Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Shades of Grey

While we were taxiing for take off at Frankfurt Airport the middle aged Asian businessman sitting next to me fell sound asleep and snored loudly. He stayed asleep and snoring loudly for most of the 12 hour flight.  He woke for breakfast shortly before we landed in Singapore and turned out to be quite a charming fellow.
His other neighbour (from Croatia) asked him if he had taken a sleeping tablet, but he said he hadn't. The Croatian man laughed and told him we should have to pay him for the musical accompaniment.
I noticed he had a copy of Shades of Grey which I have been told is amusing by some and appalling rubbish by others, so I asked him how he was enjoying it.
"'Oh there are three parts and I bought them all because I travel a lot", he said. "Yes, it is good - you have to realise it is not reality, that it is quite outside normal mores and then you enjoy it."
With his talent for falling asleep I am surprised he has any need for travel books at all.

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