At what age does a man think maybe its time to wear a cap? At what age does a woman consider a shorter haircut? At what stage does a metro or public transport system lose its novelty status and become an engrained feature in public and personal life? When does that particular tipping point occur? When do people start to refer to encounters and experiences they have had and those around them nod in acknowledgment and chip in with their own? When do certain stops or lines start to garner a reputation, or perhaps become shorthand for something else, like the Northern Line for instance in London? When does a private exasperation become a common one ?

I am in Bordeaux right now, where there s still a relatively brand spanking new tram system, and I m wondering when, even if this has happened. When will someone say guess what happened at the place de la bourse, and theres a collective yes from those around, we know, it happpened to us as well?

Challenging to write this, the keyboard is set up, understandably, for french users; some of the letters are in places my fingers dont instinctively wander to, and where I think they are, they not. And theres no better way to find the difference between english and french possesives. If you re attentive, you ll have picked it up already, theres no possessive apostrophe on the french keyboard.