My years in India

I always wanted to write a piece on my stay in India and on what I felt being here from October 2002 until now on my official work of running my company’s office in Hyderabad. What have I learned here over the years which has enriched my life or which made me into a monk (like the Monk who sold his Ferrari)? You decide!

1. Read a lot of books on philosophy

2. Learned to be patient

3. Look at life in a holistic way

4. Learned humility

5. Learned to cook like chef out of desperation

6. Learned to hold my drinks, not like an alcoholic

7. Learned to forgive

8. Learned to be alone

9. Learned to share

10. Travelling and meeting new people

Reading has always been my passion and what better place can I do that when I am alone most of the time in Hyderabad. Books on philosophy had my mind working overtime and also the landmark course that I did had helped me to look at things in a different light. I know I can’t change others but I surely can change myself and my perception about others.

Learning to be patient is a virtue that you will imbibe once you are in India with its age old wisdom and the pace where thing go by. Over here when someone says “2 minutes” it really never will be a 2 minute, it might be 20 minutes or 2 hours. So stay cool as ‘2 minutes” is really an expression without any time frame attached to it. And I know when I give someone an appointment; I have to wait for ages. Even the church here never starts on time, I remember the pastor was making an announcement asking the parishioners to be in the church by 9.00 a.m. and not to start from their homes at 9.00 a.m. and eventually lead to the service starting at 9.15 a.m., in Hyderabad, and even God has to wait.

I remember I was waiting in the office of the number one person in this state and I am sitting there in his office waiting for his P.A for fixing my appointment for my company director to see him, after 2 hours I called him (the P.A), just to find out that he has left the office and had to go through the whole waiting game at another venue the following day. So patience is what I learned and I can sit like a statue for hours with just staring at the walls.

Being humble and forgiving is another trait that I was forced to pick up. Thanks to our partners whom I sacked and they fixed me up after that. And it was revenge I guess served as a cold dish. I came out of it shaken but not stirred and that got me looking at life and freedom at a different angle (Don’t ask me what they did, as I have forgiven them, but God hasn’t I pray so).

Sharing is what I like to do here, be it materialistic things or knowledge. I know for sure that the more you give, the more you would gain (being selfish eh). It’s a never ending process. They also say that to be in an enlightened state, we should share with others what we know.

The last item on the list is travelling, I love to travel in India and try out all the different varieties of food that is available for the palate. I would pick Chennai as my favourite destination for breakfast and banana leaf food. I love Mumbai for some very exotic variety of food followed by New Delhi. Ahmedabad in Gujarat is the worst place that I can think off, for the food and the place being a dry state, meaning no beers to quench your thirst after a hard days travelling and getting your stuff from the permit room like some hard core alcoholic.

And finally it is Hyderabad, for the chaotic traffic, laid back attitude and fiery hot spicy food which I don’t think you can find anywhere in India, maybe Warangal should take the title for pungent chillies. Warangal incidentally happened to a place where I did my Engineering at the Regional Engineering College (during my student days). I remember how I used to wash my chicken pieces in the curry with hot water and still find it hot.

©sukku2008