I remember, about a decade ago, while I was teaching in Taiwan, one of the teachers I knew took time off to travel to India. He was an odd fellow who loved indulging in the devil's salad way too much. Whenever you saw him over a weekend, you immediately realized that he was high AF. How the fuck he never got fired is beyond me.
One day, I saw his Facebook status update. It read: “I’m going to India for three weeks. I won’t be switching my phone on because I want to be in the moment during that time.”
Upon reading that, I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I tore a muscle. But now, about ten years later, I realized what that pothead was on about… and I commend him for that.
I lived and worked in Batumi, Georgia, for a month and was on my way to Vietnam after that. When it came to buying the flight ticket, after much playing around, I saw that I could get off in Delhi, India, spend three days there, and then fly out to Vietnam—which was cheaper than any other ticket I could find.
Delhi was nowhere on my list of places to visit, EVER. But with the little savings in flight costs, I also got to see another country I’d never been to. So why not?
Nothing can prepare you for Delhi. I have seen the movies, the documentaries, the testimonials from friends, and the posts on social media. Still, when you get there, you feel completely overwhelmed.
I was there at the end of August. The real feel was 45°C (113°F), and the pollution was so bad that the sun appeared to be this orange ball in the sky. Then there’s the noise pollution.
The traffic is insane in that city. Everybody does whatever they fuck they want, and someone that’s fine, as long as you just randomly honk your horn.
I soon realized why my hotel was only $10 per night. It was in the old Delhi area, close to the central station, and there were no signs of other tourists, amenities catering to them, or any significant landmarks. But it turns out that this was a good thing.
I began walking around aimlessly, just exploring the surroundings and observing the people. After my first outing of about thirty minutes, I had to turn back and get my mask. My throat was starting to hurt because of the air, and my nose was itchy too.
I was blown away by how hardworking those people were. So many of them are working their assess all day in that heat and crazy traffic, only to end up sleeping on the street, washing themselves under fire hydrants, just to do it all over again the next day.
I mean, look at this… this video was taken around 6 am on a Sunday morning! This is the area close to the Red Fort where people go to set up or shop at the street market.
But through all the WTF moments I had, this one cut the deepest…
Have a look at the red circle sign and the other sign below it.
This guy worked at an extremely busy gas station. His job at the exit of the station is to refill tires. Now imagine you’re working at 45°C (113°F), the sound of engines and hooters filling your ears all day long. You are hunched over, filling up the tires of scooters and motorbikes while their engines are still running, blowing exhaust gasses in your face while you’re bent over with your aching back.
Tonight, after his fourteen-hour shift, he leaves the station, only to go sleep on a carpet somewhere on a sidewalk, just to return tomorrow to THIS job.
The only thing that would’ve kept me sane would’ve been the glimmering hope that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would be a better day and that someone could offer me a large tip for my efforts. But his boss made sure to crush those hopes and dreams.
He even went so far as to put two signs up, making it abundantly clear for the gas station patrons not to tip this employee.
If reincarnation is true, can you imagine what a fucking monster this guy must have been in the previous life to be punished with this life? Who was he? Stalin? Genghis Kahn?
And then there’s me, rolling my eyes and moaning when I see a Teams meeting in thirty minutes that I have to attend in my shorts and t-shirt on my bed, with the beautiful bounty of the air-conditioning unit blowing in my face.
I finally got what that pothead teacher meant by staying in the present while in India. After this quick stop, I decided to return at least every two years. Being there puts everything in perspective. You’ll learn gratitude for your own life at a level you can’t fathom… for a couple of days at least.
Until our entitlement kicks in and the emptiness creeps back, brought on by some Instagram reel that showed a 25-year-old, self-made millionaire influencer flying first class while we have to fly cattle class. Then we forget very quickly about the no-tip-guy!
It's a funny world we live in…
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