The article that I am about to share is inspired by the blog I wrote in the past about my second job. To overcome my initial setback, i.e. of happy panda backpacker hostel in Goa.
Date: 8th August 2016
‘After facing an intense panic attack, I had to put a great deal of power to come out of the blanket. Things have gone awry and my brain has these erratic thoughts. I really wish to calm this storm that has been tormenting my mind and I really hope that writing this blog helps me relax.’
It all started when I returned to my hometown, Jaipur after the dramatic end of my Job one. With a headstrong feeling that I needed to be the king of my own kingdom before anything else, I decided that I would like to stay in Jaipur for some time and learn about things that are happening presently. After all it’s been four years since I last lived here.’
‘Coincidently, Amit sir, the person who made Goa possible, came over to visit Jaipur on the same day I arrived from Goa. With some reluctance to go and meet him with the fear of how will he feel after finding out about my Goa experience, I finally gathered the courage and went to meet him. We ended up spending a whole evening together. On his suggestion (which I feel was brilliant), I decided to conduct a food walk in Jaipur.’
‘In a city with a rich culture, everyone wants to serve up with their own versions of home made food. Then there are street food shops that have been serving the taste buds of people in the city for generations now with their own versions of streetfood as well. Today, as urbanisation has been deepening its roots, the new generation is forgetting about these places. Also someone who is visiting a city from outside as a tourist will not be able to find or know about these shops and most probably end up eating at some fancy restaurant with the corrupted version of what a true dish tastes like and a twisted version of how the origin of that food item. As part of this Job, I was supposed to take people on street food walks in Pink City area of Jaipur serving the best street food since generations. Being born and brought up in Jaipur with a big appetite for food, I am quite knowledgeable in this area.
These walks will help in a lot of things. Firstly, the street food vendors who work really hard and make really amazing food will get the publicity they so rightly deserve, people who are looking for such shops will get aware about them. Of course these walks would finance my future crazy travel plans. I really desire to stop taking money from my family now. They have already invested enough in me through education.
Starting everything with a full flow, I decided on the name of these walks as ‘Hungrywalks’ (resonating with Hungryhitchhiker), I purchased the domain name for the same and started doing my research on the street food of Jaipur for a good two weeks(I almost felt like a scientist doing the research). I was careful to make sure the places which I chose had proper hygiene as well. I also tried to cover as much area of the Pink City as possible and to make sure if people are feeling tired then they could be commuted through vehicles. I even had a trial run on myself along with my friend Nilaksh who was there with me during the exploration to check the distance we were covering and the total time that we were taking.’
‘With great expectations, I announced the first food walk conducted by HungryWalks and targeted it to be conducted on 7th August 2016 considering it was the occasion of Friendship Day. I launched the event on my facebook timeline(that is right, nowhere else!). The event was huge disaster since other than my family and a couple of friends, no one turned up(of course what was I expecting). Totally disheartened (I had given a lot to this event, or at least that’s what I thought) During the walk I tried to lift my morale and we began the walk. I was so distracted about the walk that I was not even explaining things that I knew about, nor was I clicking any photos/videos for my memory.
Walk was good in terms of food as I know I had selected the right shops. Anyone who would visit these shops was surely going to enjoy them(But the problem was me since I lost the motivation to make it a successful event and was eagerly waiting for it to get over.). To stand defeated in front of strangers is difficult, to stand defeated in front of friends and family gives the kind of pain that each each cell inside the body would scream from it, hoping to die right there to end the misery that was being created .
I guess I have lived my share in a fantasy world where everything goes as you desire even without you trying like the best you can. I really don’t know the reason but each mistake and each defeat gave me the feeling that I am moving closer to my dreams. Feeling much better after writing this blog, I feel it’s time to move on from another failure and be happy for a totally new experience I had.
P.S. – It is not the end of Job 2, I feel it will always remain a work in progress.
Latest update in the present :
Yes indeed, it was not the end but rather a start. Today, after almost two years, HungryWalks is taking shape as a separate entity in itself. Though still not self-sustained, it is my only source of income. Check out this video clicked by a celebrity Youtuber while he came on a foodwalk with us(yes we get people like him now). We have even conducted food walk for Michelin star chefs and member of parliament of Germany
P.s.: A glimpse in the present day foodwalk:
