Goodbye Bhubaneswar - India trip 2022

 In Bhubaneswar the fad of Hingodia (Hindi mixed Odia) continues unabated. Nani and Apa have catapulted to Didi. Bhinei has turned into the fashionable "Jiju" and so on. A lady whom I used to address as APA (elder sister) since time immemorial now insists on being addressed as DIDI (as they address elder sister in Hindi). "APA, NA KADALI CHOPAA (Banana peel), MOTE DIDI DAAKE (call me Didi)" - she retorted back when I addressed her as APA. I got the message loud and clear. Ekta Kapoor's teleserials are clearly having their effect. 

First time I heard the word "bro" was in Hollywood movies and after coming to America. Now bros are roaming rampant in Bhubaneswar, a few addressing me with "Hi bro". For someone from the current generation of middle class in Bhubaneswar being closer to Hindi and English sounds "Hef" (the slang used for being cool here). The city Forest Park dwellers, Netflix and Amazon Prime watchers are one step ahead of the rest in "Hef" category, as they chew "Phew, Oops, Shit" in English - for them Hindi is so passe and English being cool.

In the United States most places open for breakfast quite early, between 5 AM to 6.30 AM. Then open for lunch from 10.30 and dinner at 6 PM. Here breakfast stalls are never open before 8 AM, most restaurants open for breakfast around 9AM. Lunch is eaten not before 2 PM and dinner often after 10 PM. With such late dinner one can imagine eating a late breakfast. But at our home here we don't eat that late and it keeps me sane. I prefer to have my cuppa tea early in the morning, but lunch at 2 PM and dinner at 10 PM isn't my cuppa tea.

There is a severe shortage of Rs.2000 notes (Bills) though Rs.500 notes are available plentiful. I hate to have a bulging out pocket filled with lower denomination notes in it, so carrying Rs.2000 bills is my preferred option. Yet couple of banks I checked out couldn't provide me with any 2000 rupees note. Someone shared with me his reasoning behind this shortage - that Rs.2000 notes are mostly used for black money transactions and hence much sought after, eventually becoming elusive for the commoners. Conspiracy theory or otherwise, it made sense.

Overall my trip went well. The enery sapping heat and humidity didn't motivate me to venture outside Bhubaneswar. Though didn't bitten by travel bug to wander far and wide, I was by mosquitos multiple times. Gladly so far no symptom of Dengue. Ran lot of errands, did some charity work. The feeling of helping someone is more satisfying than visiting any temple.

When I loaded some Airtel minutes to my local mobile (cell) phone, I was prompted to speak out my phone no. Speaking "96688" as nine-six-six-eight-eight" is often frowned upon and not properly understood. You need to pronounce 66 as "Double 6", 88 as "double 8" and so on. Being out of touch with the milieu for a while, it took me a while to figure this out.

Eminent writer R K Laxman sited this reason for him to stay in India when he had the option to settle abroad invited by multiple Colleges in UK and US -"Where on earth you will find so many variety of characters to write about !!!" He wasn't far from truth. No place under sun can match India in the richness of flora, fauna, chaos and characters to write about. Often chaos and disorder brings the fun and frolic out of life rather than orderly tidiness.

What's the similarities between a vacation, a consulting assignment and life ? All have a start date and end date. Like all good things in life a vacation has to come to an end. Before vacation one is rejuvenated and filled with energy. Towards the end of the trip one is jaded, somewhat depressed. There is always an inherently internal wish you had a few more days to spent. Three, four or five weeks, however long you stay it is never enough.

In the wee hours of the trip it's always the endless cycle of last minute shopping, meeting friends and relatives, running errands, packing, weighing, repacking and re-weighing of luggages.  Now the time has arrived to bid adieu to my motherland. Good Bye India. See you later...