Even after the advent of smartphones, public commutes (especially buses) continue to serve as my sanctuary for downtime and me time. It allows my mind to process the series of events during the day, to sit and gather with my thoughts when they are far remote from noise and let my mind wander and entertain whatever it wants. I look forward to reading in buses and trains and even coming up with ideas, or use the time to recharge mentally and physically. Since private cars have become an increasing commodity, I look forward to my solo commutes even more than I ever did before. It takes a lot more effort lately in face of the continuous promotion by Grab and Uber, the fact that my office is closer to home now and the irresistible need to sleep longer. But these commutes are necessary as they serve as that space for nothingness, that blankness to just be, lest I want to move without pauses from one task to another, like running on an autopilot. This is how I view my walks, cycling trips an