11 Curious Observations

SUNDAY

Sunday was a cloudy day, not by any means bad in fact it's quite the opposite because I enjoy watching the weather tell its story by way of the clouds, the retraction and projection of light, its heaviness, the rain that make sporadic entrances staying for small amounts of time then immediately stop allowing the sun its moment as if the rain never occurred almost as if it were a figment of one’s imagination.

MONDAY

Fashcature
Monday proved interesting, an avid people watching I enjoy seeing people interact and carry their selves, occasionally there is the anomaly, this one I tag “fashcature” (fashion caricature). As I stood waiting for the elevator two young black women came and stood directly in my line of vision. I blinked and attempted to school myself against staring. I wasn’t very successful as I became victim to my own defiance. I kept wondering, ‘what was she thinking and seeing when she dawned that outfit?’ now I am well aware that what “we” see when we look at someone and what they see when they look at their selves are two very different things but good Lord! While the one to the right wasn’t too great the one to the left was a startling jolt to the eyes and senses, on top of her head she sported a red and black wig, it was black below and fire engine red on the top. It was not well kept so it appeared a bit matted. In her ears she wore big bold gold plated earrings, she wore heavy makeup on her face and nose ring. As if that were not bad enough she had on a taupe color long sleeved jersey top with bold gold appliqués from top to bottom, front to back, that was matched with a pair of tight bright pink khaki like pants rolled just above the knees. On her feet she wore flip flops and the pièce de résistance……wait for it…….her toe nails polish was bright florescent green and orange on alternating toes. I stared, I couldn’t help it and my brain scolded me, insisting that I not stare. She was very animated as she spoke to her companion and is then I noticed the nails, it matched the toes. The elevator arrived and I left asking myself incredulously, ‘what was she thinking?’

TUESDAY
On the bus - Curious White Sack
I got on the bus on the first leg of my trip when my eyes met those of an Afro-Caribbean male who greeted me with a smile and silent mouthed “good morning”. I returned the smile and salutation and took my seat. I thought to myself, ‘that was nice’. I looked back to find the man staring at me, again he smiled and I gave a small smile in return while observing him. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, his skin a deep smooth mahogany black. His face was devoid of wrinkles. He had a salt & pepper colored beard and his hair which was mostly covered by a white wrap except for about 2 inches in the front seem to mimic the color of the beard. I looked away thinking by the length of the wrap and the bulk of it, it appeared that the man had a dreadlock. A thought kept nagging at me, 'There was something familiarly odd about the wrapping on his head, it looked like a pillow sack'. I pondered silently debating somewhat with myself, 'hmmmmm....'a pillow sack, no it’s not a pillow sack' I thought then scolded myself, 'girl why don't you mind your business and keep your head straight and eyes front’ but curiosity won out and I took another look at the man’s head wrap following the lines of the cloth and looking for the tell tale signs that would confirm my suspions. As I looked I saw that the wrap had no end tucked under or wrapped around rather it was a steady flow that went down and up and around with no end except for where it ended two inches from the top, there I saw a slight pull & tuck and fold under. Sure enough it was a pillow sack as his hair sat in it and it was fastened right around the front part of the head, behind the ear and nape. Hmmmmmmmm….I thought, 'there is a first time for everything'.

On the train - Three Sheets to the Wind & Counting
The train arrived at Yonge at 9:30 am. I looked at my time on my cell phone impatiently, am late, ‘3 more stops’, things were moving slowly. I sat patiently playing solitaire on my PPC (pocket pc) after a few moment door closed and the train moved. I heard a loud burp. I looked up, directly across from me sat a Caucasian gentleman about 6’3” in his late 20’s to early 30’s, his hair was a massive heap of mess that sat unceremoniously atop his head. His head hanged low between his legs, his elbows propped on his knees. He sat up, shook his head and returned to the previous position “burrrrrrrp”, again he belched loudly, raised himself up, shook his head as if to clear it and leaned back resting his head, periodically his eyes would roll back in his head. He then leaned forward again and burped loudly “burahaaaaaaaa……..”, after he made a hawking sound in the back of his throat and then let loose a vile amount to spit , mucus and some other stuff. I thought to myself ‘Oh hell no’ and immediately vacated my seat for another further away from him in the event he decides to hurl. The two black women that sat on the side seat beside him also vacated their seats. The man was clearly high on something whether it was alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two. He then got up and walked unsteadily back and forth moving closer to where I sat, his unsteady gait was much like a toddler on unsure legs,. He shook his head, his hands, and his legs as he attempted unsuccessfully to straighten his stance. We both got off at the same stop. I walked briskly in the opposite direction thinking ‘who gets that plastered 9:30 in the morning?