Weird airport experiences

Weird airport experiences

Airports are places filled with a million emotions, not only for those travelling but for everyone there. Human emotions fill airport terminals, and these emotions are experienced in their raw state. We can easily conclude that airports are one of the happiest yet saddest places on earth.

 

For this post though, I would like us to move away from the joy and agony a little bit and focus on the weird experiences we have come across at airport terminals, especially during security searches.

This comes after a conversation I had with a couple of frequent travellers I bumped into a few weeks ago. We met at one of the cafés in Gaborone and this topic came up during our chit-chat. Experiences shared ranged from awkward moments during border security searches to confiscating of rasgullas and goldfishes and many more.

Below are some of the experiences I shared with them;

Dreadlock search/exam

Check in time at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China

So I had dreadlocks for close to seven years before I decided to shave them off  early last year just for a new look, you know. The experiences I used to have at airports always differed from one demographic to the other. I honestly never knew what to expect.

I remember in 2014 while at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai when I was checking in to return back home, I got what I still think was unnecessary attention by the airport security staff. When it was my turn to go through security search they literally paused and had all eyes on me as one of them searched me. It was like they just saw something they have never seen before (maybe dreadlocks yeah but ….. ) I was slowly becoming agitated and just when I was about to ask them if they had no work to do, one of the passengers shouted from the back of the queue “Quick! Quick! We are going to miss our flight.” That was when they woke up from their ‘dreams’ and got back to work.

The other time I had three different men from airport security carefully inspect my dreadlocks individually. During all this, they kept asking if my hair was ‘real/original’. It felt weird but I decided to keep my cool when I thought of stories about drug smugglers using the dreadlocks technique at the time.

Travel buddy; Octo-Bobo

Outside IGI T3 Airport in Delhi, India

We all have travel buddies and articles and they come in different forms and also differ from one person to the other. My travel buddy is Octo-Bobo, the yellow octopus seen on the photo above.

“Doll, toy, funny” and many other names coupled with weird looks and finger pointing are some of the things I experience when travelling with Octo-Bobo. Well, I have no idea what goes through their minds when they see me holding a bright coloured octopus across terminals and into the cabin. Air hostesses, potters, security personnel are usually amused and curious and also ask a lot of questions about my choice of a travel buddy.

During one of our travels as we checked in for our Gaborone bound KQ flight from Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, they passed Octo-Bobo through the security scan machine about six times. I just stood there as they took turns pressing and holding poor Octo-Bobo through the machine as they spoke in Swahili. They also finally snapped out of their ‘dream’ and we proceeded to the boarding gates.

For a bit of a break down on Octo-Bobo; It was a gift specially made by a good friend of mine, Santa from Latvia. We were both living in New Delhi, India at the time and she gifted me one of these awesome artworks of her. In her facebook page she explains them as follows “Octop. is such unique and friendly creature. It makes yours house look more cozy as a interiour element, It helps you to relax after long day, It is always waiting for your hug and attention. As you see, Its not just a soft-toy, but It has its own personality and feelings.”

If you are interested in getting yourself a travel buddy like mine, you can visit the octop website by following this link .

Those are the two experiences that I thought I should share since they are quite unique.

Please feel free to share yours 🙂

Travel teaches Tolerance

Travel teaches Tolerance

One of my favourite quotes about travel is by Alcee Hastings. It goes like “Not just Christians and Jews, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and the followers of many other religions believe in values like peace, respect, tolerance and dignity. These are values that bring people together and enable us to build responsible and solid communities.”

The truth is quotes like the above mentioned one by Hastings did not really so much to me before I started travelling much and living away from home. Of course I was involved with awesome organisations like AIESEC among others which taught me about tolerance. I grew up in an even more wonderful structure; my family which taught me a lot about tolerance too. I grew up in a Christian family, Catholic church to be precise which has its teachings about tolerance. I also grew up in Botswana, a country which is predominantly Christian.

Before moving any further into this I would like to explore what tolerance is by definition. Just to make sure we are on the same level of understanding. According to the Miriam Webster’s learners dictionary, tolerance is defined as willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.

For us to understand tolerance further we should know what is the opposite of tolerance. These include prejudice, disapproval and narrow mindedness among others. I hope you get the picture.

Let us also remember that the above are just definitions from different sources with different meanings. What we should understand more than anything else is the fact that we most probably all have our definitions of tolerance. We will use the ones already noted as a guide.

As I grew up from that Christian family setup there came I time when I had to start exploring and travelling. Frequenting our neighbouring South Africa, moving up to Mozambique and nearly reaching Angola and Namibia at the Caprivi Strip. Exploring China  and the east as well as living in the Indian sub continent.

Initially I used to have so many questions in my head. So many criticisms, so many judgments. I am not saying I do not have those anymore, all I am saying is I am more aware and as such I try very much to be more understanding and more receptive because at the end of the day I choose to do exactly that. I am looking forward to more travel experiences all around the world anyway. So the only way one could enjoy all these and feel at home away from home is when they are more tolerant.

I am going to be honest with you, I sometimes find myself choosing sides that people expect me not to choose because we make up a majority. An example is usually when the topic of discussion is about a group of ‘outsiders’. Recently I had a heated debate with some of my friends about Christianity being the best religion in the world. I was of course opposing this viewpoint. What I saw as unfortunate was the fact that the very same people I was having this debate with have not gone out there to experience other religions or even read about them in depth if they were really passionate about such debates and holding such viewpoints. They just appeared to know the little that they see on the media with their own agenda.

I on the other side have lived with Muslims, Hindus, Atheists in the same house and have also interacted with Buddhists, Jews and many others on a daily. Something I found very eye opening and enlightening. Daily interactions with such people is a never-ending process. Imagine coming from a family where you join hands and say grace every time before sharing a meal to such a setting. What do you do? Do you ‘force’ everyone to join you in doing this before every meal? Or you just say grace in silence? Do you follow your Muslim housemate every time they whip out the rug and go for the Salat? For what purpose? Do you criticize the lovely Muslim females for wearing the hijab? Making jokes about them? Why? Do you not attend a friend’s wedding ceremony because it’s an arranged marriage? Do you go there and keep nagging about how their right to choice has been denied  or you attend to appreciate culture  different from your own? Too many questions, right? I know!

Living in metropolitan cities with people from all across the world gives us an opportunity to interact with them and learn more about the world. What do you then? Avoid a chat with Russians and Eastern Europeans because they are ‘cold’? Brush off fellow Africans because they are ‘not liked by many’? Or avoid interactions with Arabs and Persians because they are ‘suicide bombers’? Do you not want to be associated with the French because they are ‘snobby and judgmental’? Or stay away from Hispanics and South Americans because they are ‘a bunch of druggies’?

I had such questions pop up in my mind almost each and everyday. Being the curious person that I am, I approached these kind of people after spending time with them and gaining their trust.  Or at least I though. The idea behind all of this was to ask as many questions as I could about things I did not understand and  also give them insights about my culture as well for mutual understanding. Learning in motion! I remember how my Indian colleagues used to laugh at me when I told them in my culture the groom’s family are the ones who pay the dowry. I laughed at them because they did it reverse. You see? Different realities.

Funny thing is, even back home in Botswana there are so many cultural differences. As much as I learnt about them during my school days and also heard about them growing up I got the realization that it’s real during my just ended journey which covered over a hundred villages and settlements in the country. I remember the Herero tribe in Makunda (a village just outside Charleshill) telling us about how a traditional Herero wedding was performed. The bride is clothed and decorated like all the other brides but is kept indoors during the entire celebration while the groom and his family camp outside the yard observing the celebrations as well. Guests are welcome to the house one by one to hand out gifts to the bride.

Another notable observation was how polygamy is still commonly practiced in the Okavango area in north western Botswana and other parts of the country. It is so normal and widely practiced to a point where you would feel as if the monogamy you are practicing or advocating for is abnormal. Then a lot of questions come to mind. Is it wrong? Is it right? According to who? Such questions will keep coming to your head until you realize that tolerance is the answer.

Always remember the definitions of tolerance and what tolerance means to you when you find yourself is such scenarios. I always do. This does not mean that I agree with all of the ideas and practices to a point where I would want to implement them in my life. I would be heading nowhere else but to leading a very confused life.

In conclusion, I am not saying that people who travel a lot are more tolerant than those who don’t but I can testify that those who travel are more likely to be tolerant more than the ones who don’t because travel does teach tolerance. So, go out there, travel, explore and learn.

Love and Light!

What you will miss after leaving India

Last week I published a post about what you won’t miss after leaving India so I thought why not publish about what you will miss after leaving India because quite honestly, there seems to be a lot.

I have listed and explained some of the points below, in no particular order.

1. The People
Anywhere you end up in the world whether through work, leisure or anything in between you always have to interact with other people.
In India this is no exception. The difference then comes with the fact that if you are in cities like Delhi, you find awesome groups of expats. These are the people who you end up being with for dinner and parties, social activities such as cycling and running and so on. You become part of great circles and have fulfilling experiences which make it hard to leave.
Do not make a mistake of thinking that locals are not part of such wonderful experiences.
Outside the cities, the namaste they say with arms folded followed by shy smiles and curious questions make your travels around India so unique.
The people are definitely a big part of what you will miss after leaving India.

2. The never-ending “vibe/activity”
The streets of India are quite unique if I must say. The honking, “different driving” and the organised mess you get to experience there has elements of beauty in them. There is that unexplainable vibe. Quite impossible to explain to those who haven’t experienced it.
The tuk-tuk drivers, the street vendors, the beggers, the guy who shouts “kabaari” along the street every morning, the list goes on.
Those are some of  elements that you will miss once you leave India. Going back to your quiet, organised, normal life in your country of origin you will feel like there is something missing. You will feel like there is lack of activity, no vibe, and that is when you will get to appreciate all this vibe that India has. Believe you me, you will miss it.

3. Festivals
India has festivals almost every week. I’m convinced there is so many of them that had they been declared national, there will be very few working days.
What is more interesting about these festivals is that despite knowing the message and stories behind them you get to enjoy the fun element in them. Let us take the Festivals of Holi – colours and Diwali -lights as examples.
They seem to always motivate people to come back because of the joyousness and elegance of how they are celebrated.

4. Cost of living
Some of the moments when you find yourself infuriated after being ripped off at the market or wherever you might just feel better after converting that amount to your currency.
It is then through such situations and many others that you get to appreciate the cost of living in India.
Even though some of the things may be more expensive compared to your home country you will find that some are way cheaper in comparison. This will of course depend on where in India you have lived and what kind of lifestyle. Otherwise I guess it’s safe to conclude that the cost of living for expats in India is quite low and this is something you will miss after leaving.
What makes it better is how it all comes with a high level of convenience. Internet rates are quite cheap and there are online applications which make goods and service providers accessible at the palm of your hands. Online shopping has gained quite a momentum in the sub-continent making life quite easy.

5. Trips / Travelling
India is one of the best countries to travel because of its pocket friendliness especially for backpackers. For those who live in cities like Mumbai and Delhi you might find that taking a weekend getaway to places close by can be cheaper than spending the weekend in the city.
Accommodation, train/ bus fares and food costs are just so low that once you start travelling you never want to stop exploring more of the sub continent.
For some people travelling within the country of their own can get so expensive that they don’t even get a chance to see around.
Another thing is that there is so much to explore in India. From the cold hill stations in the Himachal Pradesh through the holy cities of Rishikesh and Varanasi down through Delhi to the desert of Rajasthan until the beautiful tea plantations of God’s own country, Kerala in the south. Crazy beaches of Goa to the busy streets of Kolkata going back up to the quiet and peaceful north east. One can never get enough and once you leave you even start missing it and get to think that you did not explore enough.

6. Food
As far as food choices are concerned, India has a wide variety. From the street food to the elegantly served courses at the fancy hotels, India has it all. For vegetarians, it’s heaven on earth. That does not mean those who prefer non-veg are left out. Depending on the state you find yourself in you might not get beef but buff would come in handy. That’s before I even mention butter chicken and other non-veg delicacies.
Those dhabas around the corners close to your house or hotel, or the vendors at the nearby markets serving hot momos. That’s something you don’t get everywhere in the world and most probably not at your home country. This you will definitely miss.
Sometimes I find myself telling others here how I feel like having a  gulab jamun or Raj kachouri and they just do not understand.
I’m still trying to master how to prepare perfect paratha by the way.
One other thing that comes with food is the way of eating after serving. You know, hands and sharing; Indian style.

The above points are just a few that came to mind and who knows? There might be a part two to this post.

I am quite sure we can all agree that there is so much that the land of gods has to offer. It gets quite fascinating to those who are not originally from there because we don’t get to experience that kind of life elsewhere. And if we do its not with the same intensity, colourfulness or vibe.

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Till the next post, have yourselves awesome experiences wherever you might be in the world.

Love and light!

First time experience – understanding what HOLI means

When I was hit by a water balloon on the way to work yesterday, I paused for a few seconds, looked up and searched through the balconies above.
No one in sight. Then after the realisation that it wasn’t at all bad, I smiled and went on a trance as I recollected all of this and more from last year. My first ever holi experience in India.

……

Rewind to 2015…
It was a bright, sunny morning and the day had finally arrived. The day I had been looking forward to experience in India. It was holi; the festival of colours.
Of course I say colours because that’s the only thing I knew about the day, just colour all around and nothing else was clear. What I knew for sure though was how excited I was about this first time experience.

I was so excited that I took a shower and applied different sorts of oil to my body and dreadlocks. Coconut oil, vitamin E and even olive oil. Imagine! They told me it will ease the removal of colour afterwards.

From there I dressed up in my white kurta pajama from Sarojini nagar market and wrapped a scarf around my head lest I cry for my dreadlocks the next day, I thought. It was an all white affair.

My flatmates were also ready within a couple of minutes and we left the house and headed south to Jawarlal Nerhu University (JNU).

Along the way we noticed that atleast three out of every five people we drove past by were already covered in dry paint and looking all colourful. That sight somehow made me even more excited.

We then arrived at JNU campus where we were  greeted by heavy media presence at the main entrance. Seeing this then I thought, this was a good recommendation! Hotspot.

We proceeded to the car parking bay and then walked to the gardens where there were already hundreds of people looking colourful on what used to be white clothes underneath.

The crowd comprised of the young and old, black and white, rich and poor, friends and strangers. They were all over the field throwing dry powder at each other and coloured water using water balloons and water guns. Other groups kept passing by playing musical instruments and rejoicing. It was a fanfare I found myself equally enjoying.

And i got to understand .. This is what it means, and more!
It is an ancient Hindu festival.
The festival’s significance is about the victory of good over evil.  It is said to mark the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

It is a fun-filled festive day for people to get together, play and laugh, forgive and forget, and repair broken relationships.

In the middle of all these realisations, observations and conversations with people around, I was so into the whole thing that I took a look at myself and noticed how I was already fully coloured.

Dry and wet colours everywhere, some were almost wearing any clothes as they were torn apart, some lying on the ground next to a silver kettles which contained bhang. It was such a beautiful mess!

This year will be my second time to experience Holi in India and I’m very excited and looking forward to it. This time, more aware and probably will catch other scenes I missed the year before.
As for the water balloons, checked already. 😉

Happy holi!