Treasures in Time: First Days in India

Kolkata, West Bengal, India — February 3^rd, 2010

If a single picture could sum up our one year trip, it’s this one. We had just arrived in Kolkata, and sat on the bench of Manick’s tea stall, submerged by stimuli and emotions. We drank his amazing chai tea (his own secret recipe) and enjoyed this tiny oasis in the midst of the chaos of Sudder Street, overflowing with humanity, joy, and activity. India is not just a different country: it’s another planet altogether!!!

Treasures in Time: Shisha in Souq Waqif

Doha, Qatar — April 4^th, 2010

The road to Doha, the capital of Qatar (a small country next to Saudi Arabia, in the Persian Gulf) was not an easy one. A stressful half-​​hour in a taxi to reach Chennai airport, in the south of India, in the wee hours of the morning; a five-​​hour flight on Qatar Airways; an early cappucino at the airport in Doha, as I tried to get used to seeing everyone wear clothes I had only seen in movies; and finally, the long wait for our new friend, who would pick us up after work and bring us to her home.

On the picture is Daniel, in one of Souq Waqif’s many cafés, enjoying a shisha (narghile) flavored with apple juice.

The Wind at Our Backs

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.“
—Attributed to Seneca the Younger,  1^st Century AD

I don’t believe in fate. Not really. But I believe in auspicious beginnings: those times when things align just so, and the world opens up before you.

This has led me to personally believe that what we call “destiny” is just the default option. If you struggle to change it, other opportunities open up. Some seem like insurmountable mountains, and you struggle your whole life to make them happen.

But sometimes, the wind blows at your back.

When Helene and I decided to move to China in 2003, we felt the wind blow into our sails. We had tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to find work in South Korea; but the moment we decided to go to China instead, everything came together. We visited Shanghai for the first time at the spring of 2003, and I landed a dream job at Ubisoft without breaking a sweat.

India is filling our sails once more.

It’s hard to explain India to those who have not gone. But to those who have, there is a common wisdom about the subcontinent: it warps reality. It obeys rules outside of causality and physics.

The second we decided that India was a sound choice for a first job in international development, things came together very quickly. Over emails and Skype, Joe Madiath of Gram Vikas immediately made us feel welcome to join him in Berhampur, and things just seemed to click.

Then, a month ago, out of the blue, an opportunity landed in my lap.

I’m working as a web development consultant for the next four weeks.

I wasn’t looking for a job per se, but the stars aligned somehow. The job is a challenge, both in its technical details and in the fact I have to enter the corporate world once more; but the result of this effort is a monetary “safety net” that goes a long way to alleviate our fears about moving to rural India.

In a very tangible sense, it feels as if the Universe is telling us: “Stop worrying about money and just do it. Go be awesome.”

That’s the thought that carries me through days in an office, even though I haven’t worked a desk job in two years.

Soon enough, it’ll be time to go be awesome.

Picture: Chilka Lake, Orissa by Kartik Anand–CC BY-​​NC-​​SA 2.0

Treasures in Time: Coconut, Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand — January 27^th, 2010

One of the many reasons I love Thailand is its food. I love the many savory dishes, filled with fragrant herbs and fresh lime juice, and I love the delicious tropical fruits — this coconut was particularly sweet!