Hmm... It’s been long since I wrote something. I have no one but me to blame for this delay. But I promise that this journey of yours through whatever I have in store for you may not be bad.
Three months of my UNICEF internship at a very new place, with new people, new food, surprising revelations and of course new fun was not just a passing affair for me. Therefore I decide to pen it down on my blog.
This blog will have many parts and if my grey cells help me I might be able to upload some snaps worth having a look (not completely because of its creative beauty but also because of its content). So I begin with due citation of my dear friend Liam’s blog space: http://niffirg-mail.blogspot.com/ . His blog, If not mine, I am sure, will definitely ensure how adventurous the journey was.
And of course before I start I would confess that... I got a culture shock-at times pleasant and at times infuriating when I saw an India that was completely different from my concept. Nevertheless my experience was more romantic than what I had thought it would be and all this only because of my dear friends Zoë and Liam. This part of my life would have never been so interesting without them.
The journey begins
June 11, 2006 early morning I boarded the AP Express. Amal came t
o drop me and as usual I showed a gloomy face for leaving my favorite place, completely ignorant of the fun that I’ll be having for the coming three months. Amal was patient and gave me a list of ‘things to be careful’ about. Not that he is one of those sorts who will give long list of things to be done but considering the fact that it was me who was traveling it was apt of him to give me instructions. And I stuck to what he had advised me. Sometimes you should listen to people who are more careful than you are. Thanks dear I really care about what you say to me!
After contemplating for long, I decided to read “Ladies’ coupe” given by Raj as my farewell gift when all my favorites: Amal, Ram, Raj, Thulasi and Nasheeda met the previous day. We missed Pradeep, he wasn’t in Hyderabad to join us.
Opposite to me were a Punjabi couple and their kids- a daughter and a son. They seemed pretty amassed by Hyderabad and were traveling in groups. They had come to Hyderabad to get the traditional treatment for asthma. They were a happy go lucky family who passed their time by singing songs. But to be truthful I thought that ‘Uncle’ was a little too absorbed in constantly staring at me and addressing his songs to me which made me quite uncomfortable.
Well after the chivalric venture of mine to excuse myself from the hub I quietly cornered myself with the book.
12th June, yes the next day morning the moment I got down at New Delhi station at 10 a.m, whom do I see? Mr Ram, who constantly surprises me, was there to receive me. And that’s my dear Ram who never fails to give me pleasant surprises. Well you must be wondering how Ram reached Delhi when he was in Hyderabad the day before my departure. Exactly the question I had in my mind! Well he had an official work of his planned well in time for my arrival in Delhi and so he was there by flight before I could reach there by train. I am really fond of all your surprises dear!
Delhi was a new place for me and with a Delhi expert with me I had no hassles to reach the International Youth Hostel, where all the interns were put up. Nice place with lot of Malayalies around a bit too costly with no real visible royalty. Nevertheless comfortable!
And the narration continues in the next post. From next post onwards the characters change dramatically: it is going to be a ‘crazy’ Indian, who never knew she had little knowledge that her country was any different from other countries; an Aussie anthropologist who beats everyone with her ever ready sense of humour and an enthusiastic Canadian who can make people forget Gandhigiri with his thanks giving. (Zoë and Liam, dear I know you are not familiar with the term ‘Gandhigiri’, so this explanation is for you: Gandhigiri is the latest buzz word in India. It is nothing but promoting Gandhi’s value through daily act of yours. A movie called “Lago Raho Munnabhai” promoted it. It has gone for Oscars this time. Have a look at it!)
Three months of my UNICEF internship at a very new place, with new people, new food, surprising revelations and of course new fun was not just a passing affair for me. Therefore I decide to pen it down on my blog.
This blog will have many parts and if my grey cells help me I might be able to upload some snaps worth having a look (not completely because of its creative beauty but also because of its content). So I begin with due citation of my dear friend Liam’s blog space: http://niffirg-mail.blogspot.com/ . His blog, If not mine, I am sure, will definitely ensure how adventurous the journey was.
And of course before I start I would confess that... I got a culture shock-at times pleasant and at times infuriating when I saw an India that was completely different from my concept. Nevertheless my experience was more romantic than what I had thought it would be and all this only because of my dear friends Zoë and Liam. This part of my life would have never been so interesting without them.
The journey begins
June 11, 2006 early morning I boarded the AP Express. Amal came t
o drop me and as usual I showed a gloomy face for leaving my favorite place, completely ignorant of the fun that I’ll be having for the coming three months. Amal was patient and gave me a list of ‘things to be careful’ about. Not that he is one of those sorts who will give long list of things to be done but considering the fact that it was me who was traveling it was apt of him to give me instructions. And I stuck to what he had advised me. Sometimes you should listen to people who are more careful than you are. Thanks dear I really care about what you say to me!After contemplating for long, I decided to read “Ladies’ coupe” given by Raj as my farewell gift when all my favorites: Amal, Ram, Raj, Thulasi and Nasheeda met the previous day. We missed Pradeep, he wasn’t in Hyderabad to join us.
Opposite to me were a Punjabi couple and their kids- a daughter and a son. They seemed pretty amassed by Hyderabad and were traveling in groups. They had come to Hyderabad to get the traditional treatment for asthma. They were a happy go lucky family who passed their time by singing songs. But to be truthful I thought that ‘Uncle’ was a little too absorbed in constantly staring at me and addressing his songs to me which made me quite uncomfortable.
Well after the chivalric venture of mine to excuse myself from the hub I quietly cornered myself with the book.
12th June, yes the next day morning the moment I got down at New Delhi station at 10 a.m, whom do I see? Mr Ram, who constantly surprises me, was there to receive me. And that’s my dear Ram who never fails to give me pleasant surprises. Well you must be wondering how Ram reached Delhi when he was in Hyderabad the day before my departure. Exactly the question I had in my mind! Well he had an official work of his planned well in time for my arrival in Delhi and so he was there by flight before I could reach there by train. I am really fond of all your surprises dear!
Delhi was a new place for me and with a Delhi expert with me I had no hassles to reach the International Youth Hostel, where all the interns were put up. Nice place with lot of Malayalies around a bit too costly with no real visible royalty. Nevertheless comfortable!
And the narration continues in the next post. From next post onwards the characters change dramatically: it is going to be a ‘crazy’ Indian, who never knew she had little knowledge that her country was any different from other countries; an Aussie anthropologist who beats everyone with her ever ready sense of humour and an enthusiastic Canadian who can make people forget Gandhigiri with his thanks giving. (Zoë and Liam, dear I know you are not familiar with the term ‘Gandhigiri’, so this explanation is for you: Gandhigiri is the latest buzz word in India. It is nothing but promoting Gandhi’s value through daily act of yours. A movie called “Lago Raho Munnabhai” promoted it. It has gone for Oscars this time. Have a look at it!)
4 comments:
ur posts are simply superb dear.
iam lookin ahead to c ur nxt post.
so, when will b the nxt post? after 3 more months?
nice narration. as usual.
hey boss, looks good. wanna see some pics too! keep me posted, i gotta live vicariously if i'm not gonna be in india for a while!
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