what's wrong with you?

- category: observations, reading -

This past couple weeks, I found it difficult to put down a newly acquired novel I got from Amazon, Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons". It really surprised me, since I hardly ever read novel or even finish one. However, "Angels and Demons" engaged me in its brilliant, fast-paced story flow, mind puzzles, and lively characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from the very beginning until the end. That said, I eagerly began to read the next adventure of Robert Langdon in "the Da Vinci Code" just a couple of days ago.

Since I usually commute to my work place by bus for about half and hour, I read most of the novels in the bus. It really helps to engage my mind and to avoid boredom. However, now that I spent more of my time reading in the bus, there is one thing that I notice more about the behavior of the person sitting next to me. They stare at me!!

Okay, so I read different books before I began reading "Angels and Demons" (some Computer Science-related books or personality books). Even then, I noticed some occasional stares directed to the pages of my book, or even glances trying to catch the book's title. I dismissed them, regarding them as "curious stares".
However, since I began reading "Angels and Demons", I began noticing them again in heighted level of intensity. 4 out of 5 people who sat next to me actually STARED at my book for more than 6 seconds, and then stared at me for additional 3 seconds (at least). How do I know that? Well, it's called peripheral vision.

The most noticable occassion was when a woman seated herself next to me and almost immediately began staring at my copy of "the Da Vinci Code". She stared at my book for about 8 seconds, and then continued to stare at ME for at least 10 seconds. I had an impression that she mocked me and thought of something like this, "Are you kidding me? You have not read THE novel?" She probably did not mean any harm, but she then proceed talking to her friend using a foreign languange I do not know. Her friend just smiled mildly.

Nevertheless, I felt mildly insulted. What's wrong with YOU, lady? So what if I wanted to read the book that captured everyone's interest (except me, apparently) a couple of years ago? Geez, and what's with that smug smile in your face? I honestly felt some fire flicking in my chest, I thought that was rude.

Still, nothing can stop me from reading during my bus ride. I just hope I don't need to have a prescription to my still normal eyes in the near future.