I go dancing almost every Tuesday night, or at least every Tuesday night that I'm in the country.
It has become part of my weekly routine.
Come snow, rain or sunshine, I can be found en route to my dance class.
It is my meditation, my physical exercise and my social time.
So naturally, I set out this last Tuesday thinking that I'd arrive on time. After all, I was traveling on a bus and didn't need to worry about using the tube, which was on strike.
But what I didn't anticipate were the road works.
About 30 feet of one lane of traffic was close, not much, but enough to cause a huge delay, especially as there was an island nearby which hindered big lorries and buses from manoeuvring around. In the end, we just sat there for 20 minutes while all the smaller vehicles turned around and went alternative routes. Thankfully this eventually enabled the bus to get through. I sat there contentedly playing sudoku on my phone, trying beat my best speed.
Just prior to delay, a man had gotten on the bus. He decided to sit next to me. He made a passing comment about my iPhone, asking if it was an iPad. I thought "duh! No, it's a fraction of the size", but out loud said, "no, it is just an iPhone".
My mistake.
This opened the floodgates for conversation, a very one-sided conversation on his part. He proceeded to tell me that he designed 'wind-tunnel' something or another for aerospace and that he was in communication with General 'somebody', but that their emails were being monitored.
He then asked where I was from.
I said England and he asked if I was from an old English line, as I had that look about me.
Then he asked my name.
"Sarah" was my answer but not my real name and at this point I felt more then a bit wary of him.
His was George.
Within the next minute or two, he got up to get off the bus.
Phew! Big relief.
I don't normally feel worried by talking with strangers on public transport, but this felt different.
It was quite an interesting experience to be perceived as someone else.
And for a few minutes, I became Sarah, an English woman.
It has become part of my weekly routine.
Come snow, rain or sunshine, I can be found en route to my dance class.
It is my meditation, my physical exercise and my social time.
So naturally, I set out this last Tuesday thinking that I'd arrive on time. After all, I was traveling on a bus and didn't need to worry about using the tube, which was on strike.
But what I didn't anticipate were the road works.
About 30 feet of one lane of traffic was close, not much, but enough to cause a huge delay, especially as there was an island nearby which hindered big lorries and buses from manoeuvring around. In the end, we just sat there for 20 minutes while all the smaller vehicles turned around and went alternative routes. Thankfully this eventually enabled the bus to get through. I sat there contentedly playing sudoku on my phone, trying beat my best speed.
Just prior to delay, a man had gotten on the bus. He decided to sit next to me. He made a passing comment about my iPhone, asking if it was an iPad. I thought "duh! No, it's a fraction of the size", but out loud said, "no, it is just an iPhone".
My mistake.
This opened the floodgates for conversation, a very one-sided conversation on his part. He proceeded to tell me that he designed 'wind-tunnel' something or another for aerospace and that he was in communication with General 'somebody', but that their emails were being monitored.
He then asked where I was from.
I said England and he asked if I was from an old English line, as I had that look about me.
Then he asked my name.
"Sarah" was my answer but not my real name and at this point I felt more then a bit wary of him.
His was George.
Within the next minute or two, he got up to get off the bus.
Phew! Big relief.
I don't normally feel worried by talking with strangers on public transport, but this felt different.
It was quite an interesting experience to be perceived as someone else.
And for a few minutes, I became Sarah, an English woman.
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