Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It was a three-year wait before Cedric Taylor could leave England to come down to the Iyengar Institute in Pune. 8220;I have been practising yoga for five years now and our institute in London has close connections with the one here. Yoga is a cure for mind, body and spirit,8221; Cedric lets us know as he tells us that he left a publishing job to come to learn yoga and also travel.
8220;Pune is a crazy place. It is very polluted and the smoke from the two-wheelers seems to cloud your senses. The streets are busy too,8221; says Cedric shrugging. He is amazed that the people here have time to relax and 8220;look at the world go by.8221; 8220;I have been to the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum and Sinhagad, which was lovely, but I hadn8217;t thought that Pune would have so many places to visit,8221; adds Cedric candidly.
8220;I like Indian food a lot. I have tried everything and even went to a cooking class here. I learnt to make palak paneer and chappatis, which are really tasty. I like batata wada and lassi a lot,8221; he continues. Cedric maintains that Indian food is quite popular and universal now. 8220;I heard that there are more Indian restaurants in London than in Chennai!8221; he exclaims. And like many foreigners, he is quite comfortable with the spicy food and has refrained from eating meat here.
8220;I was a little scared when I first came here. But once you are here, all your fears vanish. I find the people friendly and have had no problems,8221; he admits. Cedric seems savvy enough not to have been taken for a ride by the auto-rickshaw drivers here. 8220;I pay by the meter but if it is a little extra here and there, I don8217;t begrudge them because of obvious currency differences,8221; he continues. Cedric has not had too much opportunity to see the city or experience its culture. 8220;I saw some Indian musicals on a flight earlier, I also liked Hyderabad Blues a lot,8221; he adds enthusiastically. He now plans to tour the South and the West coast. 8220;India is such a big country and there is lots to see. I will have to come again to see it all8221;.
