Going that extra mile

How many of us as children dreamt about who we wanted to be when we grew up? Some of us wanted to be doctors, singers, teachers while others could never really nail it down. For some, it took many trials and errors before “the dream” job finally took shape in their minds.

Circumstances also play a role in deciding whether we at all can accomplish these dream jobs; for one thing our external environment may not always match our inner wishes.  And different individuals whatever their background and wherever they may be can experience this conflict.

Lack of financial or family support may also frustrate one’s cherished dreams. Occasionally, the sheer fear of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and leaping into the dark may be the stumbling block.

Above all, we can only try! A wise man once told me, “if you don’t try, you will never know” and I have always kept that in mind. And when you do decide to do something, you do it whole-heartedly, with no reservations. If something needs to be done, you do it either 100% or not at all otherwise it’s not going to be worth it in the end.

Now this is all easier said than done, as many would certainly agree. But that’s just the hard lesson that we all experience at some point in our lives. We end up doing jobs just to make ends meet or managing to move just one step closer to that dream job.

However, in course of our journeys in search of our daily bread or while chasing our dream job, we may learn some valuable lessons. Those for instance who work in the service sector, especially where generous clients can tip them, learn very quickly that by going that extra mile, by for instance being over courteous or jolly or particularly helpful they can earn more than what they had earlier that day.

One particular incident comes to mind. I was working at a hotel in USA, as a front office assistant. Almost towards the end of my evening shift, a lady came down from her room asking if she could have a cup of tea. The restaurant and room service had already closed for the evening, but I offered to make her the cup of tea and bring it to her room; I had gone out of my way to oblige her.

It happened I wasn’t particularly busy and was only waiting for my shift to end. Making a cup of tea wouldn’t have killed me. I set up everything nicely on a tray with an assortment of tea bags and biscuits and took it to her room. She smiled and thanked me for my service and I wished her a good evening.

Moments before my shift ended, the lady came down again to thank me; this time her hand gesture indicated she had something for me. I held my hand out, took the note she gave me and put it directly into my pocket. I thanked her while insisting I was only just doing my job.

I didn’t look at the note until I was about to leave. It turned out to be a $100 bill! I couldn’t believe my eyes! What a reward for one cup of tea, the equivalent today of approximately 160,000 Tanzanian shillings. What a glorious cup of tea!

The lady’s generosity was phenomenal! It made me realize that even if our dream jobs elude us, we need not be miserable doing our current job. We may at times need to carry on with the less satisfactory jobs in order to be pushed later towards our dreams or at least with luck succeed in winning a $100 bill for a cup of tea!

One of the ways of reaching there could perhaps be by going that extra mile!

www.grassroots-traveller.com

Ticking off the bucket list

As I’m writing this, I am still buzzing from excitement! I finally got to participate in something I have always wanted to do, something I admired as a child and well into my teens. I was part of a Fun Run of 5K that took place in Zanzibar on 2^nd Dec 2012, part of a bigger event of a Half Marathon. The air was filled with excitement, there were men and women, young and old at the stadium full of anticipation. Its was a colourful and warm morning and the sun was just rising. It was certainly a sight I would never forget!

Some contestants had been spotted in Stone Town days before the event, warming up for the big day.  I also saw a few runners, from Kenya I believe, who certainly turned a few heads. It’s quite normal to see people exercising in the mornings outdoors but never really never with such athletic prowess.

To watch a human being run with the speed of a four-legged beast is weird and wonderful. It brings back so many childhood memories of fables and fairytales.

Athletes, particularly runners, have somehow always fascinated me. I don’t know what it is but from a young age, I could spend countless hours watching Olympics repeats on TV, being hooked on what goes on the running track and not forgetting the long jumps. There is something so lively and mind blowing watching people stretching their physical capacities to the limit, each hell bent on outrunning the other.

Unconsciously I tend to draw a parallel between athletes and wild animals on a hunt. Besides being cautious and having the winner attitude, both would run like their lives depended on it. When you watch athletes run, you cant’ help noticing the tension and concentration gripping their bodies and wondering what goes on inside their heads. Are they praying to win or are they already brimming with confidence of victory? I can’t imagine what goes on in their heads.

When our run started at the Amani Stadium just after the Half Marathon contestants took off, it was our turn to start the 5K Fun Run. We too were asked to get ready at the starting line and had to wait for the gun to be fired off.

Boy did that bring chills down my spine! I suddenly had a flashback of the legions of Olympics Games and other competition I had watched as a child and knew that this was it – I must finish! Yes, 5K are not much and can easily be accomplished but it’s the thought of being part of something spectacular and the whole atmosphere of the event that nail the chills on the spine.

With soaring temperatures and a heat wave over the tarmac roads, there was much at stake but I had made up my mindI was not going to give up. After all I was well prepared, I had made sure a few days before the run that my body was properly hydrated and full of reserve energy. Towards the finishing line, however, I started doubting how much energy I actually had left but I knew that I needed to instill that winning attitude back into myself.

I pictured the athletes running, sensing what their bodies must be going through, watching every muscle stretch, every breath inhaled and exhaled – just to ensure that they cross that finishing line.

I could almost see those firing eyes and their sweat drecnhsed faces, which was exactly what was happening to me. With that in mind, I knew if anything, I needed to think about ticking this off my bucket list.

And I did! Unfortunately I did not win but I didn’t loose either – I have now been motivated to step up my training and perhaps aim for a Half Marathon next year. The added bonus is that my bucket list has one less item on it.

And who knows, perhaps I might just do the Half Marathon!

 www.grassroots-traveller.com

Travel like...a rock star?

If there were one thing that most of us would agree upon, it would be that we want to be different. Some might call it unique but we live in a world where we just do not want to blend in with the mass. It is all about individualism.

From the haircut we sport – be it dreadlocks, crew cut or flat top, to the fancy cars we drive, there is a nagging urge to stand out in the crowd and make a clear statement of who we are. Yet, somehow the consumer world still manages to turn us into stereotypes convincing us to buy the same products while pretending that they are geared specifically to our individual tastes.

The travel industry is no different when it comes to personalized service. This is a broad terminology that stretches from exclusive vacationing on private islands to having specially designed towels in your suite. Really, the list is endless, though what is clear is that the more personalized you want your holiday to be, the more it would cost you.

On the other hand, we have travellers who are in search of a different type of uniqueness, something that money can’t buy. They are in search of authentic travel experiences.

It goes without saying that if you want a gem then you need to go to the source. The source in this case would be the locals of where you intend to travel.

Travel media can at times hoodwink the unwary, promising everything between heaven and earth. We want to believe the picturesque advertisements that we are bombarded with day in and day out. Be it cuisine, scenery, accommodation and what have you. It all just looks perfect. Though it does not always measure up to that urge to get to know a place on a deeper level. There is always a missing link!

The missing link to me is your host, not someone you pay to show you around but perhaps an unexpected friend. It’s unlikely to know anyone everywhere we go. But at times it takes a little less effort than we think to strike friendship with someone local.

It may be your waiter or taxi driver. You would be surprised how friendly people can be in many parts of the world even towards visitors. I must admit, some of my greatest and inspirational travel experiences have been those where I had a friend or befriended someone to show me the “real deal”.

It’s difficult for me to look back on my travel experiences without seeing the faces that have inspired me to think outside of the box and have really enriched my life. In each place I visit, the best souvenir for me is a new friendship and a brand new perspective. I am not the type that takes photos of every statue or building I ran into or every incident during my travels. This doesn’t mean that I do not enjoy sightseeing or appreciate beautiful scenery but my preference is connecting with the people.

If I were to choose between travelling like a rock star with its glitz and glamour and travelling in humdrum style like a local, I would put my money on the latter and not just because of the local cuisine or some folk dance but for going that step further.

Perhaps, I would sit down and talk to a grandmother who has seen the world and her surroundings change. She probably has stories to tell beyond what an average guidebook has to say. Personally, the stories I rave about over and over again and get all the laughs and wows from all, involve the great friendships I’ve made and experiences I’ve shared that money could never buy.

www.grassroots-traveller.com

The flip side of travelling

When I think of travelling it always brings about positive and fond memories.  The flashbacks usually put a smile on my face and it literally warms my heart especially when the travel bug - the urge to go somewhere, anywhere exotic, bites me! It’s a feeling that I have had for as long as I can remember, which normally leads to day dreaming about all these foreign lands and its people. There is just something beautiful and humane about travelling that really can’t be described unless experienced.

The whole process of deciding on where and when to go is absolutely thrilling! I could spend hours online looking for the cheapest airfare, finding out where to stay or whom to stay with, which I learned over the years is a way of reducing costs. It also helps when one has family members and friends scattered around the world who wouldn’t mind letting you borrow their bed for a little while or showing you around.

Fun, anticipation and day dreaming aside, there is flip side to travelling. You can forget this and that in your excitement and not realize till too late: the hair conditioner you can’t do without, the vaccination card you must show on arrival, some important address, all sorts of bits and bobs that mean a lot.

Assuming you somehow jump over the hurdles and manage to leave the airport in one piece. There may still be unexpected eye opener shocks to confront. Travel is not always a bed of roses. It can be a mixed blessing.

When we are in our own comfort zones at home, going about our daily routines, we rarely think of how the rest of the fares, how different it could be from our own.

It suddenly hits us when we travel or decide to move to a foreign country that things, even the simplest ones aren’t always the same. Power plugs and sockets are a case in point. Forget to travel with your adapter and you are going to face having to change all electrical appliances to the new power plugs: again the pins may not fit or the voltage may be different. It could be a nightmare!

There are some things we are able to adapt to with the help of some gadgets but others can get under our skin. This usually has to do with a mind set, which is not always easy to change if at all. You certainly learn to either adjust or get winded up when nothing goes the way you are “used to” it.  Any well travelled person would probably agree that having a “going with the flow” attitude is one of the best survival skills in these situations.

In some parts of the world being time conscious is a quality that everybody must have, at least to some degree. In other parts though, time is something that is not counted by the minute and is usually taken for granted. In these places there is simply no rush to get anywhere.  If something does not get done today then it will get done tomorrow.

This can sound somewhat bizarre to some but for others this is just the way of life. The most unusual and frustrating experiences can at times have profound meaning to life experiences where one is forced to evaluate and see things from another perspective. It really goes to show that every thing has its flip side.

www.grassroots-traveller.com