Rama Moondra

The mood is sombre’ and alone. I wore my rain jacket before leaving for a walk on the lake side. Hobart is quite and beautiful. Especially after yesterday’s Salamanca market getting over, where local vendors gather to sell their goodies. Hobart has been my city of dreams for quite sometime. Tranquility is such that you can hear even the grass grow.

Lake is freezing these days. Official declaration of summer yet to begin making its footprints on the enigmatic lake though I see lake in its full bloom. No one No where…looks like I am transported to a different world. The crystal clear water reflects my face. I touch and it breaks into ripples. The idea of snow had always excited me but in England the word had lost a bit of its romantic charm.
Australia somehow rekindles that charm for me. Right now, when the snow laden rain has just stopped, the rabbits have come out to play. What I saw, I saw very clearly but I did not know what I was looking at. I had nothing to fit into.

The aroma of freshly roasted chestnuts is somewhere nearby. Australia has good coffee and great beers. As they say here, Beer and Bullshit can be found anywhere.

I can see the convict’s bridge from here .It was built by convicts of British colonial time. History of every country is so bloody that it may leave humans never to be human again. Somehow the bridge and prison leaves a chill down my spine.

The late summer glow filled afternoon light has started fading away. Time to walk back..

I heard that before but understood only when I started my traveling around globe. The cultural sensitivity is so crucial and yet so neglected. Protocols have their history originating from tribes and kingdoms of centuries. Amassed information is available on various countries and their expected behavioral pattern.

But who can get to history of a country to understand what may offend a native Australian who till now was thankfully munching the chips given by my fellow Indian friend. “What did I say”. Rushir asked me aghast after getting a snide remark from an Australian. I explained him, Australia has been ruled by British and they do not feel good about hearing their English ancestry.

Sadhna made another mistake at once. She just hugged the handsome Aussie bloke she had met in a party a while ago. The gentle man was visibly uncomfortable. I gave a stern look to her. I know that for her it was very normal thing, coming from media world of Mumbai and born and brought up in Paris. Aussies prefer a arm length distance in public places. It is not customary to hug everyone while parting if you have not known the person well.

The similar experience was of Sanjay. A savvy executive for whom international traveling has begun now and becoming a part of his career.  His first travel to Brazil was funny to others and embarrassing at times to him.

He greeted the officer at the pick up point in Spanish. The guy looked perplexed. Sanjay till then was not aware that the official language of country is Portuguese.

Parties left him high and dry. Not that sanjay does not drink; he had no idea about Soccer. Soccer is to Brazil what cricket is to India. In many South American countries, socializing is part of business negotiations and it is important to know art of conversation and common topics.

One of the safest topics is weather to begin with but it should not be made a long comparative study of countries. It is a good idea to a bit of study about what is accepted in the country you are traveling.

England for that matter differs considerably. The British formality demands reserved and understated behavior. If you are in London, the social climate is cool and one needs to get used to it. Ireland or Welsh as well as Scots are comparatively less formal and do not like to hear the word British associated with them. The Scottish pound is different and you should not be surprised if your friendly black cab driver refuses to take that pound. Go to the Bank instead.

Talking loudly is no no in almost every part of world but England it is rude.

Last but not the least, an Indian friend of mine got into a shock when she went to an English wedding. After picking up a drink from the bar counter, she was asked to pay. That night when she discussed it with me, I asked her to read the invitation. ‘Does it read drinks on house’, I asked. It did not. So it meant you could have dinner with them but drinks were not part of menu.

“How different are the customs”..She said. I smiled back to her

’’That’s what makes the world so beautiful and evokes the wanderlust. Who would like to see mirror image of their own country?

Just that it pays to be wise and know a bit more. Makes life easy while on wheels.