Commuting with Trains

The weather is getting colder now. Snow days have been increasing up north and soon the ski lodges around the country will be at the peak of business. I do hope to see snow in Tokyo very soon. Although it is cold and that does not extend to the physical climate for me, I do hope the that the coming days will bring news that will warm me up for the new year. I see myself basking in the sun on the train platform this morning absorbing as much warmth possible.

Platforms, trains... These simple daily encounters often captivate my thoughts and attention without fail. Since I have to commute to work daily, I have become a time conscious commuter who needs to catch her 9:24am Tama Express if she wants to get to work on time. I have an alarm on my phone telling me I need to leave my apartment otherwise I will miss my ride. I have been pampered by the close proximity of my place to the station that I always seem to rush out the door and barely make it on time. The challenge moves a step up when I have to lug my laptop with me on my 10cm heels. By the time, I make it to the station and move up the flight of stairs, I am almost out of breath with sore legs most of the time.

Boarding the trains and my ride on them also have their interesting stories. We have big old Japanese "salary men" pushing themselves on the train without thinking about the other passengers in the already packed train. We have couples who share the morning after gestures and conversations. We have men happily browsing through porn magazines in a packed train without a care whether the women around them feel offended, or the nosey ones who enjoy their morning read over other's shoulders to catch glimpse of various magazines, newspapers, books, mobile phone screens, handheld video games, etc. Then, we also have the general morning commuters who look good, smell nice, but some of them dozing off in their seats. We sway back and forth on the Tama Express that runs from the Odakyu Line into the Chiyoda Subway Line.

The trains are packed most of the time. I have always wondered whether taking the trains to work at other times would be better; I learned my lesson, however, that it might not be such a good idea after all, for the local lines were WORSE! I was up early and ready for work exceptionally early last Friday and decided to take the local trains instead of the Tama Express. Man! It was so packed that I almost threw up with the stuffiness, the squeezing, and the unusual motion sickness I get from a REALLY packed train. So, I am thankful for the Tama Express and will try my best to stick to taking that in the mornings.

My other commutes around Tokyo also has its interesting sights. What I was intrigued lately is the way how the female gender sits. I assumed that in Tokyo, the high fashion and civilized city, ladies here would know how to sit properly. I was shocked to find well dressed women from late teens to late 40s in their business attire or fashionable casual wear would be exposing what is under their skirts by sitting with their legs not neatly put together. (I know the sentence is rather wordy, but I am trying my best to put my thoughts in a very polite way.) Believe me, the sight was nasty even when they tried to put things on their laps to cover! SIGH!

I find my rides on the trains really interesting and try to make it as fun as possible by observing others. Who says Japanese train rides are boring?