My English Speaking Rickshawalla

Everyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that I hate taking ricks from the airport as most of the rickshawallas think you are an outsider and try and take you for a ride (pun intended).

So last time when I landed in Ahmedabad from a super late flight, I warily eyed all the queued up rickshaws trying to pick the least shady looking driver. Its then that this older gentleman approached me and politely asked in ENGLISH "Ma'am can I offer you a ride in my Rickshaw. Dont worry I will take you safely".

This question asked in fluent English did not just make my jaw drop but also got me curious enough to hop onto his rickshaw. Once we started heading to my house, I couldn't control myself and had to ask how come he could speak so well in English?

So he started telling me his life story. He had lost his father when he was 16 years old and as the oldest child he was forced to skip school and start earning by being a rickshaw driver.

He did well for himself and got his younger sisters settled and then married a lovely lady who has been his biggest support over the years (I could sense the deep love when he spoke of his wife). He also has a son to whom he wanted to give good education and pushed him to do his engineering in computer science.

In middle of all this he wanted to finish his education but that was not happening for him so once his son started college, he reached out to one of his Neighbours to help him learn English. The gentleman was kind enough and thought him the basics of grammar and how to do word association. So while his son studied in college he spent 4 years learning how to speak English.

Now his son has started working and he wants to give him couple of years to settle in before he can retire. He is 53 right now and his dream is to take his wife abroad for a long vacation as he feels that thanks to his good english, he can now take care of her while traveling.

By the time the story got over we had reached my place. But the journey ended with me getting an open invitation to come to his house for a meal and meet his family.

PS: I think he fleeced me for an extra 100 bucks, but what the hell his English and story were worth it.

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I went to Vegas with my Mommy

Vegas Sightseeing with Mommy, Sis and Sis-inlaw

Since I have come back from my long long long holiday, the first question everyone ends up asking is "how was ur chutti" and to most people I give a monosyllabic reply that it was wonderful. Then I get pestered for more details where I just end the conversation by saying –hmmm…errr I went to Vegas with Mommy.

Almost everyone who knows me, knows that my mommy is an involuntarily funny slightly conservative gujju aunty who frowns vigorously at alcohol, men and bikinis (Don't get me wrong, at times she is quite cool). So thought of putting down the ways of “How to be extremely pious in Sincity J”

I had been given this brilliant advice to go and play at the casino floor in Bellagio, cause if you ask for Sparkling wine they serve Moet!!!!

Forget Moet, with mommy around all you want to do is go and see the musical fountains outside Bellagio (which were pretty but………….)

If you are lucky and find a seat right next to a super-hot guy with a big chip stake on those rare $5 blackjack tables, do not start a conversation or blush at his compliments as Mommy will zero in on that and come running to drag you from that table to a solo player slot machine where you will never get lucky (Pun intended).

Do not order any alcohol at your casino table and ensure that your neighbours have also kept their glasses away from you as in case Mommy decides to pay the table a visit, she will give you suspicious looks and interrogate you at the table itself.

Also be ready to hear the motherly judgemental comments on skimpy wardrobe. Cause every time Mommy sees girls on road in bikinis, the first thought that pops into her head is how do parents allow their children to step out in such little clothes.

Do not expect to go partying in Vegas as it will bring out the Mommy frown. We crossed the Beach Club at Wynn where David Guetta was playing and there were 100s of shirtless six pack abs standing in the queue. All I could manage was a quick glance and bucketful of regret at the lost opportunity.

Vegas has all the fancy chefs and you may go and eat at all fancy places owned by Bobby Bay or Wolfgang Puck or Buddy Valastro (all awesome food) but at the end you will go looking for an Indian restaurant as the desi food craving would get overpowering. But on this one I just don’t hold Mommy responsible; we all had the desi cravings. Also let me add here that the gujju thepla myth is true, even we started our roadtrip with a significantly large number of theplas.

Thank god Mommy has been kept away from social media all this time or I would be getting an earful bout this post at this very moment.

Anyway I think some time in the near future, I will go back to Vegas just to SIN.

@ Fake Canals outside Venetian in Vegas

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