Still I enjoyd to trips one to Vaholi, a village outside Mumbai, I took pictures of the village the way the rural homes were, the cattle, the roads etc. etc. It is not that I was in a village for the first time, but I was thinking for the first time that people staying in villages and rural areas are so happy and content with what they have. They may not have electricity all the time. They may not have the luxury of going to the sea side or garden. They may not get a Taxi to go anywhere all the time. Still they did not seem sad. But people who live in big cities how difficult it is for them to leave without one of the luxuries that they are used to. Imagine staying in your house without Internet. It becomess suffocating. I did not say worse staying without the Electricity or the Air Conditioner and Heater in the extreme climate of Kuwait.
We know that there were people who lived in this extreme climate in houses of MUD. They had no Air Conditioner. I have heard from people who have been in kuwait for around 25-30 years, they say they used to stay in labour camps which used to be in deserts. They used to sprinkle water on bedsheets to keep cold in the extreme heat.
Back to Mumbai:
I dont remember when I have travelled the last time by the public transport buses in MUMBAI which were the lifeline when I was a kid. I knew which bus would get me where. But now thanks to Bikes and Cars and convenience of Taxi. I just remember my past when I look at those crowded buses and Thank Almighty GOD for his favors. I have used them until I was working in Mumbai and would agree even with all the rush the bus and train system is the most convenient way to reach your work place. Unless you are privileged to have a company chaueffer driven car
Wondering how tolerant a person becomes travelling in those buses and trains when the person next to you has oil in his air that smells/stinks and you can do nothing about it. Or worse when the person next to you has perspired and you dont have an option. Talking of trains, I remember the times when I have stood on one leg because I cannot find place to keep the other leg on the train floor. Now we talk of leg space in cars. I feel bad that my Corolla does not have enough leg space for the people sitting on the back seat. Need a big car and there are still people who are travelling in the same trains and enjoying it. They are content. I wanted to travel this Sunday by Train and looking at the rush bought First Class ticket. But there were hundreds of people in the same queue who cannot think of travelling First Class. We are so privileged and are we as Thankful to GOD for his favours. Are we nice to the people who are poor and needy or are we arrogant, do we look down to others. The place I went to by train, can reached in1 hour 40 minutes and if I miss a Train I get the next train only after one hour. When I was there I had to ask the locals when will I get the train to go back home and had to reach in time else will have to wait for one hour on the station. And the people staying there were happy and content. Think Think we will have to answer one day for the luxuries we are enjoying....
