This morning at Chancery Lane, I hopped onto Central line. Straight to Nottinghill Gate - 20 minutes tops. Took a short cut onto the platform to catch my 2nd and final train, just one stop - usually takes 4 minutes max. As I near the stair case I see a sea of people coming down the stairs from the direction of the platform - a sign that my train has arrived and is on the platform. I sprint, half way up the stairs the doors of the train shut.
I slowly walk onto the platform, I look at the forelonely at the tail of train as it snaked its way out the station. Looking up at the digital train time notification board thingie, it says : Cirle Line and Hammersmith and City Line, no indication of time - as usuall. How helpful is that?
Five minutes, nothing, 10 minutes pass, still no update. The clock is nearing 9am, my start time, still no train! After 15 minutes of a dead end wait, an announcement. "There are no trains from this platform, there is an engineering problem in Edgware". Smashing! Instantly there are underground workers on the now full platform ushering us off the platform. At this stage, Im fuming.
Im thinking, how helpful! To tell us there are problems after waiting for over 15 minutes. Now we have to trek a good 25 minutes, on foot! Or to some luckier individual - take a bus. I fell in the catergory of the unfortunates, I only had a single journey on my oyster and no cash in hand to top- up at the station.
To cut a long story short. I had a nightmarish morning, this morning. Armed with my south african tunes ringing in my ears, I start my 25 minutes trek which I was determined to trim it down to 15 or 20 minutes. Ten minutes down the line, Im nearing Mc Donalds on High street kensington. Gospel singer Rebecca Malope's lively tune is blasting in my ears.
Im focused and determined to get to work in record time, but I cant help notice this dude staring at me as he heads toward Mc D's entrance. Im thinking, "I wonder what he's staring at me for". As he's opening the door, in the background, I hear a faint " Sawubona", coming from the direction of this stranger. Sawubona means hello in Zulu. I smile back, I reply in zulu.
I was grinning all the way to the office. Isn't it funny how we recognize our own. No matter where we may be in the universe, the uniqueness of our skin tones or facial and physical structures, our accents - all tell a story or our origins, where we come from. Lets be proud of where we come from and pave the right foundations to ensure that we are going is to a brighter future and leave a mark in this world for all generations to come. I leave you with two simple questions: do you have a purpose in life? And where you come from - are they proud of who you are or who you are becoming?
Five minutes, nothing, 10 minutes pass, still no update. The clock is nearing 9am, my start time, still no train! After 15 minutes of a dead end wait, an announcement. "There are no trains from this platform, there is an engineering problem in Edgware". Smashing! Instantly there are underground workers on the now full platform ushering us off the platform. At this stage, Im fuming.
Im thinking, how helpful! To tell us there are problems after waiting for over 15 minutes. Now we have to trek a good 25 minutes, on foot! Or to some luckier individual - take a bus. I fell in the catergory of the unfortunates, I only had a single journey on my oyster and no cash in hand to top- up at the station.
To cut a long story short. I had a nightmarish morning, this morning. Armed with my south african tunes ringing in my ears, I start my 25 minutes trek which I was determined to trim it down to 15 or 20 minutes. Ten minutes down the line, Im nearing Mc Donalds on High street kensington. Gospel singer Rebecca Malope's lively tune is blasting in my ears.
Im focused and determined to get to work in record time, but I cant help notice this dude staring at me as he heads toward Mc D's entrance. Im thinking, "I wonder what he's staring at me for". As he's opening the door, in the background, I hear a faint " Sawubona", coming from the direction of this stranger. Sawubona means hello in Zulu. I smile back, I reply in zulu.
I was grinning all the way to the office. Isn't it funny how we recognize our own. No matter where we may be in the universe, the uniqueness of our skin tones or facial and physical structures, our accents - all tell a story or our origins, where we come from. Lets be proud of where we come from and pave the right foundations to ensure that we are going is to a brighter future and leave a mark in this world for all generations to come. I leave you with two simple questions: do you have a purpose in life? And where you come from - are they proud of who you are or who you are becoming?
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