Attaching the electrodes of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance.

One of the things I enjoy the most about my walks and bus trips is that I get to watch people.

I am usually out walking around the Market twice a week, and on the bus (to Kung Fu) twice a week as well.

Some of my observations:

People carry *way* too much stuff to and from work – I regularly see people on the bus with three bags! A backpack, a stuffed-to-overflowing laptop bag and a purse (or man-purse as the case may be).

People don’t see. For example, today I was out running errands, having an animated conversation with my wife, when I spotted a friend of ours walking on a path perpendicular to ours. Indeed, eventually we passed within two metres of her without being noticed, as she was deep within her world, or as Tracey thought, she hadn’t had her first coffee of the day (although she had it in her hand).

Screaming babies on the bus are nearly as bad as napalm (okay, okay, not actually as bad, but I was being dramatic). On Thursday, on the ride out to class, a couple with a baby in a SUV-sized stroller (what is with that, anyway?) got on the bus one stop after me. About thirty seconds later, the baby started to cry, progressively getting louder. In no time, people were moving down the length of the bus to get away.

Unfortunately, the baby must have sensed that people had moved away, so it increased the volume and intensity of the crying, to the point of basically being screaming until it ran out of air, followed by two seconds of air intake, and then repeating… From the Rideau Centre all the way to Westboro station.

I have no idea how the bus driver managed stay on the road. The parent initially did try to shush the child, but after a few minutes realized there was nothing to do – or, as I have heard from parents that they stop actually hearing the crying/screaming. [shudder]

Last week, I managed to get out to go for a walk with my friend Gabriel so we could just go take photos. We wandered for roughly two hours taking shots of this and that. I can certainly use the practice. We will try again perhaps next week, depending on workload. I miss photography.