On the Train.

Yesterday my friends and I went on a trip to downtown Istanbul with the public transport the Turks so proudly call as the "Underground Train". I myself wouldn't go so far as to call it 'underground' since part of the railway only passes through several short underground tunnels and the rest cuts boldly in the middle of the city. I'd simply call it the train.

The thing about traveling for me is not about the destination. It's about the journey. Going to Turkey is awesome, but Turkey itself is pretty lame. You know what I mean? I simply revel in the joy of sitting back and setting my headset to the max while looking through the window and simply enjoying the ride.

Sometimes I would secretly pay attention to things or people or other passengers and examine them, sometimes laugh at them or mock them in my head, or maybe feeling a little bit of sympathy of whatever impression they give to me.

Yesterday was one example. There could be hundreds of interesting events that happened on that seemingly boring train. And I managed to capture a few of them.

The first story is about a teenage couple. No, I wasn't going to tell you how they tried to stick their tongues down each other's throats. There's no kissing, no making out scene. The thing that got me the most was how much passion they seemingly had for each other. I can tell by the looks and the eye-contacts that they are crazy about each other. I recognized that look right-on.

The second is about a crying woman. I can't stand women crying. Mothers, Bitches, Little Girls, Grandmas, Wives, Tramps. No matter what label you would categorize them into if they' spill out tears within my sight I would feel for them. Putri (my friend who was sitting next to me) theorized that she was crying because one of her family members were leaving, judging by the suitcases the husband and the children had with them. It makes me think about separation and how painful it is. Maybe it's for the best, maybe it's the worst thing that ever happens. Maybe it makes you and maybe it breaks you. One sure thing is, somehow, it hurts like hell.

And then there's this gorgeous-looking guy. This probably is a common sight in most public transports, where the dude stands up from his seat for some old woman to sit on. Well there's no difference in this event. Just an ordinary hunky guy being a gentleman.

Finally, the elderly couple. There was no warm passion between the two of them. No longing looks no eye contacts telling the world that they got the hots for each other. It was the gestures, the way the old guy tries to protect his woman with his rattled hands. The way the woman gives out her hand, still trusting this very weak old dude to protect her. It's the kind of thing you want to experience when you're 80 years old.

It was a one-way trip. A short one-hour on a train. And this is just so little of so much lesson that was offered for us, if we just paid a little attention.