It is that time of the year again. The summer holidays in India are not far away and the only way everyone can manage to get through exam fever, exam stress and meeting financial year-end deadlines is by planning their annual holiday.
Not so, however, among some Indian families, which persistently and consistently have more opinions than there are people. Thus, while other prospective tourists are busy setting the itinerary and looking around for funds, they have to first argue their way out of the corners they have painted themselves into.
The first one bursts out: “What? Travel abroad? No! I’d rather have a new car/bike/gaming console! Travel is a waste of money!”
“You certain!” sneers another. “Don’t you know that travel broadens the mind? I’m game to backpack for a month!”
“A month! Not a chance!” says one of the younger groups. “I have work, I have deadlines, I have responsibilities! I’m neither a carefree student nor am I happily retired!”
“Backpack? Not a chance!” snaps one of the retired lot. “I haven’t worked all these years to break my back with a backpack! I want to sit back and let the travel operator do everything.”
“What’s the fun in that?” asks another of the same generation. “You never really see the way the people live; you don’t get a sense of their streets and their markets. You’ll ‘touch’ and never feel anything if you go on one of those whirlwind trips. You merely tot up the number of historical sites or museums ‘seen’ and everything becomes a blur in your memory. I want one of those leisurely tours where I go at my own pace. Stop where I want. Linger if I want. Leave when I want. No tension about racing to be on time for the bus that takes you to the next castle or church.”
“You can linger all you want if you do that,” says the damp squib of the family. “But then you have to plan and execute your trip on your own. Remember that you have to navigate your way through strange places where you probably won’t know the language, you’ll often take the wrong route and find yourself walking for miles in the opposite direction from where you wish to go. Nothing leisurely about that ...”
The ‘foodie’ who was ready to backpack — maybe because he pictured all the delicacies he could carry along in that backpack — intervened. “No historical sites and museums for me, thank you. I would like to experience a country through its cuisine. Imagine tasting all those exotic dishes ... and imagine missing them entirely because your tour operator has to cater to the uncompromising Indian tourist who wishes to eat only tried and tested butter chicken and paneer tikka! In Austria or Spain or Vietnam!”
Everyone was silent for a while. They had thought that they would get together to decide where they should go for their holiday. Now it seemed that even if they agreed on a place worth seeing, each of them would have to go it alone — and some may even prefer to stay behind.
Obviously, they needed to seek the intervention of a higher authority. In earlier days, the decision-maker was the one who bought the tickets. Today, there is no arbitrator who can make the ‘final’ decision because no one is dependent on the other. For this group, basically each one for himself or herself — which is a great breeding ground for debate, discussion and disagreement. Time finally runs out and all the slots are soon booked.
And that is how, while the rest of those who can afford it proceed on their annual holiday, some argumentative Indians stay at home: Talking until the travellers come home.
Cheryl Rao is a journalist based in India.
