It's been about three weeks now since I reached this place. I am still in the hotel. Things are better now and everything is coming along quite nicely and smoothly now. Still in the hotel means, that I will not be missing any Liverpool match, and still up to date about what happens in the world of football. The only thing I crave for is internet connection and a laptop.
Okay first of all, let me congratulate my hero “Lionel Messi”. I guess everyone knows that he has broken the 40 years old record set by Gerd Mueller. Great achievement from the maestro. Whatever people might say, Messi is the best and his greatness cannot be denied. Even if he doesn't win a Worl Cup, for me he will be the best ever. I have not seen Pele, neither do I care about him much, and I have not seen Maradona playing either. From the footage I saw, I can make out both were exceptional but for me, Messi is the best. Period.
Okay enough of football... Let's move on to my experiences. Here I go.
Living alone can really help in experiencing new things. I have been through that kind of experience for past three weeks now. It's been a good learning phase so far.
Living in the hotel means I'd be eating with strangers every day, which I have been doing for past three weeks. Well, there is one familiar face that I bump into once or twice every week, apart from him, I have been eating with different set and kind of people every day.
Some just don't bother about anything and they just get to the business, eat and leave. While there are others, well....... Curious people, who care to ask where I am from and what I am doing here. And few with a good sense of conversation. So, you can say every dinner outing means, slight or long conversation, which stretches way beyond dinner time.
I haven't had any bad experience so far in this city, bar from one off incident when a guy refused to sit on the same table with me. Reason? He's Hindu Brahmin, a pure vegan lad and I, a tribal from Manipur. That was one off incident, apart from that, nothing of that sort has happened so far. As i told you, the people here are humble.
So, every day I interact with someone or the other. Our conversation ranges widely from Politics, Religion, Marriage and life in general. I mean everything. Interacting with these people gives a very good insight about their minds and their perception about things and life. A lot of people here don't know where Manipur is and when I tell them I am from Manipur, the first question they ask me “Which country is it in?” I don't blame them either. I understand, the part of country where I come from is not very popular and most of the people don't know anything about. And those who know about it, know just a bit too much that sometimes it becomes embarrassing at some point of time. Well, to know what I am talking about then just do a bit of research about Manipur and you'd know everything.
I have met some people, who can really conversate. Though not much educated, but still they have the knowledge about things and they are willing to expand it. While some of them just ask stupid questions, to which I usually have no answers. I do however try to prolong the conversation just as much as possible. Honestly, I love interacting with new people. It helps me in a lot of ways as well. First thing, I have told you I have never been confident about myself, well talking to people help me work on that. Second thing, it helps in building conversational skills. Soon enough I am going to deal with the customers a bit more than this and my job will no longer be just limited to opening accounts and verifying transactions for the day but I will soon be handling people seeking loans and everything. In the long run, these little conversations are going to help and I know it.
Most of the evening is well spent with people from different fields and areas and conversating with them. There have been few evenings though, when I sit alone and eat. That is when I don't feel like talking and when I miss home. When I feel like getting away from all these hustle-bustle, then I just go to “Feel Good Restaurant”. Situated just below the hotel I stay in, this is the best Restaurant in town. Who's who of every field come here and only the rich dine here. The place is quite decent and expensive for the city's standard. It's never crowded and I always manage to get a table alone. Sometimes in the corner and the others in the centre. I have never talked to anyone there, but have been through a lot of uncomfortable stares coming my way.
By the way they look at me, it seems obvious that these people are curious about me, but they just never come up for any conversation or anything. Yeah, and when someone stares at me, I really feel uncomfortable. I just avoid them, or at least try to and just get busy with my phone most of the time. But in all honesty, I like the place; the only problem is this place doesn’t serve non-veg food. It's been a month since I haven't had one of those and I am dying to have one of those meals at home.
Enough about the meals, the more I talk about it, the more I crave for it. It’s better if we just let this one be.
So it’s everyday job of mine to sit in a hotel and either talk to someone or listen to what people are talking about. They all talk in Gujarati I can however make out what they are talking about. Some discuss their family problems and some discuss business. Some discuss girls and drinks, some discuss studies. Amidst all these, there were few who managed about a sentence or two about me. They don’t usually look at me while they do, I can still make out what they are doing. Well…. I am smart like that. Just kidding, I know I am not.
Every day for about 30-45 minutes I connect to a lot of strangers inside one room, listen to them, sometimes empathize with them, sometimes laugh at them, sometimes feel sorry for them, sometimes feel happy for them and sometimes I cannot help but be angry at them. And sometimes I cannot help but be inspired by their stories. Well, some of them are really inspiring. I get to all these feelings in without even talking to them. It’s strange sometimes to connect with so many lives and even more so, knowing that I have never spoken to them.
Sometimes, few people leave a kind of mark that I can’t help but think about them while going back. Then I can’t help but think “well I am not the only one who is not happy with the life”. There are millions of people like that in the whole world, just that I don’t know what they go through and what they do. There will surely be people who might be living much more miserable life than I am.
These little dinner night outs taught me a lot of things and I am thankful to all these people. Learning from these people every night about a thing or two. Do I still feel that I am still living with strangers…… Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm…. Maybe not.
Well.... That's it for now. I will see you very soon. Just got a news that I might be sent to Delhi
Pray for me. See you very soon. Till then take care and stay safe. Adios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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