Thursday, 25 March 2004
Wow, Normally I Wouldn't Have Taken That "11" Thing Literally
Just a short while ago, I was witness to a power struggle between my neighbors. By "power struggle," I mean "shouting match." By "witness," I mean "couldn't avoid hearing shouting match through my door."
Your typical everyday passive-aggressive Parisian has nothing on this bunch.
My next-door neighbors, far from being the most quiet lot, were justifiably pissed off at my upstairs-and-across-the-hall neighbors. Loud music, enough to vibrate the walls, had been blasting out of Team B's stereo for a half an hour or so. This isn't the first time, true 'nuff. In the angry-red corner, Team A was righteously indignant because they apparently had their own evening cut short by their cross-floor rivals last Friday. At a relatively reasonable 1:00 AM, no less.
I say "apparently" because I wasn't around to "witness" that little exchange. In fact, I was far from being ready to even come home at 1:00 AM last Friday, having my lips wrapped around a pint of Guinness at almost exactly that very moment.
So it occurs to me: wouldn't the solution be so simple as that? Why not just get your loudness out of your system where God intended it to be gotten out: down at the pub, the one hosted by your favorite bartender. When said loudness out-getting is good and gotten out, then return home. Everyone who wants to be quiet, just skip the pub step (unless that pub-going deal sounds tempting - in which case, be my guest).
Maybe Hamas leaders and Israeli assassins could just go to the pub, instead of duking it out and taking innocent collateral with them. That Al Qaeda bunch might not be drinkers (their perfect religious adherence and all), but I bet they'd play one mean game of darts. And I her that ol' Georgie knew how to party with the best of them at one time - though that's certainly an unfounded rumor. Besides, the religious right (isn't that all of them now?) would remind you that it's a cardinal sin to besmirch Saint Bush's good name or question His Wisdom (or that of his Father in Heaven above).
Yeah, you're right: I'm just being silly. If not outright blasphemous, but whatever.
In the meantime, if you don't mind, I'll be pulling my own passive-aggressive move: wondering whether it'd be better to call the cops on you, or just pop down to the pub - seeing as how you won't be there and all.