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Perspectives. Nazariya.

People often ask me this question, "Do you travel for your job?". 
Immediately my mind spirals into a vortex with scenes running in my head. Of batch-mates' Facebook check-ins in Dubai, New York, London, Amsterdam. Of check-ins in the Heathrows and the JFK Airports. Of fancy pictures on the top of Burj Al Arab, on the Greenwich Line, of snow and snowstorms. Of shopping in Hong Kong. 
And then, like a switch pressed, I suddenly see scenes of Long highways, green fields, thatched huts.
I shake myself out of the reverie, politely smile and say, "Not much travel."

The fact is, I cannot do Facebook check-ins for the Pasiyadongris and Lunawadas and Dedh Gaons. So, yes, I travel quite a lot, and I travel across the country side, over highways, into villages, talk to farmers, see a side of India most young people have no idea of and no, I do not hate it! :D

The thing with travel like this is, you get a new perspective on everything. I know it isn't ideal, but its still intriguing. Let me explain. 

I spend a good portion of my evenings, sitting in front of the TV, cheering anyone who takes on Arnab Goswami. I find these trips amusing because in these sleepy little hamlets, the whole idea that Arnab nurtures, of the nation demanding to know, goes for a major Face Palm. And I love that. Here, noone gives a minuscule, teeny-weeny, molecular, atomic damn to what happens in Delhi. Our PM candidates could well be sitting on his haunches at the next tea-shop, and noone could care two hoots.

Its gleeful. Really!

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Then there are those moments of wacky epiphany. There was this once when we were in some village and I saw a Sitaphal tree. I punched the guy beside me and said, "I LOVE Sitaphal. Just bought a kg for just 80 bucks. And Naturals Sitaphal ice-cream. Too good." Next thing I know, I am served a plate with 6 Sitaphals. I went all embarrassed and remembered those childhood rules. Say No thrice, etc. The guy winked at me and said - 3 Rs kg Madam. Koi load nahi hai. 
I immediately picked up my phone, dialled BigBasket.com's customer care, gave 3 random abuses and hung up.

Rs 3. Rs 80. Unbelievable.

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I especially remember this village we passed once. The Territory Manager pointed towards the village and said, "Madam, guess karo yahan ka main profession kya hai." I decided to let my creative juices flow. Handicrafts? Milk? Painting? Labour? Timepass? He laughed and said, Nai Madam, Chori yahan ka main profession hai.

Uh-ah.

Really? I asked. He explained to me that for centuries, this village has nurtured thieves. If there is a theft or robbery in the nearby cities, the Police lands in the village straightaway. Why go looking elsewhere? 

I can bet no photo-op on Statue of Liberty can get you to a place with such a out-of-this-world credentials. Its straight out of a Shakespeare play.

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And that's not all. One boring afternoon, we were on the highway, driving into nothingness and the TM once again decides to quiz me. 
"Madam, Aapne Sholay dekhi hai?"

Now, I am very careful with such questions. People either love or hate Sholay, Ayn Rand, AAP and Chetan Bhagat. And you don't want to be caught on the wrong side. So, I carefully evaded the question with a hollow smile that said, who hasn't. He returned the smile and said, Remember the dacoit scene? 50 Dakoos surround the village and loot them?"

I felt my sensors going up. Do I sense a check-in opportunity? "Check in at shooting location of Sholay - Totally Worth It!!!".

I waited nervously to see what my great magician TM will come up with now. He laughed and said, "See this village here? Last week 400 dacoits surrounded this village and looted it. Imagine. 70's films come true here, even today."

I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. :D

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Another amazing first for me was the Tea Ceremony. I never drink tea or coffee. When colleagues go for tea-breaks, which is quite often, I tag along and lick a sachet of sugar. I may have risked my chances of diabetes, but given the amount of distraction I gained from work, I think I may have taken a calculated risk. 
Now on such trips, when a farmer offers tea and you refuse, they take it as an insult. After the first 3 times, I was warned by my Dealer that I should find a way around this. At the next farmer's house, when the lady got Chai, I meekly submitted. She thrust a saucer in my hand. (Cups are so passe.)

She poured a sweet gooey liquid and said, "Pehli baar peeu?" I nodded. One glance at her husband, he went galloping across to the patch of farm behind us with a spade and came back waving a tuft of grass in his hand. Then he plucked the farm fresh ginger from the grass, crushed it between his two hands and dropped it into my saucer. 

"Lo Madam. Ek dum Fraash."

I hated the tea. But atleast I know that the one and only time I had tea, I had it with such fan fare and ceremony, prepared by someone who so genuinely wanted me to like it! I can live with that. :D

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And, so go my stories. Till it doesn't become fashionable to do a check-in at Lunwada, I may have to regale my blog with these stories. Meh. Atleast I have fodder for that!

Cheers!
Preeks

Comments

  1. Wow! Since I know where you work (I do, I have sources) I am not surprised by the uniqueness of your work related travel :) I have myself always worked in MNCs which send me to aforementioned exotic places :D So I have no clue what you are talking about! But loved the experiences! And tea with frash ginger, YUM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)
      Not like I would complain if I was sent to an exotic location. :D
      This is just a means of rationalization for me! :)

      Delete
    2. Preeks, I have sly linked u in my blog with some derogatory remarks. I hope you don't get bugged, and will unlink if you do! :o

      Delete
    3. Checked! No derogatory remarks on me. Phew! :D

      Delete
  2. where do u work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The sholay schene one cracked me up!!
    And I too dont drnk tea or coffee.
    Btw u shud write more such travel stuff!!
    Totally worth ittttttttttttt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and licking on a sachet of sugar? LOL!!!!

      Delete
    2. haha..yea that sugar-licking cracked me up too! calculated risks? hahaha

      Delete
    3. I did not mention my other fancy of licking milkpowder sachets. I steal them from hotel rooms and keep them in my bag. :D

      Delete
    4. Thanks Red Handed. Kehno ko toh I work in Strategy, but look what they make me do! :D
      It just occurred to me that I can write a lot of travel tales. Thanks for the idea! :)

      Delete
    5. Yes, More of these travel tales, please. Cracked me up the whole time. :)

      Delete
  3. I LOVE NATURAL'S SITAPHAL ICECREAM!!! And this time when I went to Bangalore, they told me that the season is over :( I was so heart-broken. I consoled myself with Malai, which was okay..

    These experiences- raw and rustic- make great stories to be told- ekdam original and desi. The other side of life, indeed? Write more! Am all ears..uh all eyes? haha..bad joke!

    I see the new look of the blog :) super!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even I like Malai, but that Sitaphal thing is too good. :D
      Will definitely give you more Lol worthy stories of my travels! :D
      And thanks..I was also pleasantly surprised by Blogger's new themes..:)

      Delete
  4. LOL. The minute I start reading your post, I am smiling already. :)

    Rs3 vs Rs80. Unbelievable. Those guys deserved that bashing from you.

    I dont care much for those facebook checkins. I love love love what you wrote and what you experienced. :)

    Chori is the main profession??? ROFL. Please be careful, okay? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :) Thanks DOTR! Will definitely be careful! :)

      Delete
  5. Loved reading the post Preeti. Write more about your experiences and travel. Travel makes life interesting and meeting new people is always fun, it doesn't matter where you are travelling to. Sholay scene was the best.. hehe :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah..Agree there! Travelling is a lot of fun.. :)
      Thanks! :) Will write more on this..

      Delete
  6. Loved the post. write more about your travel experiences too.

    and yes, this new layout is amazing. The different layouts available by default with the template?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ganapati! And welcome here! :)

      Delete
    2. I have been here long. Just didn't comment :)

      Delete
    3. Oh! Then thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  7. After having seen more checkins on FB from exotic locations than I can count, I would take your travel stories any time. They are funny, unique and so you.
    Do take care though, given the dacoits and Chor Police parts of the country you seem to go around. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am so jealous of your job! Man, this sound really cool.....you go girl!

    ReplyDelete

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