May Contain Bolts

The following was typed on my phone on the train trip home after a prefect assembly rehearsal. I’d like to thank Peter again for the lift to Epping. A shoutout to Carol, Bosco and Swami too.

So, i’m on the train back home from school on this Thursday afternoon. It’s 5:30, all traces of the sun are almost gone and dim glow of the artificial lamps light the way. It’s the day before our exeunt – the big prefect finale assembly, and we’ve been practicing long and hard on our songs and dances (much credit to Nicole for her awesome work on choreography), hoping to leave an impression that is at least better than last year’s.

It seems that we as prefects have been cursed. Ever since last year when Prat dropped the flame in the torch, we’ve been tortured with the rumbling grey clouds of misery at every event that we’ve had. Daffodil day, games day, 3on3. The gods do not smile on us unfortunately.

The others standing around scramble to the newly freed seats as I lean on the central pole. A flood of people enter at Rhodes, refilling the area with conversation and strange glances at my erroneous tapping on my phone. For some reason, I never feel compelled to sit on the empty seats which are next to the people who sit on the 3-seaters. I’d rather stand – maybe because I’m scared. Why? I mean, they’re not going to say no (unless you’re really unlucky and get some douche). I guess it’s a self confidence thing. No, not even that. Lower?

Heh, the doors in front of take forever to open at North Strathfield. The woman waiting paitiently in front of me, holding her groceries in one hand and an umbrella in another is probably getting angry. I don’t know whether I’ve talked about this before, but patience is something that seems to be wearing thin these days. We want everything now. That web page to load. That train to come. The HSC to be over. The saying ‘good things come to those who wait’ springs to mind, but I can’t actually think of an example where that has held true.

It’s 5:48, and the train literally empties at Strathfield. Like droves of sheep parading out of the carriage. Yet even then, the train remains relatively packed. I grab a seat downstairs, and people give me ‘wtf?’ stares as I take a picture out of the window.

Public transport seems to have got more reliable. And yes, ’seems’ is being used very loosely here (Hamlet). I haven’t had a look at the new proposed timetables, but apparently they’re up at 131500.info. I remember back in year 7 when I caught the Parramatta bus – the North Sydney would ALWAYS be delayed. In fact, you could be guaranteed that it would come late more often than it would be on time. And then once you reached Redfern…the Illawarra trains were always messed up. Us little ignorant, carefree minions would run for platform 12, and occasionally we’d be able to catch (or if we were unlucky, catch a glimpse of) the shiny new millennium train Cronulla service.

Heh, so many crazy things went on back then. One time when there was a suspected gas leak at Town Hall or something, we were all stranded at Redfern – all the trains literally came to Redfern snd just…stopped. This was back when I was on pre-paid, and many calls that day were made to 131500 just to hear an automated message drone the same thing as I passed the phone around us Hurstvillites.

6:02 – 1 min on the screen at the top of Redfern. A feeling of adrenaline as I make a mad dash for the Cronulla train. Dodging. Weaving. Running. Escalator.

What an anti-climax. The train’s not even here yet.

6:10 and it’s Sydenham. Someone’s got their iPod blasting so loudly that I can hear The Pussycat Dolls totally butcher Jai Ho. How can you even listen to music that loud? Are you deaf yet? What? I can’t hear you.

I feel really hungry right now. I managed to sneak eating my lunch everytime the teached looked away during chem, as Pvh made us come back during recess (where after having Bal explain his section which only took 2 mins, failed to show up until a minute before the bell, and made us come back at lunch) and lunch (aside from phys, dance practice. Gah, I was so lost after missing 1.5 sessions >.<).

Oh crap. I just realised I ran for and got on the all stops (or a misleadingly labelled ‘limited stops’). Ah well, same time as the next train anyway. Lousy misleading ‘Waterfall’ (usually a fast train).

I don’t actually remember what foods I love anymore. Chicken is in the like pile, as is ham. I think it was this dish called Bak Kuh Teh in Malaysia that I love. I think it literally translates to beef bone leg or soup or something.

I seem to not be able to remember what I’ve blogged about before…I apologize if I’m repeating myself. Anyway, 6:22 and the train’s at Kogarah. Got a lot of things to work on tonight before tomorrow. I hope you guys enjoy what we have planned.