Eclectic Wisdom

This summer, I went with my family to Europe. It was a three week trip where we skittered across the continent. The experience was wonderful and unforgettable, and I really thoroughly enjoyed. In our cross country vacation, we visited the world famous Eiffel Tower (I finally learnt how to spell it right), The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Venice, The Colosseum, and places like the Louvre Museum. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am ever grateful to my parents for giving me these treasured memories.

Out trip to Europe was not much different from everyone else's. We gave an inclined pose for the leaning tower, as if catching it in midair. We gawked dejectedly at the minuteness of the Mona Lisa. We (well my parents mostly, with their unquenchable Indian habits), wrinkled our nose at the nudeness of the world's most renowned paintings and sculptures. We rolled at eyes at the spectacularly dismantled colosseum and we ate dishes of pasta and pizza of all kinds.

But my trip to Europe taught me many things. It gave me glimpse of the world outside, of the customs and habits of the rest of the world and it showed me things I had never noticed about my own culture. It's as they say, experience gives you more knowledge than books.

One of the first things I learnt about the people in Europe is that their personalities, their behaviour towards foreigners, varies with each mile. The French men and women regarded us, with our large cameras and heavy rucksacks, with petty disdain. They refused to speak English, even if they happened to know it, which we saw as disrespectful. Yet the Swiss people were so kind, so helpful, and really took an interest to the people that did not belong to the same culture as them. And I realised how well our government has tried to spread the use English, and how advanced my own country is in that particular aspect. Basic English can be found coming from the mouth of the rikshaw drivers and sabji sellers.

I move on to a deeper, more delicate topic. The culture in India and in France is very different, no doubt. And while were gliding down the tapestry-filled museums, I reflected on a casual comment my dad had made. He had seen a sculpture of a nude man and joked, "If something like this was erected in India, the local men and women would don a pair of underwear on the man." And the more I think about it, the more I realise it is true. The Italians and French see these human replicas and through their eyes, theses are works of Medieval art. They are masterpieces. They reflect the beauty and perfection of the human body. They are works to be relished and appreciated. And though we Indians marvel at the minute details and craftsmanship, we also feel a nagging uneasiness and disgust at staring at a nude figure. We think to ourselves, "didn't these men and women find better things to paint?" There is no right or wrong, no good or bad. But I saw this major gap, and I couldn't help but notice how different we are. How differently we are brought up and how the values taught to us are so different.

Another thing that I learnt is that the human mind is like glue. We subconsciously attach ourselves to the things we are close to and until we are forced to part with them, we don't realise how much they really mean to us. I used to disagree when people say that your roots matter, but now I have learnt otherwise. Though I enjoyed in Europe, deep down, I really missed my own home. I missed the polluted, people smell, the loud vehicular noise, the friendly, casual atmosphere of India. And I realised that though I was with my family, if asked to live in Europe, I wouldn't have been able to. The attraction towards my homeland and even my people was so strong that when we saw random Indian couples on the street, we would smile fleetingly. Ours eyes would meet. Something would connect, we would suddenly share a warm, comforting, homely feeling that didn't happen when we looked at the local citizens. It was like instinct. It was something I had never experienced before.

All the lessons, the memories, the sights, the observations, everything I carry with me. It is the one thing that will not fade, even if the photos do. And I can proudly look up and say that on my trip to Europe I not only learnt the spelling of 'Eiffel Tower', but I also learnt some valuable, not lessons, but knowledge. I took a step towards becoming wiser. And only experience can teach you that.