Posted on November 20, 2016 under Storytelling with 2 comments

Our porter was an awesome guy

 

“ I hear that train a ‘comin, it’s rollin round the bend,

And I ain’t seen the sunshine, since I don’t know when”

Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash

There’s something magical about a train ride. When I was a child, passenger trains were a convenient and efficient way to get from small town to small town and city to city. It seemed like every community had a train station and every one of them looked identical… and they had character. A big thrill for those of us who loved hockey was to get on the train in Antigonish and travel to Montreal to see our beloved Montreal Canadiens. But sadly, times change and many of our people moved away to find work, leaving passenger train service all but extinct.

So it was with considerable interest that I was told that I would be taking a long train trip in Southern India as part of my volunteer work. I would be joined by a colleague from work who is from India, providing me great comfort , as my Hindi isn’t up to snuff.

It was also tinged with a bit of trepidation as I thought about some of the stories I had read about train travel in India. I imagined railcars packed to the roof with hordes of people, with fetid air and possibly even animals. However, India is an economy in transition and the fastest growing economy in the world and I was hopeful that the trip would provide me with many pleasant memories.

I got off to a very bad start. The night before the trip I was out with friends who helped me pick out appropriate attire to wear at an Indian wedding. We went for dinner afterwards and by the time we got back home, it was well past my bedtime. After a long and stimulating day, topped off with spicy food, sleep was at a premium. Truthfully, I barely slept. The thoughts of a full day at work followed by an  11 hour train ride were not pleasant thoughts.

The plan was to leave work, get to the station in plenty of time, have a leisurely dinner, board the train and have a restful journey. Sounds good on paper. During the day, I went and got some snacks at the grocery store just to make sure that we had something to nibble on. Just before the checkout, I grabbed a couple of old standbys: a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter.

We dialed up Uber and headed out into rush hour traffic.

The notorious crush of cars, taxis, buses and motorcycles moved along at a snail’s pace. The air seemed more polluted than usual and the incessant clamor of beeping horns brought on a medium sized headache . It’s somewhat disconcerting when the driver of the cab puts on the emergency brake in the middle of a major thoroughfare… four times. This means only one thing: gridlock.

After two long hours we arrived at the station. That’s when trouble struck. The Uber driver had lost cell phone service and couldn’t calculate the fare. I must tell you that my traveling companion is a strong willed, independent minded individual. I knew the driver didn’t stand a chance. It turned into an epic Mexican standoff with each of the participants holding their ground. Crafting the Middle East Peace Accord was looking like a better bet. Meanwhile, our window of opportunity for securing a much needed meal, had expired. And if I didn`t soon get food, I might expire too.

We entered the station, checked the departure board and made our way to gate number 5. Those of us with bad backs know that fatigue exacerbates the condition. With the extra bags of groceries, computer, suitcase and backpack, I had all I could do to navigate several flights of stairs, both up and down, to reach our destination

I was somewhat embarrassed that I could offer no assistance to my female traveling partner whose suitcase was the weight of two grown elephants.

Coming down the last flight of stairs, my heart skipped a beat. In what resembled the traffic mayhem that we had just exited, a throng of humanity clamored to get on the train. Our train was heading south. I thought, “Please let this be a north bound train.“ Not  a chance. I looked around to see where they kept the straight jackets. Mercifully, this was our train but it was not our car.

We eased down the aisle and after a seat swap, found ourselves sitting together eating the most wonderful peanut sandwiches known to mankind. And the two seats beside us remained empty for the first part of the trip. Whoever you believe your god to be, she was on our side as we had the luxury of space, something that seems to be at a premium in India.

The clackety clack of steel and rail lulled us into a state of peace.

 

 

 

Posted on November 17, 2016 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

Women Farmers Group

I have been asked repeatedly why I have decided to travel to India at this time of my life. I have given a variety of answers. I stumbled upon this quote the other day which says it best:

 

“ I shall pass through this world but once.

Any good that I can do,

Or any kindness that I can show,

To any human being,

Let me do it now,

And not defer it,

For I may not pass this way again.”

 

Stephen Grellet.

Posted on November 14, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 3 comments

 

Meeting the bride and groom

 

Ignorance is bliss. Unless it isn’t.

Many of my friends have travelled the globe over the years and can speak with some authority about customs, lifestyles and geography in many parts of the world. Many of us have had a smattering of travel to know that there are many beautiful places besides Nova Scotia. Some people have never left their front porch and everything they know is what they learned in a grade X11 Social Studies class or these days, through a quick Google search.

Misconceptions.

I’m guilty as charged. Before coming to India,  I read a few books, watched some Youtube videos and spoke to people who had been to this vast country. India is NOT just about cows in the streets, smog and abject poverty. Those things exist but these are the stereotypical images that come to mind for many North Americans. Having been here a mere two weeks, I am not about to make any profound pronouncements, but I think India is a country on the move.

There are many, many incredible bright, young talented people here ( like in Canada ) who are going to change the face of India. My hope is that the country doesn’t aspire to be too much like the west. I think most of us would agree that many western values are misplaced and the pursuit of wealth is not the be all and end all. I have always loved the expression, “ to have more, want less.” I am seeing the world through a very different filter… and that, “ is a good thing.”

I attended my first Indian wedding reception the other night. Those of you who read my column regularly know that I was part of one last week ( unofficially ) as I lay in a hotel room and listened to very loud, celebratory music from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. It was a very colorful affair…. I think. I will write a full chapter in my upcoming book on my travels in India, including weddings.

 This wedding was expected to last a few days. The reception I attended was several hours before the actual ceremony ( 3:00 a.m. I decided to take a pass on this ). This event was for family members and friends to wish the bride and groom best wishes and to bring presents. Many people from our office were there, as the mother of the bride is a colleague. The bride and groom arrived to great fanfare. ( check out my video of “the band.” ) For the life of me, I couldn’t find the piper! Before going to the dining area, groups of people walked up on to the stage to shake hands and have their pictures taken. Our group from APMAS was one of these groups. With my bright yellow dress, and being the only white person in the room, I stuck out like a sore thumb as I crossed the platform.

The banquet room was awash in food. There must have easily been 50 different Indian dishes and desserts aplenty. Most of the dishes were unrecognizable to me. My friend, Nagendra, tried to keep me out of harm’s way as I loaded up my plate. This was a stand up affair and it was very crowded. I took a bite of something foreign to me and thought about calling the Antigonish Volunteer Fire Department to put out the flames. I couldn’t even politely remove it from my mouth. It was the first time that I’ve broken out in a sweat eating food since I arrived. More later when I publish the full story.

Canada Night. I bought a guitar a few days ago. It’s a Fender so maybe I’ll go on a Fender bender! Sometime soon, I am going to put on a Canada Night for the staff at work. They will project a map of Canada on the wall and I will try and tell them a bit about where I come from. I will intersperse the dialogue with some songs. Wait till I sing “ I’s the B’y” and the “Kelligrew Soiree”! When I brought the guitar back to the office after purchasing it, I decided to play a couple of tunes. I started with John Denver’s “ Country Roads.” ( Some of you will now have an earworm for the day! ).  I was shocked that at least two of the staff knew every word and sang along. There are those misconceptions again. I didn’t think that they would be familiar with North American music.

I have three field visits this week and am booked solid from then until the end of the month. As most of this travel is in rural India, I’m not sure how connected I’ll be but already I have been surprised how many communities have good internet. Now if only the folks in Malignant Cove and Georgeville were so lucky!

Have a great week.

P.S. Some of you know this already. I have a new Facebook page called “ Through Len’s Lens.” I have so many pictures that I need a convenient spot to post them for people who want to see them in one location. There will be very little script with them. The pictures should tell the story. Tell your friends.