Stories of a Bus Traveller
I often commute here in Sri Lanka by bus, no matter where it is, I find myself going to the required destination by bus. In Sri Lanka, you don't get fancy machines where you can purchase a ticket nor do we get till boxes in the front of the bus where we have to insert money for the journey.
Oh no! What we have is perhaps a bit more primitive than that, we have a conductor who takes the cash for the journey and hands you a ticket.
While most people look at the prospect of traveling in the bus disdainfully, I, on the other hand find it to be an adventure, it is where you can actually see life at work. You meet people from different walks of life, from a banker to a housemaid, the stories which are written on each passenger's face cannot be witnessed anywhere else.
When I travel in the morning what I see are students who are in a rush to go to school, having woken up late, their only concern is to make it to the doorway of the classroom before the first bell rings. Then there are the parents who are taking their young children to school, often seen to be carrying the child's heavy school bag which seems to be bursting at the seams with the countless books needed for the day. The child clinging on to the mother's hand with great fascination in their eyes as they take in the world around them. I also see the adults who are off to work, moving at their timely fashion often nodding off to sleep while music is blasting away from the stereo of the bus, after having stayed up late trying to work that much closer to make their lives more of a success story.
In the afternoon the school children are boarding the bus either to go home or to their respective tuition classes. They can be seen going with a group of friends chattering loudly about something or another with an air of obliviousness surrounding them. There are also those parents who have come to pick up their children, again, either to take to tuition classes or back home. Often the buses at this time would be crowded because of the influx of school children causing the bus to be filled with a mass of bodies with no space to place you feet while the conductor is continuously shouting at the passengers, asking them to move forward so that there is more space for more passengers to get in.
In the evening this is only made worse because of the rush hour, students who have finished their tuition classes board the bus eager to get home and relax. Then there is the office crowd, where after a long day at work all that they want is to go home. Their tiredness and impatience etched in their faces, hoping to rush home early for a change. Then of course, there are the couples, it is often in the evening than any other time of day that you'd see either the backseat or any other two seats being occupied by a couple, much like the bees which are drawn out from their hives. They could often be seen holding hands or the man's arm across the girl's shoulder while the bus jostles past vehicles at a slow, almost a snail's pace due to the cumbersome traffic.
At night the scenery changes, the crowd which engulfed the bus during the evening can be seen to dwindle, allowing more seats to be vacant with no occupier to claim it. The city of Colombo finally slows down to a gentle bustle and with it, the urgency that is seen in the morning and evening reduces to an air of slow idleness. With those either planning on a night out or those returning home after a few drinks with some friends, while taking in the scenery as the bus shuttles down the roads of Colombo
Living in Sri Lanka and traveling in a bus is certainly an ideal place to witness the bustle of life of the country. In fact not only in Sri Lanka, in any country, traveling in a bus can certainly show you a greater side to life. The perspective which is often ignored thinking it to be non-existent and uninteresting proves to be otherwise.
If you have never or, in fact, don't travel often in the bus, you most definitely are missing on one of the tales that life has to offer. An insight into the lives of others and what compromises their lives and this in turn, enables you to contrast and compare your life with others making you grateful for what you really have. Don't miss out on this opportunity just because it appears to be a hassle and an uncomfortable experience, while you can't enjoy the luxury provided by your own vehicle or that of a transport service, you can certainly expect a more eye opening and insightful experience.
Oh no! What we have is perhaps a bit more primitive than that, we have a conductor who takes the cash for the journey and hands you a ticket.
While most people look at the prospect of traveling in the bus disdainfully, I, on the other hand find it to be an adventure, it is where you can actually see life at work. You meet people from different walks of life, from a banker to a housemaid, the stories which are written on each passenger's face cannot be witnessed anywhere else.
When I travel in the morning what I see are students who are in a rush to go to school, having woken up late, their only concern is to make it to the doorway of the classroom before the first bell rings. Then there are the parents who are taking their young children to school, often seen to be carrying the child's heavy school bag which seems to be bursting at the seams with the countless books needed for the day. The child clinging on to the mother's hand with great fascination in their eyes as they take in the world around them. I also see the adults who are off to work, moving at their timely fashion often nodding off to sleep while music is blasting away from the stereo of the bus, after having stayed up late trying to work that much closer to make their lives more of a success story.
In the afternoon the school children are boarding the bus either to go home or to their respective tuition classes. They can be seen going with a group of friends chattering loudly about something or another with an air of obliviousness surrounding them. There are also those parents who have come to pick up their children, again, either to take to tuition classes or back home. Often the buses at this time would be crowded because of the influx of school children causing the bus to be filled with a mass of bodies with no space to place you feet while the conductor is continuously shouting at the passengers, asking them to move forward so that there is more space for more passengers to get in.
In the evening this is only made worse because of the rush hour, students who have finished their tuition classes board the bus eager to get home and relax. Then there is the office crowd, where after a long day at work all that they want is to go home. Their tiredness and impatience etched in their faces, hoping to rush home early for a change. Then of course, there are the couples, it is often in the evening than any other time of day that you'd see either the backseat or any other two seats being occupied by a couple, much like the bees which are drawn out from their hives. They could often be seen holding hands or the man's arm across the girl's shoulder while the bus jostles past vehicles at a slow, almost a snail's pace due to the cumbersome traffic.
At night the scenery changes, the crowd which engulfed the bus during the evening can be seen to dwindle, allowing more seats to be vacant with no occupier to claim it. The city of Colombo finally slows down to a gentle bustle and with it, the urgency that is seen in the morning and evening reduces to an air of slow idleness. With those either planning on a night out or those returning home after a few drinks with some friends, while taking in the scenery as the bus shuttles down the roads of Colombo
Living in Sri Lanka and traveling in a bus is certainly an ideal place to witness the bustle of life of the country. In fact not only in Sri Lanka, in any country, traveling in a bus can certainly show you a greater side to life. The perspective which is often ignored thinking it to be non-existent and uninteresting proves to be otherwise.
If you have never or, in fact, don't travel often in the bus, you most definitely are missing on one of the tales that life has to offer. An insight into the lives of others and what compromises their lives and this in turn, enables you to contrast and compare your life with others making you grateful for what you really have. Don't miss out on this opportunity just because it appears to be a hassle and an uncomfortable experience, while you can't enjoy the luxury provided by your own vehicle or that of a transport service, you can certainly expect a more eye opening and insightful experience.
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