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Saturday, November 05, 2005

Strangers

Yesterday something weird occurred to me.

I've had thousands of conversations with strangers, millions of encounters.

In all these conversations and encounters, I remember only a few. I actually have memories of strangers. Or memories of acquaintances who have somehow been reduced to strangers over time.

Like the ones I snipe at. The weirdos. The headturners. Some other strangers I simply remember for no reason at all. Sometimes, I even like to tell stories about them. Here are the top three memorable strangers of my life:

(1) Manong Jeepney Driver

There is this one jeepney driver who turns 90 degrees to take a good look at his passengers when they pay up. He spends around 2 seconds staring at you and then looks back on the road.

(2) Store Assistant at Video Store

The first stranger I ever yelled at, 14 years ago. Really nasty woman.

(3) Man with the Toupee

A visitor in our house back in Saudi Arabia. Bald man. He brought along a wig and had my uncle custom-cut it for him. Never knew who he was.


I remember them, and they probably don’t remember me. Not so strange.

The stranger part is the other side of the coin. The strangers who remember me. The stories strangers tell about me. Spooky.


So that's why they're called strangers.

Posted by xam :: Saturday, November 05, 2005 :: 2 Comments:

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