Tram rides

I've found that taking the morning tram gives you a unique view of people. People seem more vunerable in the early morning light, when they're trying desperately to stay awake while reading a newspaper or trying to apply the make-up they didn't have time to do at home before running to the tram. There are even the ones (I'm usually one of these) who give up and sleep the entire tram ride through. I think this makes people more beautiful. The people have yet to put their efficient work masks on, and instead sit there, trying to compose themselves.

And then, there are the talkative high school students, who can wake anyone up with their inane talking about nothing of importance. How come they manage to be so awake at such an early tram when the rest of us want nothing more than to sit together in silence and wait for it to be over?

FYI: I'm back in my lovely office, soon to be drinking the first cup of coffee of the day!

Fires!

Did I mention that I'm suddenly plagued by fires?

First off, in my old hometown Holmestrand, an entire building complex burned to the ground in the easter weekend. I know the entire family who owned the place rather well, I worked with the father, was the violin teacher of the daugther and went to school with the son for 9 years. THe story goes that Simon (the son) was having a nachtspiel in his apartment, and refused to let someone in, this certain someone set fire to Simon's car in retribution (I swear, only in Holmestrand, the town of freak events). The fire spread, took down the entire building and killed a woman!

Today, my first day back to work, I had one meeting with my boss and my contact in the agency I work for. We managed to say something along the lines of "Hello" "Nice to see you" "Please sit down" and then the fire alarm went off. Thinking this was a test, but still not wanting to get sicker, I went and got my coat before leaving the building. I did not, however, bring my guitar, something I dearly regretted when I had left the building (walking down 10 stairs with my cough is not something I'd recommend to anyone) and realized that it was, in fact, not a drill but an actual fire. Luckily it was in the basement, so nobody got hurt (not even my guitar), but I had to take the meeting at a coffee bar in stead, and my first day back was sorta ineffective because I had to spend about an hour away from the office.

Interesting side-bar: I seem to have managed to impress the agency even though I've been sick, because today my contact person asked me if I wanted to stay on part time while I study next year. Hurray! that solves my problem of finding new work next year, and it means they don't think I'm a slob for being sick so much of the time!