miércoles, 9 de agosto de 2017

It feels like home...

First time in England that I felt like in my hometown... but it was one of those things that are not enjoyable. Since I have been here, despite the fact that the transport system is much better than in Mexico, I complain about the inflexibility of the scheme which contrasts with that of London where is very flexible but still efficient and systematic.  In Mexico, the transport is very flexible, and bus drivers tend to be very flexible as well, to the point where basically the order of the system is its stochasticity. Today happened a similar thing that use to occur in Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico. Long story short, the bus driver was not able to pick me or charge me with my student discount, 100 meters before another bus stop because the computer that prints the tickets was not able to produce a discounted one from that stop to Durham Bus Station. Although, 100 meters later there was not a problem. In Nezahualcoyotl I used to complain about a similar thing. The vans that take you from Pantitlan metro station to the neighbourhood Perla-Reforma, do not charge you in advance, but just before you are going to get off it. So, my stop was just crossing a street called Carmelo Pérez, but after crossing they used to charge me one more peso, but that did not happen just before crossing the street. Among the flexibility, of the Mexican van based transport system there are nuances that, at some point, coinciding with the inflexibility of the Durham bus based transport system.

Matthew Jimmison Follow - Arriva North East: 2839 / YJ08XBV https://www.flickr.com/photos/127079988@N02/27197827971

If you have seen Little Britain, you must know "the computer says no" lady; well the guy that was not allowed to pick me from a bus stop 100 meters away from the "correct" one, told me: "The computer says no". Oh well, I little walk has not harmed anyone.

lunes, 17 de julio de 2017

The Academic Pensieve: Between the muggles and the wizards

"Oh, poof. Who cares about academic respect?" [...] "My novels are going to be interesting and are going to sell and be famous. What's the use of writing books unless you sell them and become well-known? I don't want just some old professors to know me. It's got to be everybody."