A lesson in patience

I had the most horrendous train ride one morning last week.Well, it was more eye-opening than anything.

A mother got on with her two young boys. My first two thoughts were "Who takes small children on a peak hour service?" and my second "Who brings small children into the Quiet Carriage?". Then I tried to squash these thoughts. Because -
1. She probably had to; and
2. She probably didn't know or if she did, didn't care.

Because these two kids, though angelic-looking, were not very well behaved. I think that's putting it politely. Every minute of the 40-minute journey to their station was spent with mum trying to get them to sit down, stop fighting and stop yelling. Basically, to behave in a socially-acceptable manner in public.

By the end of it my heart was just breaking for her. She was so patient, so consistent. I could tell she was a fan of speaking to her kids like they were adults, and there was nary a "stop that!" to be heard. Instead, she just asked them to behave better, reminding them of where they were going.

And I'd like to give a kudos to my fellow passengers too. There wasn't any tsk-tsking, rolling eyes or big sighs. Nobody told her to keep her kids under control, or suggest she leave the Quiet Carriage.

When she finally got off, still encouraging her unruly children instead of rousing, I thought - THAT COULD BE ME ONE DAY. And also I HOPE I'M A MUM LIKE HER.

I got a lesson in patience, something I think we all could do with from time to time.

The Locomotion

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This morning my commute was marred by a thoughtless person and their loud music. Undeterred, I put in my own earphones to try and at least counter their obnoxious rap with something more soothing. Luckily, playing my own music softly was enough to drown out their noise.

I ride daily in the "Quiet Carriage", a wonderful initiative of Queensland Rail and something I have been waiting for since discovering the “mobile-free” carriages on Virgin trains in the UK some years ago. I love the fact that most of the time, people talk quietly or not at all, and if they play music, it is done quietly. I’m free to read twitter or a book in peace, periodically staring out of the window and getting lost in daydreams.

I have always enjoyed the romanticism of train travel. Stretching back to my childhood to when I first read Murder on the Orient Express, locomotives have always held a certain charm. I enjoy the rhythmic sound of the wheels on the track, the speed which makes the countryside fly past, the relentless movement in a certain direction. You know where trains are going, and can have faith that they will stop – unlike buses, which make me uneasy. You never know where a bus is going to go. This love of trains has recently inspired a desire to travel one of Australia’s great rail journeys – we have quite a few, but I would love to go on The Ghan. Cutting Australia down the middle, The Ghan takes travelers on a trip through the heart of the outback in style. My mother was lucky enough to be chosen as a travel companion for my nanna on one of her last trips, and they went Gold Class all the way – needless to say, I was jealous of her tales of silver, linen napkins, sparkling glassware, amazing wine and an evening turndown service.

And of course there are the other great rail journeys of the world – The Rocky Mountains, The New Zealand Trans-Alpine, The Trans-Siberian railway – and yes, even the Orient Express. All beckon me with the promise of experiencing something not quite a part of this modern world of planes, buses and cars. Trains, despite my daily commute, retain a certain something of the past to me, leftover from an era when the great locomotives of Europe ran from Istanbul to Calais, and men in three piece suits enjoyed a cigar after dinner with their brandy.

Have you been on any great train journeys?

Car vs Train

With my new job came a new mode of transport: the car. Ever since I had moved to Brisbane 5 years ago, I had always taken the train to work. This new job was not in the city, so now I drive.

The costs are about the same in terms of weekly train tickets versus petrol. But the stress? Oh so very different. I must confess: I do not like driving to and from work. Here's why.

Traffic.

I have a manual car. Before taking this job, I rarely drove it in traffic. Now, every single afternoon (and sometimes the mornings too) are a jam. It's a pain in the rear. I'm longing for the days of yore, when the only thing I had to worry about was not having to sit next to a smelly person in those tiny seats on the train.

But soon, my new work is relocating back to the city! Hurray! I get to train it again. And read. I miss reading a book most of all, I think. No reading when you're driving. Not recommended.

On Travel

I don't often undertake long car journeys, but today I drove over 2 hours straight to reach my parents' farm. Once out of the city, it's a pretty straight shot up the highway so my mind can dangerously wander.
What never fails to amaze me is how the brain can always be thinking of two or three things at once yet still undertake all the responsibility of driving.
When I worked in a 24hr call centre some time ago, I used to drive 20mins to and from work. Sometimes, coming off a night shift at 2 or 3am, I would commence my commute and then, seemingly almost an instant later, I would come to myself and find I was pulling in my driveway. The scary part? I recalled almost nothing of the journey! It's like I had a driving autopilot that could go through the motions whilst my brain took a short break from reality.
Luckily that hasn't happened in some time.
I always find it interesting also that I get just as tired being a car passenger, as being the driver. What is it about car travel that is so tiring? The forced inaction perhaps? I doubt I'll ever know anyway.
Since getting a job in the city I have discovered the joys of train travel. I had undertaken train journeys before - in Europe, the UK and SE Asia, but never a commuter train. I now have a 45min ride each way and it has allowed me to get a lot of reading done, but I'm yearning for something a little more productive. I could almost consider this commute 'wasted time' except for the wonderful company of Georgette Heyer, Patrick O'Brien, Jane Green, Terry Pratchett, Kerry Greenwood and so many others.
I hope to get a laptop soon. Then maybe I can blog on the way. I guess we'll see.