This is my week and how my “plans” came about:
Monday afternoon: I had no clue of what I was doing or where I was planning on going. In the evening I realized I had to leave my apartment the next day. So I made some phone calls and reserved a room at a guesthouse in the city. I had to pack-up and leave the following morning and I felt great. It was definitely time to move, even if it was only to the other side of the city. I was such a sight for sore eyes though: I was traipsing along the roadside, in search of a rickshaw (=small 3-wheeled taxi‘s, for those who don’t know this already) and I was loaded up to the max with my luggage. I could hardly walk! I got laughed at, stared at, pitied and probably so much more of which I wasn’t aware, as I was too busy trying to stay on my legs and move ever so cautiously and slowly down the street to the nearest rickshaw. Hot and bothered, frustrated and ultimately challenged, is what I felt. But I got to my destination. And how happy I was! I felt great to be in a new place. It was so central and the area felt so much nicer. There were supermarkets to shop in, pavements to walk on, different eating-joints to choose from and fruit stalls just down the road. This was great!
Ever since Tuesday, something “big” has happened. “Big” in the sense that an opportunity has either arisen or I’ve made some sort of decision. As always, I find myself faced with having to make drastic choices. These are always choices between certain opportunities that come out of nowhere. They pop up and can turn my life upside down and, just as quickly as they arise, they also disappear. And the disappearing of the opportunities is usually down to my rash decision making.
I’ll cut straight to the case and tell you all: My priority right now, is to get a job. So Monday I heard that there was an internship I could take-up just outside of the city, in a college, for 1 or 2 months. I would be teaching college students. How cool!! I was excited. Then, Tuesday, I got a phone call from a German school in Chennai (which is a city around 12 hours from here, by train), saying they had a job for me if I wanted. The head of school, who I had only spoken to for the first time in my life, was putting so much pressure on me to take the job. I hadn’t even been interviewed yet! If I were to take the job, it would be a long-term position and I’d be teaching both English and German, or so I was told. I’d be starting “immediately” (which would probably mean within a month or so) and the perks were extremely good.
So, all day Tuesday the head of the school was on the phone to me, trying to persuade me to take the job. Wow! What’s with all the pressure dude!! Anyhow, I told him I had to meet with my trainer from the course, because he also had a job opportunity for me (teaching the college students), and once I’d spoken with him, I’d let the German school know my decision. The following day I had decided that maybe I could try do the internship with the college students for a month and then start the contract with the German school. My trainer was totally supportive of my decision and I felt that would work out perfectly!! This way, I’d gain more teaching experience before starting a steady long-term position, I’d brush-up on my German during my spare-time and my working visa would be processed in the meantime! How amazing things were falling into place. Or so it seemed, on Wednesday afternoon.
HOWEVER, Thursday I had an interview on Skype with the head of teaching from the German school and over the past 2 days it suddenly became clear that wires had gotten crossed. The conditions of the teaching position were different than what I had been told over the phone. I was expected to eventually start teaching Maths, geography, history.. Along side English and German.. Huuummmm. Suddenly Niamh wasn’t too sure if that’s what she wanted. To make matters worse, the interview was in German. Huummm.. Niamh hadn’t spoken German in 3 years so was very rusty.. Huuummmm. Could Niamh pull it off? She suddenly found herself trying to express all that she knew and felt and had discovered, in a language that wasn’t as familiar as it once was. This was so difficult and the relief that was felt once the interview was over, was enormous!
The interview felt to be disastrous. I only understood 70% of what she was saying. I was going to propose switching to English, but I didn’t want to admit my “incompetence”. I couldn’t express myself the way I wanted. I felt my confidence was being snatched. I was shrinking behind the computer screen, the webcam and the headset. And even though I felt all of this so strongly, they still wanted me to come to Chennai and meet them in person. I couldn’t believe it!! It’s okay for them to want that, BUT, did I want to? It’s all very well for them to expect me to come down and go with whatever they want, but what about what I want? I wasn’t sure if this position was for me. There were so many doubts at that point: the communication, the German, my ability to teach more than just languages, the lack of experience, the LONG-TERM contract, the stability I wasn’t sure was for me. And just the overall feeling I had when I was taking the interview.
This was Thursday evening. I had to sleep on it, before deciding anything rash. But on Friday I couldn’t stop myself from thinking quickly – that’s just what I do and could very well be my downfall. But heyho!! On Friday I thought to forget about the whole thing and just go for the short-term teaching positions - which can be anything for 2 or 3 months to 6 months. At this point in my travels, I’ve “created” a phobia towards committing to anything that could potentially stop me in my tracks. With short-term contracts there is of course less commitment, more freedom and the jobs which are solely focused on teaching English and not 5 other different subjects (which makes the stress way less too!!). I spent Friday alone. I was weighing-up my options. At the same time, I was eagerly waiting to hear from my trainer to discuss when the internship with the college students could be starting. That opportunity was feeling far better than the German school. I heard nothing, all day. From nobody. Suddenly, after days of negotiating and ringing people; all had gone quiet. Thankfully the German school was leaving me alone for now. But what about my trainer? Luckily last night, I got the phone call. It was 9pm. My trainer was saying: “Niamh, the starting date for the internship would be within 14 days. In the meantime you could go to Chennai and have the interview, see how you feel and if you decide to take up the German school and their offer, then you can drop this internship. If you decide not to go for the German school, the position is yours.”
My first reaction: I don’t want to go for the interview. But, hold your horses Niamh, there will be less “rash decision-making!” So I asked myself: do I want to go for this interview? Is my heart in it? Would it not be a waste of time, when I secretly had already decided not to go for it? Would I not just be leading them on by coming to their school? Huummm.. What do to, what to do!! That’s now the question. I haven’t gotten any further than this for now. I have to live a little more, for the story to unfold. It’s now Saturday morning, I’m still in the same guesthouse in Cochin and I’ve been awake since 4am. I was unable to sleep properly, because of 1 big fat noisy mosquito accompanied by my “distress” while figuring out what to do and where to go from here.
Time will tell and you will be the first to know.. or 2nd!!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
All Aboard!!
A week since the course has ended. Where am I? Right now, I’m still in Cochin where I took the course. I had no initial plans, a week ago. I knew I had a few days left in the apartment I was staying at. So I chilled-out for a few days.
Me and Doris did some trips, got away from the polluted city and explored some of the sights. It was so cool. I had my first train ride in India. It was an experience that I so glad I had, with someone who knew what to expect-Doris has been in India since December and has used public transport a lot, so she knew the “drill”. I had some lessons I needed to learn, when it came to public transport in India and also I had some sights I’ve have to get used to seeing. What I realized first of all was to never expect the timings, which are listed on the Internet, to be corresponding with the timings in reality. Always expect to be late and give yourself as much time as possible. Secondly, I realized how extremely cheap it was. Wouw! Cheaper than food, accommodation, water and even a cup of specially brewed Marsala chai!!! I paid for a 2-hour train journey, only 10 rupees, which is around 0,14 cents! And soon I would realize why: The amount of people they are able to squeeze onto these trains and the length of the trains, as well as the platforms, makes them able to keep the trains running at such a fare cheaper than a bottle of water!
The sights I’d seen in the movies and on television, I was suddenly seeing for real. There were old men, so tiny, frail and vulnerable, curled up in little balls, trying to sleep but lying in the passage ways and being stepped on by other passengers who were more keen to get on the train instead of not hurting those poor old men. Then there were the passengers who were NOT willing to pay the 10 rupees, so would be standing along the train tracks in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the train to pass-by, which would be going at a snails-pace more often than not and with the doors to the carriages ALWAYS open, they were able to run and jump on board, and hitch a free ride to wherever the train was going! This is something you would only see in action movies or in those movies which are set back in the early 1900‘s, or something you would only witness in India.. Then the stench of stale urine would be seeping from the toilet (or the hole in the floor of the carriage, which could be found behind a screen, which was serving the purpose of a wall) and making its way through the carriage. The windows didn’t have any glass; steel barriers were enough to ensure the lower hanging palm-trees that would sweep by the outside of the train, wouldn‘t cause the passengers any harm or poke them in the eye or whack them in the head. The tea-man was the entertainment onboard! He was walking up and down, shouting: kape, kape, kape, kape! chai, chai, chai chai! over and over again, in the same voice with the same tone, as if he’s recorded himself and was replaying the tape whilst walking through the carriages and hoping to earn a few rupees. My first train ride! Wouw.. I was adjusting and turning a blind eye to all of this. Or, I LOOKED to be turning a blind eye. Nobody could tell I had never experienced anything like this before, nobody knew what I was thinking and nobody sensed that I was shocked by everything. I just smiled, laughed, chatted, had fun and let the amazement settle until this the moment I’d get to share it with others, which is now..
We made our way to jungle, we visited the “backwaters of Kerala” and some small, cute and very colorful villages. We went to waterfalls, we swam in the river where the locals bathe and wash their clothes (and we weren’t “allowed” to wear a bathing-suite (inappropriate) but we were fully dressed instead, which felt so suppressed I might add). Swimming in such a river, I know might have been unwise, but it was flowing water, with a strong current and very clean to the eye so I had to experience it!
After spending some amazing days together, since completing the course, Doris and I both tried to start planning our “escape” from Cochin. Doris’ escape happened way faster than mine. She managed to leave Cochin and has gone to an Ayurveda village to undergo a detox-programme. So, at this moment in time, her body is being cleansed from all the toxins she’s been eagerly building-up in her body, caused by overindulging in the amazing Indian cuisine. We said goodbye on Wednesday evening. It was sad but inevitable. I was just so glad I got to spend my first chapter here in India with a girl so amazing!! As for me and escaping Cochin: at that point in time, I still didn’t know how long I’d be staying here for, but I was patiently waiting and planning. So stay tuned! There’s more coming right up!
Me and Doris did some trips, got away from the polluted city and explored some of the sights. It was so cool. I had my first train ride in India. It was an experience that I so glad I had, with someone who knew what to expect-Doris has been in India since December and has used public transport a lot, so she knew the “drill”. I had some lessons I needed to learn, when it came to public transport in India and also I had some sights I’ve have to get used to seeing. What I realized first of all was to never expect the timings, which are listed on the Internet, to be corresponding with the timings in reality. Always expect to be late and give yourself as much time as possible. Secondly, I realized how extremely cheap it was. Wouw! Cheaper than food, accommodation, water and even a cup of specially brewed Marsala chai!!! I paid for a 2-hour train journey, only 10 rupees, which is around 0,14 cents! And soon I would realize why: The amount of people they are able to squeeze onto these trains and the length of the trains, as well as the platforms, makes them able to keep the trains running at such a fare cheaper than a bottle of water!
The sights I’d seen in the movies and on television, I was suddenly seeing for real. There were old men, so tiny, frail and vulnerable, curled up in little balls, trying to sleep but lying in the passage ways and being stepped on by other passengers who were more keen to get on the train instead of not hurting those poor old men. Then there were the passengers who were NOT willing to pay the 10 rupees, so would be standing along the train tracks in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the train to pass-by, which would be going at a snails-pace more often than not and with the doors to the carriages ALWAYS open, they were able to run and jump on board, and hitch a free ride to wherever the train was going! This is something you would only see in action movies or in those movies which are set back in the early 1900‘s, or something you would only witness in India.. Then the stench of stale urine would be seeping from the toilet (or the hole in the floor of the carriage, which could be found behind a screen, which was serving the purpose of a wall) and making its way through the carriage. The windows didn’t have any glass; steel barriers were enough to ensure the lower hanging palm-trees that would sweep by the outside of the train, wouldn‘t cause the passengers any harm or poke them in the eye or whack them in the head. The tea-man was the entertainment onboard! He was walking up and down, shouting: kape, kape, kape, kape! chai, chai, chai chai! over and over again, in the same voice with the same tone, as if he’s recorded himself and was replaying the tape whilst walking through the carriages and hoping to earn a few rupees. My first train ride! Wouw.. I was adjusting and turning a blind eye to all of this. Or, I LOOKED to be turning a blind eye. Nobody could tell I had never experienced anything like this before, nobody knew what I was thinking and nobody sensed that I was shocked by everything. I just smiled, laughed, chatted, had fun and let the amazement settle until this the moment I’d get to share it with others, which is now..
We made our way to jungle, we visited the “backwaters of Kerala” and some small, cute and very colorful villages. We went to waterfalls, we swam in the river where the locals bathe and wash their clothes (and we weren’t “allowed” to wear a bathing-suite (inappropriate) but we were fully dressed instead, which felt so suppressed I might add). Swimming in such a river, I know might have been unwise, but it was flowing water, with a strong current and very clean to the eye so I had to experience it!
After spending some amazing days together, since completing the course, Doris and I both tried to start planning our “escape” from Cochin. Doris’ escape happened way faster than mine. She managed to leave Cochin and has gone to an Ayurveda village to undergo a detox-programme. So, at this moment in time, her body is being cleansed from all the toxins she’s been eagerly building-up in her body, caused by overindulging in the amazing Indian cuisine. We said goodbye on Wednesday evening. It was sad but inevitable. I was just so glad I got to spend my first chapter here in India with a girl so amazing!! As for me and escaping Cochin: at that point in time, I still didn’t know how long I’d be staying here for, but I was patiently waiting and planning. So stay tuned! There’s more coming right up!
Friday, February 26, 2010
The "painful procedure" of posting parcels..
This is just some fun..
2 days ago. Wednesday afternoon, I had decided to do something I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. The simplest thing, I thought it would be, which was to post some of my journals home. I had been carrying these with me for months and they were really started to weigh me down, so I figured it best to post them home. My luggage would be 2,5 kg’s lighter and that was such a welcome prospect at this stage, because I realized the other day that I can’t hardly carry my luggage anymore.. Or I can carry it, but walking is a little tricky, if the distance is further than 500 meters.
So Wednesday afternoon I had the time and I went out on a mission. And it was the biggest mission I’ve been faced with, since getting to this country. First of all, I couldn’t find the post office. I asked everyone, or almost everyone (seeing the amount of people living in this city, it would be a bit too big of a task to ask 1,2 million Indians!!). When I finally found someone who knew, I was on my way. I found the tiniest little shack in an alleyway. All the workers were ignoring me, supposedly they were all “too busy” to help the foreigner who doesn’t speak the language. Finally somebody acknowledged me, but she told me that I had to get a taxi to the main post office, and there they would help me further. Right. I got a rickshaw (which are the tiny little 3-wheeled vans, that scoot all over the city), and took a 15 minute ride to the post office. When it came to paying the driver, I was short of 5 rupees change. Now, 5 rupees is something like 0,07 cents..(to them it’s a lot, to us, not too much, so I can’t really blame the poor guy). I to go in search of a shop, where I could break my note of 500 rupees. I found a medical store and the driver actually walked with me, stood next to be, as if I was going to do a “runner” and try to avoid paying him 0.07 cents. I mean, come on! Anyhow, the “chemist-man” wouldn’t change my note.. So I had to buy some toiletries, just to get 5 rupees change for the driver. Well, I did. Most people would have done a runner.. They would never come running after you, because then they have to leave their rickshaw. But I was honest and didn’t want to cheat him.
This was only just the beginning of a few challenges I was to face. I went into the post office. Again, nobody wanted to help the foreigner who doesn’t speak the local language. How annoying!! I persevered though and finally a girl took notice of me and tried to explain the “procedure”. The procedure??? Excuse me? All I want is a box to put my books in and post it home! Is it really that big of a deal? Apparently it was and I was soon to find out just how big of a mission this was going to be. She sent me to flower-shop, around the corner. Why? I still don’t know. I think she said that they would have a box for me. Because this place didn’t. Of all places, in a big city like this, wouldn’t you think that at least the post office would have cardboard boxes? No.. they didn’t. So, off I went. In search of the flower-shop. I got there, no boxes. The girl thought I was probably the weirdest thing ever; expecting a flower-shop to give me a cardboard box??!! Then I remembered the post office-girl to have said something about the tailor-shop. So I thought maybe they would have boxes..? I know a tailor makes dresses.. but you just never know! I got there, and by this stage I was getting hot and bothered, frustrated and annoyed with the world - it didn’t help that it was the hottest part of the day and walking through these streets without having any shade or any water, was exhausting. The poor tailor man. He didn’t know what I was trying to find. He looked at me as if to have 10 heads (just like the flower-shop girl).. He sent me to a photocopy-place. Again, I received a look that suggested I had come from outer space. I was really getting so annoyed! Nobody was understanding me!!! Okay, Niamh, remember to breath. It’s okay, these are all nice people and they simply don’t understand you.. It’s not the end of the world.
I had come to realize by this stage that I could just go in anywhere and ask for a small cardboard box. So I did. I went into an office, with men in formal suits and with airconditioning that gave me some amazing relief for all of 3 minutes. I was such a sight by this stage. Covered in sweat, frustrated to the max, in walks a girl with the most random question: do you have a cardboard box??!! The guy was so nice, he was back within 2 minutes and hallelujah.. He had a box! BUT, it was too small.. I thanked him so much, took the box as if it was golden, and left. I knew I wouldn’t use it, but I wasn’t going to tell the kind man who had helped me. So I went into a sport-shop where the guy behind the counter saved my day! He had a box! The perfect size! He even taped it up for me! Okay, I was now onto a winner. This would all work out! I was feeling better already just knowing that there were people willing and able to help me! But I spoke way too soon.
I got back to the post office, again nobody wanted to help. Then I started to express my impatience and I made my presence felt, and suddenly things started to happen! One of the guys behind the counter, told me that I wouldn’t be able to send it like that.. Apparently I had to bring it to the tailor-shop where they would wrap it in white material and sow it all nice and neatly! But even if I was to do that, I still wouldn’t be able to post it today. First he said that the counter was closed for international parcels and I would have to come back the following morning. I said I was leaving Cochin and that I wasn’t able to come back. Then he claimed the computer wasn’t working so they wouldn’t be able to process it. But I wasn’t having any of it! He sensed it, much to my advantage! And after a group of them behind the counter had been standing around for quite a while, speaking about me in their local language and discussing probably how freckly my skin was and how inappropriate my clothes were, I was told to go to the tailor-shop and by the time I’d be back, the computer should be working again and they would hopefully be able to register my parcel and send it off.
Okay Niamh, keep breathing, really it’s okay. Just go with the flow. And I did. I made my way back to the tailor-shop and passed by the same men who were standing around watching the world go by, for the 3rd or 4th time that afternoon. They must have been seeing my every step unfold, as I so desperately tried to fulfil this mission of posting my journals home. I really had to laugh at myself by this stage. There was nothing else I could do. Laugh it off Niamh. What an adventure this was. So I got to the tailor-shop and he was happy to help. I apologized for being so rude earlier on, not that he understood a word of what I was saying. But it didn’t matter, it made me feel better. So hung around outside the shop, for half an hour, while the tailor wrapped this precious cardboard box in material and sewed it with so much love. No haste at all. He even sipped his chai tea and enjoyed every minute of what he was creating. I had to see the funny side. Patience is a virtue Niamh. This is what I was repeating over and over again.
When I got my parcel, beautifully wrapped in white material, I had to get the address from the guesthouse I’m currently staying at. Well, another mission. It wasn’t impossible though. I was outside on the street and couldn’t find a quiet place where I could ring the owner, so through the noise and the traffic we could hardly speak to each other. It took forever: both of us roaring down the phone at each other. It even came to the point where he was SPELLING out each number of the 6-digit postcode! Why is nothing ever easy??!! But I sorted it. So, back to the post office. Third time lucky? I hoped so..
At the counter, the same guy was helping me. And, unbelievably, the computer was working!! He was able to send my package off that same day! I didn’t need to come from the other side of this hectic city the following day and be overcharged again by the driver! I felt so relieved and so did he! Probably because of not wanting to deal with anymore fuss and commotion this young girl would cause if she were made to come back the following day, due to some lazy excuse on their behalf. I got it posted! I was relieved from 2,5 kg’s worth of journals. And do you know how long it took, from the moment I decided to search for the post office, to actually handing over that parcel in the white material with addresses and registration? 3 whole hours!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it. But was so chuffed though that I actually accomplished this mission that I had told myself could be impossible. I was exhausted afterwards. What an adventure. Nothing is ever easy here. Every step was painful almost. At home, this same mission would have taken probably no more than 15 minutes!!?? My patience were tested to the max. At the beginning of the afternoon I didn’t even consider how I could benefit from even “having patience” when posting a parcel. But little did I know!
I really wanted to share this crazy afternoon with you, just because it shows how easy life can be in countries that are well-developed and therefore work so efficiently without any effort. It also shows how much we should appreciate, be it here in India or back at home, whenever the simplest daily errands are actually “doable” in this world, wherever we may be! What an experience!
2 days ago. Wednesday afternoon, I had decided to do something I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. The simplest thing, I thought it would be, which was to post some of my journals home. I had been carrying these with me for months and they were really started to weigh me down, so I figured it best to post them home. My luggage would be 2,5 kg’s lighter and that was such a welcome prospect at this stage, because I realized the other day that I can’t hardly carry my luggage anymore.. Or I can carry it, but walking is a little tricky, if the distance is further than 500 meters.
So Wednesday afternoon I had the time and I went out on a mission. And it was the biggest mission I’ve been faced with, since getting to this country. First of all, I couldn’t find the post office. I asked everyone, or almost everyone (seeing the amount of people living in this city, it would be a bit too big of a task to ask 1,2 million Indians!!). When I finally found someone who knew, I was on my way. I found the tiniest little shack in an alleyway. All the workers were ignoring me, supposedly they were all “too busy” to help the foreigner who doesn’t speak the language. Finally somebody acknowledged me, but she told me that I had to get a taxi to the main post office, and there they would help me further. Right. I got a rickshaw (which are the tiny little 3-wheeled vans, that scoot all over the city), and took a 15 minute ride to the post office. When it came to paying the driver, I was short of 5 rupees change. Now, 5 rupees is something like 0,07 cents..(to them it’s a lot, to us, not too much, so I can’t really blame the poor guy). I to go in search of a shop, where I could break my note of 500 rupees. I found a medical store and the driver actually walked with me, stood next to be, as if I was going to do a “runner” and try to avoid paying him 0.07 cents. I mean, come on! Anyhow, the “chemist-man” wouldn’t change my note.. So I had to buy some toiletries, just to get 5 rupees change for the driver. Well, I did. Most people would have done a runner.. They would never come running after you, because then they have to leave their rickshaw. But I was honest and didn’t want to cheat him.
This was only just the beginning of a few challenges I was to face. I went into the post office. Again, nobody wanted to help the foreigner who doesn’t speak the local language. How annoying!! I persevered though and finally a girl took notice of me and tried to explain the “procedure”. The procedure??? Excuse me? All I want is a box to put my books in and post it home! Is it really that big of a deal? Apparently it was and I was soon to find out just how big of a mission this was going to be. She sent me to flower-shop, around the corner. Why? I still don’t know. I think she said that they would have a box for me. Because this place didn’t. Of all places, in a big city like this, wouldn’t you think that at least the post office would have cardboard boxes? No.. they didn’t. So, off I went. In search of the flower-shop. I got there, no boxes. The girl thought I was probably the weirdest thing ever; expecting a flower-shop to give me a cardboard box??!! Then I remembered the post office-girl to have said something about the tailor-shop. So I thought maybe they would have boxes..? I know a tailor makes dresses.. but you just never know! I got there, and by this stage I was getting hot and bothered, frustrated and annoyed with the world - it didn’t help that it was the hottest part of the day and walking through these streets without having any shade or any water, was exhausting. The poor tailor man. He didn’t know what I was trying to find. He looked at me as if to have 10 heads (just like the flower-shop girl).. He sent me to a photocopy-place. Again, I received a look that suggested I had come from outer space. I was really getting so annoyed! Nobody was understanding me!!! Okay, Niamh, remember to breath. It’s okay, these are all nice people and they simply don’t understand you.. It’s not the end of the world.
I had come to realize by this stage that I could just go in anywhere and ask for a small cardboard box. So I did. I went into an office, with men in formal suits and with airconditioning that gave me some amazing relief for all of 3 minutes. I was such a sight by this stage. Covered in sweat, frustrated to the max, in walks a girl with the most random question: do you have a cardboard box??!! The guy was so nice, he was back within 2 minutes and hallelujah.. He had a box! BUT, it was too small.. I thanked him so much, took the box as if it was golden, and left. I knew I wouldn’t use it, but I wasn’t going to tell the kind man who had helped me. So I went into a sport-shop where the guy behind the counter saved my day! He had a box! The perfect size! He even taped it up for me! Okay, I was now onto a winner. This would all work out! I was feeling better already just knowing that there were people willing and able to help me! But I spoke way too soon.
I got back to the post office, again nobody wanted to help. Then I started to express my impatience and I made my presence felt, and suddenly things started to happen! One of the guys behind the counter, told me that I wouldn’t be able to send it like that.. Apparently I had to bring it to the tailor-shop where they would wrap it in white material and sow it all nice and neatly! But even if I was to do that, I still wouldn’t be able to post it today. First he said that the counter was closed for international parcels and I would have to come back the following morning. I said I was leaving Cochin and that I wasn’t able to come back. Then he claimed the computer wasn’t working so they wouldn’t be able to process it. But I wasn’t having any of it! He sensed it, much to my advantage! And after a group of them behind the counter had been standing around for quite a while, speaking about me in their local language and discussing probably how freckly my skin was and how inappropriate my clothes were, I was told to go to the tailor-shop and by the time I’d be back, the computer should be working again and they would hopefully be able to register my parcel and send it off.
Okay Niamh, keep breathing, really it’s okay. Just go with the flow. And I did. I made my way back to the tailor-shop and passed by the same men who were standing around watching the world go by, for the 3rd or 4th time that afternoon. They must have been seeing my every step unfold, as I so desperately tried to fulfil this mission of posting my journals home. I really had to laugh at myself by this stage. There was nothing else I could do. Laugh it off Niamh. What an adventure this was. So I got to the tailor-shop and he was happy to help. I apologized for being so rude earlier on, not that he understood a word of what I was saying. But it didn’t matter, it made me feel better. So hung around outside the shop, for half an hour, while the tailor wrapped this precious cardboard box in material and sewed it with so much love. No haste at all. He even sipped his chai tea and enjoyed every minute of what he was creating. I had to see the funny side. Patience is a virtue Niamh. This is what I was repeating over and over again.
When I got my parcel, beautifully wrapped in white material, I had to get the address from the guesthouse I’m currently staying at. Well, another mission. It wasn’t impossible though. I was outside on the street and couldn’t find a quiet place where I could ring the owner, so through the noise and the traffic we could hardly speak to each other. It took forever: both of us roaring down the phone at each other. It even came to the point where he was SPELLING out each number of the 6-digit postcode! Why is nothing ever easy??!! But I sorted it. So, back to the post office. Third time lucky? I hoped so..
At the counter, the same guy was helping me. And, unbelievably, the computer was working!! He was able to send my package off that same day! I didn’t need to come from the other side of this hectic city the following day and be overcharged again by the driver! I felt so relieved and so did he! Probably because of not wanting to deal with anymore fuss and commotion this young girl would cause if she were made to come back the following day, due to some lazy excuse on their behalf. I got it posted! I was relieved from 2,5 kg’s worth of journals. And do you know how long it took, from the moment I decided to search for the post office, to actually handing over that parcel in the white material with addresses and registration? 3 whole hours!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it. But was so chuffed though that I actually accomplished this mission that I had told myself could be impossible. I was exhausted afterwards. What an adventure. Nothing is ever easy here. Every step was painful almost. At home, this same mission would have taken probably no more than 15 minutes!!?? My patience were tested to the max. At the beginning of the afternoon I didn’t even consider how I could benefit from even “having patience” when posting a parcel. But little did I know!
I really wanted to share this crazy afternoon with you, just because it shows how easy life can be in countries that are well-developed and therefore work so efficiently without any effort. It also shows how much we should appreciate, be it here in India or back at home, whenever the simplest daily errands are actually “doable” in this world, wherever we may be! What an experience!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)