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Great diary.

Here is an anecdote that somehow fits to it, one without a definite conclusion.

One day I travelled from a countryside town back to Budapest on an IC. I sat at the very end of the train. On the opposite side of the aisle, two girls with darkish skin were sitting, and one row forward a boy, I first thought they're Carribean. Theywere well-clad, but looked tired.

I went to the toilet, and once back, I saw the conductor talking to them. They wouldn't understand anything, but it was pretty clear they had no ticket. They didn't undestand "passport" or "identity card" or "Identitätskarte" either, so the conductor asked me if I speak French, because the boy seemed to speak it. But even in French, all I could get out of them is that they have no money (smiles). so I formed a square with my hands, then the girls said: "Aaah, police card!", and handed theirs to the conductor, who wrote them up then left.

Ten minutes later, the trio began to talk among themselves. I could catch some words -- they were German, in a very heavy dialect. Interesting... Half an hour later, one of the girls went to the toilet. She took a long time. When she came back, the tight jeans and dress were gone: she had headscarf on and a long robe! Minutes later, the other girl went to the toilet, and came back similarly changed.

I have no idea what I saw, but dreamt up several possible back-stories...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Wed Oct 31st, 2007 at 05:56:04 PM EST
Heh. Your anecdote reminds me of being in the airport in Riyadh, where women who'd been on the plane with me disappeared into the restroom in the baggage-claim area and emerged at passport control "properly" attired in abaya and hijab....
by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Thu Nov 1st, 2007 at 08:30:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I saw the same several times when I was in Saudi Arabia: women in abaya waiting forthe plane to take off and then getting rid of their attire and appearing in gorgeous (and sexy) Chanel or Dior outfits...

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
by Melanchthon on Thu Nov 1st, 2007 at 09:05:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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