If small talk were a machine, I think it would be an elevator. Awkward glances, uncomfortable hellos, and a Krea favourite- “which class do you have?” In the midst of morning yawns and sleepy eyes, people barely understand these questions, much rather feel the need to answer them. While I love talking to people in normal social settings or just across a table. Lift conversations happen to be my favourite. They range from being either the most unhinged, the funniest, possibly wholesome, or the saddest interaction you’ve ever had.
There are instances where you’ll spot two friends laughing and snickering in the corner, trying to keep it down in a lift full of eight other people. Sometimes your own phone embarrassingly blasts loud music from a video you forgot to mute. Other times, you might sprint towards the lift, only to miss it by a second and end up groaning while you wait for the next one. And on unlucky days, you may even get stuck in a lift with someone who’s left behind a not-so-pleasant odor. So many different experiences in this little box that takes you places. All of these quiet and not-so-quiet conversations, the unbothered humans with their headphones on their ears, the funny glances and the sleepy heads shoved into one electric box with either Kenny G or “Yesterday Once More” by The Carpenters playing softly in the background. Both masterpieces, in my opinion.
The mix of people who take the Krea lift is equally entertaining. First, you have the ones who look like they’re on the verge of screaming – those are your third-floor students. Then come the emotionless, drained souls who seem completely done with life; these belong to the second floor. And finally, you have the bunch who look like they’re about to enter the elevator with a purpose but choose to ride the lift to the first floor instead. These are the true menaces. The ones who claim they’ll flunk a test and end up topping it, the ones who steal the perfect centre bite of your burger and the ones who delay the ride just enough to make an already late third-floor occupant even later. As annoying as these first-floor occupants sound, I can’t be that hypocritical. Been there, done that ;)
But that’s exactly why lift conversations feel so special. No matter the floor you come from or pretend to come from, you’re briefly part of this strange, tiny universe where silence can be hilarious, eye contact becomes a whole language, and a simple “which class do you have?” becomes the closest thing to human connection at 9 AM.