French Traveller Shares 11 Things Europeans Can Learn From Indians, Viral Video Sparks Buzz Online | WATCH
Synopsis
After returning to Europe, a young traveler named Roxane shared a list of eleven everyday things she misses about India. Her reflections highlight the stark cultural contrasts, praising India's vibrant colors, strong sense of community, and deeply ingrained spirituality.
A young European traveller's time in India left her thinking about the little things she had started taking for granted. After coming back to Europe, Roxane listed the commonplace things she missed, such as India's vivid hues and strong feeling of community, as well as impromptu grins and lengthy chai talks.
For her, the difference had nothing to do with determining whose culture is superior. Rather, it was about realising how different life can seem on a daily basis. These are the eleven lessons she believes Europeans may take away from Indians.
The frequency with which people smiled at her for no apparent reason was among the first things Roxane observed. The fact that the grins never felt forced was what stuck with her. She also missed the easy routine of spending time outside and observing the world around her. The usual routine she recalled included neighbours chatting over a cup of chai, uncles lounging on plastic chairs, and folks just hanging around.
In India, spirituality seemed to be ingrained in daily life, according to Roxane. According to her, it had nothing to do with being "spiritual" or adhering to strict religion.
She noted that practicing, reciting, or simply being present without feeling condemned might all be considered forms of bhakti.She obviously cherished India's connection to food. She observed that people frequently enquire, "Have you eaten?" rather than just “How are you?” Roxane claims that because she enjoys eating, this behaviour especially resonated with her.
Among the items she emphasised were rice, dal, curd, paneer, dosa, veggies, and coconut. The variety of tastes and combinations was noteworthy.
She further claims that while in India, she had the best digestion of her life. She was also deeply impacted by the feeling of unity. She found India's community-focused way of life to be distinct from Europe, where independence and doing things on your own may be firmly engrained.
Friends, neighbours, family, and even individuals she hardly knew frequently just appeared to be there.
Roxane also found herself appreciating something that can easily disappear in a busy life: sitting around, talking and doing nothing in particular. "I think we've forgotten how to do that," she wrote. Then there were the colours. Bright clothes, jewellery, flowers, saris and bangles were among the things she says she missed after returning to Europe. Her observation was simple: Europe, she feels, is slowly becoming more beige, grey and black.
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Lastly, she held a very strong belief: "water > toilet paper." In the end, her list is more about identifying the little routines that subtly enter your life when you spend enough time somewhere than it is about drawing comparisons between Europe and India.
As Roxane put it, she noticed how many of these small details had become a part of her daily life in India when she returned to Europe.