He sat at the cafe, watching the people in front of him, pass him by.

He saw people who looked happy and he wondered to himself, “Why do they look so happy?”

He saw people who looked sad and he wondered to himself, “Why do they look so sad?”

Then, he made up stories of their pasts to match their faces.

Stories why.

“I would encourage anyone to travel alone.” To get out of their bubble world. To learn stories about others. Lessons about themselves. To learn stories so sad yours is not worth a mention, that it pales in significance , and you don’t feel so bad anymore. To learn things so happy others pale in comparison thereafter. It is with these stranger-friends you meet along your journey in these foreign worlds that you can say whatever you want, do whatever you want, confide your secrets, bare your all. And they do the same. Because nobody cares who you are. Not pretentious. Because nobody cares.

“After Ibiza, you wouldn’t want to party anywhere else.”

“After hearing others’ tragic stories, you wouldn’t complain so much anymore; you learn to say ‘ok lor’.”

“Why do they look so happy?”

“Why do they look so sad?”