I walked down to get breakfast and Subendra came over with "Sir, same breakfast — chai, omlette and fruit?" I suppose I have been here for a few days now. He has kept me abreast with the Cricket World Cup matches and his enthusiasm for the sport was very refreshing for me and something to connect with him over. Today, he came over with a glass of yogurt and a glass of juice and said "...I have noticed you've never tried this during your stay, you must, as my gift". How could I turn down such kindness. Treat people with dignity and kindness and you will get 10x back. I offered to write a personal review for him, which he assured me is read by his GM, Hotel Owner and other key managers of this property. I hope they see how good an employee they have on their team. I did the same for the security guard Sonam Thapar who stands outside ensuring safety for all.
Breakie done, I decided to wander aimlessly to explore the alleys, markets, squares. My Hindi has come in very handy for me personally. I believe it also helped my fellow team-mates as I was able to help translate and communicate with the Sherpas. The Sherpas speak good/decent English, don't get me wrong, but sometimes Hindi came in handy to simplify Q&A for the trekkers and Sherpas alike.
On the streets, some hustlers would ask me "How are you Sir. Nice shoes, how can I help you find something?" My instant reply in Hindi would take them aback. In the instance with the above, I replied to the guy and said (in Hindi): "...do you find my dirty black ripped shoes nice. How about we switch shoes. I could use your clean white shoes." The guy just smiled and turned around the opposite direction. I LOVED IT.
I did about 8 miles around town, picked some knick-knacks. It's time to pack my bags. My pick up is at 10pm for an early am flight. Finishing off this blog series. Hope this has been as much fun for you as it has been for me.
THANK YOU to each of you for being part of this journey with me. See you stateside and in-person soon. I can't wait to get home. Let's go !!!!!
