22nd to 30th of March, 2023.
And again… I found myself another family to call my own. Jibby, Anooja and Nova. Since the first moment I enter their house, I feel at home. Anoo is a wonderful woman and I feel so connected to her, as we knew each other for years already. And the same for Jibby. He is like… an old friend, who I have always had. And then there’s Nova. I have never had friends with children, but I know, I just know that this love I feel for her, is just the type of love you have for the children of your best friends, as they were your own children. I feel so grateful and honoured for being here. It is just amazing!
Jibby was a teacher but now he works as a personal trainer. Not only dealing with the physical training, Jibby is an expert in healthy diets. I learn a lot with him about healthy eating and exercising. He has run many marathons too and wrote a book about overcoming obstacles, based in his own life experience. Basically, he’s a living hero.
Anoo is a lawyer, who has stopped her studies to get her license when Nova was born. Now, she’s “back on business” and studying hard for it, so she can finally be able to find a job as a lawyer. She is the sweetest soul ever! The way she talks, the way she moves, everything about her is pure kindness.
And then there’s Nova. Super Nova? Yes! She’s definitely a Super! With capital letter! Nova is the sweetest and smartest little girl you will ever meet! Honestly, sometimes I think she’s simply a small version of an adult. Perhaps if she wasn’t so adorable, as only children can be, I would be more doubtful. She’s a bit shy at first, but when she finally feels more comfortable with me, we are chatting all day long. Sometimes her smartness even scares me! Just five years old and so bright! I can’t wait to see what a genius, changing world level grown up she will become.
My main goal of coming to Kerala state is to try to catch a lift in a cargo ship to the Maldives. Lei and her brilliant ideas… It is possible, you just need a better plan that I had. Of course, I am excited to discover more about this so much famous state in South India too. And by all means, if this stupid idea of mine to catch a lift to the Maldives, was only a means to an end so I could meet my beloved D’Cruz family, so be it!
I don’t really visit / get all the way to Kochi. Jibby and Anoo live in Varaphuza, a city about 1 hour driving from Kochi. Now, I don’t really need to go all the way to Kochi city, but only to where the shipping companies are, so that’ what I do. How? That’s interesting!
Travelling with my backpack, even if it is from one city to another, is different. It implies a sense of “definitive” movement, as in “I am living my current place, with all my stuff, and going all the way to…”. And I have always felt that it just makes sense to hitchhiking under those circumstances. But now, here in Kerala, I need to travel a long distance in a daily basis, for a specific purpose, and then come back in the end of the day. Like someone going to work and coming back in the evening. That does not really feel like a hitchhiking vibe for me, but I have to go there, and without my backpack, of course…So what to do? Well, let’s hitchhike then!
I get all the directions and easier routes to get where I need to go. It is not complicated, luckily. Meaning, I can easily get one or two long lifts, on busy and straight roads, and I will end up by the shipping companies. I will have to walk a bit, of course, but no issues. No need to say I have never done this before, so I am bit nervous. Jibby lends me a second helmet he has, saying that it will be much easier for motorcycles to stop, if they see I have a helmet.
It works just perfectly! Everybody is so amazing, king and lovely! And I never have to wait too long! In both ways, either when I am living from Varaphuza, or when I am coming back from Kochi area, people always pick me up quite fast, and everybody is always so nice. I don’t even have a sign this time (of course), I just make a gesture with my hand, and when they stop, I tell a specific point, well known by everyone, so they can tell me if they are going all the way there or not. Featuring a super nice guy who stopped because he was thinking – “What is this Northern Indian guy doing?” – as we would tell me later. Laugh. He was amazing and we had a great chat! And also, one day while coming back, I was crossing a huge bridge near Kochi, and this lady in a motorcycle simply stopped and ask me if I needed a lift. Amazing! She was super stylist, in a rock and roll kind of way, and she drove me all the way to Jibby’s home. Of course, she didn’t need to, but she said she was happy to. Also, one time two friends, Aswin and Hari, going for a happy hour at lunch time picked me up, and invited me to come along. We went to a very nice bar, they both had some special shots and I had a Heineken (so good!). It was so interesting to have a break in my routine of going everyday to Kochi and back. I didn’t even remembered what used to be a happy hour.
Well, so hitchhiking “short” distances between cities, without my backpack, and in a daily basis works perfectly in Kerala. I will take the lesson with me for future record.
Unfortunately, finding a lift in a cargo ship to the Maldives it didn’t. I think that, at certain point, I realize I should give up and just start my plan B. Did I have one? Ahhhh… kind of.
Back to Jibby’s house, did I say how much I love it here? There is something about their home that just makes me feel at home. It is so peaceful, quiet and full of love. I meet the parents of both Jibby and Anoo, as well for other family members and close friends, and everybody is so lovely!
Nova and Jibby’s mum perform a traditional dance of South India. It is a gorgeous dance to watch, and to listen to, and Nova teaches me a tiny bit, the “opening” for any performance. I also come along with Anoo to one of their classes, and I am astonished by how quickly can Nova learn the steps. She performs beautifully! Watch us here 👇👇👇
Coming all the way from Northern India to Kerala gives you a huge idea of how diverse the country is. Since my arrival in India, people kept telling me how one state can be completely different from another, in terms of basically everything. And if I could already notice that simply travelling through Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, states so close to each other, here in Kerala these differences are screaming at me! Let’s talk briefly about them.
- In South India, actually starting from GOA already, you can find way more Christians than any other believers. The number of churches, of course, it increases drastically, as the number of other temples and mosques decrease. But then, there’s a funny fact about Christianity in India. It has small traces of other Indian religions on it. Like the fresh flower garlands in the altars and wedding ceremonies; or the fact that people remove their shoes to enter church. I think that’s fascinating! In somehow it gives me the idea that, what it actually matters is how do you worship and respect your god; and not from which religion this or that comes;
- They drink way less chai down here and way more coffee. Perhaps there’s some kind of connection between coffee and Christianity. Look at Brazil, Colombia, Italy…
- The official language of Kerala, Malayalam, it has a beautiful alphabet, but it sounds and look completely different from Hindi or Sanskrit;
- In terms of food, Kerala had me on my knees regarding new and unexpected experiences. Featuring eating jackfruit for the first time! I believe it taste like a mix of banana and mango, slightly bad smelling, but tasty. Following is a small list (yes, I had to make a list) of the dishes I tried:
– Milk Peda (soft cookies made out of milk and sugar – heaven!)
– Puttu (wheat /rice flakes steamed in a special pot + coconut and banana, or whatever you want, really – one of my favourites!)
– Dosa (rice pancake eating with many different fillings – incredible!)
– Pazhampuri (fried banana covered in chana)
– Parippu vada (fried dhal, like pasties – perfect snack!)- Payasam (sweet porridge – any kind of porridge is love!)
– Chukku Kappi (herbs coffee)
– Pappadam (thing fried dough – I could eat with everything)
I don’t know how exactly, but we get into talking about me loving decoration and the fact that I have done some art work before. So, we all agree that I can draw and paint some unicorn on Nova’s bedroom wall, which would be not only a bit or art decoration but also something for her to remember me.
I haven’t done any mural before, only wood, but I am so excited! I put all my free time into it and I am so happy to do it! I think the result is OK, even though I always think I can improve something, you know? I might be just a tad perfectionist. In anyhow, I like a lot afterwards, and it seems like Nova also did, so yay!
Just before I leave, we have a small tour into the neighbour’s house. The reason? It is a very traditional style, old-fashion way, and Jibby knowing I love old houses, asked his neighbour if it was OK, and he said yes. He is actually a director, and even the day we come over, there was a shooting going on just before we arrived, and people were sorting things out. The house is astonishing! I think it is incredibly beautiful, with solid and thick wood as foundation but also decoration. There is a gorgeous courtyard from where you can also see the beauty of the outside walls from an inside perspective. Everywhere looks so beautiful! The rooms are also rich in personality and one corridor looks like coming out of a medieval movie. There is also a praying room, with many saint images and adorns. The house has a lot of outside space too, and it end in the river, which makes it even more magical.
On my last day, Jibby drives us to my hitchhiking spot: the road towards Andra Pradesh. It is sad to say goodbye to this family who I love so much, even though we only know each other for a week. After a lot of hugs and kisses, is time for them to go back and for me to start hitchhiking again.
10 Years Around the World 