The Mall

A diary entry from the 14th of March, 2021.

- Look, it's so pretty! - It was, indeed, pretty. Blue domes of some church contrasted with gray clouds and rare snowflakes. I tried to hold my head still to not disturb punctures on the skin. The pain wasn't unbearable, of course, but annoying and unpleasant. It's all good as long as it helps.

We went past the church and hid in the subway. I always spend a lot of time here, on long escalators and in numerous carriages taking me around the city. And whenever I have someone to hug while standing on the escalator I am happy; urban lifestyle at it's finest. We hurtled down on moving stairs and crammed ourselves into a carriage. Old stations are gorgeous: there are stained glass paintings and wall carvings all over the place, sometimes there are statues. In every station you see a plate with names of architects who built the place and dates when it was built. I usually don't stop by to admire the beauty, but I know it's there and never miss a chance to glance over the architectural marvels.

Newer stations, like the one we arrived at, aren't as interesting, but some of them still catch an eye with unusual forms and colors. This one had a particulary annoying feature: three short escalators instead of a long one. We stepped outside and headed to the mall: one of the biggest in the city, I suppose, another architectural creation. The beauty is questionable, but the building is designed perfectly to make people spend as much time and money in it as possible, this should be given some credit.

But it's not the most interesting thing in these malls. Whenever you happen to be in one during a weekend - have a look at people. You can always see a lot of dyed hair, interesting clothes, overhear a few conversations. A rich source for inspiration and a good refresher for a nerd who rarely sees people outside their home and class.

There was a girl with rainbow-colored bag, acidic green hair, pale skin and freckles in one of the stores. I saw a couple, wearing all-black clothes, and she had a hoodie with light blue cat ears on top. There were a few people with chockers, a bunch of teens with their ears pierced multiple times and numerous weird clothing items that I couldn't imagine anyone would wear. A cap with thin chains hanging from it, like a small chandelier, would be a good example of that.

By the end of this shopping endevaour I was barely able to stand. We had a short break in some cafe with syrprisingly good smoothies. Come to think of it, this might have been the first time I ever ordered one. A girl at the counter had white undercut and handled both cashier and "kitchen" single handedly, sipping orange juice in short breaks. We sat there, masks and phones on the small table, drinking thick colorful smoothies and staring at people walking around the place.