Random encounters
2007-06-03 00:38The elevators of my mother's hospital currently sport signs telling you to say hi to the people next to you, even suggesting icebreakers, because social contact is important for your health.
En route to dinner with a visiting family friend tonight, a young woman with a PDA/cell phone -- huge screen and keyboard -- sat next to me. I asked if it was a cell phone, she said yeah, was surprised I hadn't seen a PDA version before, said it was a Cue? also that it was crap, two hour battery life. She asked what I was reading, which was Adaptation and Natural Selection by George Williams. I said it was an evolutionary book. She replied that (some unclear male person of her life) was "into that", or reading such books, and saying God didn't make man, but man made God. "Isn't that crazy?" "Not really," I said, as I got up because it was in fact my stop.
At the Border's where I was meeting said friend, this scruffy young man was lounging vacantly outside by the door. When he saw me he... activated is the only word I can use, and asked where I got my t-shirt. It's a Twelve Kingdoms shirt that sparklegal bought me at some anime convension she went to -- oh, Ohayocon, I belatedly remember -- and that's all I could say. He said he'd looked for such things, hadn't found them, was a big fan of the series. And then I went inside. But it was fun. And kind of unexpected. The general neighborhood is Lincoln Park, the intersection Clark and Diversey and Broadway [sic], where my reactions walking around at night are (a) "white people!" (b) "hot white girls!") and (c) "man, everyone looks so hip and clubby." He looked as out of place as I felt, in my anime T-shirt, and with the beards both of us had. But I guess right there the influence of the bookstore should trump the influence of the bars.
Guess I need a 12K icon, for my proper geekiness. Oh well, have gender-confusing Scrapped Princess instead.
Overheard on my way back, girl on her cell phone: "Why are you such a slut?" Tone of voice sounded like remonstrating mildly with a friend, or pretending to remonstrate.
En route to dinner with a visiting family friend tonight, a young woman with a PDA/cell phone -- huge screen and keyboard -- sat next to me. I asked if it was a cell phone, she said yeah, was surprised I hadn't seen a PDA version before, said it was a Cue? also that it was crap, two hour battery life. She asked what I was reading, which was Adaptation and Natural Selection by George Williams. I said it was an evolutionary book. She replied that (some unclear male person of her life) was "into that", or reading such books, and saying God didn't make man, but man made God. "Isn't that crazy?" "Not really," I said, as I got up because it was in fact my stop.
At the Border's where I was meeting said friend, this scruffy young man was lounging vacantly outside by the door. When he saw me he... activated is the only word I can use, and asked where I got my t-shirt. It's a Twelve Kingdoms shirt that sparklegal bought me at some anime convension she went to -- oh, Ohayocon, I belatedly remember -- and that's all I could say. He said he'd looked for such things, hadn't found them, was a big fan of the series. And then I went inside. But it was fun. And kind of unexpected. The general neighborhood is Lincoln Park, the intersection Clark and Diversey and Broadway [sic], where my reactions walking around at night are (a) "white people!" (b) "hot white girls!") and (c) "man, everyone looks so hip and clubby." He looked as out of place as I felt, in my anime T-shirt, and with the beards both of us had. But I guess right there the influence of the bookstore should trump the influence of the bars.
Guess I need a 12K icon, for my proper geekiness. Oh well, have gender-confusing Scrapped Princess instead.
Overheard on my way back, girl on her cell phone: "Why are you such a slut?" Tone of voice sounded like remonstrating mildly with a friend, or pretending to remonstrate.