Hit ‘em Up

So, as I mentioned before, we did manage to complete our quick trip home earlier this week.  It was a good time…here are some random thoughts on the last week and a half or so…

-  First off, and on a completely unrelated note, it was brought to my attention that I share a birthday with Notorious B.I.G aka Biggie Smalls aka Greatest Rapper of All-Time(?)!  My first reaction was, “How did I not know this?”  If you don’t believe me, check my Facebook page…that was literally my first reaction.  My second reaction was, “Do I share a birthday with the greatest rapper of all-time?”  It’s a distinct possibility.  I love both Biggie and Tupac (despite their literally homicidal hatred for each other).  I would guess Eminem has to be in the conversation as well.  Maybe some others (50, Kanye...)?  I’m not sure…I really only listen to rap music that makes the mainstream…but I feel that gives me enough expertise to judge (I mean, I do have my own blog after all).

-  On our train ride from London to the airport, a young Jordanian (as it turns out) lady got on the train with a clattering of luggage and great huffing of breath.  She was clearly in a hurry and wanted everyone to know it.  She sat next to an older American lady.  This turned out to be a true blessing.  The older lady caught my attention earlier in the journey because she got highly flustered when another passenger picked up a dropped make-up compact and left it on the train seat before exiting the train.  She actually got up and gave it a close inspection and asked the person sitting across from her if that was just a make-up case because that “looked suspicious” (the person responded, “Yes, you idiot”)…apparently she thought it was a bomb or something…a make-up bomb. I do miss paranoid Americans sometimes. Anyway, the Jordanian and the American struck up a nice conversation.  It began with the normal formalities, but quickly progressed to a careful psychoanalysis of the Jordanian girl’s life history.  Apparently, she has the master’s degree…and still can’t find a job (shocking). She said she really wanted to stay in the UK (obviously, because as the American aptly noted, “It’s probably so oppressive there in Jordan”…I mean of course it is, they have the Islam and everything).  As it turns out, she’s had some serious depression issues…and felt the need to let her potential employers know in interviews that she was on anti-depressants.  Good strategy.   Not surprisingly (if there’s one thing us Americans do well…it’s mental health), the American didn’t seem shocked by this revelation though she did counsel that she “needed to be careful about that.”   Sound advice.  Just think the absolute genius the whole world would have missed out on if the Jordanian had missed that train…I shudder at the thought.

-  Because I’m still trying, after almost two weeks, to wrap my head around this train conversation…and I can’t help picturing either one of the two conversant playing the real-life role of perspective aid worker interviewee in my new favorite Youtube video…I’ll leave it at that for now.