" You are doing injustice to your parents.."
" You need to get a job..."
" Our shop is closed for you. Others can finish their grocery shopping.."
" We need you to report to the police station...."
" Please make sure next time you visit the school, dress up properly.."
" Wow...you are like the Kabira of Yeh Jawani hei Diwani...in your own journey"
I was bombarded with things. At one point, I have to wear a serious look with all my 3 month beard to scare people off. Sometimes I played along to do my own social experiments.
In India what mattered - how am I dressed, do I look like I have money!!
Do I have a random beard or well groomed/shaved look! (Yes facial hair matters!!)
In central Europe, it is pretty much the same plus my skin color. (but intrusive questions were not there much just the behavior)
First time it struck me when in a 3 day conference, I went with suits on first 2 days and on the third day, jeans. Suddenly,the gatekeeper must check my registration confirmation.
Before all these social experiments, I was travelling with the clean shaven look wearing regular clothes. When I started my backpacking trips (each taking 2-3 months before I refresh myself in Kolkata), I used to carry 2-3 sets mostly track pants kind. Plus I stopped shaving, sometimes I had the worn out look after kilometers of walks through roads and dusts. Slowly, I stopped grooming completely. My backpacks got rustier , my hair grew in natural fashion...I become no one according to the world of judgmental people.
And then I started feeling the hierarchy inherent to most societies - the hierarchy of respect. When I was a principal scientist going on a trip, I am someone. When I am the same person but with shabbier clothes and bags who look like he can not afford anything in life, the treatment changes.
I personally believe there are already too many hierarchies in the world.
Why should we respect based on the way a person looks or what they work in?
But No!! It defines pretty much everything. So my answers to people asking about jobs - " no jobs, going from schools to schools" or " finishing of my savings to travel" did not get good traction. And their behavior changed. However, not all people behaved this way like mountain people of himalayas or the happy people of Poland.
Some good things happened too. I completely escaped the nagging hawkers in Europe tourist hubs, the beggars of the streets of India and the best, the travel agencies across Asia. Nobody believed I can afford anything more than the mere basics. The fun part was the tourists asking me how much will I charge to take their photos looking at my camera (happened in Italy, almost everywhere in India)!!! Wow!!!!
More on those stories later :-)
" You need to get a job..."
" Our shop is closed for you. Others can finish their grocery shopping.."
" We need you to report to the police station...."
" Please make sure next time you visit the school, dress up properly.."
" Wow...you are like the Kabira of Yeh Jawani hei Diwani...in your own journey"
" Aapko, majaa kahan se aata hei!!" (where do you get fun in life)
The comments are endless. The questions are more and more intrusive as I travel across my own country. The glances, the people s attitude, the facial expressions and their behavioral patterns were sometimes diametrically opposite as I travel across countries (18 to be exact).
In India what mattered - how am I dressed, do I look like I have money!!
Do I have a random beard or well groomed/shaved look! (Yes facial hair matters!!)
In central Europe, it is pretty much the same plus my skin color. (but intrusive questions were not there much just the behavior)
First time it struck me when in a 3 day conference, I went with suits on first 2 days and on the third day, jeans. Suddenly,the gatekeeper must check my registration confirmation.
Before all these social experiments, I was travelling with the clean shaven look wearing regular clothes. When I started my backpacking trips (each taking 2-3 months before I refresh myself in Kolkata), I used to carry 2-3 sets mostly track pants kind. Plus I stopped shaving, sometimes I had the worn out look after kilometers of walks through roads and dusts. Slowly, I stopped grooming completely. My backpacks got rustier , my hair grew in natural fashion...I become no one according to the world of judgmental people.
And then I started feeling the hierarchy inherent to most societies - the hierarchy of respect. When I was a principal scientist going on a trip, I am someone. When I am the same person but with shabbier clothes and bags who look like he can not afford anything in life, the treatment changes.
I personally believe there are already too many hierarchies in the world.
Why should we respect based on the way a person looks or what they work in?
But No!! It defines pretty much everything. So my answers to people asking about jobs - " no jobs, going from schools to schools" or " finishing of my savings to travel" did not get good traction. And their behavior changed. However, not all people behaved this way like mountain people of himalayas or the happy people of Poland.
Some good things happened too. I completely escaped the nagging hawkers in Europe tourist hubs, the beggars of the streets of India and the best, the travel agencies across Asia. Nobody believed I can afford anything more than the mere basics. The fun part was the tourists asking me how much will I charge to take their photos looking at my camera (happened in Italy, almost everywhere in India)!!! Wow!!!!
More on those stories later :-)
Two brothers - one technical ; other one shabby
