensation was thickening quickly on the inside of the glass. This prompted me to remember the only two words of the song I know (though they are the most important) which I repeatedly sang in my head, in a suitably husky voice, for the remainder of the journey...ste-eamy windo-ows!

Coming to think of it, that's a not a bad song, maybe I should have got a ticket...

TramGirl's Log, Supplemental: Star Date 3.14159265...

On the tram on the way home a few weeks ago I became aware that characters from Star Trek are roaming around in broad daylight among us, previously unnoticed by myself (or anyone else, to my knowledge), until I overheard a man during a moderately heated mobile phone conversation. He was supposed to be meeting a person that evening (probably a partner or a daughter, I thought) but I couldn't help noticing that his plans seemed to have gone a little awry.

"When shall I meet you in town later...we arranged to meet in town, love...where are you?...we arranged to meet in town later...I'm on my way there now...what shall I do?...OK, OK, I'll meet you there instead...OK...bye then, love...see you later...live long and prosper".

I can't say that he had the appearance of a Vulcan (not in my limited understanding of the Vulcan appearance anyway, i.e. pointed ears), but with their extreme limits of emotional expression I would think that only a Vulcan could end a conversation to a loved one that way!

Oink, Oink

On the tram on the way home the other night there were two slender, trendily-dressed, young girls in their early teens having a conversation in their giggly, high-pitched, fast-paced, chit-chat, Vicky Pollard way that young girls do.

The first girl was moaning to her friend that, "God, I'm so fat, I can't believe how much I ate yesterday, I've been eating far too much recently, I've got to stop", to which her friend asked, "What did you have yesterday?".

"Well, I had an apple for breakfast, for lunch I had a cheese sandwich with an apple and a banana and for tea I had three pieces of sushi and two mini-muffins! God, I was such a pig!", at which point the second girl offered her sympathies.

Although the surprisingly short and healthy list made me smile, it fills me with shock and pity to think of the meagre portions that passed her lips on that day to make up for her perceived overeating the day before.