143- Bus Journeys

I usually take the bus alone in London. In many ways, I like being alone while being so far away from home. It gives me a chance to think without being burdened by the usual stresses that being in "familiar surroundings", brings.

So there are the 29 and 141 buses which I take when I want to go into Central London from where I live. I connect to the 12, 176, and/or the 133 or 35 if I want to go further South, to where I USED to live and where my university is at. When I resided in Southeast London I would hop on the 68 or 148 whenever I wanted to catch a show in town, and I would grab the C10 whenever I needed to go to Victoria Train or Bus stations for a trip outside of London.

Living abroad has made my senses attuned to the smallest of details. Years from now, when I will likely find myself far from the British capital, I will probably remember small things about my time in London and the UK. How one need not own a TV set to be entertained (thank you, Netflix, Prime Video, etc.). How one who enjoys running has a seemingly endless supply of amazing spots to pound the ground on when in Britain. How I bolted off to Chesham one random summer Saturday to run several miles, only to later hop back on a Metropolitan Line tube train to Wembley Park later in the day to, well, bask in the glow of (sports) outlet stores. And oh, the many trips to the British and London Transport Museums, how could I forget those. The thrill of having run a full marathon in Brighton- a race that saw the demise of my Samsung S6 mobile phone (maybe it has gotten wet?). So many, many, stories to tell.

I am now on the 243 that goes from Waterloo station in the London Borough of Lambeth, all the way to Wood Green. Many people detest long bus rides. In some ways, I do too. However, it is these long bus rides that tend to ignite my creativity. Such represent moments of silence, away from the maddening crowd.

Riding buses in Manila could literally cost you your life, and driving in the same city definitely kills one's patience. Needless to say, I am enjoying as much "bus ride solace" as I possibly can.

MC