I like meeting new people. It broadens
your horizons, widens perspective and prevents the onset of ‘frog in the well’
syndrome. That is what drew me to couch surfing in the first place: the
opportunity to meet new people, people from different countries, hear about
their way of life, hear stories about their travel (good, bad and ugly ones)
and to have new experiences.
For the uninitiated, let me take a brief
moment and explain what couch surfing is all about.
Isn’t it true that travel is more fun when you have friends wherever
you go and who make you feel at home in any city?
Imagine having interesting friends around the world who will host
you in their homes, show you around, and offer you a local’s perspective on
what’s cool and interesting in their towns.
It is essentially a network of people who love travelling, who share their experiences and travel advice. It gives
you a platform to research travel destinations from locals as well as those who
have travelled to a place of your interest to make the most of your trips,
avoid mistakes they made and essentially have a good holiday.
As a host, you not only learn about new
cultures, but also reignite your love for your city by constantly seeing it
through fresh eyes.
Interesting
isn’t it?
But when
I first heard about couch surfing, I was apprehensive. The curious cat within me saw it as a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, while the paranoid within
me thought of it as a situation which could potentially unravel to horrid
proportions.
In the time that I spent deliberating
over the merits of couch surfing, friends I knew were meeting new people,
taking them around the city, sharing stories of their experiences with me.
Curiosity won and I decided to give in to the lure of being an ambassador for
my country.
The first few interactions were simple
email exchanges. The requests varied - helping them out with suggestions for
places to eat, places to shop for souvenirs, where to buy jewelry from, what
price range would the cab fare be etc. I was just being their travel help
without actually spending time with them. It was ‘good samaritan’ behavior at a
safe distance. I was just starting to realize how much help knowing a local can
be. No wonder this concept is such a success.
Tourists visiting Mumbai have some
typical requests. Everyone who comes to the country since ‘Slumdog
Millionaire’, wants to visit Dharavi (after all, it is the largest slum in
Asia). Then there is the ‘place of the terrorist attack’, ‘the Gateway of
India’, the ‘queen’s necklace’ and many of them want to see a Hindi movie too!
And then there are also some atypical
requests as well. Having been in the city for over 20 years now, I believed
myself to be quite familiar with the city. I could not have been more wrong.
The Lonely Planet, a Bible for tourists, has shown me exactly how much I don't
know about my own city. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I have had to rely on
good old Google a lot more than I would have liked.
The first time I took someone to the
‘Gateway of India’ was an eye opener. The American I was with, wandered off to
take some photographs and I was following him at a distance with a fellow from
the UK. This other person I was with, was essentially a Bangladeshi national
who had settled in the UK. In the context of skin color, he did not stand out
in the crowd of people at the Gateway unlike my American friend. It is
unbelievable how many people asked a random American to pose for photographs.
And he obliged with a huge grin on his face too. I don’t understand this
phenomenon! I hardly think Indians are hounded abroad like we hound anyone with
‘foreign’ looking skin! And if we are, I hope we are as graceful.
The most embarrassing part about such
episodes, are the questions that follow.
‘Why are Indians so fascinated with
foreigners?’
‘Is it true that dark skin is frowned
upon in India?’
And by far the most interesting
one,’Where can I get a tan like yours?’
It is a well known fact that foreigners
like colored skin. I guess everyone wants what they don’t have. They are
surrounded by white skinned individuals. Everyone is a different shade of white
and for them brown (yes, that is what they called me) is rare.
We, on the other hand, are surrounded by
different shades of brown. This would explain the fascination for 'fair
and lovely' skin here...:D
The first time I was asked this, I could
not believe what I was hearing: ‘Where can I get a tan like yours. I want
to be chocolate brown’
I had gone deep red in the face. But
since the first time, I have learnt to handle my blush a lot better…:D
To be continued...
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