Strange things

On Tuesday I took the bus into town because it was raining heavily. I ran to the bus shelter only to find that others had beaten me to it. Under a shelter made for perhaps four people, nineteen had somehow managed to squeeze underneith and there was no more room for me.

When the bus finally cruised into the bus yard, all I could make out were dim human shadows behind steamed windows, which meant the bus was almost full. I was last on the bus.

Thankfully, there was one unoccupied seat left. I sploshed into it hurridly and set my bag and soaking jacket on the floor under my seat. I notice that the bus had one of those old 'Bus Stopping' signs, where each letter was made up of small LED lights. The only reason I noticed this was because 4 of the lights were not working. So when someone wanted to get off, instead of flashing 'Bus Stopping' the sign read 'Bu St ing'.

The bus was full of annoying people like 'Seat Nomads'. I have encountered them at least once or twice. A 'Seat Nomad' is someone who inexplicably moves to another seat when they had been sitting next to you.

Now, on this particular occasion I did not have a 'Seat Nomad' move away from me, but I did see them leave others on this journey. The first Seat Nomad to move didn't move very far. She moved to the other side of the isle to sit beside someone else she didn't know! The abandoned person couldn't believe it. The bus was still full! Only one person had got off the bus, leaving only one seat open, and this Seat Nomad decides she can't stay put and moves into the seat opposite her, making the move itself seem like a desperate escape. The guy she left just kept staring at her, wondering what the hell had put her off. She ignored him completely and stared straight down the isle. Other people stared at guy she left looking for signs of repulsive behaviour.

Soon it became apparent that the passengers on this bus were mostly Seat Nomads! Suddenly two people switched. Then another. Then another. More and more people were inexplicably changing seats. Those abandoned looked scared, confused and alone.

When you sit beside someone on the bus, I think it is only right that you commit to sitting with that person for the entire journey. It's like a brief relationship that you enter into when riding a bus. Who you sit with becomes your partner, and you commit to that person until one of you needs to actually leave the bus. Sure, if your partner begins rotating their head 360 degrees and spewing green vomit, then yes, you may go to another seat and another partner if you wish. But otherwise it's just often simply rude to inexplicably move like that.

On Saturday, we went to the Wellington Zoo with Dan and Vanessa. To sum it up, it was a great place to visit. Some of the animals could have shown their faces a little more, but all in all we saw a great deal and enjoyed ourselves.

I liked the Sun Bear, the Giraffes, the Lions and the Tigers the most. All the other animals just weren't very interesting. If it isn't towering above you or doesn't have the potential to rip a man apart in seconds, then I don't really want to know about it. Denali seemed to appreciate the other birds and frogs a lot more than me though. We heard one kid, who was looking at some Otters suddenly get excited when a duck appeared. "Look Mummy! Ducks!" I bet his mother was kicking herself for paying all that money to get him in there, and then he gets excited about a plain old Duck.

Sophie was asleep for most of it, until we met the Lions.


The Zoo has some pretty... odd things you can do, on top of a simple visit like we did. For example, for only $75 you can hand feed a Giraffe in their enclosure and ASSIST WITH A MEDICAL PROCEDURE! What the!? These animals must HATE those visits! I hope it's not a prostate check or something.

For only $100 you can go behind the scenes into the Lion and Tiger enclosures and watch the Zoo Keepers look after them. For $195 you can walk a Cheetah all over the Zoo. For $2,500 you can have the Cheetah turn up at your place! If you had the money, that would make a wonderful prank!

-Rich

p.s. More photos of the Zoo animals coming soon. Internet Space Captain competition coming soon too.