Thursday, December 08, 2011

Shillong Diary


I realize that this FB note thing is going to kill my blog very soon.This was out of context and right out of the thought cells to the Blog board, no processing in between !!

I seem to have reached Shillong for a few days after starting my journey towards it almost four months back. Well I did not walk ! 

So my day one went some where I do not know, so did day two. 
On day three I decided to explore this Scotland of the East ! With almost freezing temperature for me, I started my rendezvous on foot. It is great to walk around when roads are narrow and they seemed to be meant mainly for pedestrians like me. The first thing that struck me was every woman wear an absolutely matching sweater, mind you matching. They are not out of symmetry and they look so blended in the dress, at times I really had to stare to understand if it is a sweater or not ! Yes it was, every time. The Jinshin seems to be an almost super comfortable dress. For us the Salwar Kurta (without dupatta) wearing mortals, there is a brilliant way to wear the Dupatta I never even imagined could exist !

Than comes the Monday shocker, it seems everything is expensive on a Monday! Why?? The natives here do not work on Sunday hence no procurement and no supply; in turn Expensive Monday! Well, I plan to try and see if Saturdays are cheapest. So what do they do on Sundays? The Christians go to Church and socialize, the others, no clue! I sleep or escape some where!

I always knew life would be good for souls like me in this part of the country. Where else could I have been able to walk in to a "Hotel" (which is actually a eating joint) and share a table with two more strangers and have my full meal lunch all by myself. And without attracting any attention at all. Trust me no where in this country! I walk about the streets, climb into a shared Taxi to reach the Town Center, all by myself and no one as much raised an eye! I wander about the whole busy place where one needs to push through the stream of crowd to move forward, and bingo,I did not get angry one ounce due to any leach around! Heaven in real sense it is.

I knew that people here, in general, speak English as if they learn this language along side their mother tongue! Well I did not know the same was applicable to the maid,the road side 'Kongs' and almost everyone. If you do not know Khashi, you must know English! You must also know how to wear high hill shoes or super flat ones and walk with fast baby steps. 

It is pich dark at 4:30 in the evening and by 7 everything on the road is closed. People sleep by 8:30 in the evening. So for nocturnal like us.....no idea. Of course there are nigh clubs and all, I am yet to reach there. I am yet to form my group of people like my earlier places, I am yet to socialize!!!

By end of my rendezvous, I realize, I never became a Delhiyet or a Mumbaiker or a Bangalorian or a Hyderabadi! So I may not become a Shillongia either! This crisis of mine shall remain !!!

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