People Come, People Go

There are many situations in life that makes you feel lonely. Forces you to be lonely.

Being an expat in a big city like Delhi, coming from the countryside, I did not consider that it applied to me when loneliness was discussed at orientation. But it did, and it does. Throughout my time here, I've met incredible people. Coming from across the world and they are fascinating people with warm hearts. These wonderful people, who comes and goes have all provided perspectives and insights into their way of understanding the world. Everyone, either I've met them for a day or several months have added spices to my life, as if there's not enough spices in India already. And then they leave, as many people are travelling through or have short-term internships or other incredible reasons to visit.

One day I was asked about missing people - and I miss people everyday, but the reality is it's not all that bad. First of you get used to missing people, but the great aspect is that I have so many incredible people whom I can call friends across the world. I rather have to miss them, than never met them at all.
Then the question you might ponder is; what do you do when no-one you know are there? It has a simple answer; you learn to hug the feeling of loneliness. You learn to appreciate it - the time to do whatever you want to do. If you want to dance like a maniac in your flat, then do it and giggle while you are at it.

But no, I'll not glorify the feeling of loneliness, but it is certainly a feeling and a state of mind worth embracing and appreciate. It might just take time. Learning to cook dinner for one, and eating it yourself may take time. But hey, nobody has ever said you cannot have a candlelit dinner alone, now have they?
The point is, the feeling of loneliness that comes will living abroad can be loved and cherished, it up to yourself how you embrace it. You learn to know yourself better and can make room for new incredible people whom might come tomorrow.

I Live in a Country Where People Break Out in Beautiful Songs and Melodies

Standing in the bus, I hear a man singing.  I cannot remember anything but his voice formulating a Bollywood melody.  I cannot remember how he looked like. But I know he sounded happy. Auto-rides have many a times given me a reason to smile with the loud melodies from the music system, or my favourite; when autodrivers break out in song. I always wonder if they are extraordinary happy in that moment while singing, or if perhaps they just do it because they want, because they can.

Walking down the streets of Oslo, street singers are the only ones seen singing. If I started singing in the streets of Oslo people would questioning my sanity. I’m from a place where people never sing when shopping, now living somewhere I hear it regularly. People randomly break out in song and I love it. It’s one aspect of living in India that teaches you to appreciate all the small things. Appreciate the people around you; your loved ones, and the ones who breakout into song – or back home, those who dearly long to sing out loud while wearing their winter coats.

Thinking back to when I first arrived in Asia, about 10 months ago – I did not imagine that random singing on the streets would be one of the things I will keep close in my heart when I one day return back North. But it is, it really is. It adds a happy melody to everyday life.The singing adds an additional melody to life. Perhaps I will sing in the streets of Oslo when I return home to the cold North? The things that inspires you to smile are worth keeping deep inside your heart.