Riding The Train With My Sister

I went and saw 'Brokeback Mountain' with my sister Aylia the other day. It was really great to hang out with her. We pretty much hated each other when we lived under the same roof but recently since we've both been away at University and the like, we've become much better friends than we ever were during the 'terrible teen' years (hers not mine). Anyway I've wanted to see the film ever since I read Annie Proulx's short story a year ago and nobody I mean nobody wanted to see it with me. Then one day I was talking about movies I wanted to see with my sis and turns out she wanted to see it too. So we went. I didn't hate it, in fact I quite liked it. But it hasn't been able to nudge its way into my favourite films list. A list which includes movies like 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle'. Which I think says a lot for my taste in movies.

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After the cinema trip. I intended to go home since I had all those lousy essays to do (they are still haunting me). However Aylia suggested that I go back to Twickenham with her since some of Uni friends wanted to meet me. So I went (putting off the very important coursework). It was highly amusing her friends are very funny and much more agreeable than mine are. I think I may have to admit that my little sister is slightly cooler than I am. For when it came for me to go home (which is the other side of London by the way). They felt the need to accompany me half the way there (awwww). A trip during which the strangest thing happened. We were on the train, now thats about seven people four guys and three girls. When we hear some shouting and a boy runs onto the train pursued by two other boys. One of which is threatening to beat the shit out of the first boy. By this time our whole group tensed. Then the first boy proceeded to run over to us and beg for us to help him. For a while people sat in silence not entirely sure what to do. Then one of my sisters friends quietly suggested that the two aggressive boys not beat up the begging one in his presence, which was my sisters cue to tell them all to leave the boy alone. Which they did, when it looked like we weren't going to stand for letting someone get their ass kicked while we were sitting there. It brought up an interesting situation because this sort of thing happens all the time and I remember we studied something similiar when I took psychology (a long time ago). About a woman getting murdered and nobody helping her even though they were all within helping distance. Out of seven people in our group only two people thought to speak up and defend the boy, while the rest looked intently at their shoes and pretended they weren't there. I know my reasons for not saying anything because I've gotten into trouble before interfering in other peoples arguments, and I didn't much feel like getting stabbed or anything. But it was a very interesting thing to happen so randomly like that, it was like a whole psychological experiment being played out right in front of me. I only wished I'd had a camera. But then again I'm not going to bring a camera out in the open on a London train. Thats just asking to get mugged.

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'The optimist believes that we live in the best possible world, the pessimist fears this is true'

Well.....

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What I'm Listening To: A Jazz Compilation CD