City at Night

I remember when I was young and we have to travel far for the first time to transfer to another place, I sat by the window of the train. It was the first time I ever traveled far and on a train. As it was a 10 hour journey, I have seen many beautiful types of scenery – the green mountains, the tall coconut trees, the vast ocean and the rivers, they all fascinated me. However, after seeing for the first time the city lights from far away, I thought they are beautiful, as if the lights are dancing in the moonlight, like there are many candle lighted from far away or it’s as if the bright stars are just there, so near and in my grasps.

As I grow old, and since I am fond of watching movies, I observed that there are many romantic scenes where lovers are near at the edge of a mountain and were looking at the city at night. I guess because it adds that aura, that feeling that the lovers were all alone but they knew that there were people at the city and it gave them excitement or thrill.  Another scene would be where a man or a woman was just standing or sitting near the edge and was looking at the city at night. Here, it was used usually to depict the sadness, loneliness that they are feeling or that they are contemplating things like changes in their life or hard decisions they had to face or they may even think of ending their life.

When I worked in the city and traveled by bus looking out the window, the city at night then had a different effect on me. I can see many people in a rush; they are like a hodgepodge of walking dolls with blank faces. I wondered if I am one of those people, does someone who was also on a bus looked out from its window have seen me. Does this person have thought about these people that were in a hurry? Then as I looked up at the buildings, especially condominiums or apartment buildings, I thought about those people inside that house. How does their house look like? What are they doing? What are they thinking? What are their problems? Are they alone or with someone? Are they single or married? Are they happy or sad? Are they listening to music? Are they reading a book? These things just conjured up in my mind, maybe because at that time I am sad and somewhat philosophical in my views. However, these things still lingers in my mind especially if I travel and saw the city at night.

How about you dear readers, what are your thoughts when you are travelling and see the city at night?