How I Had More Fun on My Road Trip to Bangalore

On my last few road trips, I would always find myself glued to my Kindle to read e-books or my phone to upload pictures. Even though other people in my group found it frustrating, it did not bother me until last month when my family stopped calling me. They literally stopped inviting me for dinners, family outings, and birthday celebrations. It was a plan in reality. My family had decided to teach me a lesson my not bothering to have my presence in their lives. They wanted me to realize the emptiness of the kind of life I was living.

On first day of their plan of not talking much to me, I did not feel anything odd. I thought that my Mom was not in good mood, which is why she had forgotten to keep the food for me. I thought that my sister and father were too occupied with work, which is why they had dinner without me. However, I noticed this pattern gradually and it set me off when they did not even ask me to join them while going out for a family wedding! They confessed that my presence, in the last few years, hardly mattered to anyone since I was always busy with my phone or some other gadget. It was too much for me to bear. I realized that I was taking everyone’s love for granted and I needed to change myself urgently.

The process of getting rid of technology

I apologized to everyone in the family one day and asked them to go for a road trip to Bangalore and Coorg. I had already started working in the direction of leaving alone my gadgets. Even then, I was feeling fidgety without my phone. It was difficult for a while, but I managed it somehow for a few hours until we reached to take our Self Driven Cars in Bangalore without deposit, after which I offered to drive. And it was a smooth time while driving since I could divert my attention to the road instead of my phone.

When we reached Coorg, I switched off my phone after messaging my manager in office that I would not be able to attend any calls for the next two days because of poor network. Perhaps, he read my message after a while, so I did not receive any reply from him instantly. And I was gone to the hills after that text to enjoy the serenity of nature.

It was certainly peaceful without my phone, which meant I did not have to bear the wrath of my family. Moreover, everyone else had their phones to click photos, so I did not fear about missing on photos as well. Whenever I felt twitchy without going online, I would confess it to someone and they talk to me to distract me. I am grateful to my family who taught me the importance of living a real life than a virtual one, right in time. We had an awesome road trip and I promised them to have a better existence afterwards.

How I Learned About Forbidden Things on My India Travel

It was not by chance that I was there in India last year; I had thought about it well and planned it in the best way possible. Having heard a lot of things about the country, I wanted to be twice as sure about being there for a long time, especially being a female. My friends had told me that Indians are quite touchy about a few things, and I must take care that I do not offend anyone. I totally understand this fact, being from Japan, I realize that religion and belief do play an important role in one’s lives.

An Indian friend

Being friends with an Indian guy helped me a lot before I traveled to India. I have been in touch with him for more than three years after I met him in a seminar in Japan. Whenever I would talk to him over the phone or text, we would exchange information about our cultures. The way I am keen on Indian culture, he wants to know about the Japanese ethos. He knows my nature as a person, and he assured me that I would find many friends in India when I go there.

So I happened to travel to India after I gained confidence that I can stay there for quite a long time since I planned to work while I lived there. I decided to stay in Bangalore so that I can explore south India first, and then move on to Delhi to wander around North India. The first warning he gave me was that I must not talk anything about any religion in India. Some Indians may be more sensitive than others in every place, and I must respect those differences. If someone takes an offense to my comments, it can be a legal challenge as well. It was good enough warning for me to begin with traveling in India.

Respecting the national anthem

No nation would tolerate disrespect for its national anthem, and it is a little more evident in India. Rohit, my Delhi buddy, told me that I might have to participate in the recitation ceremony at cinema halls, sports tournaments, etc. I had two choices- I could either stand in respect for it or not participate in it at all. Nonetheless, I should never deliberately disrupt the Singing Ceremony of the national anthem, which may land me in jail if someone files a complaint. Never in my life would I want to see the jail in my country or that of someone else.

Stopping a train

The Indian Railways are way different than that in Japan; the trains in India have a chain system that one can pull to stop the train in case of an emergency. However, there has to be a legit reason to pull the chain. Otherwise, it can lead to a hefty penalty or even jail. Even out of curiosity, I decided not to play with the string in the train. Although I had planned to take Car Rental in Bangalore without Driver or cabs for the most part of my journey, I still wanted to experience the trains in the country.

I, although being a well-intended person did not want to hurt anyone, I still thought better to learn about things that are not acceptable at any cost, religion being one of them. Rohit advised me to be a spectator when I did not understand anything or better ask someone about the norms at religious places. Therefore, even before I had set my feet in India, I had gained a lot about the nation.