Tattoo people

A middle-aged woman with a cute carrot tattoo on her neck, right under her right ear...

Birds of a feather...

... flock together.

At least, that's what I thought while observing a couple in a car at a red light, the woman biting her nails actively, and the man examining his before starting to bite them as well.

Unexpected present

On the train to Zurich I meet Atif, a young Pakistani underwear seller. As we strike up a conversation it turns out that he didn't think of bringing anything to eat on his journey, so I offer him my croissant. After making sure that I already had lunch he accepts it.

Now Atif wants to give me something in return, so he takes his bag, asks what my favourite colour is and goes on a quest for his present for me. When he finds what he has been searching for, looking sheepish, he takes it in his fist, reaches for my hand, puts it in my palm, closes my fingers around it, and asks me not to laugh.

As I open my hand I discover... a g-string... and start laughing uncontrolably at the unexpected surprise.

Flowers, a message and a smile

Flowers in hand, a teenager is leaning against the corner of a building, waiting for someone, probably his date. As I pass him by, I see a smile appear on his face as he reads the text message he just received on his mobile.

We've seen better days...

Sitting in a bus, I can vaguely hear the chatter of two old ladies opposite of me, the nice granny type. As I look out the window, I see a couple of sixty year olds with a dog trotting behind them.

What caught my attention was the general picture they gave: two unkept people walking an old little mongrel who looked dirty and had problems walking. The thought crossed my mind that the old saying is right: dogs do resemble their masters.

"Oh boy! This dog has also seen better days!", one of the old, rich looking ladies exclaims.

I couldn't help but wonder if they were referring to the dog alone, to his masters as well, or to themselves...

Would be nice if it was "Feierowend" already...

Sitting on the bench at a bus station, a guy comes up, greets me and sits next to me:

Him: Hi!

Me: Hi! (Look away, hoping to avoid further contact.)

Him: Would be nice if it was "Feierowend" already... ("Feierowend" means the end of a day of work.)

Me, looking at him to make sure he was speaking to me, and since he was:

Yeah, true... (Didn't want to tell him that I'm actually not working at the moment, so it's "Feierowend" for me all the time.)

Him: It's tough as a bus driver...

Me, trying not to be a bitch: Ah... Don't you work eight hours as other people?

Him: Not at all! We work twelve hours! I work from 10 to 22! Of course, we have three hours break inbetween, but what can one do with that?

Me: Ah yes, there's no time to go home, for example... (Making a face to show my compassion for him. Humour the potential crazies, I say. In the meantime the bus arrives and I stand up.)

Him, following: No wonder one is not able to keep a girlfriend in those conditions...

(Me, at this point already heading for the door, hoping that he won't follow, and starting to understand that he was actually trying to hit on me.)

Him, continuing: ...nobody wants a relationship like that!

Luckily, bus drivers in Luxembourg know each other, so as I walk away the guy stays at the front, speaking to the driver.

As I disappear to the back of the bus I hear him saying: Would be nice if it was "Feierowend" already...

Airing my boobs...

Sitting at the terrasse of a cafe with an old childhood friend, what is more natural than to see a woman go by with an open shirt and no bra? The weather was great, so maybe she was just airing her boobs?

Ground control to Major Tom

I wonder what the Sartorialist would have to say at the sight of a guy wearing silver spandex pants anywhere else than at a sci-fi space party, let alone in broad daylight in one of the busiest parts of Prague, and at one of the busiest times of the day...

My Baby, My Doggy

Sitting in a restaurant, you notice that there is a baby carriage standing outside, alone, looking stranded. At first glance, you think it's just empty, waiting for its occupant with its mommy. When you look closer, however, you discover there actually is a baby inside.

Your first impulse is to look outside for the mother, see if she might be standing at a reasonable distance of the baby, maybe smoking and not wanting the smoke to get to the child.
When you realise that there is no soul in the near proximity of the baby carriage, and knowing full well that it is very cold outside, you start thinking about rescuing the child and taking it to the authorities.

Before taking any rash action, however, you turn to a woman who is sitting by the window in front of the baby.

- The baby outside, it's alone... Did you see anything?

The woman, who is quietly reading a book with a latte next to her, looks up and says in the most natural way in the world:

- Yes, it's my baby.

OMG!

Career plans

- I'm going to start studying again, how do you call it, social psychology? I wanna work in HR, because they are all bitches in HR.

- Why?!? You want to be a bitch, too?!?...

- I wanna work in HR because I want to make it easier for people when they come to search for work. It is hard for them, and like that they won't have a mean person in front of them. They will be greeted with a big smile!

Dirty Rabbit

A guy dressed in a costume that looks like a rabbit is taking him from behind is advertising something in one of the main squares of the city. Every step he takes makes the rabbit's butt move in a very suggestive way...

When you pass near him, he offers:

"Thai massage? Thai foot massage?"

...

I'll never understand the connection between horny rabbit and thai massage...

Morning melody

It's 7.30 in the morning. You are standing in the tram, heading for work. Around you, people who are also on their way to their jobs, their classes, living their early birds lives... and all sleepy or grumpy, because it's so early, because it's so cold, because they wish they were somewhere else at this moment.

Suddenly, you hear a strange sound: rrrrr... pause... rrrrr... pause... rrrrr... pause...

You look around to locate the source of the snoring and see a middle-aged man, sagged on a seat, somehow crumpled over himself, peacefully sleeping in the middle of the crowded tram.

And you smile. Around you, you see other people smiling to themselves, to each other. The day seems brighter now.