Oh, well.

Context: London

I had almost no money left on my Oyster Card** today and I decided that I am grown-up enough to take the bus from school to home, by myself, without boarding the wrong bus, without paying 4 pounds for the underground, without getting lost. So I did. I boarded the right one. In the right direction. And saved money. But then the bus broke down in the middle of the road, close to the Waterloo underground station. Oh well.

I started walking along the Thames’ south bank, saw the Invisible Man’s suit and his umbrella, Hitler portrayed as a ballerina, Monalisa’s head and a heavy golden frame around it. The south bank was full of street entertainers, book sellers and tourists.

I like London’s pedestrian bridges more than the too big and too famous ones.

Closer to home, I saw a kid jumping through piles of dead leaves - I thought of how nice that feeling must be. On my side of the pavement, the street cleaners had already passed. Because of them, I had to grow up for a moment or two, and think that one day, there will be a pile of leaves around me and someone ready to start a battle. That made me happy.

I had cereals with milk for dinner.

Some people were born grow-ups. I wish them all the best.

When people ask me how old I am, I think 18, and wish for 14. I answer respectfully with my real age and I ask for a fancy drink when all I really fancy is an apricot.

**The fact that 7 million people travel daily through London, and that most of them carry a transportation card called “Oyster” in their IKEA card holders bothers me. Why would one want to carry daily, in their pocket, an object that reminds him/her of the famous Chinese sauce or the not as popular mollusk?