Cutting Chai Wisdom

Cutting Chai Wisdom: When Less is More

The Man of the Moment

I was in Belgaum, Karnata for a day, and being the ultra-hyper-restless one that I am, decided to wander about its streets. Suddenly, it began to rain furiously and I was forced to take refuge under the roof of a tiny tea stall.

That's where I met the fabulous Mr. Anand.

Mr. Anand is a roadside tea seller who could easily qualify off as a philosopher. 

A faint smile on his face, he told me, "These days, everyone wants bigger, better, more. No one is satisfied with anything. The little glass of cutting chai is one of the few places where people actually find satisfaction in less, rather than more. 

For only four rupees, I sell them a few moments of peace."

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The Little Boy who Could

Little Dhanush, sitting snug in the auto

This morning, as I caught an auto to work, I found a surprise waiting for me in the back seat. 

Dhanush, a tiny eight-year-old boy, sat huddled up in the corner of the seat. 

He greeted me with a shy grin and half wave. Curious, I settled in and we went on our way. 

Turns out that little Dhanush loves to travel to new places—but his parents cannot really afford extensive travel. He’s hence befriended all the auto drivers of his neighbourhood and tags along with them whenever he doesn’t have school.

Head sticking out of the auto, eyes wide with excitement, he soaks in the new places and faces - Enjoying every minute of the bumpy ride.

If you really want to travel, you will find a way to make it happen.

Just like Dhanush.

DATE A GIRL WHO TRAVELS

Date a girl who travels.

The girl who read her atlas instead of bedtime stories as a child. The girl who knows the capital of Burkina Faso, correct spelling included. Who fantasizes about faraway lands and how she’s going to get there. Who spends all her rent money on air tickets.

The girl in the window seat, nose buried deep in her Lonely Planet. The girl who throws out clothes from her closet so there’s more place for her travel souvenirs. The girl who’s always somewhere else, even if only in her head.

A girl who travels will have stories. She’ll drag you down the Road Less Traveled - and have you send a postcard while you’re there. She’ll have you scaling a live volcano in the Philippines today, camping out in the Amazonian forests tomorrow. She’ll show you that there’s a certain joy in getting lost. That good old adventure is never overrated. That the best plans are unplanned. That something exciting lies around every corner. That it’s okay to miss the last train home.

And that travelling does make you a better person.