Why I Quit Traveling in an Airplane in Style

When I had started traveling to different cities, I would go there all decked up, especially in airline travel. However, there have been reasons I tend to dress down wherever I go now.

The luxury is no more

In the earlier days, travel by air used to be more of a luxury than being an everyday thing. The scenario is just like owning a Smartphone, which would show a person's stature earlier, but is a just another regular thing now. Similarly, flying has become as ubiquitous as going for a road trip. Frequent flyers cannot travel like a celebrity every time, neither do I like doing so now.

Casual wear is the trend

Facebook and Instagram have opened the doors to peek into the lives of celebrities who themselves wear casuals and sportswear while flying. We used to consider the actors as our role models, who we thought always remained decked up. However, now we know that they also need their comfort while traveling just like any other human being. The casual wear is nowadays equally expensive as a designer dress, so I don't see any harm wearing them as and when I wish.

Image related upgrades

For someone who started flying in an airplane a few decades ago must remember that the airlines used to give an upgrade to someone who looked like he or she belonged to the first class. That is why; I could always hear someone or the other asking me to dress up nicely to get a free upgrade. Nevertheless, the airlines do not want to invite the criticism related to sexism, lookism, ageism, etc. That is why; they do not give an upgrade basis only looks, so there is no need to make an effort to look rich. I buy a business class ticket if I want to have some additional comfort.

Not worth the effort

Traveling in style is not worth the special effort any longer because I have been flying for quite some time now. Getting dressed up by spending an hour more brings the extra pain. Moreover, it just does not feel comfortable to sleep in a business suit or wear the tough footwear every time I have to rush to the washroom, which is already painful experience.

The airlines these days refrain from giving free upgrades basis their discretion. On the other hand, they may give me an extra privilege if I have extra air-miles or through the membership system. I would instead hire a car rental Pune to pamper myself if I want to, instead of sweating myself for a painful flying experience. Flying is not easy, trust me if you can. Airplanes just seem to be a luxury these days, but they are not especially the economy class seats. I cannot afford the business class seats every time, so I prefer to go by road if the distance is reasonable enough in the equal amount I would spend on an airlines ticket.

How I Chose To Spend On Travel than on Anything Else

It is no easy feat being born in India, and avoid social pressures. In more than a few forms, people tend to force you for a lot of things that you are not willing to do. I was raised in a conventional Indian family where parents start saving money for their kids since their birth or even before that. I realized this fact that my father was willing to spend a fortune on my wedding, precisely 55-60 lakhs INR! He had saved all this money making efforts throughout his life, but he still fell short by a few lakhs, for which he planned to take loans! I cannot explain what I went through when I got this knowledge for the first time; it was when I was in school. Although I still had more than 7-8 years in hand before I tied the knot, I could not take it out of my mind that my father wishes to go through unnecessary agony because of just one day of grand celebrations.

Travel and education

I had only two dreams in life- to travel around the world and to learn as many skills as I can. Travel would come later since I was too young to wander around alone, at least according to Indian standards. However, I could convince my father to educate me to the best. He never refused to pay for my school and college, but somewhere he would try to save money on both. Every Indian parent has a hidden agenda that he or she should save money on everything by any means so that they can save the maximum amount for his or her kid’s marriage celebration. The same was the case with my parents, but I decided to change their mindset with the help of my maternal uncle.

My mother’s brother is an IAS officer in Bhopal, and hence, I decided to call him to talk to my father regarding my studies. Long story cut short, it took me one meeting with that uncle, and a few weeks of convincing to have my father agree for my education in Delhi. Since I belong to Meerut, it was not so easy to persuade him to let me go out of the city for coming few years, or probably all my life. Anyway, after I had graduated from Hindu College and done my post-graduation from Jawaharlal Nehru College, it was the turn to find a job that would let me travel.

Travel job

It feels like a dream to write my life story like this, but finding a job in a TV channel was not that difficult as I had thought. Since I was fluent in Japanese language, it took me only a few interviews to crack a well-paying job. Now that I travel a lot, I thought of bringing my parents as well for a foreign trip. They did not agree to go to Europe at first, but I took them along to Pune with me the previous October. The looks on their faces were invaluable as they wandered around places in Car Rental Pune without worrying about money as I had assured them that the trip was company-sponsored (which was actually not the case). It feels pleasant to lie to your loved ones sometimes.

Now, after six years of my schooling, they realize that their child is settled well in life. They take my words more seriously than before, and I finally convinced them to forget the pressures of society and let me marry in a low-key celebration with the close family only. Needless to say that they agreed! It is the most significant achievement in my life to have a dowry-free, happy wedding.

How Staying in India Made Me a Better Person

It may be too soon to write a blog like this, but I cannot wait to state that my stint of a year in India made me a better person. I hail from Sweden, and my mother brought me up in the cold environment of a society where people live an individualistic life. When I came to India for a job, I sensed that I had done the opposite thing of coming from Sweden to India. The common trend is that Indians go to my home country to seek better employment. Anyway, I was associated with a Japanese firm in my city, which required me to handle their operations in India for a few months. I, at first, detested at the announcement as I had heard a lot of horror stories about the country. However, I love to admit that India changed me for better and I was a changed person when I left after ten months.

Food is to share

On my first day in office, I had a great time while smiling back all the time at the welcoming colleagues. During lunch time, I went to the cafeteria to buy a couple of sandwiches. As soon as I grabbed a chair to begin my lunch, a few of my teammates banged open the door and said Hi to me. After they came to my table with their warmed up tiffin boxes in hands, the aroma of their delicious food filled the room. Before I could speak up, all of them presented their food in front of me, and simply said, "Have it." I couldn't do anything but oblige. I was happy to share my cold sandwiches with them in exchange for their fragrant rice and curries. The other great thing that I learned about Indians is that they love eating with their hands. They would wash their hands before lunch and eat food with their hands and a couple of spoons. No forks and knives come into play while eating Indian cuisines; they are required only for continental foods.

The vibrancy of India 

Throughout my life, I have seen very few bright colors. I have always seen men and women dressed in grey, black, white, and beige. Ladies in India love to dress in vibrant colors, and a few men as well. At every party, office meeting, or wedding I attended; I have seen them dressed in bold colors. Rather than making a woman feel guilty in office for wearing a bright saree, people love to compliment her. My hometown does not witness any such occurrence; people there are very strict about colors and clothing that makes the place at least visually dull.

Compassion

My friends from Mumbai once hired two Self Drive Cars in Pune to wander around the city. I have always seen poverty in India, and my friends warn me not to give alms to people as it encourages beggary. However, I make it a point not to haggle with children selling things on the streets, or the street vendors selling various articles and clothes. They do over-charge the foreigners than they do to the locals. However, if I can afford to pay a little more for a product, I do not mind doing so. Living in India has made me more compassionate towards the wealthy as well as the poor. Patience, endurance, and sympathy are required in enormous amounts to live a life like millions of people in India do. I salute these people who are made of steel to bear the unbearable circumstances all through their lives.

New Forms of Scams around the World

The world has changed for sure, at some places for better, and at the other sites for worse. Pickpocketing sounds like an age-old practice that the crooks would resort to when they did not have the brains to do anything else. Nowadays, the goons have become so smart that they would steal your money right from under your nose, and you would realize it only when it is too late. The old tactics of stealing money have taken new forms, and it is easy to fall prey to them.

Pickpocketing

Imagine you are watching things and people at a crowded place like the Gateway of India in Mumbai, or New York’s Times Square. Suddenly, you hear loud voices coming from your back, and you turn around to find two people exchanging heated arguments. In no time, they start fighting with each other. Rather than asking them to calm down, people prefer to stay away. Many people, including you, even begin recording the ongoing event to upload it on YouTube later. As soon as the scuffle gets over, you start watching the video you just recorded. However, you realize in a few seconds that someone stole your wallet as you were watching and recording the fight. Doesn’t it teach you to stay away from brewing dramas in every country and walk away? Yes, you should do that.

Fragile items

Most scams require more than one person to run the act successfully. Whenever you go to a shop that sells fragile things, they would clearly mark it not to touch the products unless you want to buy them. However, the shop of a scammer operates in a different manner. The shopkeeper would place every item in your hands while telling you about their qualities and how rare they are. In reality, they are just fragile junk products that are meant to break in your hands. As soon as something breaks, the seller will raise his not-so-sweet voice, and demand a huge payment for the antique product, which was actually waste.

The shopkeeper often calls the attention of other customers in the shop, who are actually his companions in the scam. A couple of people would pose against you, but one of them would be in your favor to act as a kind person. Now this kind person would be the one who would persuade you to pay the money to avoid any problem in a new city. Even if you plan to call the police, you might find that the police is involved with the crooks.

Do not feel scared

Whether it is in Bangalore, Mumbai, or New York; you have to be cautious of the events happening around you. The age-old scams have just acquired new faces. Use your intuition to judge whether something is right or wrong. If your inner voice asks you to step back, do not hesitate to do so. You have all the rights in the world to raise your voice and call the attention of other people whenever you fear that someone is trying to coax you into paying a bribe.

While renting Self Drive Cars Bangalore or buying souvenirs in Cuba, do not pay attention to anything that seems too reasonable to be true. Research well about the place you plan to visit, find out the current scams going on at the site, join online forums, and grab as much information as you can. You may not know everything about every city before visiting, but it will give you a fair idea about how you should conduct yourself on foreign land. 

Talking About My Experience of RVing in India

I had put a lot of thought before coming to India and putting my life's earnings in an RV to travel around the country. India is a vast country, and I wanted to explore it thoroughly while staying for several weeks at a place. Working online for a publication house lets me be in any corner of the world, and still make a decent living. Nevertheless, investing in an RV is a crucial decision, but I decided in favor of it because I did not want to spend a fortune on hotels and guest houses for the next three years in India. Despite the ups and downs of traveling in an RV with my friend, Sunny, I love my life and would like to continue it, maybe forever.

Small space

We knew it already that traveling in an RV means we have to adjust in very congested area for a long time, maybe years in length. However, when we first entered our RV in Pune, we were shocked to adjust to the presence, rather absence, of things. Bunk bed is tiny, hardly any space to walk around, the basin is too small to wash the dishes, and I don't want to talk about the little bathroom and toilet! Nevertheless, living in such a small space has taught Sunny and me to be minimalistic. We have learned to live with minimum possible means, and expect less from people. We can be okay with just a few of clothes for the entire season, and the changes in trends do not bother us. With just a few ingredients, we can manage to cook a wide range of cuisines. That reminds me, traveling around the country has made us an expert cook in a variety of local cuisines.

Full-time vacation is a myth

My peers back there in the hometown think that I am a full-time traveler who has got a lot of funds to travel the world for months. However, the truth is that I have to set up a routine to wake up, eat, work, and sleep. Otherwise, I will not be able to sustain myself and bear the expenses of being on the road. I wake up early each morning, do my morning prayers, eat my breakfast after the bath, and then sit down to work for 5-6 hours. Although I can take breaks during my office hours, I don't do it because I have to spend 2-3 hours in the evening to complete my work. I prefer to finish my office work in time so that I can enjoy my evenings without any stress. I have also allotted week offs and holidays for myself to live a normal life. Even if I get to travel forever without worrying about money, I cannot do it because it feels so useless to live like that. I like to work and then take a holiday than do it vice- versa. 

By now, I have been to thirty Indian cities with Sunny, and none of us feels tired of that. We enjoy our lives on the road and look forward to experiencing more of that. In the initial days, I used to maintain a record of places we have visited and things we have done. However, now I feel that I will never be able to see everything no matter how many years I spend behind the wheel. While I have also traveled in Car Rental Pune, local train in Mumbai, and buses around the state; I love RVing like nothing else and will continue to do so.

How I Quit Riding Elephants in Asia

It was not long time ago when I loved riding an elephant whenever I could. I would take an elephant ride in Delhi, Kerala, or Kolkata whenever I would get a chance. However, recently I read an article about the atrocities done to the poor fellows and then went ahead to inquire more about it. In the end, I felt ashamed that I had enjoyed being carried by the elephants on their back in the past. I committed to myself that I would never do it again, and spread the word about it so that the innocent animals are saved from the brutalities of humans. Even if I can save one elephant for a moment, it would be a feat well-achieved.

The baby elephants

Since adult elephants are difficult to tame, the mahouts seize baby elephants using various illegal methods. They mistreat them, abuse them, and hit them with clubs to bring about submissive behavior in them. The pain is unbearable for the babies when the trainers pierce their bodies with sharp bull-hooks. I could not imagine myself in a situation if someone deprives me of sleep and does not give any food; the same treatment is given to these poor animals.

Imagine when you are sick, and no one is there to take care of you. Even if you have someone to care about you, he or she deliberately doesn't do it. How would you feel? You will remember it all through your life. The same is the plight of elephants; they never forget when the mahouts deprive them of veterinary care purposefully. Elephants are compassionate beings at heart; they never forget both the love as well as hate that they receive.

Whenever they are wounded, the mahouts do not provide them with medicines just to save money. Since the elephants are deprived of their natural habitats, they do not have any means to treat themselves in the jungle. They have to depend on humans for their wellbeing, but hardly any organizations or individuals treat the animals with love or let them be with other elephants.

Entertainment by elephants

You might have heard stories about the torturous treatment given to various animals in the entertainment industry; the same is the case with elephants. Whether it is a circus show or a simple elephant ride, the animals are forced to do various acts for the sake of entertainment of people. In order to train them for a simple journey, they have to go through months of atrocities. Even when they are prepared enough, the inhuman treatment does not let them live in peace. The governments of different nations around the world have banned the use of animals in circuses, but the shows still go on in various places.

Other ways of spending time with elephants

When I was in Kerala this time, I made sure to stay away from the elephant's rides or any form of entertainment by the animals. I took a Self Drive Luxury Car Hire to amuse myself rather than ride on the back of so-called well-tamed elephants. On the other hand, I went to an elephant orphanage where they allowed the tourists to spend time with baby elephants as well as adults. We could bathe them, feed them, and play with them. We could do all of this under the guidance of polite mahouts so that he could deal with the changing behavior of the elephants. It was fun to be with the giant yet adorable animals like the way we did in Kerala. We spent two days in their habitat and had a good time with them all with their consent.

What Pune Taught Me in Just a Few Weeks

To be as sarcastic as I can. Yes, Pune taught me more sarcasm in three weeks than I had ever learned in my life. Rather than finding it offensive, since I am from Delhi, I took sarcasm as a funny tool to deal with unruly people. The Pune-kars do not behave rudely with people when they have to convey a strong message. They would use a solid sarcastic comment to convey their intent that might even contain a small bit of insult as well. To some sensitive souls, this might sound highly offensive, but being born and brought up in Delhi has made my nerves of steel. I took this skill as an essential thing to survive in Pune, and indulge with the Pune-kars as quickly as possible.

The straightforwardness  

Since I have spent a good number of years in Delhi, I always thought that the Delhi-ites are more clear-cut in their approach than anyone else. However, spending some time in Mumbai, and especially Pune changed my perception entirely. The Pune-kars would convey their message in strict, not-so-polite words with a soft tone that would make you wonder whether to feel angry or just okay with their behavior. For someone coming from a small town, this city can be as confusing as hell. However, the residents are quite welcoming and they would receive you wholeheartedly when you meet them. Just don't get scared by their frank conduct.

Sarcasm

For someone who can deal with sarcasm, it sounds funny. And for someone who has never been exposed to mockery, Pune-kars may sound very rude. Sarcasm is like the mother tongue of residents, and you have to master this language of sarcasm if you want to survive in Pune, which I eventually did quite soon. For instance, someone did not want the bikers to park their bikes in front of his house, which might have been a chronic issue for him or her. Instead of using simple language in his instructional board outside his house, he wrote, ‘I am a donkey; I will park my bike here only’.

Another billboard outside a house read in Marathi language, ‘After you ring the bell, wait for a minute. There are humans in the house, not the Spiderman.’

The honkers on the road will find writing on the back glass of a car amusing, ‘I am not going to live on the road. Do not honk.’ It is a simple message conveyed rather strongly.

You just cannot afford to be rowdy in Pune. They welcome the outsiders who know the way to behave in the society, but know how to teach a lesson to those who don’t.

Punctuality

In addition to sarcasm and straightforwardness, Pune has taught me the great trait of being punctual everywhere. My mom had spoilt me, just like any other North Indian mother, to get late for every party and meeting. It is kind of acceptable in Delhi to waste a few minutes of yours and others, no matter the occasion. However, working in Pune made me more professional and punctual. For instance, if I delay my rent by even one day, I have to go through a strict lecture by my landlord for actually 30 minutes or more! I cannot afford to listen to so much of scolding from my landlord or my manager at Car Rental Pune.

Much has been talked about the great weather of Pune, but I feel great when I think about the learnings that this amazing city has given me. I still stay in Pune, and would never want to leave it.

Life in Ahmedabad for an Outsider

Not for the sake of over-hyping it, but I am stating in genuinely that Ahmedabad is a city that can spoil you for life. After living there once, even after being born in North India, I always miss my time in the city of Gujjus. The city has had such an effect on me that now I don’t feel like I did in Ahmedabad during my stint of five years of job.

The Sabarmati riverfront

Since I lived close to the Sabarmati River, my day often began and ended with a session of hang out at the riverfront. The best part about this place is that it is clean and well-maintained unlike other rivers and beaches in India. Initially, I would go for cycling and boating, but I quit these activities later and opted to just sit there either alone or with friends. Being there at the Sabarmati River is pure bliss, which you can understand only when you spend leisurely time in Ahmedabad.

Safety for everyone

I had only heard that Gujrat is the safest state for women in India, but I never believed it unless I saw it myself. In my initial days, I would not step out of my house after 10 pm, but I always saw families and individuals going out alone at midnight without any prohibitions. I went out one day at 1 am to buy ice-cream with my friends, and I did not sense any danger for even a second! This was exceptionally unbelievable for someone who comes from the unsafe environment of Delhi.

Unlimited power supply

Since I come from that part of Delhi, where an hour of power supply cut off was normal and I had no problem with it. However, water was scarce in my locality even in the capital of India. However, after coming to Ahmedabad, I used to get unlimited supply of power and water, which has spoiled me for life. Now, I miss that luxury in Hyderabad a lot, but I know I cannot do anything about it.

Friendly people

Whenever you ask a Gujarati person about his wellbeing, he or she will always answer, ‘Majja maa’, which means they keep hale and hearty. Even if they have a dozen problems in their life, they would never show it on their face or vent out their personal frustration in the social life.

Open-minded

The Gujratis are very open-hearted by nature and accepting in nature for modern things. I have seen them accepting the urban trends quickly without much fuss. Maybe that is why; they have maximum number of businesses in India. When I started working for Car Rental Ahmedabad, I had doubts about the success of this business in the city. However, this place proved me wrong as the Gujjus are the most accommodating people in their conduct. They wholeheartedly accepted this concept and I could put myself in better shoes at office just because of the Gujjus unlike other cities where I worked.

Awareness

Being alert about the social issues and raising a voice against them is not very common in India as people usually tend to be busy in their daily lives. Especially in North India, or perhaps the entire country, people just survive and blame the system of India rather than acting on issues themselves. However in Ahmedabad, I have seen people being proactive rather than being a passive spectator.

I miss my time spent in Ahmedabad so much that given a chance to choose a city to live in India, I would definitely go for the city of the Gujjus.

Why I Hate Traveling for Work

Traveling is something that has always been very close to my heart, but of late, I have started hating it. I don’t like to pack my bags anymore as I used to do earlier. I don’t like to experiment with foods the way I did a few years ago. All of this happened because I decided to choose travel job over desk job seven years ago. Only the first year in my job was great as I loved exploring new cities, but everything started becoming tiring after a while. Let me tell you why I don’t like my job anymore and why I want to return to a normal life.

No rest

Traveling for leisure is a different thing and doing such a pleasing thing for work is a completely different scenario. I hate waking up at 4 am to catch a flight at eight in the morning. I have to pack my check-in luggage at night and I cannot afford to pack a huge luggage since it takes a long time at the airport to submit and take it back. I hate waiting in the long queues even when I cannot stand straight for a minute. There have been times when I feel like I would crash any moment, but still I have to be there for an important job in a remote city in the other corner of the world.

No time for sightseeing

When I first went to Pune, I had thought that I would see as many sights as I can after my office. However, endless number of meetings and trainings were lined up for me in the administrative center and I could not even eat my lunch at peace. When I reached my hotel at 9 pm, the first thing that came to my mind was to have a glass of wine after a shower and crash in the bed. Three days went like this in the city, and my plans of going around Pune in the evening went down the drain. I have seen many cities around the world now, but some of them are only for the namesake.

Eating just anything

More often than not, I do get free food during my travels, but I have started hating it now. I don’t like the free meal coupons that include only fast food or unhealthy fatty cuisines. I rather prefer a bowl of cereals with milk in the morning, or just a plain egg omelet rather than lavish foods in every meal. Instead of having beer every evening, I try to grab a glass of fresh juice no matter what. The office parties do not interest me anymore, especially when my body clock is against the local timings.

Poor health

I can realize my deteriorating health whenever I eat unhealthy foods for a week or more. My body starts giving me signals that I need to bounce back to a healthy routine as soon as possible so that I can enjoy my work as well as weekends. However, no matter how hard I try, I can never be as hale and hearty as I would be at home. I used to work for a Self-Drive Car Rental company, have good food, maintain a stable routine, and go for parties only during weekends. Now I can party throughout the year, but it does not interest me anymore. As soon as I get a chance to be with my family and my cats, I take a flight to my hometown and spend maximum time with them. I don’t say that traveling for work is bad, but it saturates me after a while.