Good mornings.

Last Saturday, morning jog as usual. The security guard is always amused that someone should be up (earlier than the weekdays) on a Saturday and off for a jog. He wished me a good morning. I saw him waiting for a bus when I returned and wished him a a good weekend.

As I went ahead a bit, a 'foreign worker', who also has no choice but to be up early on a Saturday and set out to work, wished me a 'Good Morning'. The tone however was complex. It indicated many a feeling s : 'If I was someone else, you would be wishing me first', 'I am worth wishing too', 'Do you think I don't know English' and other similar things. I wished him back. I am sure I heard a 'Hmhhmm' with the tone like the third Chinese tone - rising one - meaning 'that is better'. May be I am exaggerating but I don't think so.

Then I went a bit ahead, rounded the stairs of a pedestrian bridge and saw this white guy standing at the bottom of the stairs. I wished him a 'Good Morning'. He said 'Fuck You'. This time there was not need to read between the lines. It was loud and clear. I looked at him of course. He had clearly had a long Friday night. Must have been drunk for most of it and looked like he had a hangover (not far from the same spot, I have seen a white guy getting out of a cab on a Saturday morning to get rid of the contents of his stomach which wouldnt stay inside). By this time I had moved a few metres and replied to him in sign language. My irritation increased as I went ahead and I tried to formulate words to match his. Difficult ... may be it was too early in the morning for me. Then I decided at least to have a word with him. He was too drunk to sustain any talking. Unless he had a weapon, he wouldn't have been able to fight either. He had a hangover, I had run just enough to have been warmed up. The recent Football world cup had enthused me enought to try a few kicks so I wasn't afraid though sober (him) I guess I wouldnt have been able to match him.

I turned back and jogged back to the spot where he was. He was no more standing but was supporting himself on a raling. Waiting for a taxi? Waiting for a friend to pick him up? Waiting to throw up (you know the feeling? It is so good after you have thrown up provided it is not a long continuous process...). Face down in the cushion of his folded arms that rested on the railing. I had a mind to shoo him up but then decided against. Don't know what I avoided but I did.

Further up, crossed another man waking to work. Could ahve been from any of the coutries in SE Asia. He walked straight past staying well out of line of my jog and sight, I jogged without turning my head. None of us wished each other. Dont know what we didn't start but we didn't.