aqui hay tomate

Back home and feeling fine. Because we left Scotland in a heatwave we were ludicrously under-dressed for our return. So we shivered our timbers all the way north on the train from Prestwick to Partick. The journey went quicker though as one of those wonderful coming together of strangers on a train happened. Enough to get the 4 strangers' happy tongues a-waggling.
A girl got on at Troon, sat down on the 4 seater opposite ours and started putting on her makeup.
At the next stop another girl got on and, the train being busy, sat down opposite the first girl.
Girl 1 spilled her foundation on the table and this started apologies and their conversation about make-up, Avon, nail diamonds and pampering yourself.
Girl 2 is a nurse who was on her way to pamper herself with friends at a Spa in Glasgow.
Cue Girl 3 also a nurse (friend of Girl 2) getting on at the next stop. They then talked about their children.
Girl 1's was starting High School (Marr) and had attended the same primary as Girl 2's was presently at. Girl 3 said she was a "pug-mum", whose wee dog was name Pickle and had resulted in her meeting her fiance while out walking him.
Two stops later another, older woman gets on and sits listening to the three chat happily away about their jobs, kids, bullying and love of dogs.
She joins the conversation and talks about the wee thrill she gets when her daughter refers to her as "Granny" when talking to her dog. The pug-mum talks about not wanting children, but another pug. But not to breed. She wouldn't want to think about her children doing such stuff. Hilarity and smiles.
The mention of sexuality turns to a gay friend of Girl 1. Stories are shared and it is agreed that Gay Best Friends are good friends. But can be bitchy sometimes.
Then we go back to the bullying of Girl 1's child. She was taunted about her Dad being dead. Much shock and anger around the seats, particularly by pug-mum who seems to want to know who they are and go and find their parents and shame them.
Older woman tries to calm things by saying that they are just children and don't realise the impact of what they are saying has.
She then shares a "gay friend" story about her daughter's pal who had her friend to stay. The next morning he asked Older Woman what she thought about some of the clothes he'd brought to wear. She was quite shocked and delighted and had never heard a male looking for an opinion on clothes before. She enjoyed sharing her thoughts.
And on, and on into Glasgow with these happy coincidences and open willingness to have a gab and be open and share and nod heads at mutual understandings and talk sense when they think it is needed.
This, to me, was why Glasgow was such a success with the Games. The people. Open and chatty and friendly and willing to look and engage the person next to them in a meaningful connection. People Make Glasgow, indeed.
The expression "aqui hay tomate" means 'here is gossip' or 'here is scandal', and it's also a mean-spirited tv program in Spain. With these 4 women, mostly strangers on a train there was plenty of gossip, but none of it mean and almost all of it supportive.
Aqui hay tomate literally translates as 'here are tomatoes' and here they are all ripening on the vine at my window-sill when I got home this morning thanks to my Dad. The look and smell of them remind me of my green fingered Gran's greenhouse, my Dad's mum.

It's good to be home.