Asutosh

I am a 31 year young PhD graduate who has decided to travel the length and breadth of India on my cycle, to document the journey of meeting a vast array of people. In my journey, I intend to understand the characteristic features of the people of this nation and categorize them based on their demographics, age, profession, gender, traditions, and cultural differences.

Lady who completes her education after having her first kid

How is the life of a lady who completes her education after having her first kid in India?

1 Comment / Maharashtra, People /

For some of us, attaining education is a way of life, while for many it is a privilege. This is the thing I learnt from speaking with the lady who completed her education after having her first kid. Rural parts of India still fail to see women being well-educated. Those especially brought up in tough situations skip it entirely.

On my all-India cycle tour, I had the pleasure of meeting Maheshwari Chougule who completed her education despite all odds and situations turning against her. The best part is that she did it without even realizing that she when through hardships. She accepted them so wholeheartedly that she didn’t find any of the situations hard.

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Electronics and home appliances shop owner

How is the life of an electronics and Home appliances shop owner in India?

3 Comments / Maharashtra, People /

Several times we walk into a home appliances store to get household materials. We tend to purchase the required materials, bargain as much as possible with the store owner, and walk out without giving the slightest thought to why the shop owner only decided to open a home appliances store and none other.

On my all-India cycle tour, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Saibanna Ingle sir from the Sawantwadi district of Maharashtra who is the owner of a home appliances store. I learnt that to be able to set up a home appliances store, the person has to be in the field for long enough to learn the tricks of the trade, understand the mentality of the customer, and take the right actions at the right time. All of these only come with experience and majorly experiences of struggles which any of us are blind to.

Speaking with Saibanna Ingle sir who saw my cycle, handed me 500 rupees wished me for my journey, and even offered me food, I learnt about the struggles of his life. So, how is the life of an electronics and Home appliances shop owner in India?

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Memories Goa

Memories you get to make in Goa on a 12 day trip

1 Comment / Goa, People, State summary /

Goa is a travel destination for many youngsters, bachelors, and couples. What Goa has to offer to most people is beaches, parties, drugs, girls, new friends, and cheap-cheaaappp booze! Although this is Goa’s skeleton framework, Goa has a living soul of its own that people fail to see in their travel. If you can go there with an open mind and be accepting of it, perhaps you can see the life of Goa. Not just it’s bones but it’s blood and sweat. Struggling artists, hard-working entrepreneurs, social welfare workers, innovative minds, visionaries, and more live in Goa.

On my all-India cycle tour, I had the wonderful opportunity of living for 12 days straight in Goa. During this period I had no time to go to parties as I would end up tired by the end of the day meeting people and listening to the stories I have never heard of before. Every single day was eventful. No amount of time spent in this spiritually intact place would justify any amount of learning. There is no limit to a soulful experience.

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Freelance painter in Goa

How is the life of a freelance painter in Goa?

1 Comment / Goa, People /

Goa has a culture of wall art all around the place. Even the remote areas of Goa have walls spray painted by both rookies and unexplainably great artists. The whole thing adds to the aesthetics and the great vibe of the entire place. None of these paintings are paid for. Artists do this as a freelancing job many times to hitch a stay and get free food in hostels. Many learn the art of wall painting by coming to Goa and sharpening their skills.

In my journey across Goa, I had already come to realize the hostel culture. Many volunteers at hostels manage people and space to hitch a stay and get some food. Speaking with one of the cafe owners – Mukesh Meena (Read this article), I figured that the volunteering services do not take people anywhere. Some of these bag packers come over work in hostels and stay over for months not learning anything and wasting their time unnecessarily. Mukesh said there is no art in these people’s life. Volunteering is a job for travellers to rest and rejuvenate in the journey but not for those who want to go to beaches and strike up a conversation with the girls.

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Individual who has travelled the world

The life and mindset of an individual who has traveled the world

2 Comments / Goa, People /

For most people who have a 9 to 5 job travelling abroad is a luxury. Most people either travel on work or take a vacation once in a while. To check off visiting most nations in the world is not everyone’s cup of tea. At the same time, it requires funds, knowledge, and a systematic approach to travel anywhere more than 20 countries in the world.

On my all-India cycle tour, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Sidd (asked not to disclose the full name) who has travelled to 169 countries and continues to travel to date. Based off from West Bengal, Sidd has settled down in Goa where he has a rented house that he uses to host people travelling from all around the world on Couchsurfing.

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Award winning short-film director

The journey and life of a short-film director who aims for academy awards?

3 Comments / Goa, People /

It is unimaginable for most and a dream for a few to win the academy awards. The highest level of award for filmmaking in the world. One of the categories for winning the same is the Academy Award for best short film.

While most of us watch movies and appreciate the efforts put in by the artists in bringing out magic on the screen, we rarely look at the history and the personal struggles they face during the journey. What takes place behind the curtains leads to what we get to see on the screen. If one is into filmmaking, the aspects that go into it behind the screen would interest them more. Nobody wins an academy award their very first go. The journey of their life puts them in a situation to be able to pick one.

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Digital production house and LED screen rental business

How is the life of a LED video screen rental and digital production house owner in India?

1 Comment / Goa, People /

All of us have been to music performances, launch events, and other staged gatherings where we would have noticed huge LED screens at the rear that display visuals and graphics. The aesthetics of the entire event would go down if these huge screens silently running the background visuals are pulled off. LED screens are the thing of the present and the future. Realization of the Importance of visual appeal has led to fancy sign boards on busy streets of most crowded cities.

Most multi-billion dollar companies have invested heavily in extended reality (XR) development. The extended reality market is growing at the rate of CAGR of close to 35% for the next 5 years. You might have seen the latest ads of Nike and other brands that show graphics that look so real that the elements on the screen seem as though they pop out from it. LED screens have even replaced green screens. Movies are shot with curved screens at the rear making the background look indistinguishable from reality.

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Domestic helper in Goa

How is the life of a domestic helper in Goa?

1 Comment / Goa, People /

Domestic helpers earn little money in India. Few people choose to work as a domestic worker and most times they turn out to be non-locals. Many from the North come over to the South to take up such jobs. In many cases, even when there isn’t a monetary requirement to.

On my all-India cycle tour, I visited a temple in Goa where I got to meet a person from Haryana, Mr Mukesh Sharma. As it turned out, he was one of the sweetest people I met on my tour in Goa. He offered me food and was even willing to host me inside his house. Speaking with him, I got to learn how the life of a domestic worker is in Goa. I wanted to know why he was there in Goa and what his life was like. After interacting with him, I got insights on fronts I hadn’t imagined.

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Westerner NGO in India

How is the life of a Westerner who runs an NGO in India?

1 Comment / Goa, People /

Working for an NGO is no easy job and running one simply requires one to dedicate their entire life to a welfare mission. Selflessness is the number one criterion to be able to work for the good of others and not everyone can achieve the same. If running an NGO in itself is an outrageously difficult job, running it in a foreign nation is unfathomable.

On my all-India cycle tour, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Mr Robert Lyon a UK-based individual settled in Goa, India, for the past few decades. The first time I got to know that a foreigner was running an NGO for the education of kids from slum areas across Goa, I wanted to know what went on in his mind to initiate such a task. Any reason I could come up in my mind mystified me.

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