It could have easily happened today. But timely application of brakes averted the mishap. The motorcycle driver in front of me was not so lucky. A sharp turn by the bus in the front, that too without any indicator, meant the overtaking motorcycle rammed straight into the bus. However, he too was actually lucky. The speed was low and he escaped, probably with some bruises to the bike. He looked at the bus driver with a smirk. And then it was business as usual - for me and for the motorbike rider. But the taxi driver Terry did not drive like this. Nor did Mike or Gordon. They all belonged to 'Station Taxis', a company that ferried us to office when we were in UK.
It has been more than a month since I am back in India after three months stay at UK. During the last days there, the urge to go back to India and to be with my near and dear ones was phenomenal. Surviving on a meal that was rice and dal, two times a day, seven times a week was not easy. That too for a person who ate rice rarely. But as the saying goes, 'Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi'. Situations make people do the unexpected. I was not an exception. I counted every day like a person marooned on a lonely island. And when finally I returned back, there was no joy. The abysmal facilities at the airport - the undisciplined traffic - the massive encroachments of public places - and many other things contributed to the lack of excitement after my return.
Going back to stay at UK, though food was an issue, I was better off on other fronts. Language was not a problem and this made my life quite simple. The difference between stays at US/UK as compared to stay at Japan was quite palpable. Further, being close to London offered me the chance to travel Southern England. Obviously, Terry was not there with me. I used trains. And he used his cars.
Even though he was a taxi driver, Terry was not a poor man. In fact, it was his earnest desire to escape the clutches of poverty, especially when he was in the twilight years of his life. Quite often, he repeated a quote, 'Nothing can bind a man, not even prison bars, than old age and poverty.' He said he kept this quote in his wallet. One day, while driving, he said he wanted to show this to me. And he brought out his wallet and started churning out things from it. That too while driving. And when the purse was near empty, he showed me a paper and the quote on it.
Terry was indeed well to do. He had three cars, two for himself and one for his wife. He did not like cheap shoes. The best and the cheapest he could find was worth Rs 8500/-. I thought it was quite expensive. I too was looking for a shoe anything below Rs 500/-. But I could not find any decent pair cheaper than Rs 5000/- that too after 20% discount. Terry thought that the life of good English shoes was worth the money. Occasionally, he used to take his wife to Bournemouth, where he had his house. He believed in having a nice outing occasionally.
Once, my friend and I too went to Bournemouth. It was a vast span of beautiful sea beach. I kept walking in search of the hidden treasure, occasionally taking breaks. Once when we sat on a chair, a person came and asked for the tickets for the armchair. We did not have any and had to buy tickets worth Rs 160/- each. I told my friend that I had seen a board where it said that chairs were for rent. My friend was not amused. He blamed me for the unnecessary expense. Anyways, coming to the point, I walked for four hours and then realized that I had to go back the same distance. And thus, I returned back. In the glitter of sun, sand and skin, I did not even take a dip at the beach.
Apart from Bournemouth, I also went to see to the majestic Windor Castle, the second official residence of the Queen after Birmingham Palace of London. Then there was Oxford, the city of colleges with its architectural splendour. London was a must-see. One of Nokia's colleagues also took us to Winchester (a small town with beautiful churches), Portsmouth (a sea beach, with its Shipyard), Wales and its capital Cardiff) and Bath (where there were remains of Roman Empire). While the details may be ignored, certain lessons seem very obvious. First of all, tourism has become a major source of revenue worldwide. Thus, tourists are treated courteously and steps are taken to ensure that they return satisfied. Value-added services like walky-talky type mobile guide, that too in multiple languages, bring the tourists closer to the tourist spot. India's tourist potential is huge; but drastic changes are not expected by a nation whose citizens are in a state of perpetual slumber. Small signs are visible at select tourist spots, but my heart laments when I see one step forward but two back. Let us keep this tourism out for a separate column.
At 66, Terry was semi-retired but still did cab duties for us. Born just before the World War 2, he had seen the German raids of London. He had heard the air raid warnings. And the death and destruction that brought with it. He even gave me a book on World War. It had a rich collection of newspaper photographs of the world war. I saw the photos and returned the book. By the end of my stay, we two had grown so close that he presented me a book on British empire; and that was mine to keep, much to the chagrin of my colleagues.
I asked Terry what made England so powerful. He generally referred England as United Kingdom (which comprises of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). He opined that from the childhood, the supremacy of their race was ingrained in their psyche. You may view it as contemptuous arrogance, of the same type as those that wrote 'Dogs and Indians not allowed'. However, times had changed and the Britishers had mellowed down. Most of them were polite and sophisticated. But the massive immigrant population of Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshis had created a sense of insecurity. Thus, on a few occasions, my colleagues faced the wrath of such slighted Britishers and heard them say, 'You bloody Asians'. It was a topic of debated between political parties as to whether immigrants should be allowed or not and whether outsourcing was good for their health. Talking about outsourcing, I recall an interesting incident related to my Internet connection. Being what I am, I brought a 2-month free Internet connection. Just before the expiry, I called the helpdesk and requested them to cancel my account so that I could escape without paying a penny. When I explained that I was going to India (read Delhi), the highly accented call center executive said she too was from New Delhi (probably sitting in some Gurgaon office).
Our life in UK was highly compartmentalized. There was this office hours. And then one hour each-way in the Taxi, talking to Terry. Tennis in the evenings, that too after 6pm because it was free then. The sun set at almost 10 in the night and there was lot of excitement on the streets. Since we were there in the summer months, there was a lot of activity to be seen. We were placed right in the city center, and could observe people from our balconies. Most of the shops closed at 5.30pm and it was very difficult to shop since we returned by that time from office. Thus, Saturdays was reserved for shopping or sightseeing. For others, the weekends were a time for partying at the bar. Long queues could be seen in front of the bars. Most of them were choc-o-block. We used to see them partying but maintained a distance and avoid entering into any bar. By Sunday, the fact dawned upon them that Monday was coming and there was hardly anyone on street on Sunday.
For us, almost all nights were reserved for television. It was customary for Terry to ask what I was watching on TV. The quality of programming on some of channels was quite good. Lot of documentaries, especially on history, was worth watching. Thus, one day there was a program on the battle of Gibraltar and the role of the ship Lord Nelson. Or another day, there was a program as to how one-third of the populace died in fifteenth century during the period of Black Death. After interacting with me, Terry started taking special interest in India and Indian people. He thought we had been very good brand ambassadors of the country. He also wanted our country to be rich so that there could be a positive effect on the entire globe (including the UK). Thus, he urged Indians to stop hoarding their gold and spend in the malls instead. He also wondered whether some day Britishers would come to India for jobs just as Indians and Pakistanis go their for all kinds of menial jobs like that of drivers, sweepers and barbers among others.
At the end of our stay there, we paid Terry and Mike Rs 4000/- each as tip for the entire stay. Later on, they told us that the whole money had been divided equally, including the telephone attendant who noted our taxi request. The unity and camaraderie displayed by them was commendable. Just before our return, he was to undergo a minor operation. Wishing him luck and a healthy life.
Chachu 27/11/2004
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Web Resources
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[1] http://www.visitbath.co.uk (website on Bath)
[2] http://www.bournemouth.co.uk (website on Bournemouth)
[3] http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page557.asp (website on Windsor Castle)
[4] http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk (website on Portsmouth)
[5] http://www.tourism.wales.gov.uk (website on Wales)
[6] http://www.winchester.gov.uk/tourism/index.shtml (website on Winchester)
[7] http://www.touroxfordms.com (website on Oxford)
[8] http://www.visitlondon.com (website on London)
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