Off The Beaten Path

A Marathon At Athens

It was a hot day in Athens, when we went up to the Acropolis. It was bloody, steaming hot. I felt as if I would become a puddle of sweat in the few minutes that I got out of that wonderful air-conditioned van.

Climbing up to the top of the hill was not something that I was looking forward to, and it it was not for the camera in my hand, I am sure I would never have made it up there.

Yet at the bottom, there were these citizens of Athens doing a half marathon, for some cause that I do not remember. However, for me it was a photo opportunity, especially since I had never photographed running people before. I can't say that I did the best job of photography that day. On the other hand, it was not too bad.

Old people, young people, very young people, fit people, unfit people. All running in streams of sweat. I had to stand there and admire them for their spirit. For me, a marathon is a run from the bed to the bathroom in the morning, and I do manage to complete my marathon in a sprint.

Run on, run on. At some point in the future, I should take up running.

Garbage On The Streets!!

Athens is really a fantastic city in many ways. It's very relaxed, has a fantastic harbour/bay and, the people in Athens really know how to enjoy themselves.

Dinner starts late, and continues till the early hours of the morning. On a Saturday night, you feel like saying, "Let the revels begin!!" In a way, very Indian. In a way, not.

The similarity lies in that the people from both cultures are expressive, warm, love music and a good time. But, at the same time, we are very different from the Greeks.  Who we are today is a function of our history. Ours is, of course, quite different from that of the Greeks. I think that the similarity comes from the single drop of Greek blood many of us from North India, a legacy from Alexander's conquest of parts of India many centuries ago.

I won't go into a big analysis of how we are different from the Greeks. However, there is one similarity, apart from the occasional fellow who pees on the walls, and that is the garbage that you sometimes find on the streets. The picture above is an extreme example, and was a result of a three day strike by the municipal authorities in Athens.

In India we have taken garbage dumping to a fine art. As a result of this, our cities look like over sized garbage dumps. It is a pity, because the physical shit that you encounter in India scares a lot of people away, and deprives them of seeing the glory of the country.

One day, hopefully, we'll realise that cities that look nice improve the general mood of people, and raise the level of pride we have in our cities. Glory be.