I hate the commute to and from work. I hate spending wedged in between people in a long rectangular box every morning and night.

There are people reading, listening to their music, but mostly staring down on their cellphones. Young and old, it doesn't matter. You are either playing games, text messaging, reading, watching TV...

At first it was amusing studying people, but now I am so tired all the time that I don't even care, I just really want the person sitting down in front of me to get up and off so I can take their place and try to sleep but not so deep that I miss my stop. I did that once. Wasted my time and money on an already busy morning to work.

When the metro it packed, it's packed. Packed. PACKED! Like salami stuck together. You are moving as one, probably not because you wish to, but because you're pushed to. No more readings then. No space for you to lift that reading material in front of you. Mornings are especially bad. People here are incredible at lining up in front of the metro doors, in double lines. But when those doors open and it's time to enter, it's crazy pushing time.

The sound of the hurrying feet of the pack on their way to work... Maybe it's because I never commuted in such a way before, it wasn't like this in Paris, and I never took the train in Auckland, but I tell you, it's impressive. But I don't really like it. Just bearing it.

I will be in Osaka, Japan, when this post goes up. I wonder how it will be in Japan. I may never know, though, because I will probably opt for walking as much as possible.