23-June-2009 4:31PM

A Japanese mother-daughter combo argues vehemently on board an outward bound bus from the U-District. The mother speaks exclusively in Japanese referring forcefully to some sort of University program pamphlet, and the daughter answers rebelliously in English, mostly spouting a stream of exasperated “yes’s.” I was almost fooled when they first boarded and thought that they were just two girl friends since they both looked so young from a relative distance. However, upon a closer examination, the demeanor of the one with expertly cropped hair gives her away as being the one in the position of authority, as well as her daughter’s pouting disposition sets up as the counterpoint. Whatever it is they’re speaking about, the daughter looks as if she’d rather be anywhere else.
Most of the remaining patrons say nothing, being utterly absorbed in whatever individual activity suits their fancy. A Susan Boyle look-alike seated just to my frontal view allows her eyes to graze over the electronically displayed sentences of a Kindle, while a office drone with a hair style and eyeglasses pertaining to the era of the 1970’s (much like The Brady Bunch dad) sits shifted to the side with his head tilted down at a copy of The Seattle Times. An Asian girl lounges just behind in her row staring into space, her mind aflutter in her introspective thoughts just as right behind her the mother-daughter combo continue their heated discussion. As soon as I begin to collect her je ne sais quoi, she suddenly gets up to leave out the backdoor; a sadly taken event to be sure.