Rome
June 2013

I was meeting someone at the train station after a morning of Flea market browsing. However, we had planned to meet at one station, it was a train station though. But we said Metro. I did not have a phone with me and somehow before leaving I knew this was not a good plan. So basically we were both going from one station to the other looking for each other. And the pay phones in Italy do not seem to work for me at all. I tried them like 10 times..

So I began asking some people for help, maybe I had mistaken where to meet? I asked some ladies sitting on a bench. Only Italian, but turns out they spoke some Eastern European language and so I spoke Polish and they tried to explain the train vs. metro. Then pointed the direction to the metro I had been at, but I understood it as something else. So then a man who was listening said he'd take me over there and show me. I found that a lot actually, people were very welcoming and took time to help, no matter then language barrier. I found a good group of people. Most people are in such a rush but they take their time and try to help in anyway. Thanks Italy.

Anyways, this was a mistake to go with this man, basically he took my hand and dragged me like a doll or puppy to the Metro kissing my hand. I forgot to wash my hands after that. And we walked by the gypsies selling things, and the clothing stalls and made it. It felt like the longest walk ever. But I told him this was not what I was looking for and said thanks, ciao.

Then asked another pair sitting on a bench but we couldn't understand each other when another man came and brought me back to where I started. I asked him if he knew how to use the phone, but then offered his phone! But my friend did not pick up. After I left him and went upstairs to the main entrance and said thank you very much for all his help. After I saw those two ladies again and they hoped everything was going to turn out fine. And then the man came back! Don't worry not the hand holding one. The other one with the phone, saying he got a call back. And then it all worked out after that. 30 minutes..actually 45 minutes later. ;)

Zurich
June 2013

Two stories in one. It has been awhile since I have posted. Mainly because I have forgotten, have no time and its harder to understand strangers when you don't speak the same language. But they still occur. Less likely in Zurich, for the most part people keep to themselves I find.

Today I went back to German school, before I went to Starbucks to see if a friend was working. I asked for a tall green tea lemonade. They understood it as a tall green tea with lemon! What! I never knew that even existed? We never had lemon flavour. Whatever it was +25 but a hot cup of tea was good, too. Iced. Come on, I worked there for how long and forgot the magic word.

On my way to the Lake to study before class there was a great, royal swam just sitting in the middle of the busy road near the main train station. I had to laugh out loud it just wouldn't move, cars honking and everything.

Then I found a nice spot on the dock and began my overdue studying. I am not very good at it. But I had got into a rhythm and was doing well. When suddenly a man comes and sits near by, and says good morning. I say it back and you'd think that would be it..no..it is never just it!

So then he begins to throw bread at the ducks (there are some weird ducks here, so colourful) right over my head. I am just waiting for a chunk of bread to fall on my head..I have yet to check my hair for breadcrumbs.

And then it begins, he sees my notes and asks about my language studying. So in my horrible German I explain that I am studying before class. Then he says, gut, and how old am I? And where I am from? Oh I speak Polish, he is from Hungary! Ok.. Then somehow he starts talking about his life. I understood maybe 65% of it. At first I thought he worked at a paper packaging company. But then he showed me a picture of Nesespresso so then I thought that. Then he said something about engineering. So still not sure what he does. But he is from Hungary and the work there was not good. When he came to Zurich 10 years ago he was happy to have left. Jobs are not good in Italy, Spain, etc. he says. He became a manager here, back home he could not get this position.

So on and on he went about his life. And about commercial brands. He showed me his Tommy Hilifger bag that was filled with his loaf of bread and a carton of milk. He says this is a good meal, no Mcdonalds' hamburgers. Then he said he doesn't need Adidas shoes, he showed me his boots, which by the way were sitting beside him, I did not notice when he even took them off. He had very wooly socks, long corduroy pants and a thick top. It was over +25! He points to all his clothes saying that none of it is brands, you need to invest. He then for some reason while pinching his clothes to show me sniffed his underarms..

I then was just tired of saying "Ja..ja" and nodding and decided to go early to class. He asked if I am around here every morning. I said no because of work. I lost a very special study spot. :(

Tuesday May 15 2012
 Near UofT/Hospital

Across the street behind some cars I saw some balloons, a friend mentioned there being a sale. I asked in a park? So we figured a garage sale. But it turns out it was a cute little lady sitting in her bathrobe in a wheelchair with a bunch of helium balloons and a paper party hat/crown. Happy Birthday. :)

Monday May 14
Mississauga Bus

Pretty sure Jesse Metcalfe was my bus driver this afternoon. He had cool sunglasses & chewed gum.

May 7 2012
Outside my kitchen

Spotted. Lady walking with her kid/grand-kid to school, wearing a baby blue bathrobe as a coat. No.

Something different, a post about interesting people I see around sometimes, or just once and caught my eye:

1. This week I took my early bus to work and sat behind a guy who was reading. I didn't notice until halfway that he was reading the dictionary. I wondered at first if he was trying to learn English or maybe he just enjoyed learning new words.

2. The man I always see and the older lady at the bus stop. We wait for a total of 5 minutes and then the lady gets on first. Then the man and I take turns sometimes who goes second. This week he had brought his bike along and put it at the front of the bus. There is also another man who waits with us for 2 or so minutes but he takes the downtown bus and likes to sit in the back of the bus.

3. There used to be a European mom who would come on the bus when I used to work in Toronto. She had two kids, one was still a toddler in the stroller and the other was perhaps around 5. But he was so independent, knew what to do on the bus, the stop, would walk out on his own. The baby only cried once on the bus before. She looked like a really nice mom.

4. The really tall blonde guy at church who always seems to be helping out at mass, collecting money during the mass and after. A friendly face.

5. The man who walks his pit bulls all the time in my neighbourhood. He is kind of scruffy and sometimes wears track pants, I feel like he is always walking them.

6. The girl who lives on Roncesvalles. I talked her once during a youth meeting when we were watching a movie, she's a bit strange but was very friendly and open to coming out and watching with us. I saw her one time at mass and took a photo of her without knowing it was her for my thesis project in Roncesvalles looking at flowers or waiting for the streetcar. She likes to wear a hat and one day it'll be nice to hear a story about her life I think.

7. The two cleaners at work, always saying hello in the morning. I miss the cleaners also from my old workplace. I wish sometimes there was no language barrier.

8. The crossing guard that has been by my old school for as long as I can remember.

9. The guy at the boxing gym with the biggest arms I have ever seen, pretty sure as big as my waist. And he was the Ronnie Jersey Shore style t-shirt. That's so low and he is as tan as chicken. Huge.

10. The piano man at church and his nephew. Never change, makes mass comfortable and nostalgic. It's nice sometimes when things don't change. It's cute that his nephew is around now, he is around 5 perhaps and pretends to play the organ or meet new friends.

Sitting outside and eating rice outside the Worn office and some random girl from some alleyway waving at me. We are not friends. I just kept eating my 2 minute rice.