Breaking The Daily Rituals: Trip to The Capital.
Sometimes you just have a terrible, itchy feeling shivering down your spine. Use both your arms to attack it from every side, yet still unable to reach it. To scratch the itch. Sometimes that itch is to go back to the Capital. When the days are longer and the constant routine within the college city makes the air feel heavier. Similar to a death sentence, if you’re rather dramatic. Which I am. When you find yourself nostalgic for the worst time in your life, even though it was okay because you were younger and naïve, and you thought you knew it all.
Used to go to The Capital a whole bunch in my teenage years. My friends and I would put on our best city outfits and wait for the train at our local station. Standing out like a sore thumb. With coloured hair and outfits that small Irish town wouldn’t see often. First thing in the morning, you’d be getting stared at. Got barked at once on the 8 AM train with my ex-lover on our way to the Capitol. She saw herself as a punk, you see. Always overdressed. Always DIY. Always standing out. Not that I exactly fit in either. Depending on my mood, I could have a 2020 emo or dark academia look. Regardless, a group of us used to travel up together. Mothers back home are worrying and saying how much they hate The Capital. How it’s a shit hole. It is, to be fair, but there is something so wonderful in between all the violence and drugs. We had our go-to spots. Routines. Rituals. Used to make a whole day off it. Come back to Mother so tired that I’d be nonverbal come nightfall. All my words were used throughout the day. Flop down on my bed as my feet stung and my fingers typed constantly, sending photos and videos to my friends. I have always loved the Capital. I have always loved my friends. I have always loved taking photos.
Decided on a whim with [Redacted] and [Redacted 2] from the comfort of our cosy college apartment couches, that we need a change. Happens all the time. The itch. That need to up and run away. Break of pace to the daily rituals we perform. Within a matter of minutes, we decided to go to The Capital. A day off for the three is us. Asked the other Two Roommates and [Redacted 3] over a bottle of rosé, the night before our departure, if they’d like to join. Couldn’t. All had plans or work. That is the downside to constantly coming up with last-minute plans. Wouldn’t change it for the world though. Keeps things fun.
Slept in. Booked a later train. Danced around my room in the early hours of the morning, playing early-2000s club music while doing the most natural makeup look I could manage. Already worried about it sweating off. Elderly regulars in The Shop keep warning me of the coming heat. They believe I am a natural redhead and, as such, am in more danger from the sun. I am not a natural redhead; however, I quite like this lie I have going on. [Redacted 4] only found out this colour isn’t my natural hair a few days ago. We’ve known each other for months. She’s s a natural redhead. She was shocked. Said she couldn’t believe it. I like this lie. It’s harmless. Hairless. Moving on.
Met with [Redacted] and [Redacted 2], all dressed up, ready to go to The Capital. Some things never change.
on the train
All sat together at a sorry excuse for a table. A slimmer of plastic. [Redacted 2] drew [Redacted] and me as we tried to name all the countries in the world. Turns out we collectively know a good amount. Gave up somewhere between Cyprus and Malta. Decided we can’t play two truths and a lie because we already know too much about each other. Got sent into a trance watching [Redacted 2] draw. Spitting to help blend her water paints and accidentally eating the paint. Watching the colours mix and blend together and her hand as she added details onto [Redacted’ s] hat. Sometimes I get rather jealous of my friend’s artistic expression and creations. Could call it artistic talent, but talent can only get you so far, and it feels slightly insulting to say after watching all of them pour their everything into their work this past year. The constant back-to-back nights, the sitting-room breakdowns as deadlines drew closer, and the ever-growing pile of work. Looked through the sixty-seven mii’s [Redacted 2] has created over the years.
Ended up playing a round of Dress To Impress on our phones before giving up due to the constant lag, but not before I created a sickly, terrifying version of [Redacted].
The train journey felt incredibly short as we all left the safety of air conditioning for the sweaty streets of The Capital.
The Capital.
Endured the longest walk from the train station, only to hop on another train immediately. An elderly man in a fancy-looking suit is talking to us about the price of nails. Not that I could really hear him. Stomachs begging to be fed before our adventure. Sat on a monument in the middle of the Capital. A tour guide group is hearing all about the tragic history while watching us shove fast food down our throats. Believed [Redacted 2] had gone insane looking for some guy from some movie. Waved at every train that went past us. Didn’t get a wave back. Jumped off the monument and continued our journey on foot.
First stop: Boba. One of the best Boba shops in The Capital. Used to go here with [Redacted 5] whenever we met up. Went to a very similar one with [Redacted 6] all the time during that period when I had to come to The Capital every day for a course. Met [Redacted 5] and [Redacted 6] there. Developed a terrible addiction to Boba at that time, with the amount I would drink it with those two. Every time I drink Boba, I think of [Redacted 6]. Conditioned.
Sat with [Redacted], admiring the paintings on the wall as [Redacted 2] ordered her drink.
Second Spot: The Market.
[Redacted 2] had never been to The Market. She’s only been to The Capital a handful of times. Earlier in the morning, [Redacted] told me they wanted to wander The Market and thought [Redacted 2] would enjoy some of the tarot and jewellery stands.
Made it to The Market. Branched off from the other two to indulge in my nerd ways. The K-pop stall I have been going to since I was thirteen. It has changed a lot over the years. Even this time, the walls were full of vending machines, and the K-pop selection had shrunk so much. So much so that I felt my heart dampen for a moment as I suddenly remembered every other time I had stepped into that stall over the last nine years. Bought some Stray Kids merch and a K-pop photo card album because I have been in desperate need of one.
Found the other two within minutes. Walked around an alternate retro stall before deciding it was too overpriced for us. Looked around at everything. Admired some of the art on sale. Found Mario hats and had to take photos of us wearing them, given how obsessed our entire apartment has become with Mario Kart since Summer started.
Explored further into the market. Found a jewellery stand, the three of us stood around admiring the shining objects. Realised all of our mothers used to call us magpies as children. All three of us are little thieves. I couldn’t go into any house as a child without picking something up. Most of the fridge magnets did not belong to us but ended up on our fridge because of my wandering little hands.
Third Sport: The Asian Market
Only a few steps from The Market. A classic choice for stopping off and stocking up on snacks. Looks small when you first enter the shop, but then you turn the corner into an entire convenience store. Wandered around picking up random bits and bobs. You know yourself. Sweet and salty. Packaging you can’t understand. An old New Jeans Pepero stand that reminds you of their fate. The classic yellow bag. Got a whole bunch of stuff. My favourite bread, which I can only find at this market. A sweet and soft bread with Oreo filling in the middle. The type of food that makes your mouth water just thinking about it. Some orange jelly, knock-off Pocky, and a fish-shaped wafer. Realised time was flying by in an inhumane manner.
Left the Asian Market and immediately got a bit lost. Ended up rerouting ourselves and running into a man. A man who stopped us by shouting at [Redacted 2] something along the lines of, “Oh my god! You should be arrested!… for looking so beautiful”. Told us he is from our college city, got excited when he realised we are Irish and proceeded to ask us for a euro.
Fourth Spot: Shopping
Upon realising the time, we decided our needed shopping trip was overdue. Ran back into the centre of The Capital. Found a cute vintage-style photo booth within an overpriced thrift shop. The booth was too small for all of us, so the three very uncoordinated people tried to run in and out of the photo booth in between clicks. Safe to say, it did not end well. It’s cute. How messy the photo strips ended up. Trying to run in and out, tripping over yourself as you try to close the red velvet curtain behind you. The mess of it all. Didn’t actually end up getting anything there because, once again, it was overpriced. Passed by The Pink Shop, I used to go into all the time as a teenager. Stopped in just before they closed. Didn’t see the dog they keep downstairs. Thought [Redacted 2] would enjoy it there if we had more time. Continued on foot. Further into the centre. Time is catching up to us, threatening to cut us down to our heels if we don't pick up the pace. Kept an eye out for the famous Bush Guy. Dresses up as a bush and waits around The Capital to scare people.
Made it to our main shopping destination half an hour before they closed. Massive Sale. Red labels on nearly every piece of clothing. 30%, 40% and 20% off. Workers are shouting “five minutes until we close” as I grab whatever I can get my hands on. I turn into a filthy animal in shops. Terrible shopping addiction I do. Capitalist wet dream. Really need to get that under control. Grabbed shorts and other bits and bobs. Saw [Redacted] and [Redacted 2] with their own handfuls of clothing. The dressing room line wrapped around the corner as I stood in line for the only self-checkout that worked. Three of us were leaving all happy with our purchases as we got on the train. The wrong train. Heading the wrong direction. Hopped off at the next stop and got the correct train. Beginning our journey back to our cosy college apartment.