Sunday, July 23, 2006

"Read it before you die!"

So last Friday, I was on my way home on the...er...149, minding my own business reading Londonstani by Gautam Mulkani. It was late because I had been at a colleague's leaving do. The bus was pretty rammed as usual and stank of the alcohol seeping out of drunk people's sweating pores. So there I was, sitting down, and reading, when a pissed girl in front of me grabbed my book to see what I was reading.
"Whass 'at then?" she slurred.
I held it up so she could get a better view.
"Whassit about?"
"Well, it's about disillusioned Asian youth in...." but before I could finish my sentence she blurted out: "Norwegian Wood!"
"I'm sorry?" I asked, now aware of several fellow passengers' eyes on us.
"Norwegian Wood! It's AMAZING! Yeah, wicked, Norwegian Wood. Can't remember who it's by. Mura-fammy-or somefink. "
"Murakami?" I said.
"Yeah, that's the one. Norwegian Wood. It's the best book ever. It's a bit fruity, know what I mean? A bit saucy! A bit of naughtiness! Norwegian Wood - write it down!"
"I think I can remember it" I said, thinking, you've said it enough bloody times.
"Do you know what my favourite book of all time is?" she asked, arms and legs all over the place, mascara smudged.
"No, what is it?" (I know, I know, dumb to encourage a drunk person)
"Norwegian Wood! It's by some bloke, Mura....er....something funny. You should add it to your list of books to read before you die, right."
And so it went on for about ten minutes.
As we approached my final destination, I hastily said: "Oh this is my stop."
"Mine too!" She shrieked as the people around me burst out laughing at my misfortune. "We can carry on talking about this great book I've just read. It's called Norwegian Wood. "
"No shit", I thought....

1 comment:

Observant Commuter said...

I thought that it was a myth about Italians but apparently yours was genuinely very smooth. But it's true what they say about bass players - they are genuinely dodgy geezers!