Comments on: I vant to be alone http://bitterjug.com/blog/i-vant-to-be-alone/ Mark Skipper's continuing adventures Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:07:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: christine http://bitterjug.com/blog/i-vant-to-be-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-1011 christine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://ogham.dragonsblood.net/~bitterjug/blog/?p=230#comment-1011 Hmmmm, i feel as though I should provide some insightful comment but i'm drawing a blank. While training over these last couple of months, I have been joined only once by a not so small Kenyan man who insisted on running with me, sharing his name and stats and hoping I would join him in a game of, er, football. I dropped him by alternately slowing down and speeding up and eventually pulling away, while, yes, feeling mildly offended by the intrusion.<br /> <br /> Most days, the fans (as I like to think of them) always have a comment for me as I run past. One annoying man ritualistically leers at me with a "you are so beautiful" comment as I pant by, red-faced and dripping with sweat. Can't keep enough personal space from him. I cope by running with my minidisc on days that I can' cope with all the attention. Suppose you could borrow Katie's ipod and loose yourself in some of your groovy music. But that would no doubt get you mowed down by a matatu.<br /> <br /> For now, I say, keep running...you know, it's the journey not the destination and all that crap...happy dreaming as your feet hit the muram. Christine Hmmmm, i feel as though I should provide some insightful comment but i’m drawing a blank. While training over these last couple of months, I have been joined only once by a not so small Kenyan man who insisted on running with me, sharing his name and stats and hoping I would join him in a game of, er, football. I dropped him by alternately slowing down and speeding up and eventually pulling away, while, yes, feeling mildly offended by the intrusion.

Most days, the fans (as I like to think of them) always have a comment for me as I run past. One annoying man ritualistically leers at me with a "you are so beautiful" comment as I pant by, red-faced and dripping with sweat. Can’t keep enough personal space from him. I cope by running with my minidisc on days that I can’ cope with all the attention. Suppose you could borrow Katie’s ipod and loose yourself in some of your groovy music. But that would no doubt get you mowed down by a matatu.

For now, I say, keep running…you know, it’s the journey not the destination and all that crap…happy dreaming as your feet hit the muram. Christine

]]> By: nic http://bitterjug.com/blog/i-vant-to-be-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-1012 nic Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://ogham.dragonsblood.net/~bitterjug/blog/?p=230#comment-1012 Bit of a london thing certainly. I can't servive the journey to/from work without my walkman... I just don't want to listen to other peoples chit chat. By choosing the music i listen to i get control of my environment, especially as I am on my way to work - somethign I wouldn't necissarily choose to do! That and you worry about the nutters.. katy developed a bus stop stalker. Someone she sees at the same time everyday, they shared a few brief comments, she told him her name... the next thing she knew he was buying her pressents and waiting a the bus stop for hours for her to arrive! My first reaction was "ahah - you shouldn't have told him your name!" but then I thought why not, it's his actions that are inapropriate not katy being nice. Are people that want to talk in kenya just interested or do you have your fair share of nutters too?<br /> <br /> nic Bit of a london thing certainly. I can’t servive the journey to/from work without my walkman… I just don’t want to listen to other peoples chit chat. By choosing the music i listen to i get control of my environment, especially as I am on my way to work – somethign I wouldn’t necissarily choose to do! That and you worry about the nutters.. katy developed a bus stop stalker. Someone she sees at the same time everyday, they shared a few brief comments, she told him her name… the next thing she knew he was buying her pressents and waiting a the bus stop for hours for her to arrive! My first reaction was "ahah – you shouldn’t have told him your name!" but then I thought why not, it’s his actions that are inapropriate not katy being nice. Are people that want to talk in kenya just interested or do you have your fair share of nutters too?

nic

]]> By: Lydia http://bitterjug.com/blog/i-vant-to-be-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-1013 Lydia Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://ogham.dragonsblood.net/~bitterjug/blog/?p=230#comment-1013 I often feel that I dont have any personal space, mostly because I meet students all over the place and my students tend to be more than happy to get into conversation wherever you meet them - last weekend I got onto a train to go to London, sat down and a girl I teach was the only other person in the carriage and then on the way home a young man I didnt immediately recognise stopped me to chat. Perhaps because of this random strangers dont bother me - I strike up conversation without provocation!! But then the last time I shared a bed with someone they complained that I didnt give them any space to themselves!!! I often feel that I dont have any personal space, mostly because I meet students all over the place and my students tend to be more than happy to get into conversation wherever you meet them – last weekend I got onto a train to go to London, sat down and a girl I teach was the only other person in the carriage and then on the way home a young man I didnt immediately recognise stopped me to chat. Perhaps because of this random strangers dont bother me – I strike up conversation without provocation!! But then the last time I shared a bed with someone they complained that I didnt give them any space to themselves!!!

]]> By: Tom http://bitterjug.com/blog/i-vant-to-be-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-1014 Tom Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://ogham.dragonsblood.net/~bitterjug/blog/?p=230#comment-1014 In the entertaining 'Watching the English' Kate Fox, social anthropologist, puts forward the idea of politeness having positive and negative aspects.<br /> <br /> Positive politeness is the usual, obvious Ps & Qs - please, thank you, how are you, etc.<br /> <br /> Negative politeness is that trait exhibited most strongly on the tube, but also in any crowded scenario (or when jogging) when you respect other peoples' personal space by completely ignoring them. Even though someone is well inside your comfort zone, you don't mind because both of you are pretending the other person doesn't exist.<br /> <br /> Perhaps the small running creature needs a lesson in this.<br /> <br /> Another interesting observation from the book is that English people are pretty much always joking when they're talking to you, whether it be overt gags, sarcasm, taking the piss or just mucking about. This throws many foreigners who can't spot the signals that the Brits take for granted; apparently it's a perennial issue in international business dealings. In the entertaining ‘Watching the English’ Kate Fox, social anthropologist, puts forward the idea of politeness having positive and negative aspects.

Positive politeness is the usual, obvious Ps & Qs – please, thank you, how are you, etc.

Negative politeness is that trait exhibited most strongly on the tube, but also in any crowded scenario (or when jogging) when you respect other peoples’ personal space by completely ignoring them. Even though someone is well inside your comfort zone, you don’t mind because both of you are pretending the other person doesn’t exist.

Perhaps the small running creature needs a lesson in this.

Another interesting observation from the book is that English people are pretty much always joking when they’re talking to you, whether it be overt gags, sarcasm, taking the piss or just mucking about. This throws many foreigners who can’t spot the signals that the Brits take for granted; apparently it’s a perennial issue in international business dealings.

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