India VS United Kingdom
1.Friendliness - Unlike the U.K's chronic fear of eye contact on the tube and every other form of public transport, lack of eye contact is alien in India. I'll give you some real-life examples: I'm riding my moped and someone a) pulls up beside me and holds a whole conversation with me for 10 minutes, arranging to meet later at the market and even asking for my number, while we both continue riding down the main road or b) pulls their car in front of me so that I would pull over and chat to them simply because I 'look friendly' and they have just arrived in Goa. Both of these scenarios have happened to me recently, and now I consider it, are situations that I don't think you would ever find in London! They really are a testament to this enormously friendly and welcoming nation. 2. Confidence - This is something I believe is particularly true in young people's perception of themselves. I salute the parents, teachers and politicians of India, for instilling the confidence, desire and belief in individuals that they can achieve. Every individual I know is striving to be the best they can be with positivity and optimism. If you believe you can succeed then you will! 3. Road rules - The answer? Cows rule, and buses are second! The buses are not as fast or quite as daring as Sri Lanka, but they still find a way to squeeze down the tiniest lanes. Scooters and bikes swerve between potholes and buses, often with reckless abandon, while no one ever stops! There are no 'stop' or 'give way' signs, the rule is first come first accelerate. You see, just because you think you're on the main road does not mean a rider on a side road will share that opinion. Overtaking can be done anywhere, anytime, to ensure your personal cruising speed is not effected by anyone. Single, double or triple overtaking is something you become strangely accustomed to, and works swimmingly provided you keep your wits about you! And back to the animals - India is a majority Hindu country, so cows are sacred. Where I live they tramp en mass between the beach and their nightly sleeping spots under the trees everyday at rush hour. If they want to walk 4-abreast or stop for a snooze in the middle of the road, you just have to stop, beep, and let them do their thing. Much like Welsh sheep, cow rush hour really is a thing - just watch out for a tail slap if you ride too close! 4. Beeping/Honking - This is largely the same as when I was living in Sri Lanka and it's actually really useful to understand. For example, is the beep: "hey, just letting you know I'm coming up behind you" or " move out the way slowcoach I'm trying to overtake you!"? 5. Cows, dogs & cockerels - This goes for taking up road space and serious noise disturbance! Seriously, who knew that cows burp and chew so loudly; and how many times do cockerels think the sun rises every 24 hours?! 6. Eating etiquette - I have a vivid memory aged 3 of being told off for eating with my mouth open and not using my knife and fork correctly at the table. In Asia however, dinner time is a time for sharing (see point 8). It's a time to concentrate on the food and savour the amazing flavours with your hands, and it's very refreshing that it doesn't matter what you look like or how much you play with your food provided you are enjoying it! Spoons are used for curd, ice cream and soup. Otherwise, most of us are fortunate enough to have 10 fingers which provide ample cutlery. 7. Washing up - Now it's time for some domestics. I have lived with people of all different nationalities and cultures throughout my life, and have spent many months living with Indian friends. So I'll ask you this: Do you scrub your dishes before turning the tap on or while the water is running? You may find the answer differs, as I have been told off many times for not washing the dishes correctly. Please note: Your answer is crucial for housemate camaraderie and domestic bliss! 8. Personal space & Sharing - Sharing is caring right? So yes, share everything! Your food & drink is unquestionable, and your wallets are not restricted either. Most importantly though is your bike key. Be prepared for it to vanish for a few hours so someone can borrow your bike for a trip to the bakery, beach or all night party. 9. Auntie's and Uncles - You may be lucky enough to have a handful of Aunties and Uncles in the UK. If you're in India though, you have hundreds! From your favourite newsagent, your neighbour, the milkman, the chai mamas, and your bike rental owner, everyone is your aunt and uncle and really will look out for you and tell you off as a family member! Finally, but no less importantly... 10. The weather - I'm British so I had to mention this! I'm living in sunny beach climes so mercilessly hot days fill the air with reckless abandon. It has rained no more than 4 times in the last 6 months. Opposite to the U.K., a whole morning of grey, clouded skies are celebrated with cooler trips outside and gleeful rain dances!
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What are you passionate about?
It's a question I've been asked a lot recently. The first time I heard it however, I was completely stumped. It seemed like such an important question and merited more thought than I have ever given it. Surely I should know by now, 25 years down the line of this earthly life what I am passionate about? Truly though, for all my education, hobbies and travelling, I wasn't sure. There's the age old expectation that 'To travel is to find yourself', but to be honest it's only something I considered post-university working three dead end jobs with no money in the bank. I don't travel to find myself. I travel because I believe I already have. This might sound arrogant, obnoxious, even naive, however I beg you to give me an example of someone who was desperately lost in their 'normality', and by stepping out of an airport into another country, suddenly transformed into a content and jubilant individual. Trust me, it's tempting to run when all of your hopes and expectations are falling at your feet, but that is exactly the reason you need to stay put. Travelling is highly likely to exacerbate rather than relieve your worries, taking away any comfort you do know (even if it is just where the nearest newsagent is for emergency chocolate stocks!) So compared to the many generic questions we travellers endlessly dribble off to each other without really caring for an answer - I liked this. Honestly, I'll admit that the first person who asked me this question, I can't even remember what he looked like, only the guilt I felt that I could not answer. The confidence of the individual to leap ahead of the small talk, the incessant need to know how many countries you've travelled to, and where you plan to go next, but rather the real and intense curiosity to get to know you. Your dreams and desires, your doubts and your mistakes. The people who have asked me this question have been truly inspirational in forcing me to pause and question my motives, my plans (or lack of!) and the reason why I love everyday. It's time to stop pretending you know the answers to everything immediately and enjoy learning along the way. "Live as if you'll die tomorrow; learn as if you'll live forever" (Gandhi) The life cycle is continuous, and I'm sure my passions will evolve, however right now, I have decided on my answer. I am most passionate about PEOPLE. I know this sounds ambiguous, maybe you were expecting a hobby, a career, even 'to travel', but I guess now I've considered this, it was obvious. I've always been interested in the protagonists of novels, the followers of religions, and the power within oneself to affect change in the mightiest form and find strength in the toughest climates. I've challenged my understanding of myself, when I thought I couldn't pass that maths test aged 11, the times I didn't believe in myself to remember every step for my dance exams, the mental and physical struggle of learning to walk again after my knee operation, and waking up before sunrise everyday aged 14 to begin saving for my first trip to India. India is a whole world in itself, and a perfect example to represent my passion. With a population of over 1.3 billion, and representing six of the worlds major religions among many others, it mysticizes us with its oceans, mountains, animals and people alike. I set myself a goal to travel and I'm working hard to ensure this continues. I'm not professing to be searching for inner wisdom, financial gain, country counts or instagram likes; travelling to me is your 9-5 office job equivalent. That's not to say it's monotonous in anyway, it's just that it's something I've always aspired to do. The normality of my desire to travel is as baffling to me as it is to my friends and family back home, but it has become my way to discover more about people. Because it's not about the statistics of science, instead, it's about the infinitely unanswerable. Do you know what you're doing and where you're heading in life? I definitely don't and wouldn't for one minute attempt to explain it. I once read a quote about knowledge and individualism which I think explains the perpetuation of stunted development and understanding in many ways: "The less you know, the more you think you know. The more you know, the less you think you know." (David T Freeman) Marvel in the majesty of your uniqueness, stop worrying if your best friend earns more than you or owns a bigger house, or if the traveller sitting next to you has visited more countries or spent less money, enjoy the world from your own perspective. As I learnt in AS-Level philosophy, we may both be looking at the same patch of 'blue' sky, but how do I know that you are seeing the same 'blue' colour as me? So this is why I am passionate about people. We are unique and undefinable in all our forms, and no scientist can change that. Your goals, your decisions, your opinions will always remain subjective, and to me this is the most exciting thing. I will continue striving to open my eyes to new experiences in the world, and learn more about cultures, history and geography, but most importantly, people. Now though, it is your turn to consider what interests you. It may be a place, a person, a memory, or a possesion for example. Take a few minutes today to answer this question for yourself. What are you passionate about? |
About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
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