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March 30, 2004
World Class Transport
Is the MRT a world class transport system? Well, I think it has a long way to go.
New York's Subway celebrates its 100th anniversary. And I know the grime and dirt doesn't quite let people think of "world-class". For me, it is wonderful and in a class of its own. I figured out on my second/third day in New York and it brought me places, so many places in New York and showed me so much of New York City. So many people take the train. The rich, the poor and young/old and everybody. And I learnt so much from the people I spoke to on the train, to clutching my purse real tight to prevent any snatch thieves. I made mental notes to read various books from so many commuters who do read on the train and I became friends with this guy because we were reading the same book on the Subway.
The buskers at the train stations are also incredibly spirited. Each station has a different pulse, a different beat. Canal St has the Chinese man playing the gu zheng. Union Square Station has hip hop dancers and jazz musicians. I remember once I was changing platforms. On the first platform I got off the train on, there is this man singing a country ditty. Then as I walked past one platform to get to my platform, I heard a man singing a heart-wrenching rendition of Love Me Tender. As I finally reached my platform, I heard instead, a sweet tune of Jazz. And I laughed because it's like different radio stations, all in the same train station.
So I guess, it's world-class because it brings me places and it's world-class because it has spirit, soul and life.
Posted by lainey at March 30, 2004 09:07 AM