Amusing and confusing.
Things that make me want to inflict serious bodily harm:
1. Bad public transportation etiquette, namely:
a. Standing right in front of the door when people are trying get off the tram. Even worse, when you hesitate for a moment, not knowing how to get around them and they give you a stare down. The way this is supposed to go: Tram doors open, queue forms to the sides, passengers exit, new passengers board. Simple!
b. Not giving up your seat for the elderly, handicapped people, and pregnant women. This is just downright barbaric.
c. Acting like you don't see the mother of 3 struggling to get her children, groceries, and stroller into the tram. Especially those people standing near the door anyway, whom need only turn around and lend a hand for a fraction of a second. What?
2. Bad social conduct in general. I have seriously seen (on more than one occasion) someone bump smack into another person and not even stop to apologize or help the person pick up their belongings strewn over the ground. I always want to run after these people and say something rude, but I'm usually too busy stopping to help pick up mobiles and tubes of lip gloss. Other blatantly obnoxious tendencies include:
a. People carrying on entire conversations with a third party while on the phone. They blab away about anything and everything while you hang there on the line grinding your teeth and cursing under your breath, and wondering why they can't just wait the measly few minutes until your conversation is over and they are free to run their mouths to whoever they feel like.
b. People talking to their children (or any children in general) like they are morons. Your kid is likely three times as intelligent and perceptive as you are, why must you insist on socially retarding it?
c. People yelling down the phone in public places. As if the whole world actually wants to hear your baby mama drama or your drunken weekend recounts. A break, please.
d. Littering (there are bins), flakiness (go mobile, you cretin), failure to hold elevators or doors for people (oh, the nerve), unsolicitated awkward gawking (subtlety is the word), standing on the left side of an escalator (move it, poncho). What is wrong with people?!
The list goes on but I'll keep it at this, lest I sound like a disgruntled old crone with anger-management issues. Or perhaps it's already much too late for that. On a much lighter note, though- things that make me wiggle my toes:
1. Random strangers that smile at you in the street. Such a lovely commodity these days. I always flash them a big grin back, bursting with childish glee to have not been greeted with a blank stare or perma-frown.
2. Seeing my neighbor arriving home in the evening and being attacked by his two children, whom he usually picks up, twirls around, and plants kisses all over. Pure, unadulterated love is a beautiful thing.
3. Finding old lines of poetry or half-written stories scribbled on torn pieces of paper, stuffed into the strangest of places and long forgotten. These things never fail to take me back.
4. Singing in the shower. Singing in general, especially when cleaning my flat or lounging around on the balcony.
5. Late night conversations, awful jokes, long-winded and unexpected emails, good books, furious yet good-natured debates, eating pomegranates, dimples, long train rides, and getting to know someone slowly and from the very very beginning.
6. That feeling when you wake up and know that your day is going to be just spectacular.
1. Bad public transportation etiquette, namely:
a. Standing right in front of the door when people are trying get off the tram. Even worse, when you hesitate for a moment, not knowing how to get around them and they give you a stare down. The way this is supposed to go: Tram doors open, queue forms to the sides, passengers exit, new passengers board. Simple!
b. Not giving up your seat for the elderly, handicapped people, and pregnant women. This is just downright barbaric.
c. Acting like you don't see the mother of 3 struggling to get her children, groceries, and stroller into the tram. Especially those people standing near the door anyway, whom need only turn around and lend a hand for a fraction of a second. What?
2. Bad social conduct in general. I have seriously seen (on more than one occasion) someone bump smack into another person and not even stop to apologize or help the person pick up their belongings strewn over the ground. I always want to run after these people and say something rude, but I'm usually too busy stopping to help pick up mobiles and tubes of lip gloss. Other blatantly obnoxious tendencies include:
a. People carrying on entire conversations with a third party while on the phone. They blab away about anything and everything while you hang there on the line grinding your teeth and cursing under your breath, and wondering why they can't just wait the measly few minutes until your conversation is over and they are free to run their mouths to whoever they feel like.
b. People talking to their children (or any children in general) like they are morons. Your kid is likely three times as intelligent and perceptive as you are, why must you insist on socially retarding it?
c. People yelling down the phone in public places. As if the whole world actually wants to hear your baby mama drama or your drunken weekend recounts. A break, please.
d. Littering (there are bins), flakiness (go mobile, you cretin), failure to hold elevators or doors for people (oh, the nerve), unsolicitated awkward gawking (subtlety is the word), standing on the left side of an escalator (move it, poncho). What is wrong with people?!
The list goes on but I'll keep it at this, lest I sound like a disgruntled old crone with anger-management issues. Or perhaps it's already much too late for that. On a much lighter note, though- things that make me wiggle my toes:
1. Random strangers that smile at you in the street. Such a lovely commodity these days. I always flash them a big grin back, bursting with childish glee to have not been greeted with a blank stare or perma-frown.
2. Seeing my neighbor arriving home in the evening and being attacked by his two children, whom he usually picks up, twirls around, and plants kisses all over. Pure, unadulterated love is a beautiful thing.
3. Finding old lines of poetry or half-written stories scribbled on torn pieces of paper, stuffed into the strangest of places and long forgotten. These things never fail to take me back.
4. Singing in the shower. Singing in general, especially when cleaning my flat or lounging around on the balcony.
5. Late night conversations, awful jokes, long-winded and unexpected emails, good books, furious yet good-natured debates, eating pomegranates, dimples, long train rides, and getting to know someone slowly and from the very very beginning.
6. That feeling when you wake up and know that your day is going to be just spectacular.