5 simple things to do to know your city better

Every time technology fails you become a little more human! You talk to people, you ask, you navigate your way and take charge of your situation. After I moved to Delhi, first thing that caught my attention was her vastness. It is literally 4 cities, and this is minus the NCR region, mind you. It’s so huge that even Google maps cannot help you give the exact markers. I am always hungry for knowledge. Be it bookish, tech related, on food joints or about the city. It just helps you feel a little more connected to your surroundings.

Here’s a list of 5 things (that I did and) that you could do to jump out of the virtual and into the real world and find out more about your city.

1.Walk more often

Not just because it’s good for your health but because it’s the best way to experience your city. When you walk you have control over your pace and over your sight too. There are things which we tend to miss when travelling in an underground metro, or in a motor vehicle. We miss the minute details that our city is made up of. Walking let’s you take things by the stride. It makes commuting more fun! All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes, it’s carefree, it’s cost free and a mood uplifter!

2.Taste the street food

Food gets known by the city and city by its food. Street food lends identity to the city. It also helps you explore more, since finding the right joint to eat the famous cuisine, is also a task. It makes you explore lanes and visit places that you might not visit otherwise. It tickles your taste buds and makes your soul happy. The more you explore your city, the more you explore yourself. You get to know what you really like and expand your boundaries. You become more open and accepting.

3.Learn about the history.

Once when in Chandni Chowk, I took the lanes opposite Jama Masjid, I ended up walking in the old lanes of Shahjahanabad. I felt as if the history textbook was coming to life. Similarly, there could be times when you end up finding more than what google or a textbook tells you about a particular place. The historical past gives you answer to the present conditions at times. Or sometimes the past and the present are so different that drawing a connection becomes difficult. It’s like a puzzle that you need to put together to get the whole picture. And you need to be out there in order to find the missing pieces. It’s a bidirectional learning relation. The history should intrigue you enough to go out and the city let’s you live through history!

4.Talk to people you cross your paths with,exchange stories.

It’s not just about the place, it’s also about the people who live there or have been living there since generations. The more we talk the more we get to know about the locality, about the culture and start feeling a sense of belonging to that place. A random hi hello can lead you to stories so fascinating that you can be left gaping.

5.Play PokemonGO

I am serious! The Poke-stops reveal spots that just make you go, “Does this place actually exist?” And you walk a few steps to find it standing right there. There are places that have been right under our noses but we have never paid attention to. Or never did we think we will find a temple, or a fountain if we walk 10 more steps from our regular walking zones. Well it happened with yours truly, trust me!

The more you read, the more you learn, the more you go out. You will see how diverse your city is in food, in culture, in people. You start belonging when you start knowing! It’s your city, c’mon own it!!

I am rushing for my walk now!

See you on the street eating, walking or exploring. Someday, somewhere !

Photo Courtesy: Instagram @aabra_ka_daabra