My Two Cents
During my last trip to India a few months back, I happened to visit Bombay. It was the day I was flying back to US and the sole purpose of being in 'Aamchi Mumbai' was to shop, shop & shop as if there'll be no 'clothes' tomorrow.
Have I ever mentioned that I love this city? I absolutely love it. I love its pace - always moving, never stopping, come what may. I love to see the people running everywhere and anywhere, always seeming to know the direction they need to take, always in a hurry to get to some place and the way they ignore each other as if no one else exists but them. Even New York doesn't seem to fascinate me as much as Bombay does but now I am digressing.
So coming back to my shopping saga - sis & I landed in B'bay late morning & headed straight to Colaba, from there to Dadar, VT & finally, Vashi. We shopped for 10 hrs straight (yes, only girls can do that), taking breaks in between to have some delectable snacks like vada paav, chaat, sundaes & a sumptuous dinner. After a heavy stomach and a much much lighter wallet later we reached Vashi railway station to catch a local to VT. We were running late for my flight, the train was due in two minutes, we grabbed our tickets and as we turned to rush to the platform, a kiddo, barely 10 yrs old, tugged at my sis's T-shirt begging for money. Before I had a chance to react, my sis asked, "Kya Khayoge?". Both, me and the kid looked at her with a quizzical expression when she took hold of his hand & almost dragged him to the nearest eatery and asked again, "Kya Khayoge?". A bit taken aback at what my sister meant, the kid found it hard to utter anything. My sis looked over the counter, ordered a few things, paid & gave the rest of the change to him. Then she looked at me, grabbed my hand & we broke into an instant run, hoping against hope that we will make it in time to catch the train & as I turned to have a last glimpse of the kid, I saw him cheerfully waving at us with one hand and holding his dinner with the other. And that's when I realized that was the BEST thing we did in the whole day.
I do agree with the saying, 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life' but when you don't know how to fish yourself, giving a fish is not such a bad idea. And that's my two cents.
Have I ever mentioned that I love this city? I absolutely love it. I love its pace - always moving, never stopping, come what may. I love to see the people running everywhere and anywhere, always seeming to know the direction they need to take, always in a hurry to get to some place and the way they ignore each other as if no one else exists but them. Even New York doesn't seem to fascinate me as much as Bombay does but now I am digressing.
So coming back to my shopping saga - sis & I landed in B'bay late morning & headed straight to Colaba, from there to Dadar, VT & finally, Vashi. We shopped for 10 hrs straight (yes, only girls can do that), taking breaks in between to have some delectable snacks like vada paav, chaat, sundaes & a sumptuous dinner. After a heavy stomach and a much much lighter wallet later we reached Vashi railway station to catch a local to VT. We were running late for my flight, the train was due in two minutes, we grabbed our tickets and as we turned to rush to the platform, a kiddo, barely 10 yrs old, tugged at my sis's T-shirt begging for money. Before I had a chance to react, my sis asked, "Kya Khayoge?". Both, me and the kid looked at her with a quizzical expression when she took hold of his hand & almost dragged him to the nearest eatery and asked again, "Kya Khayoge?". A bit taken aback at what my sister meant, the kid found it hard to utter anything. My sis looked over the counter, ordered a few things, paid & gave the rest of the change to him. Then she looked at me, grabbed my hand & we broke into an instant run, hoping against hope that we will make it in time to catch the train & as I turned to have a last glimpse of the kid, I saw him cheerfully waving at us with one hand and holding his dinner with the other. And that's when I realized that was the BEST thing we did in the whole day.
I do agree with the saying, 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life' but when you don't know how to fish yourself, giving a fish is not such a bad idea. And that's my two cents.
posted by Reena Mathews at 7:16 PM
2 Comments:
Who knows your Sister would be a next "Jackie Pullinger"
in india :))
Jackie is one of the bravest women alive today that I know!!!
She went Alone (ALONE!!!) to the place in Hongkong, faced the Mafia, and changed the lives of drug addicts, prostitutes, and other type of people who were disregarded by the soceity.
The change in the slum like area was so real that National Geography made documentary about it!!!
A Woman did this much!!! And that too when the Men did things to discourage her. She had no funds, no support nothing!!
Her testimonies are amazing!!!!
You can get them here.
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=117
And If you ever spend your money on books then get this one :))It willbe there in Libraries also :))
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830734007/103-8310012-6342221?v=glance
it is real life story with 0% exagerration but is more thrilling than the fictions you can have around !!
-- One who wishes some day you will too be like Jackie!! :))) A brave woman, helping the hurting, changing the world, giving to others even when you know you will receive nothing in return :)))
Thanks for sharing Jackie's story !
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