PS: yours truly is in Goa right now where I am going to live and work for at least 2 weeks. If you have any North Goa related recommendations (food, people, spots, hacks) please send my way.
I also mentioned earlier that I will write one new thing each week. So we are at the 2 week mark. Do share any thoughts and obviously I loved hearing back from y’all.
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I want to share three separate incidents of me encountering politeness (in India, not that it means anything though).
I was attending my dear friends wedding and we were getting dinner where I decide to offer my friends their plates and cutlery. So imagine the scene, I am closest to the serving station, doling out plates to two others with their fork and knives and the last person is me. At this point, I have already made a plan of attack on the sumptuous big fat Indian dinner platter and I pick an empty plate for myself. As I was finishing collecting my cutlery, this presumably 50+ year old gentleman comes by and takes my plate and cutlery from my hands.
He then proceeds to give me my knife back, announcing that he wouldn't need it.
I thought I stood out, looking smart as fuck in my wedding party ensemble but then life humbled me to ground pretty quickly.
I lost my metro tap card a couple of weeks ago and heading into Delhi last weekend, I realized that I needed one for metro travel. Walking into Huda City Centre station, I head over to the customer care, stand in the line for a bit and soon it's my turn on the counter.
Addressing my Jaat brethren via the glass divider, I say "Sir, ek do saw ka card bana denge please?" (Translation: Sir could you please create a card with INR 200 in value). Behind the glass wall he utters something in the mike that I couldn't comprehend. So I ask him, "kya aap doobara keh sakte hain?" (Translation: Could you repeat again please?). Still unable to comprehend the accent, or the metallic voice from the speaker, I manage to make him repeat 2 more times.
The fourth time I hear it clear, "Abey itna dar dar ke kyun bol raha hai"
Translation: Why are you speaking in such a scared fashion.
Mumbling a few words and an embarrassed laugh I proceeded to enter the station hoping those ten people in the line behind me didn't overhear this exchange.
I get into an Uber, going somewhere. Getting in, I greet the driver and I asked my usual "how is it going"? Hearing this, he almost breaks down and says that no one typically asks how he is doing. He adds that most people treat Ubers and the drivers as dispensable and almost non human. He then shared how nice it felt to be acknowledged. Now clearly, I do not want to sound like an angel and most likely he was a new driver in Gurgaon where even the politest tones sounds like someone wants to fight you.
Regardless, I slept in peace that night that knowing I'd be getting a 5 star rating.