All-in-a-day's-work?

Well to start with, I dont really know why I'm writing this..

I have been travelling a lot these days, sometimes local, sometimes to different states. Quite a percentage of these travels have been by bus (yeah.. cant belive that) and many a times by the (in)famous 'lal-dabba' - the ST.

What fascinates me the most during these journeys is not the never ending green (usually sugarcane or rice) fields, or the sight of 'simple' gaav ki kudiyaan, or the beautiful village sunsets (clear skies make the sun look like a large orange fireball which is usually faded by the ever-increasing layers of smog in the urbans), but the work.. and life of a conductor!

He wakes up at the most unearthly hours and sleeps at times when most of us are working or dining. Although one would find his job the most well defined but immensely monotonous, it actually isn't (no.. i'm not planning to take it up as alternate profession)

Dressed in the same clothes everyday (all govt jobs have pathetic dress codes), they travel through places most of us havent heard of. They meet a variety of people (probably the most) from all castes, age groups and lifestyles - everyday. For a salary they couldnt boast of, some of them have enough know-how of different streams of the different industries - something even your boss cant boast of!

Quite truly.. all that glitters is not gold, and so is its corollary.