Random

Yesterday, while I was cooking dinner, this random Brazilian guy (he is about 25 yr old and lives in the same hostel) walked into the kitchen and started cooking his dinner. While cooking and later while eating and even after that, I had an almost two hour conversation with him. And, it is an extreme rarity for me to be talking for that long to anyone these days,.. especially with a non-Indian.. Here is a brief excerpt from our conversation... I was half confused half amused during this entire conversation...

(He is called BG, acronym for Brazilian guy, since I do not know his name...)

me: What do you do here?
BG: I study economy
 (yes, he said economy, not economics)
      Later, I plan to study physics and mathematics
me: So, are you doing your masters in economics?
BG: No, I just started my study here!
me: So, you are doing your bachelors?
BG: Yes, now you understand.
me: So, you plan to finish your bachelors in economics, and then move over to masters in math and physics??
BG: No. I will finish my bachelors in economics. Then I will finish my masters and then my doctoral studies in economics. After that I will study mathematics and then physics.
me (extremely confused): So you will then start again with the whole process in math and then in physics???
BG: Yes, now you understand.
me: But this will take quite long.
BG: Yes, but this is what I want to do. Even if it takes thirty years.
me: Do you have a planned profession after you finish your education?
me: So which university are you studying in?
BG: I am not enrolled in a university. Right now I am studying on my own and learning German. To get enrolled for bachelor studies in the university here, I need to know German.

--------
This set me wondering while i was continuing to talk to him, how much difference there is between how most of us think and how this guy thinks. Most of us just keep lamenting of the things we could not get, the things we will never get, and the things that we had in the past and do not have now. And here is a guy who is set to achieve something that he will perhaps never get and I still don't see him getting sad. He is chasing a dream that is beautiful to him and is satisfied with what he has and how things are going. Yes, you should have seen him dance and rejoice after he finished eating. It was absolutely delightful. He says, "I love eating. I dance and sing every day after eating. Thank you God. You are BIG. You gave me food."
Well, I also love eating. In fact eating and singing are two things because of which I get a few happy moments each day, no matter how difficult the day is. And this reminded me of how long it has been since I thanked God for the food we eat. It was all forgotten in primary school...

There were a lot of other things that this guy talked about but we leave that for some other time...

Have fun. Love life. May the independence day liberate you from your worst fears. Amen.