Five Experiences Of Every Small Towner

I still remember the time when I visited Chandigarh for the first time, that was about 10 years ago or so. And it had only one shopping mall running at that time. I was totally awestruck on visiting that mall for the first time. Taking escalators, eating at Mc Donalds, buying gummy candies, watching movie in a multiplex cinema and playing claw machine games and air hockey were like the first timers for me who had only visited street shops or shopping marts until then. It was like an uber paradise for me, I felt like I'm living a dream. Few hours weren't enough for me to explore the entire place and I acted like a total maniac while constantly chanting “Oh My God! Oh My God!” to be very honest.

2. Took time to digest that it is OK for anyone to smoke a cigarette, go on a night out, openly discuss about their periods or be in a love or live in relationship as long as it is solely their choice.

C'mon, don't judge me. I had always been taught since my childhood that all of these things were sinful, these were just supposed to be shown in the movies and weren't practiced by a common man like us which indeed wasn't quite the truth. It was when I got exposed to the people of a progressive city, that I realized that everyone has a right to do whatever they want to and that does not define them or make any statement about their personality. I gradually realized that no one is worthy of judging anyone else other than theirselves. 

3. Faced lack of opportunities

I know many people will not agree with this saying that talent and hardwork always pays, which is true but another true fact is that it requires much more patience and efforts for a small towner to rise than the one living in a metro city. Standards of living, surroundings, opportunities, unconventional thinking, acceptance and appreciation of extraordinary skills, all these things depend on the place where you live. For eg, If you want to get professionally trained in western music, you can not do that while staying in a place like, say Patiala(No offense). You have to go to a place like Delhi, Bangalore or Mumbai to get a professional training for such skills. I think it's very important to remove these drawbacks from small cities by introducing or bringing such opportunities in these cities as well. Because I would never want anyone to miss their chances of becoming successful because of the shortcomings of their hometown.

4. Felt leftout in a room of high maintenance people

I guess all the Punjabis will empathize with me on this. We're prone to eat recklessly without giving any damn to the “unhealthy” consequences, but apparently people in the advanced cities are very much conscious about their health. I had never heard of gluten-free diet or keto diet or perhaps any kind of diet before I came to Chandigarh. I thought eating roti(Indian Bread) is the healthiest habit of mine, which indeed has lots of carbs and gluten and isn't much preferred here by many high toned people. Foods like brown rice, broccoli, quinoa, flax seeds, chia seeds were like invisible for me few years back when I lived at home and presently I am actually relying on them for my health(in the wake of living in an advanced city). Only I know how much I crave for that “roti sbji” that my mother cooks back at home.

5. Tried to immitate sophisticated living but failed.

Once again, don't judge. But as a small towner, you always have an inferiority complex when you visit a new place with people having a modern lifestyle so as a defensive move you always try to adopt their lifestyles to fit into their group. I have also many a times tried living a sophisticated life, here in Chandigarh. By switching from “Sony Xperia” to “Apple”, from “Lux” to “Park Avenue”, from “Laughing out loudest” to “Just Smiling”, from “Being a potato” to “Going to gym”, from.. Ahh.. but I couldn't because.. mai hu aadat se majboor. 😀

If you've also had any of such encounters then high five, if you haven't then.. nevermind!

That's all for today peeps. Have a nice day.