Saturday, July 22, 2006

Fingered and shocked

Okey, so I got fingered while driving the other day. And yes I was shocked. I was surprised that someone would do such a thing for such a simple mistake of mine.
I truly was just trying to get out of his way. I really wanted to let him in but for some reason the only way I thought of doing that was trying to get ahead of him instead of slowing down and letting him in. I seriously couldn't care less if he was in front or if I was. I'm not even joking. When I finely figured out to slow down instead of speed up he was cutting me off (which only makes sense as he had no room on the other side). So I let him but he fingered me.
Now why was this such a shock to me? Why could I not believe my eyes?
Well Maybe cause for the last 6 months this kind of driving has been normal all around me and no one even bats an eye. In the land I have been visiting I could have done just what I did and the guy wouldn't have even noticed me. If I had not slowed down it would have been my own problem not his. He would have cut in and if I didn't get out of the way, well too bad for me.
Since this moment in time I have no longer been anxious to drive, not for fear of being fingered but for fear of forgetting what driving is about here.

Friday, July 14, 2006

On being home again

I step out the front door to enter a world I had almost forgotten. Locking the door behind me I wonder at the smells of pine trees and clean grass. I turn to see the grass is greener and I walk across a yard that is my parents. As I walk the side walks and streets there is no fear of tripping over cracks and cow crap. I think that some where I heard a dog bark but I can't see one so I am not sure how it could be. A car silently goes by, not a sound out of it but the tires turning. I am surprised when one car turns the corner and there is no warning honking of the horn. I cross the street with no fear of losing my life to the unseen autos or cattle carts. It seems even the birds fly more silently, as though they are afraid to disturb the soundless city.
City, I am not easily convinced this is a city. How can it run so silently? With rarely a car going by. The ride from the airport was an experience. At speeds of 100 Km and more while riding so closely to all the vehicles around us and no horns honked in warning. Just whizzing in and out of traffic.
As I walked passed one house in the neighborhood I was expecting the man sitting outside to call out and ask how I was and "where are you coming from?". He didn't, He didn't even seem to notice that I had walked past. I have become suddenly invisible. I blend in to the scenery, nothing novel about me now.
This is not bad it is only strange after such a long time of standing out like a radish in a field of corn (don't know why I used radishes and corn but I did so just picture it).
It is good to be home even when the temperatures are down to 13 degrees and my toes are colder then some winters.
Well I have now been up for more then too many hours so I will sign off here with a good night. P.S. I hope to start posting pictures soon, I have enough to last till my next trip it would seem.