I used to walk along the long corridor connecting the 4,5,6 lines with the N,R lines almost everyday.  Always thought about it as a journey to transfer from one line to the other, never as a destination… until I met Manuel.

For some reason, that day I noticed this white-haired man sitting quietly on one corner of the station. A cardboard box is set up as a desk in front of him and a small bathroom rug is next to it.  Taped to the wall right above his head is this sign: “Spanish lessons for the executive on the go”.  Next to it, a smaller sign that reads: “Price: $1 for men… free if you are a pretty lady. “

Intrigued, I decided to talk to him. He told me his name is Manuel and he’s 65, originally from Perú.
“How can you teach Spanish right here, my friend?” I ask.

“When you want to learn, you can learn anywhere. And the stations are nice. They make my voice sound very deep, perfect for you to remember what I teach you.”
Good point.  I ask him how long he’s been doing this and he tells me he used to play the accordion in the very same spot. One day the accordion broke and he came up with the idea of the Spanish lessons.
“I even have regulars now.  People who come back from work every night stop by and I teach them the word of the day and check their homework.”

He tells me he makes more money now than when he was playing his accordion. Besides, his old hands can’t play that well now because of his arthritis. I look at his hands and see that two of his fingers are deformed.

“So 1 dollar for a guy but free if you’re a pretty lady, eh?”

“Yes, yes… and there are a lot of pretty ones running around here.”

“So who determines how pretty a lady is, Manuel?  What if you get one that is not that pretty but still wants to get a lesson from you?

“Oh… I tell all of them they are very pretty. Even if they are not so much. But you know? That’s the trick…. They always end up giving me some money after I teach them their world of the day. Ha! I make them happy by telling them the lesson is free because there are really pretty…. And they open up that purse and give me the money.  The less pretty they are, the more money they give me. One gave me 20 dollars a few nights ago.”

Somebody came by, a regular, so I said goodbye to Manuel.

I feel that I, too, have learned an important lesson from him.

∞∞∞

There are ways to avoid the “I am a just a sardine in the middle of a sardine tin” feeling that seems to crawl upon you when you ride the same train day after day.  Just be observant and imaginative and your daily commute can be a journey of discovery.  Here are some suggestions for a more interesting ride:

1- “Ratspotting”
This is a game that requires you to be alert and competitive. Stand close to the rails and look down. For each rat you spot running around the tracks, you get 1 point. The rarer black rats are worth 5 points. A dead one, just half a point.  If you spot one running past by your foot, you get 25 points. If you find one jammin’ and clapping to the music of the Japanese guy playing “My heart will go on” in his weird one-string instrument, get out of the subway. You need fresh air.

2- “Name that announcement”
This game can only be played when you are in a rush to get somewhere. Your partner will be the train conductor. Just put that iPod away and be alert for the next announcement that will come blasting out of the obsolete yet entertaining loudspeakers: “Ladies and genbriiiiiiiiiiiik, because of zaaaaappppppphdi khdihywiuxxhgxixx, this train will grrrrrrrrrreeeeeeetttwww wwhsdhgd;hddjkhdk hdkhkxxissw.”  You can also play as a team with the people sharing your seat. Or play against the seat in front of you.  The team that correctly guesses where the train will take you now, wins.

3- “Mental dating”
Chances are that 99.9 % of the people you will find in the station at any single moment will be ugly. Some will have just an ugly face. Others will combine this with oddly-shaped bodies. Some will top this off with oversized shirts, dirty pants, pimples or synthetic fabrics that will self-combust if they walk too fast.  But if you look enough, you will find the .1 % that will be a vision of beauty.  Just stand close to her/him on the platform.  Come up with a romantic name, like “Penelope” or “Viggo”.  Follow that person into the train and ride very close. Try to stare without being caught and imagine a life together. Undress her/him in your mind.  Brush yourself against her/him as the train breaks. Imagine what your kids will be like. Two or three stations before your destination, it is important you start finding flaws. One station before, have a mental fight.  In this way, you will get the feeling of having loved and lost, which will reinvigorate you as you step off the train and go face another day at work.

∞∞∞