from green to black

strays

i dont know why but i seem to have a tendency to pick up
interesting people. they just walk up to me, say hello
or something to that effect and hell, we're suddenly
friends and having dinner together. but it just seems to
be a normal part of my life, hanging out with people that
the majority shuns. met a guy from Azerbaijan in the gym
today and i dont know what happened but it seems we just
hit off. yes i found his accent weird and difficult to
understand at first but i guess some phrases got through.

rofl, to think that i actually thought he was scottish or
something. so he's a singapore citizen now and he's just
graduated with an econs degree and hes only 21. so 4 years
right? go figure! he skipped 2 years in the system. so
after finding out i was a PS major, he started telling me
how much he likes singapore and is proud of it. he says
anywhere else but a soviet hell he says. and he regaled
me with many stories about a way of life i cant even imagine.

so he gives this example. say he goes up with a loudhailer
to the istana and defames ah gong. well he says at most
you go to jail. amnesty international will know about it.
you sit you your term, you'll be treated fine inside. in
contrast, where he's from, they may make you disappear.
and he was telling me about how ready he was to serve ns
ever since he got his citizenship 7 years ago. again, where
hes from, they shoot you and get away with it. army doctors
smash you up or engage in malpractise and get away with it.

communist paradise i said. indeed, you never know what is
outside he says. then he talked about life under the
soviets. stories handed down by his parents. and some of it
was honestly quite scary. about the food being dangerous
(cats that eat mice wont even eat the factory manufactured
sausages) the bread which is centrally produced has a
recipe that is a STATE SECRET. (he says theres cardboard
inside or something) but many an interesting story.

oh well, i'm lucky i guess. i always make interesting
friends.

posted by green unseen @ 3:35 AM