Kolkata is my favourite city in India and I have mentioned this many times in my blogs, Facebook status and in few of my travelogues. Why? This is the question I faced a lot of times, but I decided to keep it low. Today, the evening of 3rd April, 2011, I decided that it's high time that the world should know why I like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa.
The story runs as follows:
Many in the outside world only know me as a "traveller", a straight forward person, a train lover, a kind of sensitive person and maybe some people even think that I don't know much. All these perceptions aren't exactly true. The world isn't aware of many responsibilities that I bear on my shoulders even before I graduated out of school. All these responsibilities have given me many sleepless nights, worries and also maturity. I have tasted victories and also failures. I can't talk about my responsibilities in this blog now, as it is personal.
There were numerous incidents in life where I had seen only absolute harshness or ill-luck. Let's take one incident for example.
During the year 2008, recession was at its peak. I was unable to get a job and I need to settle for a temporary job in a call center. My salary was Rs.10,000/- per month. I was thankful to Lord Ram of Madurantakam whom I respect at heart. It was my first job. With my first stipend of Rs.3000/-, I travelled with my own money to a place called Arokkonam by Chennai-Central-Arokkonam fast passenger on December 25th, 2008. This was my first trip after I started working and it was a great moment in life that I travelled in a train with my own money. I felt exactly like what Sachin would have felt after winning Worldcup.
I always had the pressure of handling my career and other responsibilities at the same time. What happened was something unfortunate and shouldn't have happened. Many of my cousin brothers who had lived in abroad & foreign countries mocked at me. My salary was a piece of joke. But I didn't bother. For me my job was as dearer as great Lord Ram of Madurantakam Temple and I feel Him when I work. My job was like God to me. Most of my cousins had car, whereas I went to work by bus/train. I didn't feel bad as I liked being with my countrymen traveling in Government transport.
As if this was not enough, Chennai booed me too in its own style. I don't want to go deep in to that. I knew it was my hour of shame. I also knew that it would end one day.
A small gist of remarks I had received (few from my cousins & few from those who shouldn't have behaved like that):
* "Rs.10,000/- no girl will even look at you". (As if I am begging them to look at me)
* "Krishna-I took my wife for a honeymoon abroad. When you get married, where do you plan to take your wife? To some village in Tamilnadu".
* "Have you ever had lunch at top-class hotels, resorts, pizza huts ?"
* "Have you ever been out of India? Do you know anything other than Indian villages? Seen New York, Washington, Dubai ?"
* "Have you ever tried branded formals, Lee, Wrangler, Reebok. Unakku yenga adhu ellam theriya pogudhu, nee auto-karan, cycle-rickshaw karan pant dhaane podara ( Translation from Tamil: How will you know all that, you only wear auto-rickshaw walas pant)
I am not from a poor background, but it's written in my faith that I need to undergo this phase in life for few years. It was unfortunate but it changed me a lot. I was suppose to live a rich, glamorous life, but few miscalculations cost my life's happiness for many years.
November 22nd, 2009, the day I will cherish forever in my life, the reason being the fact that I kept my foot on West Bengal with my cousin brother who has come to help me in my new job. Imagine what would have run on my mind on that day ? I was in a new place, new land, different culture, different food habits, different climate, with a tough task at hand ? It was always a tough task to perform especially when your mental morale and confidence is low.
Given all these things that had happenned, what do you think would have run on my mind ? I had typed this question again because this was certainly the moment and turning point. How insecure I could have felt being alone in another part of the country? I had the task of handling my own life in the most toughest situations in a different environment. My own people didn't encourage me much, but Kolkata stood with me. This surprised me.
It is considered as a dirty city, unclean, undeveloped. But what I experienced was totally different. The people were so kind and gentle. They accepted me for what I am and they considered my happiness as their own happiness. The people of West Bengal impressed me so much that I even tried my best learning their language. In a matter of few weeks, I could tell all colors, numbers from 1 to 70, animals and also how to greet people in Bengali. My entire confidence was coming back and I rebuild myself. I went on a good will trip to neighbouring state of Jharkhand (Naomundi, Bokaro, Dhanbad) and Orissa (Bhubaneshwar, Puri).
I saw some successes in my life. I had new friends who were cosmopolitan, yet traditional with lots of love, affection and my life became colorful. I also liked the courage, determination, strong willed nature of the North Indian girls which I don't see amongst their South-Indian counterparts.
Kolkata is certainly my most favourite city in India.
And now my life has changed a lot, but I haven't forgotten the lessons I learnt. Even now, with my father's wealth, I can still buy a Honda city car, roam around with friends, drink, smoke, have girlfriends. But I am not interested in living such a life. I had always lived my life in a stable manner, I admit that I did lose stability for few years due to personal problems, but Kolkata and people of West Bengal made me realize what I am truly capable of.
I hope now the whole world would understand why I say often,"I am indebted to Kolkata and West Bengal" , "I owe a lot to Kolkata". I have a great adimiration for this city which gave me a new life, redefined my outlook and most of all made my life colorful. It's indeed the 'City of Joy'.
"Korbo, Lorbo, Jitbo re....."
Best wishes,
Krishna Kumar.S
The story runs as follows:
Many in the outside world only know me as a "traveller", a straight forward person, a train lover, a kind of sensitive person and maybe some people even think that I don't know much. All these perceptions aren't exactly true. The world isn't aware of many responsibilities that I bear on my shoulders even before I graduated out of school. All these responsibilities have given me many sleepless nights, worries and also maturity. I have tasted victories and also failures. I can't talk about my responsibilities in this blog now, as it is personal.
There were numerous incidents in life where I had seen only absolute harshness or ill-luck. Let's take one incident for example.
During the year 2008, recession was at its peak. I was unable to get a job and I need to settle for a temporary job in a call center. My salary was Rs.10,000/- per month. I was thankful to Lord Ram of Madurantakam whom I respect at heart. It was my first job. With my first stipend of Rs.3000/-, I travelled with my own money to a place called Arokkonam by Chennai-Central-Arokkonam fast passenger on December 25th, 2008. This was my first trip after I started working and it was a great moment in life that I travelled in a train with my own money. I felt exactly like what Sachin would have felt after winning Worldcup.
I always had the pressure of handling my career and other responsibilities at the same time. What happened was something unfortunate and shouldn't have happened. Many of my cousin brothers who had lived in abroad & foreign countries mocked at me. My salary was a piece of joke. But I didn't bother. For me my job was as dearer as great Lord Ram of Madurantakam Temple and I feel Him when I work. My job was like God to me. Most of my cousins had car, whereas I went to work by bus/train. I didn't feel bad as I liked being with my countrymen traveling in Government transport.
As if this was not enough, Chennai booed me too in its own style. I don't want to go deep in to that. I knew it was my hour of shame. I also knew that it would end one day.
A small gist of remarks I had received (few from my cousins & few from those who shouldn't have behaved like that):
* "Rs.10,000/- no girl will even look at you". (As if I am begging them to look at me)
* "Krishna-I took my wife for a honeymoon abroad. When you get married, where do you plan to take your wife? To some village in Tamilnadu".
* "Have you ever had lunch at top-class hotels, resorts, pizza huts ?"
* "Have you ever been out of India? Do you know anything other than Indian villages? Seen New York, Washington, Dubai ?"
* "Have you ever tried branded formals, Lee, Wrangler, Reebok. Unakku yenga adhu ellam theriya pogudhu, nee auto-karan, cycle-rickshaw karan pant dhaane podara ( Translation from Tamil: How will you know all that, you only wear auto-rickshaw walas pant)
I am not from a poor background, but it's written in my faith that I need to undergo this phase in life for few years. It was unfortunate but it changed me a lot. I was suppose to live a rich, glamorous life, but few miscalculations cost my life's happiness for many years.
November 22nd, 2009, the day I will cherish forever in my life, the reason being the fact that I kept my foot on West Bengal with my cousin brother who has come to help me in my new job. Imagine what would have run on my mind on that day ? I was in a new place, new land, different culture, different food habits, different climate, with a tough task at hand ? It was always a tough task to perform especially when your mental morale and confidence is low.
Given all these things that had happenned, what do you think would have run on my mind ? I had typed this question again because this was certainly the moment and turning point. How insecure I could have felt being alone in another part of the country? I had the task of handling my own life in the most toughest situations in a different environment. My own people didn't encourage me much, but Kolkata stood with me. This surprised me.
It is considered as a dirty city, unclean, undeveloped. But what I experienced was totally different. The people were so kind and gentle. They accepted me for what I am and they considered my happiness as their own happiness. The people of West Bengal impressed me so much that I even tried my best learning their language. In a matter of few weeks, I could tell all colors, numbers from 1 to 70, animals and also how to greet people in Bengali. My entire confidence was coming back and I rebuild myself. I went on a good will trip to neighbouring state of Jharkhand (Naomundi, Bokaro, Dhanbad) and Orissa (Bhubaneshwar, Puri).
I saw some successes in my life. I had new friends who were cosmopolitan, yet traditional with lots of love, affection and my life became colorful. I also liked the courage, determination, strong willed nature of the North Indian girls which I don't see amongst their South-Indian counterparts.
Kolkata is certainly my most favourite city in India.
And now my life has changed a lot, but I haven't forgotten the lessons I learnt. Even now, with my father's wealth, I can still buy a Honda city car, roam around with friends, drink, smoke, have girlfriends. But I am not interested in living such a life. I had always lived my life in a stable manner, I admit that I did lose stability for few years due to personal problems, but Kolkata and people of West Bengal made me realize what I am truly capable of.
I hope now the whole world would understand why I say often,"I am indebted to Kolkata and West Bengal" , "I owe a lot to Kolkata". I have a great adimiration for this city which gave me a new life, redefined my outlook and most of all made my life colorful. It's indeed the 'City of Joy'.
"Korbo, Lorbo, Jitbo re....."
Best wishes,
Krishna Kumar.S
