Mysterious little china man and angry African lady

When I get the bus home from work I have a choice of several routes. If I'm really lucky I can get one that drops me outside my house, but that's only if I finish work a little early for some reason.

Generally the other routes drop me about a ten minute walk away in the middle of a suburb called fortitude valley, which is Chinatown. The other day I was wandering down the main street in Chinatown, called Brunswick Street, when suddenly this little Chinese man came running out of a shop and started gibbering excitedly in front of me while hopping from one leg to the other.

If it hadn't been for the huge smile I would have thought I'd done something to really upset him. In my best British voice I asked "Can I help you?" and gave him my best curious/bewildered look.

He started pointing at my back pack and saying "Little computer! Little computer!" I `was very confused so he elaborated: "Lirrle computer! Lirrle computer - in there! You use on bus with me!"

I was still very confused and he stopped hopping. He pulled a "Jeez, I'm talking to an idiot" face at me and then tried to explain very slowly and patiently to me: "You on bus. 117. Today. You have lirrle computer. In there. [points vigourously at my back pack] Me. I saw you. On the bus. Wiv lirrle computer. You use. On bus."

So! The strange little man was trying to point out he'd seen me using my laptop on the 117 bus earlier. "Yes. That's right" I reply and walk away. All that bloody confusion just to tell me something I already bloody knew!

There was a good reason I didn't notice any of the other passengers on the bus today. I was sat quite near the end of the bus (using my laptop strangely enough!) I sit near the back so that fewer people can try and look over my shoulder to see what I'm writing. Something about laptops on buses attracts nosey people.

Anyhoo, I was busy doing something or other when this one person behind me, a huge black African lady, yelled something at me. She was only about a meter away but she positively boomed. I had no idea what she'd said so I asked her to repeat it.

She started pointing at the bus stop out of the window (we were stopped at the time) and saying something. I really had no idea what so I just kept shrugging and saying "Sorry, I don't know". She then scowled, got up and stomped off down the bus just as it was pulling away.

She said something to the driver and then came stomping back. She took a seat a couple in front of me and continued muttering. At the next stop she started yelling down the bus to the driver and pointing at me. Then banging on the window.

I seem to attract freaks - it's an uncanny natural ability I have.

Someone got on the bus and came and sat behind me, presumably to be as far away as the mad yelling lady as possible. When the bus started moving me tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I'd mind closing the window a little. I said sure and pulled it to an almost closed position.

Then all became clear. Angry African lady jumped up and started screaming at not just me, but also him, banging on the window, pointing to herself, the driver, and yelling some more.

I don't speak any Nigerian, but I'm pretty sure she was saying "I asked you to close the window and you just shrugged at me. I went and told the driver you were rude and he done nothing! Now you close the window for this man. I'm a little cross. This country is full of very rude people that won't do as I tell them...."

Just guessing though. What strange people one can meet on the buses of Brisbane....