reflections

> I guess I might as well make another Easter comeback, I think, believing I would get this done on Easter (I did not) Most days, after I finish work, I am so exhausted I do not do much of anything besides eat and go to sleep. The weekends have not been much different. Besides going grocery shopping, my weekends have largely been spent doing what I did back when I was unemployed: nothing. This weekend, I felt like changing that. I live in one of the most prominent cities on the planet. People from all over the world come here to see the sights that I look at every day. This weekend managed to actually have decent weather for the first time, and I had nothing better to do. I went on a walk. As I walked towards one of the most famous buildings in the entire world (which is right down the street from where I live), it was a clear and quiet day. Since it was a morning on a Saturday, there were not a lot of people around. The street was quiet too. There were few cars beyond the usual bus on its route. The bus looked empty. Maybe it just started? Maybe it was just a quiet day. Seeing all sorts of eras of architecture as I walked by, the sun beat down. It was a very sunny day, and the urban heat island made it feel even hotter. I was wearing long sleeves, which made the sun beating down feel worse. I stumbled upon a random little book and record store. I had no idea it existed, and I was drawn right in. While I did not find anything I wanted to purchase, the discovery by itself was a very neat thing. Maybe next time I might find something, who knows! About half an hour later, I kept on walking towards my destination. I made it to the building I had been walking towards. Since it was a very nice day, there were all sorts of people there. It seemed like there was some kind of gathering as well, since there was a group of people at some kind of tent. I did not bother to see what it was, because I definitely did not belong there. The park was full of all sorts of people: picnics, people just sleeping, people reading, kids playing, even people flying kites (as it was somewhat windy). It was a good sight to see. It makes the area I live in feel even more alive. As an aside, my father came up to visit a week ago. Showing my father around the museums was great, but there was a period of time between when the museums closed and the places I booked for the night's meals, so we did the same thing: we went people watching at a local park. It was fun and let us recharge (as well as dull the pain that walking always gives my feet). This was the first time I had seen one of my parents in person since I moved here back before Christmas. My work had been frustrating me, so the break was well deserved. Aside over, back to the present (read: less in the past). On my walk, I found a hidden fountain that I had not seen before despite my multiple walks around the area. As it was growing warmer, it was a perfect place to relax. It was a beautiful day, if not a little too high on the temperature scale. That is where I went to reflect. There, at the fountain, where the wind picked up and I would sometimes get wet from the fountain, is where I decided that I wanted to just write something. It has been a while since I really felt like writing on this blog. A lot of it is the lack of energy I mentioned before. A lot as well is because I could not figure out what to write. My job now involves a lot of writing, too. When I did my challenge last year, I would frequently fail to come up with ideas. I still do now. Since my hiatus, I had finally finished training and started getting into day-by-day life. While it seemed like so much had changed, it really felt like nothing has. While that perception is very obviously false, perception is much stronger with reality. The clouds had left. The sun bore down once more, feeling even hotter than before. The wind and the water did not help much. I had my fun, after sitting there for the better part of an hour. It was time to head back to my apartment. I did not feel like walking all of the way back, thankfully there was a metro station nearby. Packed full of tourists that could not seem to figure out where they needed to be to find out wherever they were going or how to pay their fares, I wove my way around them and made it to the platform. I did not have to wait long before the train pulled up. I would not be on long, the transfer stop was only a few stops away. A family (two parents and a young child) had walked on behind me. I had taken one of the only seats that remained, and they were coming my way. As the mother helped the child sit down beside me, I decided to offer my seat to the mother and stood up. The father thanked me several times over. Why did he thank me? I only did the right thing. I got off in a few stops anyway, I can easily withstand standing for a couple minutes. Beyond simply telling them it was really nothing, I got off at the transfer stop and had finished an uneventful ride home. Did I enjoy going people watching? I did, yes. Would I do it again? Maybe when it is less hot and humid. Watching the world tick by, especially in what happens to be one of the most important areas in the entire world is just plain fun. Like I said several months ago, the world is an interesting place. Even someone solitary like myself (besides the young family, I did not speak a word to anyone else) can find something small and fun to do in a place like this. I recognise this is not for everyone but in my opinion, anyone can find something to do. Even if all you want to do is leave.