Inca Paris

People

If you travel by metro, I'm sure you have met her. Small and thin, greying hair and rotting teeth, her eyes sparkle with youth. She wears faded jeans and a worn out sweat shirt. She spends her time walking down the isles, but she is not there to beg. With extraordinary energy, she sings revolutionary songs and makes enflamed speeches which nobody understands. It sounds like some sort of esperanto. If you smile at her she will smile back at you with enthusiasm, sharing her joy of life.

An old grudge

Stepping off the metro, a short haired woman in her sixties waives to me and grabs me by the arm towards the bus map.

She and her husband, German tourists dressed in white tee shirts, are at loss: he staring at the city map in his hands; she pointing at the the pink and green criss cross of bus lines.

She speaks to me in English, asking her way. I answer with more questions to understand where they want to go.

And then he gets annoyed, barks away at her, showing his map which doesn't seem to indicate where they want to go. And then he starts barking at me.

"Sir," I say "I speak English, I don't speak German" I am annoyed and my tone is reflecting somehow his.

I turn to his wife and we exchange a few words ignoring him.

Now I know where they are going.

I lead the way with a crisp no non sense attitude.

In English, the man says: Sorry for that.

Reality Show

There's this American show going on one of those new digital TV channels a show called "Next". I don't know if this show is really on in the US and what could be its impact over there - well yes, I'm on the other side - Anyway, it horrifies me. I think that in fact it's called "The daters". Are American teenagers really that gross - dumb - superficial - vain? Or is it just that I am growing old?