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.

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.

Being Twenty-Something and Not Going Broke to Go for a Vacation

Not being penniless in my twenty-something has been the most significant achievement of my life until now. Although the student life in my teens felt awesome, sometimes it felt terrible to feel almost broke. No matter how much money my father would deposit in my account, my pockets would always be empty just like a typical student studying in a different city than the hometown. Now that I have started earning a decent income after college, I feel at least a little relieved that I do not have to ask for money from my Dad. I would rather be able to send money home after a few years of being in a job. 

Since this is my first job as an IT engineer, the environs around me are quite standard as it would be in an IT company. My office is located on the outskirts of Noida, and I live in a rented accommodation with my friends. With some amount of income in hand, I always feel like I can have a good lifestyle. I cannot give much attention to seemingly unnecessary things, and I do not want to regret my decisions in life. Therefore, I try to take careful decisions with informed choices. 

In my early teens, I would always think about going for a vacation, but money was always an issue. Even if I would try to make a plan, my first concern was to think about not getting broke.  Nowadays, albeit the supply of money is not unlimited, I can still make an effort to go out for 2-3 vacations in a year. The time spent with the family and friends means a lot to me; I understand that with each passing year, I might lose the time that I would never get back.

My first road trip after I joined the job was headed to Rishikesh; I went there with my friends to do white water rafting and Bungee Jumping. Everything we did there was just unforgettable. We could do anything that we wanted for the two days we had in hand in Rishikesh. Sitting on the white sand on the riverside, watching people frolicking in the Ganga River, and talking to the friends was the best feeling ever. The first vacation always remains most memorable, despite the number of voyages we take later.

The next time, I made a plan to go to Nainital with my family. It is impossible to explain the pride I felt when I could make expenses for my family. It feels speechless to have your own money in your pocket, spend it on your family, and see the gratification on their faces. They feel speechless to express the delight they feel when they realize that their kids are gradually becoming self-dependent. I can do the spending forever to see that smile on the faces of my parents.

The last trip that I took this year was headed to Pune. After partying a lot for more than a year, I felt like relaxing in the lap of nature. I had never been to South India, so I decided to take a quaint road trip this time. With my friend who works in the city, I took a Self-Drive Car Rental Pune and went to a couple of places to explore the southern region of India. No doubt that I like the hills of the North, but I also fell in love with the beaches of the South in the country. I reassured myself that in the next three years, I would take at least one trip every year to this region, without going broke! 

How to Dodge the Fears of Solo Female Travel

Solo travel is indeed a big deal, especially for women around the world. No matter how strong you are, there are some things you cannot avoid. You cannot change the behavior of every person, alter the cultural setting of a place, or ask for your comfort foods at every place you visit. Therefore, the only resort to adjust to solo travel is to prepare yourself such that only you know your fears and they do not come out in the open. For the first-timers, beginning a solo trip may be an overwhelming experience, but you just need to remember that the issues are always resolvable (at least almost always!). Else, you have the option to move out of an uncomfortable situation at all times. No one is born headstrong, neither are you, but you can develop specific traits that help you carry on your solo trip comfortably. Moreover, it is only the beginning of a journey that is annihilating. Once you reach your destination, you will automatically muster the courage to move ahead.

Safety issues 

Concerning safety, the best thing to do is to select a relatively safe city to travel. Since you are a female, you would not want to garner unwanted attention from a conservative society or attract the criminals. Once you are sorted with a safe destination, you can plan further to be safe. Decide your clothing according to the location and do not wear clothes that draw too much of notice. Do not keep your belongings in the open and watch out of anti-social elements around you. If you find someone particularly shady, just watch out the person. Avoid going to the lonely places and always be in touch with someone at home, office, or college.

Keep in mind that being free is a different thing and being irresponsible is another. If you do not tell anyone about your whereabouts, you might be risking yourself too much. Let at least one friend know about your entire itinerary and keep him or her informed about every significant thing, person, and activity. Just in case something happens to you, there will be at least one person who can reach you.

Being lonely 

Facing loneliness is the next big concern for every solo traveler, be it a male or a female. You might have to book a table for one at every restaurant, go alone everywhere, and explore everything all on your own. Anyway, try to ignore the gloomy side of being alone and embrace the beautiful front of it. Since you would be among several like-minded people at your destination, you are more approachable to be friends with people and mingle with the local folks. You can spend as much time as you want at a place and still not feel guilty about it. You do not need to cling to someone just because you came with the person. Being all on your own gives you the opportunity to set your own rules and break them as well whenever you want.

If you are in India, you have dozens of cities to visit for your solo trip, one of them being Pune. This South Indian location is impressive for a road trip to and from the city with the Car RentalsPune. You can not only enjoy the drive all the way, but the place also gives you incredible options to explore the city. Solo travel is not as daunting as it sounds, provided that you know how to make the most of it. Just step out of the house someday, and you will never regret your decision.

Taking a Break from My Job as a Teller in a Bank

Rustle and crunch of money sound like music to many of us, but the responsibility of handling so much of cash in a bank is a different story altogether. I have been working as a Teller in a private bank in Pune for almost two years now. It is quite exhausting to handle such a pressurizing job, especially in India where people are quite touchy about their money. I have to deal with a lot of people in just one day, and most of them are not aware of things happening in the bank. So I have to tell them about various formalities before they proceed to get their job done. 

When I began my job of being a Teller, I had thought that I just need to be good at mathematics and it will be an easy ride for me. However, it turned out to be a very stressful, yet pleasant job. The work environment inside the office is quite taxing, but the best part is that I don’t have to go out in the scorching heat or the freezing cold weather. I can comfortably be seated in my ergonomic desk and listen to the queries of the customers. 

My job description had clearly stated before I joined that I must possess the attention to detail. Now when it comes practically counting the money, I realize that I have to be super-attentive and know every second whether I just counted a hundred-rupee or a ten-rupee note. I have seen a few Tellers who have to count the bundles of notes several times when the machine is not working, and I cannot ignore that they do not last long in their jobs. With that level of the nerve-wracking environment in the bank, I have to make sure every second that I deliver the best of my potential.

Nevertheless, I get stressed out at times, and I cannot focus on my work. At such circumstances, I realize that I am on the verge of burning out and I need a break really soon. Sometimes, I think about working part-time as well to reduce the workload, but that will not pay my bills. Anyway, when I feel too much burned out, I just call up a few friends and try to convince at least two of them to go for a road trip on Pune car rentals as soon as possible. My friends mock at me when I tell them that I am on the verge of getting exhausted. They have an impression that I have an easy going job where I just have to count currency notes all the time. Nonetheless, they do not know that I have to provide superb customer service as well while handling money. I have to be extremely outgoing and highly organized, which can burn out even the most energetic staff in the bank. 

I understand that there is no use explaining all this to my friends, so I just ask them to book car rentals and accompany me for a road trip. Since most of us do not own a car, we prefer taking car rentals Pune so that we do not have conflicts later. Paying for a Service rules out the possibility of accountability and responsibility, and we can focus only on enjoying the vacation. We have taken several vacations just like that when my friends or I feel like escaping the hustle bustle of the city life. We are lucky to be in Pune as we have several options to go for a weekend getaway. Having said that, I do want to mention that even a demanding job can provide professional satisfaction when there is a proper work-life balance.