Travellers' say the Darndest Things

Do you remember the TV show hosted by Bill Cosby, Kids Say the Darndest' Things?

Well, instead of cribbing about travelling I've decided to collect gems along the way, which I shall add here. I tend to laugh at myself a lot these days, but I find that there are others as well, who do say the darndest' things, well quite!

1) February 18- flight BLR to DELHI: The sweet girl, sitting next to me, suddenly jumps up during a very smooth, non bumpy flight while the aircraft is high above in the clouds and smoothly proceeding on its way and asks: Has the plane stopped. (I mean, we were not plummeting down!). I found it funny, fortunately, she did not mind. Like I said she was sweet.

Who am I?

Who am I? I think I am throughly mixed up. Been a Bombayite for several generations together, having learnt Marathi in school, still able to understand it and now in Bangalore since a few years - what does this make me? A Bombayite, or as the Thackerys would prefer to call it - a Mumbaikar? Or a Banglorean or a Bengalururian (is this the right word)?

I cant' believe it, that at a point of time when we are talking about free movement of talent across the globe, we still fight over who has the right to live and work in a particular city - be it Bombay/Mumbai or Bangalore/Bengaluru.

There were scuffles in Mumbai and North Indian's were roughed up by Raj Thackrey's political party. In fact, simmering of unrest exists in every mega city - I see this in Bangalore today. Perhaps some day, there will be attacks on non Kannada's in Bengaluru. In the past protests have been held stating that the locals do not get jobs. Shops had to paint the Kannada name on their sign boards. It is the same story anywhere in India.

I can understand the part of assimiliation into a new culture-more from a practical point of view. But do we have a mechanism in place to help us with this? Unfortunately no. When I moved to Bangalore, as it was then called, I hunted high and low for audio tapes that would help me learn Kannada, well a few conversational words, at least. The result, zilch. Book stores were stocked with audio tapes and books on how to learn French, Greek, Japanese et all. Nothing on Kannada. I am sure same is the case with those who arrive in Mumbai - they don't know how to begin to learn Marathi.

Perhaps my expat friends have a better time in India. They knowwhich nationality they belong to. No one will question them on whether they are a Mumbaikar or a Bengaluruian. But for me, it is a different story.

I guess, I cannot say I am an Indian. That seems to be an unknown alien word.

Mera Bharat Mahan, (India is a great country) this is what I learnt in school and at home. Will this help me today? I wonder........

Work overload!!!!

I love Ogden Nash, he tends to have addressed every emotion of mine. Well, right now, it seems like I am doing a day shift and a night shift, with a few hours of sleep thrown in between (Am not complaining-well not much, am enjoying it). Still I need to vent.... so....here goes....

More about People
By Ogden Nash
When people aren't asking questions

They're making suggestions

And when they're not doing one of those

They're either looking over your shoulder or stepping on your toes

And then if that weren't enough to annoy you

They employ you.

Anybody at leisure

Incurs everybody's displeasure.

It seems to be very irking

To people at work to see other people not working,

So they tell you that work is wonderful medicine,

Just look at Firestone and Ford and Edison,

And they lecture you till they're out of breath or something

And then if you don't succumb they starve you to death or something.

All of which results in a nasty quirk: That if you don't want to work you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work.