I get cred for the weirdest things.

Sat on the subway on my way home, reading Mary Gentle's brilliant book 1610. Across the aisle, a young couple sat: she plain, caucasian and in very mainstream clothing; he welldefined, black, in shrill house club clothes and with a plumage of brightly coloured dreads - pink, yellow and orange. They were sharing music from some sort of machine, and he was moving along rather vividly to the music - which caught my attention.

Then, in a slight pause in my music, I hear her say to him, indicating me, "I wonder what he's reading.". So I show my book, hitch off my headphones, and we start to chat. A chat that was VERY amusing. A few gems:

She: "I don't read a lot of novels. I haven't read one for quite some time now."

She: "I thought that was some sort of schoolbook."

She: "I'm surprised you heard me talk to him about your book."
Me: "No, the music was down low and I was curious of your music already, so..."
He: "Well, I was showing her a little bit of House music. [naming an artist I've never ever heard of]"
Me: "Oh. I'm sorry, I've lost touch with the scene. I used to frequent House parties in '97. In Germany."
Schocked and awed silence ensues.
Then he, still visibly awestruck.
He: "You were at house parties? In Germany? In '97? That's when it all began, man!"
She: "'97.... Gosh. I was kinda like in 6th grade back then. Wow."

And then I told them about curfew rules in modern germany, and got off at my station shortly afterwards.

I really do get cred for the weirdest things.