A Billion People and A Billion Perspectives

It's amazing how two people can have completely different experiences at the same place. The same place that I recall fondly could have been somebody else's nightmare. Why? I mean, the background doesn't change a bit - it's the same walls, the same floor, the same furniture and the same lighting. Nothing's changed. Yet, we walk off with varying opinions. Of course, "the place" is only material.

It's a nice collage. :| Does it convey what I meant it to?

 So if the place does not make much of a difference, then it's what happens to me there that does. And who decides what happens to me? Only the people I share the experience with and how I respond to them.Digressing a little, I think it probably works the other way round too. Where I am  might not matter as much as who I am with. The only conclusion I can reach is to not form opinions based on other people's reviews and experiences. Because our experiences are based on more than just a pretty landscape.

Now I feel that I have not concluded anything concrete in this post. But why do I even need to conclude? I'm allowed to just let my thoughts flow as they occur, ain't I? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Neighborhood Project: Teaching Kids English.

Image
I stayed back at school today to teach underprivileged kids from our neighborhood. It's been a month since I started doing this. Most of the time, it's fun. I mean, you call the shots; you get a delicious little meal (even more delicious since you're ravenous after school) from the canteen; you teach some amusing kids; and the best part: you can tell yourself that you are contributing to your society. What more do you want? Over the few weeks, I've come to the conclusion that kindergarten teachers probably work much more than high school teachers. If you think teaching a couple of restless, 4 year-olds the English alphabet is easy, well, you sure are mistaken! These children need far more attention, patience and encouragement than a high school student learning trigonometry. See it this way, which is harder to do: teach someone to ride a bicycle or teach an average cyclist a bunch of cool tricks? You get my point. So if I become a school principal, I'll make s
Read more

What We Do in the Name of God: An Account of My Visit to SriKalahasti Temple

Image
Yesterday, I visited an ancient, renowned temple called SriKalahasti with my family ( 8 people ranging from age 5 to 6).My account of this visit is from the perspective of an agnostic who is hesitant to travel to another state just for pooja and darshan at a temple. SriKalahasti Temple As soon as we stepped outside the bubble of our tourist car, we were surrounded by several unkempt, hungry pilgrims. They all began speaking at once. They had traveled from far off places and had no money. One of them requested for money to buy food. My uncle opened his wallet and handed over a few rupee notes and coins. That was enough to attract another bunch of saffron clad pilgrims. We managed to evade them and enter the temple premises. The inner premise of SriKalahasti was constructed back in the 5th century A.D. whereas the extended area was built in the 12th century. It is only expected that the structure would be imposing and awe-inspiring. We were told that the puja was not to beg
Read more

Tales from Abu Dhabi

Image
Airports seem to be the place for unique experiences. While waiting to board a midnight flight from Abu Dhabi to Delhi, the passenger waiting area was full of immigrant workers - all men. Regardless of how safe the airport was, being the only female in a hall full of testosterone can be a frightful prospect. To my relief, a middle aged  American woman walked into the waiting area. She looked equally relieved to find a female face in a sea of men. We made sure we were seated next to each other. Later, a few more women walked in. Still, on a flight with over a hundred passengers, I could count the number of women on two hands.  During the flight, I learnt that the woman I had the just met was an entrepreneur. Engrossed, I asked her if her trip to India was a business trip. She replied in the affirmative. She ran a clothing line in Mexico whose production was based in Jaipur. She often visited India and some more Asian countries to oversee the production and in search of new materia
Read more