Hajar Zaiz Dr
Hajar Zaiz
Dr.Achibat
English Composition (ENG 1301/09)
27 September 2018
Assignment: Reflective essay
Flying to misery
Realizing how much I took things for granted was the last expectation I had of the outcome of my trip. It was an unforeseen eye-opener owing to the harmless nature of the journey I embarked into. Without doubt, waking up to acknowledge my ability to fly was frighteningly exciting. However, it is the way I decided to harness this double-edged sword that made this spine-chilling adventure worth the risk. At first, my intentions were purely for educational purposes concerning my passion, which in this case happens to be my unconditional interest in culinary art. With a limited budget, the possibility of travelling to learn about different cuisines was out of the picture, until destiny has decided that the sky was not the limit anymore. During this journey, I flied to learn about cuisines and encountered the good and the bad, venturing into the world of self-discovery.
It all started on a Saturday night, when I was trying to reach the top cupboard to satisfy my midnight cravings but that simple action felt unusually different. Interestingly enough, I looked down only to come to the realization that I was floating in air. I only registered that I let a high-pitched scream when my mother hurriedly appeared out of nowhere. It was when my fearful eyes darted to look at her equally terrified expression that I realized it was not the outcome of my imagination nor was it a dream. After multiple attempts to calm myself down, hours of deep thinking and a long discussion with my mother, I loosened the grip on the sink while looking back at my reflection. “Maybe this was not all that bad” is the first thought that crossed my mind. In fact, this eventful night was possibly a blessing in disguise.
Shortly following that night, I took it upon myself to make the best out of this opportunity by setting a plan. It consisted of several destinations that were required to expand my limited knowledge about cuisines. Flying felt marvelously unreal, with the fresh wind brushing against my skin and bringing a surge of joy. I was positive that the grin on my face was enough to show how eager I was to finally go to India and dive into a taste bud heaven. Little did I know, those sensations were about to turn into pure sadness and anger.
I was standing in the middle of a rural Indian village; the place reeked of death and smoke, which is enough as a first indication that this was not going to be a typical touristic experience. At first glance, one would not believe that such exquisite food was from a country with such miserable circumstances, people were racing each other to get rotten food. With cold dead eyes, these habitants were ready to slit a throat for a piece of meat. Curiosity got the best out of me and I found my legs leading me towards the first house in sight. Dragging the curtains away, I came face to face with a middle-aged man. Without the wetness trailing down his cheeks, I could have mistaken him for a soulless statue. Luckily, the guy was fluent in English and fully able to share his story with me.
Several hours of talking did not only end up with tiredness hovering all over me but also with me fuming about how cruel life can be. I found out that some parts in India were the core of hunger. Kids are struggling with malnutrition to the point where some parents chose to end their lives instead of having to see them suffer and going through agony; this was the case with the guy’s brother. Moreover, these people were deprived of trivial rights; they were left to die through neglect just as will a flower. However, some of these flowers didn’t even get to flourish due to hunger while some of us were sleeping on silk sheets.
Food waste, something I did not need to fly to witness. It occurs daily in front of me but what I failed to be informed about is what should not be neglected. It irked me to think at that particular moment about the nonsense politicians dwell on relentlessly but fail to translate into a reality. Blinded by riches, we have a tendency to be self-absorbed, but this journey teaches me that it is not about the materialistic comfort. I realized that this atrocious world could use a little extra dose of selflessness. At the end, I lost my ability to fly, but sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together. This experience is a reminder that everyone is blood and flesh; each individual is worthy of unconditional love and care despite their background, which is why I decided to raise awareness about world hunger and voice my opinion.
