Tales from two cities.
My wife reminded me about an interesting pair of stories. The first happened during a trip to Tokyo for a meeting a few years ago. I went out for a walk one evening and found a cool kind of a Godzilla rock dragon toy to bring home for F. I paid and left as the store was closing and wandered onto a side street. A Japanese girl walked up to me and started talking, smiling, I thought maybe she was a high school student. I tried to understand what she was saying. She was holding her fingers up and talking about 60 something or other. '60, yes' I said, helpfully. I seemed to be doing just fine. Then a 60 Watt bulb lit up above my head as I realized what she was trying to negotiate. I said 'no', smiling, still trying to be friendly, and she wasn't getting it so I said it again without the smile, and she slugged me in the arm below the shoulder, a pretty good one. I decided it was time to walk back to the main street.Another time I was riding my bike home from the train station in Lund. The bike rack is on the side of a little park with trimmed mulberry trees and a fountain, and everyone rides through the park, across the path to the road, even though there's a little sign saying that's not allowed. In all these years I've never seen anyone walk their bike there. In Lund if you're on two wheels you do as you please-- the students lead by example. The path is pretty wide and there was an old lady with a cane on one side of the path. I slowed way down so I wouldn't startle her, and rode on the far side of the path. I was going so slow that there was nothing I could do when she carefully raised her cane and hit me with it, like a Sioux warrior counting coup. She was saying something too that I couldn't make out. It must have made her day.
Picture of Clemens Square in Lund where I park my bike.
posted by Matt_J @ 9:29 AM
6 Comments:
Great idea Papa T. You play an instrument? Doesn't matter-- all that matters is attitude. Our first song is going to be a cover of Johnny Cash's Mean Eyed Cat:
I give my woman half my money at the general store I said, "Now buy a little groceries, and don't spend no more." But she gave ten dollars for a ten cent hat And bought some store bought cat food for a mean eyed cat.
When I give her ten more dollars for a one way ticket She was mad as she could be Then I bet ten more that if she ever left She'd come a-crawlin' back to me When I woke up this mornin' and I turned my head There wasn't a cotton pickin' thing on her side of the bed I found a little old note where her head belonged It said, "Dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone."
When I heard a whistle blowin', and the big wheels a-turnin' I was scared as I could be I put on my overalls and I headed to town Gonna bring her back with me.
I asked the man down at the station if he'd seen her there I told him all about her pretty eyes and long, blonde hair He spit his tobacco, said, "I'll be dad blamed...... I believe I did see her leavin' on the east bound train."
I bought a round trip ticket on the east bound train I was broke as I could be But when I come back, gotta buy another ticket Gotta bring her back with me.
Well, I got off the train somewhere in Arkansas And I worked up the guts to call my Mother-In-Law She said, "I'll tell you where she is, if you act right." "She's workin' four to twelve at Trucker's World tonight."
When I walked in she saw me, and she took off her apron And she grabbed her goin' home hat She bought a ticket with her tips And now we're curled up on the sofa, me and her....and that mean eyed cat
I'm just glad she didn't slug you in the arm above the shoulder
below the shoulder...as opposed to below the elbow...grasping for words: bicep. This is why I need an editor.
Sad song... My wife wants to kill my cat. I had you pegged more for a Joe Ely type. I play guitar, and I also write about music. When it comes to country, I'm more of a Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers/Steve Earle type. Uncle Tupelo also used to put out some interesting stuff. I have a track of Uncle Tupelo playing with Joe Ely that I bet you would love.
So you tied the knot!
Joe Ely is the man. Well I used to think that anyway until I listened to those tapes one too many times and now I can't get that warbling saw sound out of my skull(Dallas is a woman who will walk on you when you're down...
Hej!
I just want to tell that the pictures from clemence park comes from http://www.photos-suede.com/ where you can find other pictures from Sweden. It would be very nice if you can add it just after the link to the pictures :-)
François
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