Run Sally Run

Run Forrest run, run Lola run, run Sal run! This morning, like every other morning, I arrived at the station with just a few minutes to spare before the train arrived, completely forgetting that I had to buy tickets. While waiting in the long lineup to purchase my ticket, I realized that I would miss the train. I hadn't even ordered my ticket as the train pulled in. It had already been at the station for at least 2minutes by the time I cancelled my ticket. I don't know what came over me and I ran. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. I ran for dear life (yes, yes, I like to over-dramatize). I was about to give up when a woman whom I never looked at said to me, "You're gunna have to RUN!" So I did... and I entered the train just as the doors were closing. I was thrilled because I hadn't expected to make it. I went around, very cheerful for a Monday morning, throwing smiles in every direction.

In a parallel dimension, I missed the train. I gave up hope as the train pulled in and decided not to run. While I was waiting at the platform, I read a few pages from my book, reinforcing my belief of how stupid it is of people to run to catch the train when they know they can't make it. A man ran past me to get to the train. I saw him at the platform swearing at the train that was pulling away. He glared at me as if I'd made him miss the train. I fumed at the unfairness of his action. As I sat down in the train, I glared at everyone else in the train. I squeezed through the throngs of people on the street as I walked to work, not caring if I bumped into people. The people on the street suppressed their anger which they then took out at others - coworkers, family, strangers, etc.

If you enjoyed this crazy post, go see Sliding Doors and Run Lola Run. =P

"He's hot, I guess... in a generic Banana Republic kind of way."

Last night, while watching another delectable episode of Six Feet Under, something that Claire said struck me. Talking about her brother's date, she remarks, "He's hot, I guess... in a generic Banana Republic kind of way." Apart from being my favourite new quote, this shall also be the topic of today's bloggie (Yippy dippy doo!).

Okay, so I've always thought of what constitutes as physically attractive. I believe that biology – or perhaps, more accurately, evolution – is a definite factor for attraction. I watched a documentary on Discovery where they justified this by giving proof. Among other things, they conducted an experiment in which they placed two pictures – one of a person considered attractive and the other unattractive – in front of an infant and left it alone in the room. The infant always went towards the more attractive picture. So there’s definitely an evolutionary link. In addition, different societies consider different features to be attractive. From what I hear, in certain parts of Italy, people consider hairy women to be attractive so women do not shave their legs.

Okay, so we have evolution and collective societal opinion covered. But what I’m more interested in is the effect that media – i.e. people we look up to – has on us and this is a marketing fact... Speaking of which, that Sarah Jessica Parker certainly sold her soul to the devil a.k.a. GAP. And Lenny... *sigh*. I actually liked Lenny. *Him* too?

Anyhow, so my theory is that to a great extent, our perception of attractiveness is influenced by media. It is for this reason that you can increasingly find men who wear more Banana Republicksy clothes. At the same time, there are some who refuse to conform to society and though they might find the societal norm attractive, they find someone who doesn't conform to the norms more attractive just because he/she doesn't! I think Claire is one of those people... kind of like one of my friends - she likes her men rough!

Thinking of this myself, I am finding myself less and less attracted towards the generic chiseled bodies. Sure, you look good... but that's all I wanna do with ya, look at ya. No more.

Pseudo-french anglo pronunciation

One of the things that has left me completely frustrated is what I term "pseudo-french anglo pronunciation." It is the phenomenon whereby anglophones selectively apply the rules of pronunciation of words - primarily names - from foreign languages. For example, take the name Ceccarelli which is Italian. Now, most people would pronounce the initial "Cec" as "check" but not bother with the intonation. People pronounce "Poirier" as "pwaa-ree-aay" (don't get me started on the pronunciation of the "r") but "Laurent" as "lo-rent" and not "Law-ro'n."

Now, I don't mean to be nitpicky. What bothers me is not how others pronounce things; it is their reaction to how I pronounce things. So when it comes to french names, I know how to pronounce them in English without using any of the French pronunciation rules and I know how to pronounce them in French without using any of the English pronunciation rules. But if I pronounce them the former way, everyone thinks me unrefined and if the latter, too uppity. So my dilemma is this... can someone teach me the selective rules of "pseudo-french anglo pronunciation"?

Why do cows shake their tails?

While writing a postcard to a friend on-board the train from Füssen to Munich, I - in an attempt to cover as much space on it as was humanly possible - wrote down this observation: "The cows are shaking their tails." I guess I scrawled it on the postcard as an afterthought because I figured it was just the kind of silly remark that would make him laugh. As I went through other countries (including the Czech Republic, Switzerland and France), I noticed that this was not a Bavarian peculiarity; it transcended borders. All cows shake their tails.

Genuinely curious, while in Paris, I posed the question to one of my friends: Why do cows shake their tails? Her response: "Maybe they're squatting flies." Not convinced but willing to consider her theory, I continued my observations. But while in Wales, I noticed the same phenomenon and there was not a fly to be seen. I had serious doubts!

Back home in Canada and having noticed (surprise surprise) that cows shake their tails in good-good clean-clean (little sidetrack: I picked up an awful book to read while in Europe. It's about this girl in India who keeps saying "good-good sweet-sweet") Canada as well, I got the opportunity to question a few more friends about it: "Why *do* cows shake their tails?"

First Response: "To clean their asses."
Second Response: "Why does it matter?"

Response to first response first. How could cows possibly shake their tails to clean their asses? They shake them continuously, not only after having shat. Response to second response (and a very mature one at that): "I wanna know."

Now, having said that, I pose the question to you: Why is it that cows shake their tails?