In search of myself

FLASHES

A typical day of a foreigner in India: I was woken up by some unbearable noise in which, when I slowly came into my senses, could recognize: the hoarse voice of the lady owner of the guesthouse; the barking of her pet dog; the dreadful jangling of an unknown object on the staircase; the usual chaos in the street, which itself was a unique mix of various sounds… not the best way to start the new day, but I hoped the end would be much better…
A walk on the main street can easily turn into an adventure of a striking kind cause immediately all of your senses are ruthlessly attacked and you feel completely overwhelmed and stunned by this extraordinary feeling. Everything happens in such a crazy hectic pace and simultaneously, and you really need to be a superhero so that you don’t stumble in the crawling crippled beggar; avoid the cow dung mixed with mud, dust, sand, and other unimaginable ingredients of the newly appeared putrefying rubbish (the old one burned at night); suppress the increasing nausea caused by the specific bunch of exotic oriental spices in combination with odors among which prevails the distinct sub note of urine; protect your eyes from the vivid colorful tide which threatens to wash over you from the clothes of the passers by, the countless stalls, and even from your plate in the restaurant (food in India is colorful too); while trying also to train your tongue to accept and get used to the pungent taste of the local delicacies; making your way through hundreds of sweating bodies, many of which touch you on purpose or by accident; only to hear “Namaste ma’am! Please, come in my shop” said 20 times in the 200 meters you’ve just managed to surmount…
… But this was in another life, a year ago, and it’s been so unforgettable ever since that it is a part of me now.
I didn’t pay attention to the happenings around me anymore because I knew what was the most fascinating of all – people who lived here. I was going to meet one of them in the evening.