When my wife was posted in India’s Embassy in Thimphu, Bhutan, they had one family friend from Sweden. That family became very close to my people since they used to have worship/fellowship services together every Sunday. The family unlike many persons of European origin were also simple and highly amiable. Even if you invite them casually for dinner, they usually would readily accept it. They could take almost all types of foods including mehpawk (mixed boiled rice with vegetables etc) or changal meh. 

On one occasion on my visit to my people, my wife asked them to come for dinner after the Sunday fellowship service. They readily accepted it. While our wives were busy in preparing the food, I engaged the husband in gossips on various topics. I remembered one question having posed to him: ‘In Scandinavian countries (including Sweden), you have six months day and six months night. How do you regulate your timings of work and rest?’ I asked him. He told me that they have to work or rest according to the time as given in the watch. Even if it is still dark, if it is time for work, they would get up and go for work of the expected duration. Then when the time arrives for rest, they would come home and take rest accordingly. I told him that this would be very difficult for people like us who are from the equatorial region who work and rest according the earthly position of the sun. 

For good or bad, I have been accustomed to getting up early in the morning. Same is the habit of going to bed early, at least latest by 11.00 pm. Otherwise since my body wouldn’t be able to sleep after 4.30 or 5 am, I would be feeling tired and self-irritating on the following day as such I need to sleep relatively early. Then as the usual habit, I would go for morning walk of 30 minutes to one hour, do a little stretching and then follow some other routines. I used to walk these days at Nehru Park near my residential quarters. I observed that a number of other people walking or jogging as well. But the peculiar thing is that none of them look younger than me. And I am 55 plus now. There would be occasionally some of young people who are practicing Taekwondo. This group seems to be the only exception. 

Recently I invited a middle aged political VIP couple from my home state for morning breakfast on Sunday morning since they are staying in the guest house nearby. I told them that I would call them around 8.30 am after my morning walk which I thought was quite late. Accordingly after leisurely doing my morning walk and a little stretching, I went to their guest House. On the way I called them by my mobile phone. They didn’t respond. Feeling a little guilty, I slowly walked towards the guest house. On reaching the guest house, I inquired about them from the receptionist. He told me that I could go to the second floor and knock the particular room number. I felt apologetic. I suggested that we may called them up from the reception through the intercom. He dialed the number and gave the instrument to me. After holding for about a minute, which was not picked, we kept it again. The receptionist advised me to go and knock their door. According I went up with a lot of guilty feeling. I located the particular room number. I rang the bell. No response. I loitered for about two minutes in the corridor hoping that the door would get open. But it was hope against hope. No sound, no opening. I slowly came down through the staircase and informed the reception about my failure. The lady sitting in the sofa nearby voluntarily informed that the couple generally sit late and I would need to make extra efforts to wake them up. I said ‘It is not that important to trouble them so much’. To my mind I thought that it was better to leave them quietly defeated instead of facing the ignominy of being blurted out from inside the door 'Go to hell with your breakfast’. I came home and found that my own daughter herself was also yet to get up. 

This situation gave me a funny peculiar thought. These days, people are talking about preserving and protecting of the endangered species of plants and animals. Hi! Guys I also could be one of those endangered species. People are sitting late in the night and getting up late in the morning or afternoon. But everybody seems to be doing better than me. I found that they are economically or financially better off than me. They are respected and admired by the people. They are famous. But nobody knows me. I don’t have enough money every month. But take care! I could be one of those endangered species who sleeps at night and gets up early in the morning. Otherwise, you may not find such people after some years.

[Article by Pu N. Neihsial, IDAS | First published in GOSPEL DAICHIM, Volume 6, Issue No. 5/ May 2013, p. 3 | Reproduced with permission]