You have no idea my dear blogdytes.
Unless of course someone from my job has infliltrated your sweaty ranks.
All day long we've been trying to teach the kid's here a very simple lesson:
BE QUIET IN THE LIBRARY!
It doesn't work. And I'm not talking whispering or giggling or anything like that. I'm talking kids screaming at each other across the library, just to ask a question, shouting "Fuck you you fucking bitch!"*at each other across the table while they try to play some sort of educational game. Don't even get me started on the little bastard that decided to you the library's only copy of The Golden Compass as a football...
One of the things I like about libraries is that they're one of the very few places in our society where quiet is supposed to be the rule, not the exception. No Muzak, no blaring advertisements, no TV's pumping out crap pop videos into the ether. Quiet.
While I really hate most of the aforementioned affronts to calm, music (although definitely not Muzak) has its place. I like its place. Quiet in the backgrounds of resturaunts and cafés, pumping in the bars, pounding in the clubs. I love music. I sing, play musical instruments, listen to music while reading, cooking, whatever. But its got no business in the library, reguardless if we share space with the computer lab. That's what earphones were created for.
Of course, many of us, including almost all the kids here, have gotten way way way way too damn used to life with a soundtrack, which is where the earphones become a serious pain in the ass. I'm tired of trying to talk to people, kids at work, cashiers, people I see on the street or the bus, who can't for the life of them live one goddamned minute without the Ipod blaring in thier ear. I've always thought of music as something that brings us together, but these days, music is what we use to further alienate ourselfs from our fellow man, sonic insulation against the warmth of human company.
Take the fucking ear plugs out already...
*Swearing in English is not considered rude here, even if you're a little kid. I've had parents grin at me and tell me how wonderful it is that their little 6 year old is picking up English already, right after the little monster screams something about ass-fucking a donkey at his classmate. On the other hand, if you tell an Icelandic kid to "shut up" (þeyjiðú) they'll get all kinds of uppity about how you used a "banned word" (bannað orð). How fucked up is that???
3 comments:
Good point 'bout the ear plugs. If I'm wearing headphones, it generally means I don't want to interact with people.
Regarding the cursing... foreign languages don't count! :-P
Besides, words like fuck or shit lose their meaning if you use them constantly, but it always jars when someone unexpected starts bossing you around.
Now, if you want to be really rude, try "haltu kjafti". That's both bossy and aggressive! Resist the temptation to add random epithets (such as "helvítins vanþroskaða örverpið þitt" or "litli ljóti hóruungi"), as that may distract from the shock of being bossed around... or get you attacked.
While I'm commenting: I was bummed I didn't manage to meet up with you last weekend; you're at the top of my list of people I want to make time for next time I'm in town. And my condolences on your recent loss. :-/
On the subject of music bringing people together; I want to thank you Sam for Flogging Molly. Thank you for treating a bewildered suburbanite to the wonders of Flogging Molly and Great Big Sea.
I'm happy to hear that you are going home to spend some time with your family despite the circumstances.
I agree with Bjarni on the earphones- I wear them sometimes in public or the gym to make sure people don't try to talk to me. Sometimes I'm not even listening to anything. But then again I use them sparingly :p
Oh and I'd love it if you'd call those little buggers "helvítis vanþroskaða örverpið þitt!" Now that is a brilliant use of the icelandic language hee hee
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