OBSERVATIONS: My rush for the 17h11

It is 4:55 pm and I am anxious. Will I make it? Will the people allow me?

For the last 6 months I am doing an internship at the JW Marriott hotel in Cannes while still living in Nice. My daily commute is by train from Nice to Cannes and back. A train ride that in itself is a breeze and probably the most beautiful commute one could hope for. With the Mediterranean Sea on one side, the morning gives me a beautiful view of the first rays of the sun dancing on the calm waters; and the evening brings forth a radiant glow on the sky and the waters taking me to a different world altogether. It is truly heavenly!

However, to experience this is a challenge every morning and also in the evening. The morning train that I usually like to take is the one that leaves Nice Ville at 08h02 that reaches me at 08h35, permitting me to buy a cup of coffee and enjoy it on the Croisette; sitting on a bench and looking out on to the serene hills to the extreme right of Cannes and the multi-million dollar yachts to my left and the endless sea (sometimes spotted with monstrous cruise ships) straight-ahead. Then, there is the 08h06 train that reaches me at 08h48, allowing me exactly the 10 minutes to walk to my hotel and the 2 minutes to walk down to my office to be on time at 09h00. The morning run to the train station, as it normally is rather than a relaxed walk, is thanks to my procrastination to get up on time. When I reach on time, I am elated and nothing can compare that feeling of happiness when you know that you did everything right on time since getting up! This morning run, however is due to my own actions and can't really fault anyone with that. It has at least forced me to exercise a bit; although for a couple minutes of the uphill run.......

The trains are seldom on time when I arrive at the station on time, be it in the morning or in the evening. And, Murphy's law seems to prevail every time I arrive at the station on time and the train is late. I can safely say, that out of the 10 trains I take during the work-week, 7 of them are late. But, they will always be on time when I am late.

The evening is another chore altogether. If I am out the office door exactly at 17h00, I reach the train station exactly on time for the 17h11 train (if it is on time). This journey from my office to the train station is an adventure of sorts. It is fraught with risks. And, I can't even plan it properly although I have been doing for the last so many months. The risks are - people!

Rue d'Antibes is the main shopping street in Cannes and unfortunately my route to the train station. It is filled with people and it's a very narrow street. It has very narrow pavements and a very narrow one-way street, always filled with cars and crazy two-wheelers winding their way through this mess; sometimes even through the pavements.

It has really been an interesting, although quite irritating at times, experience. People watching has been at its best. The single most important thing that I have learned is that "PEOPLE DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT WALK STRAIGHT". Especially, people with dogs. I love dogs, but the infatuation with dogs in France has to be seen to be believed. I sometimes wonder if it's even a love for dogs for the French; because some of them would more appropriately be classified as 'rats'.

Yes, I understand that it's a shopping street and that people will look around. But, sometimes it is no less than walking through a mine-field. I can easily liken the dangers of a mine-field to walking on Rue d'Antibes; more so if you want to get somewhere on time. People walking hand-in-hand will walk tirelessly slow, not even looking at the shops but reveling in their own world of love. They will also take up the center of the pavement so you can't even go past them unless you push them aside or ask them hurriedly to move out of your way. Old people will also walk slow, but they are more predictable in their speeds. But, they have a tendency to suddenly stop and admire something. And, considering that they are old, and that I am walking really fast and not to knock them over, I have run the risk of banging into someone or something or someone banging into me because, either I have to change direction or stop very suddenly.

Then, the most dangerous of all - kids. They are extremely unpredictable in their speeds, their direction and every thing else. Avoiding them, rather avoiding hurting them is the most challenging. And, their parents for some reason don't really care where and how their kids wander around on such a busy street. Sometimes, families walk in a single horizontal line taking up the entire pavement.

For other age groups in general, I am less considerate when their walking bears resemblance to nothing more than a random walk. It is also quite funny sometimes when people walking straight would all of a sudden, within the blink of an eye change direction and come right in your way. Then, I also have people bumping into me from all directions. Moreover, to top it all, there are really well-dressed and polished looking people asking for money. They will greet you very nicely and then ask you for money. I have realized now, not to even pay any attention to these people.

Quite fortunately, the last 6 months through this mine-field have gone by without any major incident. But, I have indeed missed my train a few times. My anxiety continues to persist. Will I make the 17h11? I don't have to worry much longer as I finish my internship on the 31st of December, But, I shall definitely miss this daily evening adventure.