Being an army kid, travelling is a part and parcel of my life and during these times I have often come across people who really make me question the country I live in! Sometimes I really really ask myself why they even exist and sometimes I develop a wishful thinking of wanting to know someone even more. Love them or you hate them, whether you are a social butterfly or a reclusive caterpillar, you must have encountered these travelling travellers.My recount of some of the most memorable ones as I journeyed through India.
1. The Overfriendly Traveller: I was sitting in New Delhi airport, all set for my flight to Siligudi where I would meet my dad who was posted in Kalimpong. I lived with my grandparents at that time and they have this weird sense of timing, so instead of reaching the airport, a respectable two hours before boarding, i was plonked at the steps of the airport four hours before time. needless, to say, I was one really angry lady and in order to make it very clear, I wore the hood of my sweatshirt, adopted a gangsta persona and went and sat at the bench. All was good in my angry gangsta world when this female interrupted me, she asked if I was going to Bangalore, I said now and leaned back in. Then, much to my annoyance, she started talking about herself, she was going to Bangalore(duh!) and was I studying in some college?(yes), she too! Which college, how was it?Where am I going, she could have gone on.So I took my cellphone out, dialled my dad';s number for he was the reason I had to subject myself to the brutality of the over friendly traveller and as I shot at him on the phone, i got up, took my suitcase and decided to spend the rest of the waiting time in a stall in the ladies room.Much more peaceful.
2.The family: This is one highly annoying brand of travellers you will even encounter and as my luck with traveling goes, I have met a quite a few. A general family has to have one annoying baby who can never be quiet, few ruffians of teens who have to jump and scream, some oldies and parents, those annoying people who have to be extremely loud. As I flew to Gangtok once, I met such a family, they had around 5 seats on the plane, ha no freaking idea where to sit or where their tickets were and had smartly decided to sit according to the names on the tickets. Unfortunately for us, we were prodded and pushed and jostled as they adjusted themselves. Then in the four hour flight, they had to eat a lot, I mean why cant they not eat and sit in peace, then they decided to play some loud talking game and be a general nuisance to everyone around. Now some people join such families in commenting how cute their kids are so the over proud parents decide to display how talents their baby is. And the poor baby is subjected to rounds of dances and songs as onlookers admired the decidedly white and pink blob of flesh. Families in trains get more annoying as you have to spend days with them and the best antidote is a pair of extremely string earphone.
3.The life experience: These kind of people you meet on different modes of travel. They wont be found on regular ones, more likely frequenting the unconventional modes. Like this one person I met on a speedboat in Goa who loved to talk about his prowess as a boatsman ad another on a boat in Alibag who pretended he was some amazing sea man as he regaled sea stories. It was informative and interesting for the first few hours after which it got a bit repetitive. But seriously, one can still talk to such people and not feel like slapping them. If only, try para jumping or bungee jumping or any kind of exotic sport and you will find extremely slaps-worthy characters. next time, I plan to get some pics.
4. The Photographers: We have encountered them all, haven't we? They have expensive cameras and love to click everything and anything. One such shutterbug happy traveller stood on the steps to Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, he stopped at everyplace and clicked everything, fair enough except there were his wife and mother screaming at him to hurry up and not waste time, he seemed immune to them. After all, if you love something, you have to pursue it, despite what everyone else thinks. So does that mean i can be a bikini model? Hell yes!
5.The family photographs: If I can eradicate one species, these would be it. They are the annoying twerps who carry their family photographs every-freaking-where! and if you don't pay attention, they will go on to pester you till you have to be polite and look at what they have been pointing at your face for the last half an hour. In a cab once, I met this man who wanted to show photos of his office and daughter and the swan and the pole in front of the office and the puddle near the office and the sink of the bathroom. I pressed my earphone tightly when this man simply removed them and entertained me for the remained for the journey with pictures in his mobile. Oh the joy!
And the travel bug has bitten: Check this out and pray for amazing travel partners(my wish, a hot Italian guy ;) )
http://www.expedia.co.in/
1. The Overfriendly Traveller: I was sitting in New Delhi airport, all set for my flight to Siligudi where I would meet my dad who was posted in Kalimpong. I lived with my grandparents at that time and they have this weird sense of timing, so instead of reaching the airport, a respectable two hours before boarding, i was plonked at the steps of the airport four hours before time. needless, to say, I was one really angry lady and in order to make it very clear, I wore the hood of my sweatshirt, adopted a gangsta persona and went and sat at the bench. All was good in my angry gangsta world when this female interrupted me, she asked if I was going to Bangalore, I said now and leaned back in. Then, much to my annoyance, she started talking about herself, she was going to Bangalore(duh!) and was I studying in some college?(yes), she too! Which college, how was it?Where am I going, she could have gone on.So I took my cellphone out, dialled my dad';s number for he was the reason I had to subject myself to the brutality of the over friendly traveller and as I shot at him on the phone, i got up, took my suitcase and decided to spend the rest of the waiting time in a stall in the ladies room.Much more peaceful.
2.The family: This is one highly annoying brand of travellers you will even encounter and as my luck with traveling goes, I have met a quite a few. A general family has to have one annoying baby who can never be quiet, few ruffians of teens who have to jump and scream, some oldies and parents, those annoying people who have to be extremely loud. As I flew to Gangtok once, I met such a family, they had around 5 seats on the plane, ha no freaking idea where to sit or where their tickets were and had smartly decided to sit according to the names on the tickets. Unfortunately for us, we were prodded and pushed and jostled as they adjusted themselves. Then in the four hour flight, they had to eat a lot, I mean why cant they not eat and sit in peace, then they decided to play some loud talking game and be a general nuisance to everyone around. Now some people join such families in commenting how cute their kids are so the over proud parents decide to display how talents their baby is. And the poor baby is subjected to rounds of dances and songs as onlookers admired the decidedly white and pink blob of flesh. Families in trains get more annoying as you have to spend days with them and the best antidote is a pair of extremely string earphone.
3.The life experience: These kind of people you meet on different modes of travel. They wont be found on regular ones, more likely frequenting the unconventional modes. Like this one person I met on a speedboat in Goa who loved to talk about his prowess as a boatsman ad another on a boat in Alibag who pretended he was some amazing sea man as he regaled sea stories. It was informative and interesting for the first few hours after which it got a bit repetitive. But seriously, one can still talk to such people and not feel like slapping them. If only, try para jumping or bungee jumping or any kind of exotic sport and you will find extremely slaps-worthy characters. next time, I plan to get some pics.
4. The Photographers: We have encountered them all, haven't we? They have expensive cameras and love to click everything and anything. One such shutterbug happy traveller stood on the steps to Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, he stopped at everyplace and clicked everything, fair enough except there were his wife and mother screaming at him to hurry up and not waste time, he seemed immune to them. After all, if you love something, you have to pursue it, despite what everyone else thinks. So does that mean i can be a bikini model? Hell yes!
5.The family photographs: If I can eradicate one species, these would be it. They are the annoying twerps who carry their family photographs every-freaking-where! and if you don't pay attention, they will go on to pester you till you have to be polite and look at what they have been pointing at your face for the last half an hour. In a cab once, I met this man who wanted to show photos of his office and daughter and the swan and the pole in front of the office and the puddle near the office and the sink of the bathroom. I pressed my earphone tightly when this man simply removed them and entertained me for the remained for the journey with pictures in his mobile. Oh the joy!
And the travel bug has bitten: Check this out and pray for amazing travel partners(my wish, a hot Italian guy ;) )
http://www.expedia.co.in/
http://abhyudayadoses.blogspot.in/
ReplyDeleteHaha... looks like you've met a few types of travelers, but there is an ocean to explore.... keep diving.
-Good piece of information.
ReplyDelete