Our member, Ms Indrani Goswami, describes to Mousumi Gupta her heart-touching experiences of dealing with India-related queries from some incredible people she met during her travels to various countries.
“If anyone asks me which country I would like to revisit, I would surely say Greece,” said Ms Goswami. Asked why, she replied: “Because of its ancient historic sites and scenic places and specially the warm-hearted people.”
Elucidating the itinerary, she said: “We were on a tour of three islands-Poros, Aegina and Hydra. All the islands have their own charm and beauty, but I remember one incident during this tour.”
“We were walking along a road full of fascinating souvenir stores when I noticed a young man in his twenties persistently looking at me. I thought as I was wearing a silk saree, bindi and gold bangles, he was interested in the uncommon attire. When I walked up to that boy, he adorably said: ‘I have always wanted to marry an Indian princess and now after meeting you, I am convinced that I will definitely do that one day.’”
“I was pleasantly shocked, but immediately asked him, “Okay, but why do you think that an Indian princess will agree to marry you?” He wasn’t prepared for this but after thinking a bit, he replied, “Look, my country is so beautiful!” I told him: “Have you ever been to India, which is also a very beautiful country?”
And I added: “If you really want to marry an Indian princess, you should take a month’s holiday so that you could visit some parts of our country and see how beautiful it is! And that was his time to get amazed!”
Another incident I can recollect is during my tour to Austria, one of my husband’s Austrian colleagues took me to a huge strawberry farm. An expressionless lady was sitting in a kiosk at the entrance, who handed over a basket and said: “You can have as much as you can, but if you pick strawberries in the basket, you have to pay.”
“When I was engrossed in hunting through the patches to find the perfect strawberries and relishing the juicy fruit, few people around me were speaking with my Austrian friend and asking why she didn’t inform them that an Indian was going to visit this garden, else they would have informed the press and have some photographs clicked! I was so embarrassed but that was the love and inquisitiveness about our country which made me feel really proud,” said Ms Goswami.

Our member, Ms Shyamali Basu, visited the Niagara Falls during one of her visits to her son’s place in the US. She described the vastness and breathtaking views of this gigantic falls in her words to Mousumi Gupta.
“My son took us to several places in the US, most of which I liked. But the one I remember the most is the Niagara Falls. Its majesty is something that’s difficult to describe in words,” reminisced Ms Basu.
“This immense waterfall overlaps the border between Canada and the US, and we saw it from both sides. The mighty falls plunge over a cliff creating a mist around the entire area, which sometimes create a rainbow and that is a worth-watching and unforgettable scene.”
Recalling her unforgettable experience, she said: “We saw the falls from the top as well as the bottom. I was amazed to see the huge volume of water rushing from the falls crushed into the narrow gorge, creating the Whirlpool Rapids.”
“The thundering roar of millions of gallons of water falling right in front of our eyes creating a powerful spray of water was simply unbelievable. The only way to experience one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders is to experience the boat ride at the bottom of the falls,” said Ms Basu.
“We were given water-proof jackets so that we did not get wet. Everyone in the boat was shouting at the top of their voices when the boat approached the falls. The vastness of the Niagara and the mist-covered memories will remain with me for lifetime,” said the member.