Running into neighbours in a distant land

When you are far from home, perspectives sometimes change quite a bit.While in India, getting along with our neighbours is sometimes tough. I mean our neighbouring countries, specifically people from our neighbouring countries. But when abroad, running into our neighbors is filled with less animosity and more of a unifying feeling. The unifying feeling possibly comes from shared skin colour in a "foreign" land or from a common history of colonisation and oppression. Whatever be the case, Indians and Pakistanis get along a lot better when put together in Europe or North America. I have had the chance to interact with people from both countries while traveling together. We have shared stories, jokes, and food. And the exchanges have been perfectly pleasant.

One case deserves particular mention. Once in Barcelona, I went out to get some fruits from a grocery place. Barcelona has a thriving population of Punjabis from the Pakistan side. It was not unexpected that I went into a grocery store run by a gentleman of such origin. He was quite elderly and it was close to their shutting time. It must have been a tiring day. I did not want to lengthen it for him and was ready to quickly pick up the first piece of cut watermelon available on counter. He prevented me. Instead, he went to the watermelon pile, chose one to his liking, and then walked to the counter. I was wondering if he would make me buy the whole melon. But no, he asked me how much I wanted, cut out the slice for me and I paid for the piece and was on my way. And that was one of the best pieces of watermelon I have ever had, including all the ones I have had had back home in India. By the way, I am reasonably sure that the elderly gentleman recognised where I was from from the way I spoke my Hindi. In case you are interested, this was around the area of Waterside Catalan History Museum. Hopefully, in near future, we won't need to be so far from home to get along with each other this well.