Having forgotten to take my book on the Metro this morning, and then discovering that the battery in my MP3 player was dead, I spent 20 minutes investigating what my fellow travellers were reading! Yes, I was bored.
Top place went to the variety of free newspapers that can be picked up outside various shops, or are handed out on the streets (20 Minutos, Que and ADN). I normally get a copy of 20 Minutos at the top of the Metro stairs on the way to my early class at the Ministry of the Environment. It's handed to me by a man whose face I have never seen. Come rain or shine, he's bundled up in a waterproof jacket, gloves, hat and a scarf that's wrapped around his face only leaving his eyes exposed. Still, his eyes appear to be smiling and there's usually a muffled "Hola". Maybe once summer comes, I'll actually find out what he looks like!
One very geeky, terribly small, thin man who looked about as far removed from a football fan as anyone I've ever seen was dissecting his copy of Marca, the Real Madrid official paper.
No less than 3 people were reading whatever that damn red and black book is by the author that died before publication of the final part (someone please tell me what it is!).
2 people (and 2 yesterday) were reading the same book by H P Lovecraft - not something I've noticed before, and all their copies looked very shiny and new, so I'm guessing somewhere there's a new edition out or they're all on sale.
The man next to me was reading a very dull-looking document he clearly had to revise either for work or for a test. I'm not sure how all his markings will have helped as he had highlighted and underlined in red every single word of every sentence!
A guy standing up was trying valiantly to read the biggest hardback book I've ever seen. It looked like it weighed a ton and required both his hands to hold it which consequently meant that every time the train lurched, so did he. Hope it was worth the risk of injury!
And the girl next to me was reading the instruction book for her new mobile phone. I certainly wish she'd gone straight to the section on how to turn off that irritating beeping noise that the keys make when you first get a phone!
And that was that. My journey of nosiness was over. Really must remember my book in future otherwise you might be subjected to this kind of blog again. Bet you really hope not!
