Curiosity didn’t kill the cat!

I have been an inquisitive person throughout my life. I like meeting new people and enjoy talking to them about everything that interests all parties. And this desire to meet and see new places and people has kept my spirits high.

The last one year has been a roller coaster ride in my life. I have been to places, that, I had dared to dream and have met the most interesting bunch of people who have inspired, kindled, yearned me to strive for better and most importantly have taught me, how to be a simple person yet to think big and out of the box to bring about a change. I, along with tens and hundreds of international civil servants sat with Ban Ki Moon and listened to him talk about the plan to control Ebola epidemic in West Africa when I was interning at the World Health Organisation in Geneva, experienced thin air at 3842 asl when for the first time I ever saw and touched snow in my life at Mont Blanc in the French alps, cycled 400 km to fund raise a school, spent six months with indigenous communities in South India trying to understand the social determinants of their health and many more interesting events which I am optimistic that life will throw me again at such serendipitous opportunities in future.

I am a self-taught amateur photographer. I got a basic entry level DSLR camera after I saved for a year, few years ago and I have been clicking since then. I have clicked whatever amused me and made me reflect at an intellectual level. Nature has always amazed me with its boundless wonders. The fascinating world of birds is a new arrow in my quiver of interests. The last six months, I spent at Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve in South India opened its doors to an interesting collection of avian species. I have learnt to identify birds by their calls, beaks, fathers, size, etc. I have spotted more birds than I could click and have lost myself in admiring their beauty. Red whiskered Bulbul, Gargeney or Blue winged teals, Nilgiris spotted dove, Hill Swallow, Sun bird, Long Tail Shrike, House Sparrow, Malabar Grey Horn bill, Rufous woodpecker, Barbets, Munias, Bee eaters to name a few, which I was lucky to encounter. While I was sighting, clicking the birds, I came across a newspaper article about a website called www.ebird.org which is involved in documenting birds across the world and have been contributing to it. Thus, making good use of my photographs and the newly found passion.

Traveling to me is the best teacher of my life. It teaches far more serious life lessons that one cannot find in books. The first solo backpacking trip I did was to Sri Lanka back in 2013. I planned meticulously, saved few hundred dollars and the rest was supported by my family. I was scared of the adventurous plan, for it was many first involved- first air travel, first overseas journey, first backpacking and the scariest was traveling alone. It was the most memorable trip I did until recently that place was taken over by a long cycle ride in South India. Sri Lanka is similar to India in many ways, it shares history, mythology, natural habitat, culture, food, dressing and many other things with India, yet it is quite different in many aspects. During a visit to a diamond mine in Ratnapura, I was gifted three pink tourmalines by a miner, because I clicked some photos of him. It is one of my favorite souvenirs. Every time, I see them, they instantly remind me of the memories of the trip which are still fresh in my mind. Something else that strikes me about Sri Lanka is their cleanliness drive to keep their villages and cities clean.

I went transcontinental to Eastern Europe in 2014 again solo backpacking. I traveled by road and rail across Hungary to Austria. Hungary’s capital, Budapest is a remarkable example of urban planning and imitation of Paris. Andrade Utca, Champs Elysees’s counterpart has also Europe’s second oldest metro after London under it, leading to Hero’s square. The square has a tall pillar at one end surrounded by Hungary’s notable kings who built the country since Roman times. Europeans romantic connection to their history and the sincere effort in preserving it is admirable. Gulash, a traditional Hungarian soupy dish heavily spiced up with paprika is a must try. The variety of beers and liquors produced in almost every village or town in eastern Europe is a ‘spirit’ual treat to booze hounds. After that, when I was interning at WHO in Switzerland, I traveled to other parts of Europe whenever I got opportunity and efficiently balancing work, finance, and travel. The French are overtly patriotic about their nationality and this made communication a little difficult. This had a brighter outcome, I started learning French and successfully managed to converse basic French within three months. Few months back, I combined work and travel to England. I discovered many colonial connections between the United Kingdom and India and was thrilled at the fact that, India was the priced jewel of colonial Britain. All these travel experiences were over ridden by a recent 400 km cycle ride; I did to fund raise a school for indigenous children. I saw real India. I closely encountered the hardships of a farmer, poor educational facilities, drought, sad health situation, people defecating in open space despite government efforts to combat it. Mahatma Gandhi believed in rural self-governance and rightly said,

“India lives in her villages”. The ride gave me a chance to interact with people who in their common man’s position have made an extraordinary effort to bring change in other’s lives. The rich tapestry of India is woven by customs, food, dressing, landscape, forests, flora and fauna and the most interesting of all- people. It was like a hitchhiking ride to real India and discovery of myself. Travel is the best teacher. Whoever chooses this incredible expedition, always returns back rich with memories, thoughts, newer perspectives about life altogether.

And with every new place I visited, the new person I met, the new culture I learnt, the more inquisitive I have become. The curiosity has never killed the cat in me.