Perceptions

And I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them....

During the trek around Annapurna, I got a chance to observe, meet and interact with lots of people. And I was simply amazed at the different perspectives that I got by just observing them. - all of them very different from the outside, but essentially the same at the core.

The impression from far:
- The supremely fit and aggressive Israelis, just having gotten out of the army, carrying their own back packs, not even using any porters, with a reputation amongst the Nepali community for being cut throat in their dealings/ negotiations, rushing past me as I huffed and puffed along.

- The ever-so-polite Englishman, who observes niceties at all times, and makes conversation to one and all.

- The tacit Germans who don't venture out anywhere without their two poles.

And one would naturally assume that it takes all kinds to make the world.


A closer look:
- Well, just as if to undo any impression of stereotypes, it so happened that I met a couple from Israel, who had surprisingly employed a porter. The doting husband, was doing everything that he could to make sure that his wife, who had a bad knee, was comfortable through the trip.
The husband would make frequent stops, look up the map to see the ascent/ descent along the trail, and provide painkillers regularly, all to ensure that his wife was comfortable. The last I saw of the couple, the husband was making frantic inquiries on he could board a flight out of Humde so that his wife wouldn't have to climb down-hill.

Gone was the impression of the aggressive and belligerent Israelis.... And instead the image that remains is of a sensitive and caring person.


- And then, for some strange reason, this couple from Germany and Switzerland sat next to me at the Thorung La high camp, and started to talk. Four flasks of black tea and three hours later, we had swapped backgrounds on our lives, and covered eclectic topics such as the places we had visied, outsourcing in Philipines, precision engineering, scaling Mont Blanc, being a CEO....

Who said that the Germans were taciturn? Gone was that impression.....