April 04, 2006

Underground & 'Transiders'

Last Friday, I went to CC Mouraria as I wanted to buy some hair for plaits to send to Aichatou (they didn't have the brand you wanted, I'll keep on looking).
Now, say underground and repeat it:
1. The shopping center has a ground floor and two underground floors.
2. Go there and to Picoas Plaza afterwards and you suddenly feel like Manila and Lisbon aren't all that different. I just spotted the differences faster in the Philippines... Probably because in Lisbon I'm in the middle of both worlds while in the Philippines I lived in that sort of parallel universe that most of the humanitarian workers live in.

Eternally aliens or 'transiders' (as in not-insiders and not-outsiders).
A 'transider' is someone who changes his/her mind every other minute from feeling comfortable to a complete stranger while walking around CC Mouraria or while he/she is sitting on a nice coffeeshop in downtown Lisbon (Paris/London/Madrid) or browsing in some souk in Morocco or while working at a clinic in the middle of any African country or... wherever actually.

There are three situations where he/she feels at home:
i) in front of a stop sign;
ii) lying on a beach, with a cold beer (or the possibility of it) nearby;
iii) at the airport (any airport), buying the latest newspapers, some cigarrettes/candies and choosing the next book to purchase.

To all of you 'transiders', wherever you are.
Love, Susie

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great post.
I had warned you about CC Mouraria, didn't I? ;)
From one "transider" to another, there is a fourth place where I always feel at home...

In front of a computer.

Susana G Santos said...

Did you? I wouldn't think you knew it! Lol!!
As for computers, for me they aren't home but a bit like a swiss knife, you ain't complete without one in your luggage (or nearby, at least).