Bus No. 8 Going By

[dotinthesky]

bus going by, a photo by patart00 on Flickr.

On the way to work, hop on the No.8 on Roman Road and get off at Bethnal Green Tube station. Sit behind a man with a copy of The Sun. Sharon Osbourne on the front cover claiming Dannii Minogue had an affair with Simon Cowell. His thumb tentatively plays with the page; I can see a Page 3 breast poke through. The woman sitting beside him wears a yellow hijab.

After work, the No. 8 from Liverpool Street station because I just can't squeeze into the Central Line. All the windows facing North on Bethnal Green Rd are lit, open. Shirtless young men stalk front rooms. Young women hunch over laptops. Mixed students cook dinner together. Rooms jammed with clothes or completely sparse, just a few postcards bluetacked to the walls.

The young man sitting beside me holds his mobile phone up, trying to capture a good connection. He's on Grindr.

Comments

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

I don't often comment, but I do love these little vignettes of city life; this one makes me particularly happy.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it, and wish I could share more of them with you in person! x

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

Me too! Are you likely to be in London over Christmas this year?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately no! Going back to Brasil for a month.

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

Curses, I shall miss you again!

[rojagato.livejournal.com]

I love checking in with you.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And thank you again for your support of my partner's project! x

[arafel1.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder about the similarities and differences between cities. You could have seen that image in Madrid, or Basel, or even Singapore; but I think it would have a different meaning in each of them.
Maybe globalization is just an illusion.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Maybe. It would be lovely to try to replicate that day in those cities... and even film it?