The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of 2022
Contrary to the title, the year started ugly. This year started with me lying on the hospital bed with two
fractured backbones, two broken teeth, a
severed tongue, a
few internal injuries and no will to ride a two-wheeler, especially the Royal Enfield, ever again. It took
some time and
a lot of maa ki dua to get back on my feet.
I turned 21 this year, and the bad started. Things were looking grim. I couldn’t enjoy what I used to, and
each passing
day felt the same. And I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was the lowest point in my life despite
having all
the nice things around me. It took some time and courage, and I decided to go to therapy. It was no magic
pill, but it did work in its sweet, sweet time. Therapy mostly made me more aware of myself and my thoughts. It gave me
ways to deal
with feelings, or rather lack of it, but the conflicts were still there. But I did feel ok after a few
sessions. While
all this was happening in my personal life, my profession wanted me to be in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. I was
aware I would
have to go there at some point in the future but didn’t realise till very late. I did everything in 1 week
and hopped on
the first-ever flight; DEL -> CJB.
It was a refreshing change at the start, after a week of travelling and exploring all the restaurants
possible. I had to
accept that now I have to live by myself, 2500 KMs away from my family, in a city whose language I don’t
know and whose
culture I don’t understand. A nasty incident happened in the first few days, and I was ready to go back and
leave
everything behind. I am so glad I didn’t do that. So, things progressed a little, but I was still fighting
this city;
simple things like ordering food in a mess felt like a task. The only thing that was not the problem was the
food. I am
a little picky eater, but I came to Coimbatore with the mindset of exploring the culture as a whole, and
food is the
most significant part of it. You name it, and I must have tried it; Kalan, idiyappam, apam, sapad,
pongal
and things I
don’t remember the name of. My favourite was Masala Vadai. For four months, my breakfast was
rende (two)
Masala Vadai
and onru (one) tea. Food kept me going for a while, but I was lonely there.
Finally, The Good. One time I went to a famous and busy eatery and sat at a preoccupied table. I was trying
to order
Kalan (a mushroom dish), and filter coffee with all the pointing and mispronunciation possible. The
Other person at
the table recognised I wasn’t a native. He helped me order it and we started talking. He turned out to be
another North
Indian in the same incubator where my company was. He befriended me. Like this, I met many lovely people and
made
connections I will cherish. At one point, I had more people to talk to in Coimbatore than anywhere else. I
had friends
everywhere; at PG, work, and the places in between.
Yuval NoahHarari in Sapiens says humans have evolved slower cognitively than the other species. We still
have the
hunter-gathers mindset, and living in one place is a recent phenomenon. I experienced it this year when I
truly started
travelling. I covered all from the mountains of the Ooty to the beaches of Kochi and Kanyakumari. This year,
I also did
the most adventurous things, like going on a solo trip and driving a two-wheeler on hairpin bends; I learned
nothing
from January (＾_＾). I was happiest while I was on a trip.
Then came the time to say goodbye to Coimbatore and go to Bangalore, one of my hardest decisions. The love,
encouragement and acceptance that I got from here are unmatched. This city is a character in itself. It has
given me
enough trouble but compensated me with friends and memories. My heart still aches a little when I talk about
Coimbatore.
But I am glad it happened.
Now, my story has continued in Namma Bengaluru.
Nandri Vanakkam