The other day when I was on my way to see Mona and the girls, I was sitting on the Bakerloo line tube to get to Embankment, listening to my music, minding my own business. A man sits next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I can see him mouthing something at me. I hastily pull my earphones out and ask him to repeat what he said. He asks me if he’s going to right way to get to somewhere or another.
‘Yes,’ I reply. A couple of minutes later, he continues to talk to me.
‘Where are you from, you look a bit oriental.’
‘I’m Malaysian, but I’m from
‘I’m not used to the city, it’s all really confusing. I’d much rather be here,’ he says, pointing to a travel guide in his hand. I look closer. The
‘Look at that. Beautiful. Doesn’t compare. If I go to a different country I want to see the real country, not all these cities that everyone goes to.’
‘Yeah, it’s all the same I suppose.’
‘Yeah but it’s not just that, they’re all cesspits aren’t they? I mean they’re all stuck in this city and they don’t know anything about the heritage of the country. I mean you ask anyone to name all six wives of Henry VIII and they can’t do it.’
…did he just say I was underbred? Funny thing was, I had just flicked through a book I read when I was a kid about Henry VIII the DAY BEFORE, and I was pretty sure I DID know Henry VIII’s wives, but for some reason I felt more strongly about refusing to participate than I did about having to prove his cesspit theory wrong.
‘Er…it’s been quite a while since I did history.’
‘Ah.’ Awkward silence.
‘Have you been to anywhere like this?’
‘I’ve been to
‘That’s nice.’
Embankment. ‘My stop,’ I said, getting up as fast as I could.
‘Bye.’
A week later I’m counting on my fingers:
Catherine of
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of
…
…
shit.
Where’d that book go…?
3 comments:
Ok, a question, how many of Henry's wives got beheaded?
Hey aimi lol ok basically i was trying to get your gmail address to send you an email to say vie arrived safely...i end up here and i couldnt help but post the 6 wives since i DID act (temproarily) as Henry the eight in history class (dont know if you remember, sabah was my son edward)
so this is how it goes *fingers crossed*
Anne Boleyn
Catherine Parr
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Catherine of Aragon
AND
.... POONESS
anne was divorced cause she had lizzie, the second was beheaded cause of mary, then the third died and she had given henry edward, anne of cleves was the ugly one he divorced, then he beheaded the fifth i cant remember why (i think mayeb she was cheating) and then the last lady survived his death
lol no you got it all wrong.
catherine of aragon was the first, i remember she was spanish or something, and was introduced to henry like in the trying to keep the peace kind of way so here's a wife sort of thing. i think she must have had lizzie.
then he really wanted anne boleyn so he overthrew the church remember coz catolicism doesn't do divorce. and she gave mary.
then it was jane seymour who gave edward and she died.
then it was anne of cleves who he got married to in a blind-date sort of scenario, and she was fugly so he divorced her.
then Catherine Parr came along and i dont know what what she did to piss him off but she was beheaded.
then the last surviving wife was catherine howard. lucky her.
and that concludes today's history lesson :P
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