Train journeys from Portland part II

This time around I was again at a family table, aisle seat :-) But this time, was not stuck with a family, instead had a girl travelling alone next to me and a so called couple sitting in front..
I call them so called 'couple' coz a lot of things were very strange about them .. Hmm.. Ok maybe not strange but slightly cooky if you please :p
To begin with, they established the fact that they were indeed a couple. We exchanged the usual Hi, how are ya and what brings you to Portland conversations.. In the process, she was quite candid to say that they went to visit her family but having said that she wasn't very happy with them for a lot of reasons. I mean, she even started telling me how her family's weird behavior at times ticks her off. I was almost about to say well, "lady that’s just too bad but lets stop cussing familes now", when I realized that the guy wasn't really saying much, he just added that "naa, they weren't so bad". Did she let it pass, no sir, she kept insisting, they are ok to talk to over the phone but you can't really spend time with them and that she was glad she was there only for a day..
I mean, we all have problems of various degrees with our families. Times when we look up above an wonder why weren't we allowed to 'choose' our families instead , but the point remains that the Indian value system will always cherish families many degrees more than the American counterparts. That’s just how we are. We learn when we are mere toddlers that - what we can't cure, we must endure.. And endure we do.. :-)) I am just making it sound bad but it ain't really..
Well, coming back to my so called couple, after the initial socializing stupor, like always there was a lull. Not that I had a problem with it, they were showing a movie I had not seen before "Prince and me". Kinda like "Anna and the king" rt ? I always thought it was flicked from that :p (the number of times I watch the same movies over and over again during these train journeys could fill a separate blog alltogether) !
Anyways, madam decides not to watch it for some reason and get a bottle of wine.. These firangs have a nice way of making even train journeys entertaining :-) So she finishes her bottle of chardonay while her companion is giving the girl next to me these "You intrigue me kinda looks" :-) But very subtle I must say, if you were sittin next to me you would never even know ! Since I had the priviledge of being in the opposite seat, I could steal a peek :-)))
After a point came, so what do you do, do you stay in Seattle kinda questions to the girl..His girl frnd during most of the conversation tried to stare at the bottle in her hand but chipped in once in a while with her 2 bits about how Seattle is a great place to be in :-) :p
I was almost torn between which amusing scene to watch, the one on the screen or the one unfolding in front of me.. While I was still contemplating this, the girl frnd says "I'll be back" and disappears.. Hmmmm the plot thickens..
Do you think the story gets a little convenient here ? Think again.. Turns out that one of the passengers just walking down the aisle is the colleague of the girl next to me. He stops suddenly and goes hey Julianne :-)))) It was soo funny.. I think mainly coz Julianne didn't really want to see this "I am a cross between a grunge rockstar and a fading politician". But obviously out of courtesy he is introduced to everybody . Worse still is the fact that he had already noticed the empty seat next to Mr. my girlfrnd is missing and I don't mind :-)
Well, he sat there an they had the most awkward conversation I had ever had the oppurtunity to see :-)) Julianne kept putting all conversation to an end and trying to get the message across for him to scoot. But he was very persistent I must say. There were times when I really wanted to laugh out loud, I swear !
After a point I couldn't take it and I really wanted to at least smile or giggle. I just got up to visit the bistro car. I was almost giggling all the way :-))
Well, so I am at the Bistro an what do I see, Miss Chardonay is surrounded by 2 Mr. Harley Davidson varieties an she's actually feeling their biceps :-)))) This had to be the most hilarious train journey ever ! So she sees me an swiftly moves away frm the 2 men. That in itself was too funny for words ! She tried to introduce them in a very slurring way as I saw 2 more chardonay bottles empty and in front of her. I was thinking to myself this is classic ! Movie in itself.. :-)
Well, after that I must say, it kinda got boring coz Julianne got down a few stations before us and there was hardly any talking happening in the opposite seats.
All in all, a very fun trip I must say :-))