Downing's Street

Lately, some history teacher in Italy came up with a theory that people have been sexists from ages because she thinks almost all streets are named after men while very, very few streets are named after women. My first thought was, why would women want to have their names on something which is regularly walked upon? Besides, we in India named the rivers after women, names of houses in India are after women, ships are named after women and tornadoes are named after women. 


On a serious note, the names of the streets were after men probably because back then women stayed home, and if i am doing business with a man named Robert Downing, it is easier for me to name the street he lives as "Downing's street". Harder to forget that way. No?

Bus Driver

Once I was traveling southern Europe on a bus for a week. The driver Beno and I somehow ended up at the same table discussing things over coffee. Apart from me getting to know he is diabetic which left him cursing through most of Italy where they had bread, honey and marmalade for breakfast instead of Sausage and cheese, he got to know I am vegetarian which made him pull my leg, given a chance. We settled it elegantly, which involved me laughing at him at all the breakfasts in Italy. But, i've been given this look and lecture many times, and Beno was sensible enough not to. But sometimes these conversations don't go straight at all. Example, Beno laughing at me for being a vegetarian is like me laughing at him for being just a bus driver. Different worlds, no idea to each what the other is missing/gaining.