Here I am on the metro, minding my own business, enjoying the extreme greatness that is the red line (or something like that). Out of the corner of my eye, I see a splash of color. Turning my head slightly to investigate further, I am greeted by the sight of 3 teenage girls walking right behind the linea amarilla (they are outside of the metro car, I am inside). ALL THREE have pink hair. All three appear to be friends. I ask myself, what could possibly motivate all three of them to dye their hair pink? Don´t most people do that thinking that they´re being non-conformist, swimming against the current if you will? So why dye your hair the same color as your other two friends? Magically, all of these thoughts must have infused themselves into my gaze, because the next thing I know, one of the girls is giving me the finger. I narrow my eyes, resist the urge to lower myself to her level, and silently stew, thinking to myself, ¨Those little punks! Why I oughta...¨ Am I getting old or something? Will my next thoughts be, ¨These kids with their loud music... why, back in my day...¨ Anyway, then I find myself thinking that perhaps I shouldn´t get so mad. They´re just being punk kids, after all. So I smooth my hand over my own hair as my mouth turns up at the corners, and relax for the rest of the ride.
Edit: I´m mostly calling them ¨punks¨because of their behavior (i.e. giving me the finger), not so much because of their style. Although maybe that´s how they´d describe their style, who knows.
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And now, for something completely different... yesterday morning before class, I was in the bathroom downstairs at the Institute. What was I doing, you might ask? Using the bathroom, fixing my hair, checking to make sure I hadn´t mysteriously gotten dirt on my black pants? Ohhhhhhhhh no. I was washing a plastic hamburger. Yes, that´s right. Don´t judge, lest you find yourself in the same position some day. Actually, it was just a prop I was going to use for one of my classes, but it appeared quite strange to the girl who walked into the bathroom just then. She didn´t really even say anything, but I could read it all in her gaze... I knew she was thinking something like, ¨Isn´t there a screening process for people to work here at the Institute? Shouldn´t we make sure they´re not complete weirdos before hiring them?¨ My face turning a bit red, I muttered, ¨It´s for my class¨, and continued on with my task of cleaning the plastic hamburger. Next time, I don´t think I´ll explain myself. Maybe it´s more fun just to let people invent their own explanations. ;)
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7 comments:
thats the whole paradox of the punk crowd, theyre mostly "nonconformists" in a way that makes them perfectly conforming to a specific punk crowd. (i.e. pink/red, black and white clothes, stripes, metal accessories, skirts, netting, and black boots) one of the best examples of a specific look that their is, though, this look represents nonconformity, ironically.
its kinda like hot topic in the US. everybody who wants to "be different" goes there to get their wardrobe and look exactly like all the other kids who want to be different.
not everyone, though. and you cant blame people for liking that style, (just for claiming originality with it). i do like that in Valpo at least, there does seem to be a pretty big number of people who are obviously alternative in dress, style etc, but do it in their own creative ways.
haha . let them wonder. that stuff makes me giggle
lydia - good point. and yeah, i probably wasn´t clear enough in my post, but i definitely don´t blame anyone for liking that style (or any other). but if they are doing it to ¨be original¨, it just seems that they´ve got it all backwards.
That whole originality thing also cracks me up! And OMG, they're so badass, they gave the finger to a gringa on the metro. HARDCORE man. Those kids just make me laugh. :)
i would have thought the same thing regarding the punks, but i probably would have given them the finger back. you see so many "alternative" people here that they're normal. i do find it refreshing, though, to see that sort of reaction in a very conservative country--i just get pissed at anyone who gives me the finger!!
Hahahahah I can totally picture you washing a plastic hamburger!! That's hilarious. I would have said something like "I wanted to make sure it was really clean before I ate it" or something like that and then offered the girl some. Ha.
woah. Isabel and I commented at the exact same time!
I laughed when I read the part about your "Punks" I have totally starting hating teenagers. Expecially that stupid girl who got really close to me and my mom, screamed in our ear, laughed with her friends and ran away. Whatever.
I also noticed that people try to be different, but end up looking exactly the same as all of their friends who are also trying to be different, and well they are really all the SAME.
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