Nostalgic for Europe’s Train Stations « Coolcommunication’s Weblog

Nostalgic for Europe’s Train Stations

Written by Anne-Lise Karam-Choueiri

Wednesday, 15 April 2009

As a kid, I was scared of train stations. I was scared the train would leave without me. Impressed by the iron mass of technology, I still had a lingering fear that the train would be coming straight at me while I was waiting on the dock. However, as I grew older and spent a year in Paris, train stations became a real mystery for me. My fear of trains disappeared, and train stations became charming. I usually tried to stay away from big crowds, yet in train stations I felt good and I often waited for a moment when I could wander in those stations. I loved to look at people, imagine their stories as they waited for a train, dank a coffee, or read a newspaper. But most of all, what I wanted to show in these pictures is what train stations really are to me: an indefinite space to which no one is attached and in which people just pass, for a second, a minute, or an hour. You see them, look at them, but will never remember them as their faces remain blurry in your mind. And, sitting in a corner, you have a fraction of a second to imagine their lives and give them a story. In the blink of the eye, they’re not there anymore…each person has a story to tell you, even though you don’t know her…

These photos were taken in December 2006 in various train stations in Europe. Check out Anne-Lise Karam-Choueiri’s photo gallery for more of her impressive work: www.annelise.choueiri.com

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