What NOT to do to end the conversation with the guy sitting opposite you in the train

I have to admit that traveling by train has some romanticism attached to it somehow. Yes it is a mass transportation, but it's not all bad. Especially Eurostar or EScity train which I'd recommend to all khunnai's out there that it shld be your one & only option should you need to travel in Europe by train during summer. Khunnai's, listen..

Don't ever think that you can tolerate regional trains. Don't pretend to be easy-going, down-to-earth, and backpacky coz you're not! Regional trains are non air-conditioned, so it is hot like hell, stuffy, smelly, dirty, loud, and slow. Did I mention smelly? And by smelly, I mean really really smelly.

So of course, when you need to choose which train to ride to go see an 'opera' in an open-air arena in Verona which is an annual opera festival that runs for 87 years, of course you'd go with a Eurostar train even though that means you'd have to ride the train alone. After all, riding the train alone is not so bad, you'd think. Maybe you'd bump into an Ethan Hawk like in Before Sunrise...

Well, khunnai's, what would you do if that actually happened? If there was a guy trying to catch your eyes until even a self-absorbed person like you could notice, and as soon as you looked up from the book you pretended to read, he started talking to you, about Verona, the opera you were about to watch, how wonderful Italy and Verona, where he came from, is, etc, etc. Let's assume you were not in the mood for Jessy search (Ethan's character in Sunrise). Thou he seemed nice and you enjoyed talking to him. You just wanted to be left alone, and not talking to a stranger for god knows how much longer. Khunnai's, listen:

Don't pretend to sleep to end the conversation with a nice guy sitting opposite to you.

...coz you might actually sleep.

And by the time you heard the train saying Verona station, you just woke up, and your conscience was not fully active. So you see that same guy getting up and out of the train, waving you a goodbye, you immediately thought that there might be 2 stations in Verona. Coz why wouldn't he tell you that that was Verona station and you shld get out with him, right? Khunnai's, I have to tell you this:

Don't pretend to sleep to turn the guy off and expect that he'd still be nice to you.

It's OK. So you thought there were 2 stations in Verona. Turned out there is only one, and you missed it. The nice guy turned out not so nice coz he didn't even try to remind you that you have to get off at Verona if you want to watch an opera in Verona. So what? So you'd get off at the next station and buy the ticket to come back to Verona. And you'd tell this story to warn other fellow khunnai's to handle the not-so-nice guy more gracefully when time like this comes.

One of the scenes from Tosca, missing-the-train fiasco was all worth it.

Never take a train in Italy without buying a ticket

Or I may say..

Never take a train in Italy hoping to buy a ticket in the train.

You might be able to do that in other European countries, but not Italy, dear. Even when you use your broken Italian asking the conductor whether you can buy in the train and he says that you can but you have to pay extra. Do assume "extra" means 4x face value of your ticket price.

I know... some of you non-khunnais might be saying that this would never happen to you. Of course, it would not happen to ppl who arrive early to buy tickets properly, and have time to stamp the tickets (which is another important thing for you, khunnai!), buy water & snack, and magazine, and even extra time to shoot photos of the train station.

A real khunnai needs to wash & blowdry her hair and pick the right dress and match the bag with the dress and the accessories. So of course, she's gonna be late. Plus she cannot run so much because it is absolutely an unposh thing to do.

It's OK, khunnai, we understand you. Heard of 'rather be later than never'? Now it's about 'rather be later than being fined in the train in front of a lot of people'. This is especially more embarrassing and frustrating when the train is really packed and you have to pay so much to stand in the train that smells ... like anything (more on that later).

So sit back & relax. And wait for the next train. Do not run after the train. It won't stop for you. Or if it does, don't get in without a stamped ticket. The world is cruel, and even a khunnai like you cannot get away this time.