Out of Place

This is why I take public transit:

Long journey from San Clemente to Burbank (I know, not the most practical use of the metro system). Had to take 4 busses. While waiting for the 92 in downtown LA, the last leg of my trip, saw a row of tents lining the sidewalk. This is at 6th and Los Angeles. Found the stop for the 92 and waited. A couple of young white guys were strolling towards me. Using every bit of my mental faculty to convince myself that there is no reason whatsoever that I should feel out of place, I looked up just as they were passing in front of me side by side. The one closest to me, with a taller more confident stature made casual by a baseball cap, snapped his head toward me, shouted "BAM!", snapped his head forward again, and kept on walkin'. I must have looked out of place :)

Jaxx in Glendale

Stop in front of Jax Bar and Grill in Glendale. Comes aboard a well-dressed black man with a new fedora hat and old-fashioned wing tip shoes.

"You look like you just came from Jaxx," I said to him.

"I did in fact," he said with a smile.

"Ya? How was the music tonight?"

"The music was good, the singer sucked."

"Really? Haha!"

"Ya, man, she was terrible, but her band was good."

The Basque People on the Bus

Got on the bus, en route to Kulak's Woodshed in North Hollywood for the best open mic in L.A., and sat in the front of the bus. Noticed a pleasant looking middle aged guy with grey hair and beard, stylish, brown, plastic rimmed glasses, and a bicycle helmet. A couple stops down, once I had settled in my seat with book in hand, a pretty woman in a sun hat and flower print dress got on the bus with a couple shopping bags.

She fiddled around for change while talking to the lady bus driver until she realized she only had cash and asked the front of the bus for anyone with change for a dollar. The bicycle man was quick to the punch. Bright, grateful eyes met him as he eagerly retrieved the coinage from his pockets. He sat back down, she paid the fare, and then she stood at the front facing forward.

Was that it?, I thought to myself. So, I tried to be a wing man to a guy I had never met. I asked a perfectly stupid question of the guy, but one needn't worry about how stupid a question is when you're a guy making friendly conversation with another guy. "Is your bike on the front of the bus?" I asked gesturing toward his helm

et.

"Uh, ya it is," he answered back and went on to tell me that his car was in the shop and then to say proudly that he is in shape from swimming but wants to get in shape with biking as well. He likes to bike up the hill to Mulholland Drive for exercise...

I was hoping she might somehow join the conversation or something like that. But alas, no such thing happened...

This man and I kept talking however, and got onto the subject of music. I told him I was going to Kulak's Woodshed. He asked me,

"You know what a kulak is right?"

"Well, I think it the owner's last name."

"That may be, but a kulak was what they called the Russian farmers who resisted Stalin

when he was forcing them to give their land to the State. Many of them were starved or executed for refusing." And on he went about Kulaks and how that name is related to Karl. And, guess what this guy's name is...

So Karl and I continued to talk. Turns out he's also a descendent of the Basque, which is an ancient people from the border region of modern day Spain and France.

So, there you go! Another interesting day on the L.A. metro system.

That Cute Girl on the Bus

Been taking the bus to work recently. And, guess what? There's a pretty girl who takes the same route. How do I talk to her? I seem to be able to talk to most anyone else without too much effort. Even people who speak better Spanish than English are easier to talk to than a pretty girl! I'll just keep my eyes peeled for an opportunity.