Sonder

n. the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

I like the walks I take to and from my lectures. In Singapore, I often just take the MRT to wherever I want to go and retreat into the small world of my mobile phone. 

It is wonderful to walk around, breathe in some fresh air, and notice how other people are doing. That's the best part. Although I walk fast (probably faster than 90% of the people here), I take the effort to observe those around me.

That lady in front smiling - perhaps a promotion, her wedding anniversary, her husband successfully battling cancer?

That man frowning - stress from work, early onset of clinical depression, or just naturally grumpy?

That tourist taking a photo of my college - just as a keepsake or to spur his child on to come to study here?

I don't know. I guess imagining what others are thinking just lets my mind wander for a while, a brief respite from the mundanity of everyday life.