Smoke Signals

On Saturday night, I was approached by a guy and a girl who both pointed to my shoes and asked where I got them. I informed them, and they kindly offered a smoke in return. Being a "social" smoker of cigs, I said "sure, wth..."

For about...fuck, probably around 60 minutes, the three of us blow through about half a pack, discussing everything from the royal fuck up known as the Seattle Mariners, to the state of fashion in Romania (seriously, and no, I don't remember our consensus).

Afterwards, we went back inside, and more or less dispatched ourselves to wherever our own friends were inside, without another word exchanged between us. That's when it hit me; I'm used to people whom I just met, if they end up spending as much time with me as those two did, asking for my cell number or some method of contact. I think the "Seattle Freeze" is 60%-80% bullshit (and that is being generous), but this particular example of mine is a good indicator that out here, you often have to make the move yourself to initiate the "hey, let's be friends!!!" banter.

Unless they want to fuck you, of course. That would be a different subject altogether.