Phulaalaa sugandha maatichaa

So here I am, back from a really enriching trip but now in bed since yesterday, isolated from my family, after testing positive for Covid. Third time in less than a year ! With not much to do other than deal with the symptoms and rest, I have been penning down thoughts as I reflect on recent experiences from the trip. 

Here’s a story about a young man we met in Mexico City. 

One evening we walked to a neighborhood that had several good restaurants, food malls and bars. One food mall that had great reviews was open but several shops there had already closed. A few were open and serving food. Like everywhere around the city, there were tables set on the adjoining pavement, a feature that arose during the pandemic. I didn’t have much appetite so I decided to take a seat at one of the available tables while my husband and daughter went inside to order their food. 

At the table next to me there was a group of 8 -10 young men and women enjoying their dinner. A server came out with an order for one person in the group. He coolly brought his tray and sat across me on my table without making any eye contact with me. He was a young man of Indian origin, likely in this late 20s or early 30s. I sat quietly , watching him with amusement as he took his bites. Soon my family returned to the table having ordered their food inside. When the guy saw them he apologized to me for taking up the seats I was holding, and was preparing to leave. I waved him to sit down and complete his meal. 

He thanked me and then began to chat, asking where we came from etc. Originally from Hyderabad, he was working as an analyst in New York. He had come to Mexico City 5 days back for a total of 10 days or so, combining remote work with sightseeing. The people who were with him at the other table were random people sharing a youth hostel in the city. They were all in the area to join a salsa dancing session at another restaurant across the street. 

How did you like the city so far ? I asked him. He gushed “this place has so much culture, so much distinct character. I don’t find that in the USA/ New York “. True, I responded, but USA is a society of convenience. All cultures come together and it is easier to blend in there. It may be difficult to do that here. He nodded in agreement. 

He had warmed up to chatting with me slowly. Told me he doesn’t feel attracted to making money. He is considering settling in some small place in Europe. He didn’t believe in using credit cards because he was not good at managing his money. Debit card was his way to pay, to be safe, so he spends no more than what he has. 

As he was engrossed in chatting with us his friends had wrapped up their dinner and were getting ready to leave for the dance lesson. One of them quipped “ you seem to be getting comfortable there😃. When you are done you can meet us at the salsa session “.  In a few minutes this man too was done with his dinner and took leave of us.

Two days later we were at breakfast in the Central Historic District. This was a big restaurant with seating and kitchens on three floors of the building. It was a huge operation. Our table was on the first floor. We enjoyed the breakfast and live music and were getting down the stairs to leave when a voice called out. “ Hey 👋, you guys are here !” The same young man was sitting at a table on the ground floor, all by himself, eating breakfast. What was the chance of running into him, a second time at another corner of a city of several million people, larger than New York? 

Did you go see the pyramids, I asked him. No, he replied. He didn’t get tickets for the hot balloon ride so he didn’t go as previously planned. He told us about some art display that was in the city and that day was the last day to see it. We thanked him before taking leave. But quickly I said, I forgot to ask your name the other day!  Karthik Vannela….you can look me up on instagram, he replied! So typical of his generation 😃

The reason I really documented this encounter with this young man is to give a context to one of the topics that came up while talking to him. That was about the culture of a place! Yes, each place has a culture of its own ! It varies from country to country and city to city, even suburb to suburb. As  I have acknowledged in the recent posts, I am totally impressed by the culture of the people in Mexico City. It opened my eyes to previous personal prejudices I held in my mind about these people and has brought more respect and gratitude towards them. 

But it also made me realize something more. As a single individual you are viewed upon as an ambassador for the culture you came from. You have the power to generate goodwill for the people you represent, simply by putting your best foot forward every single moment you move in the world. If you are kind, courteous, honest ,humble, hardworking and yet hold on to the pride of the country you came from, you automatically transfer the respect that comes your way to your parent country. You don’t have to do anything extraordinary to make your country proud. Just remain true to yourself and respectful to others! What a magnificent privilege that is! And at the same time, a huge responsibility! 

True that USA has no single culture of its own but, as I had pointed out to Karthik, it allows for many cultures to blend together. If every individual brings forward the best from his or her native culture, imagine how enriched the society can become? It was food for thought for me as I reflected on this. Something definitely changed inside me with the realization. We meet people for a reason. That chance meeting with Karthik and with all the people in Mexico City came with a purpose. It brought a new perspective. About culture and its role to reach beyond geographic boundaries. It shed light on the larger responsibility on the shoulders of each individual whether living in the parent country or outside. And on the fact that small things can make bigger difference. I am grateful for the conversations I had with Karthik and others during this trip.

Phulaalaa sugandha maatichaa………the flower derives it’s sweet fragrance from the soil….whether it stays on the tree or is picked and put in a vase or adorned in the hair! 

In the context of the society in the USA, if each flower cared for it’s natural state and didn’t fall to the temptation to take on artificial coloring or fragrance, it would make a lovely bouquet! Exotic, exquisite and extraordinary! Ironically, there may be some searching to do to find the natural state! 

Saree is a file photo from Feb 2. A cotton Jamdani from Bangladesh in a unique pastel shade of tangerine, highlighted by black selvage and motifs and a bit of jari.