旅をせぬまま歳月が流れた2020年。このまま1年を終えるのが耐え難く、2泊3日で極小旅行。滞在先は、市街西端のタージ・ウエストエンドホテル。
去年の今日、JALの機内誌『SKYWARD』の取材で、このホテルを訪れた。いくつかの部屋の撮影に立ち会った。中でもクラシックなスイートが気に入って「ここに泊まりたいな」と思った。しかし、バンガロールに住んでいるから、泊まることはないだろうと思った。
今回、せっかくだからスイートに泊まろうと決めてはいたが、まさか、その部屋に通されるとは思わなかった。1年前が忽ち蘇り、奇妙な気分だ。
そして15年前。11月10日の夜、カリフォルニアからの長い長いフライトを経て、バンガロールに降り立った。疲労困憊でチェックインしたのが、このホテルだった。
車のホーンもけたたましい、喧騒の市街をすり抜けて、ゲートをくぐった瞬間、闇に浮かぶ鬱蒼の緑。黄金色の灯りに照らされたコロニアル調の建物。異次元に紛れ込んだ。
住まいを探し、引越しをするまでの1カ月ほどを、ここで過ごした。ゆえに、愛着はひとしおだ。
自宅はすぐに見つかったものの、夫のオフィス選びは難航した。当時は近代的なレンタルオフィスもなく、UBシティもなく、探して探して、古びたオフィスビルの、薄暗い一室にたどり着いた。
「これからはインドの時代だから」などと、不確かな根拠と身勝手な直感で、ぐいぐい夫を説き伏せてインドへ移住した。
随分、横暴なことをしたものだと思う。自分で自分がわからない。しかし今あのころに戻っても、多分同じことをしているだろう。わたしの意志からは遠いところで、定められていた道のようにさえ思う。
20歳。はじめての海外。1カ月の米国ホームステイ。
22歳。上京、就職。
30歳。ニューヨークへ。
40歳。インドへ。
これまでの、人生の大きな転機。分岐点。そのいずれもが、その数年前には予測していなかったことばかり。正しかったなどと自信を持って言える根拠はなにもない。しかし人生、選べる道はただ1本。
だから、その道が正しかったのだと信じて、ひたすら歩き続けるしかない。その道中で見られる風景を存分に楽しむしかない。これでよかったのだと、信じ抜く気持ちだけが頼り。
それにしても、この15年間の波乱といったら! とても語れぬ語りつくせぬ、紆余曲折が数多あり。海外生活、国際結婚、混沌インド。淡々とした日々が過ごせるわけがない。
さらには、行きたい方角も、歩く速度も、違いすぎる我々夫婦の二人三脚は、無駄に転んで生傷だらけ。
ともあれ今こうして、二人元気に生きていられることに感謝しつつ。
インド生活15周年。改めて、おめでとう。ありがとう。
November 12/ The day when two accidental encounters occurred. 15 years ago, and a year ago. At the Taj West End.
2020. We are about to end this year without traveling.
I was very reluctant to reach the end of the year without traveling as it is. So we decided to make a small trip to a very familiar place. It is the Taj West End Hotel in Bangalore.
Strangely, last year today, I visited this hotel with a photographer for coverage with Japan Airlines' in-flight magazine "SKYWARD".
And I accompanied him to shoot some rooms. I especially like the classic suites. And I thought, "I want to stay here." But at the same time, I thought I would never stay because I live in Bangalore.
This time we hadn't traveled in a long time, so we decided to stay in a suite, but I didn't expect to be taken to the room I wanted to stay in.
The moment I entered the room, today, a year ago, revived in my mind, and I felt strange.
And 15 years ago. On the night of November 10th, after a long, long flight from California, we landed in Bangalore. It was this hotel that we, who were exhausted, checked in at midnight.
The road from the airport to the hotel was full of hustle and bustle with car horns. However, the moment I passed through this gate, I was greeted by the lush greenery floating in the darkness.
The elegant white colonial building was illuminated by golden lights. I fell into the illusion of being in a different dimensional world.
We spent about a month here looking for a new home and moving. Therefore, I have a deep attachment to this hotel.
Our home was quickly found. However, choosing an office for my husband was difficult. There were no modern rental offices in Bangalore at the time. There is no UB city either. After searching for various properties, we found a dim room in an old office building.
With uncertain grounds and selfish intuition, such as "The era of India is coming," I insisted on going to India.
I think my husband at that time had a lot of unpleasant experiences. I'm not sure why I wanted to go to India so much. But now, when I go back to that time, I think I'm probably doing the same thing. Far from my will, coming to India seems like a predetermined path.
There have been some major turning points in my life.
At the age of 20, I traveled abroad for the first time and stayed in the United States for a month.
At the age of 22, I graduated from university and moved to Tokyo to get a job.
At the age of 30, I moved to New York to study English for a year. (I met my husband shortly after that)
I moved to India at the age of 40.
Some of the big turning points in life that I have experienced so far. All of them were just unexpected a few years ago.
I can't confidently say that the occasional decision was "correct." But I can only choose one path in my life.
Therefore, I have no choice but to continue walking, believing that the path I chose was "correct".
Along the way, I want to fully enjoy the scenery I can see. I can only rely on the feeling of believing that I was happy with this road.
Even so, there has been a lot of turmoil over the last 15 years. There were twists and turns that could not be expressed in one word.
Living abroad, international marriage, chaotic and ever-changing India. It is almost impossible to spend quiet and calm days.
In Japan, marital life is called "two-legged race". Two people connecting their right and left feet and crossing their shoulders. If your stride does not match, you will fall. It expresses that the couple will cooperate and live together.
My husband and I often have different stride lengths, desired directions, and walking speeds. We have fallen many times.Yet now, in the land of India, we are grateful that we are together with good health.
15th anniversary of life in India. Congratulations again. And thank you.