singing

so last night a woman on the tube just started singing, and even whistling for a bit. not busking. just singing. possibly not even aware that she was singing. but she was. it was decisively unbritish. i loved it.

for those that don't know, there are very strict rules about communication with strangers on a tube, or anywhere in public. you may not talk to anyone ever about anything. UNLESS there is something to complain about, and then you can talk about anything. For example, if a train is delayed, you can roll your eyes at someone, say something disparaging about the london underground and then once that complaint is made you may talk about anything for as long as you want. once i was standing at a bus stop silently, then a bus drove past without stopping. the woman next to me said something comlainy about the bus driver and then we talked for the next 20 minutes about travelling and our favourite cities. another time i was on the tube and someone hiccuped. that was enough for someone else on the tube to mention the hiccupping and then (and only then) was it acceptable for me to ask the mentioner about the guitar he was carrying and then we talked about the gig he had done that night.

engish. no wonder they lost the empire.

(still love this town)