Here are my first few experiences after reaching India after spending three years in Germany for my PhD.
1) I was standing in the immigration queue at the airport waiting for my turn happily as I was 3rd or 4th in the queue. Meanwhile, a bunch of guys arrived. First, they violated the lane and then formed another parallel queue. Suddenly I was in a random crowd instead of a queue not sure of how long will it take to get past the crowd and the immigration check. Yes, I am back to India!
2) I was sitting beside an Indian guy in my flight from Istanbul to New Delhi. Not able to suppress my urge to have a talk with him, I started the conversation with usual formal questions. The guy spoke in a heavy English accent. He started with high temperature and how much he hated the corrupt practices in India with usual apathy which suggested that he was definitely going only for vacation. Later, the airline served everyone with a pair of socks. Again he started, ‘what do they think? We Indians don’t have socks or what?’ and kept the socks aside. This kind of extreme love, hate and proud feelings can be associated only with us Indians. No matter how much we curse our system, there is a hidden feeling of proud within.
3) I took a cab from airport to reach the railway station. The 30 minute ride with the cab driver unfolded into a conversation one can expect only between two close friends in any other part of the world. The conversation varied from his experience in Saudi Arab to hypocrisy of Delhi police and finally to some relationship mantras for me.
4) I reached the railway station 15 minutes before scheduled departure of my train. As soon as the cab reached the parking place, a bunch of coolies were already surrounding us competing among themselves for who will grab this customer. Before I could pay off for the cab, a couple of coolies had already lifted my bags after deciding the labor cost among them. Now, I was bargaining with them while they were carrying my luggage to the platform. Before the bargaining could end, they dropped my bag in the train and I had to pay the amount they asked for.
5) After paying everyone, I was left with only 10 rupees to reach Kanpur from Delhi. I dint have enough money to hire a coolie in Kanpur, so I was carrying four bags on my own. After walking for just 30 seconds or so, an auto rickshaw driver came and offered to carry my luggage to his auto which I accepted happily. First thing, I had to do after reaching home was to ask for money to my mother to pay for the auto. Yes, this was the first realization that I was unemployed now :)
1) I was standing in the immigration queue at the airport waiting for my turn happily as I was 3rd or 4th in the queue. Meanwhile, a bunch of guys arrived. First, they violated the lane and then formed another parallel queue. Suddenly I was in a random crowd instead of a queue not sure of how long will it take to get past the crowd and the immigration check. Yes, I am back to India!
2) I was sitting beside an Indian guy in my flight from Istanbul to New Delhi. Not able to suppress my urge to have a talk with him, I started the conversation with usual formal questions. The guy spoke in a heavy English accent. He started with high temperature and how much he hated the corrupt practices in India with usual apathy which suggested that he was definitely going only for vacation. Later, the airline served everyone with a pair of socks. Again he started, ‘what do they think? We Indians don’t have socks or what?’ and kept the socks aside. This kind of extreme love, hate and proud feelings can be associated only with us Indians. No matter how much we curse our system, there is a hidden feeling of proud within.
3) I took a cab from airport to reach the railway station. The 30 minute ride with the cab driver unfolded into a conversation one can expect only between two close friends in any other part of the world. The conversation varied from his experience in Saudi Arab to hypocrisy of Delhi police and finally to some relationship mantras for me.
4) I reached the railway station 15 minutes before scheduled departure of my train. As soon as the cab reached the parking place, a bunch of coolies were already surrounding us competing among themselves for who will grab this customer. Before I could pay off for the cab, a couple of coolies had already lifted my bags after deciding the labor cost among them. Now, I was bargaining with them while they were carrying my luggage to the platform. Before the bargaining could end, they dropped my bag in the train and I had to pay the amount they asked for.
5) After paying everyone, I was left with only 10 rupees to reach Kanpur from Delhi. I dint have enough money to hire a coolie in Kanpur, so I was carrying four bags on my own. After walking for just 30 seconds or so, an auto rickshaw driver came and offered to carry my luggage to his auto which I accepted happily. First thing, I had to do after reaching home was to ask for money to my mother to pay for the auto. Yes, this was the first realization that I was unemployed now :)
No comments:
Post a Comment