Rode: My Aussie friend

Picture: Rode is with round hat, its a selfie time

Just as my friend had warned me, I ended up in a car wash. It's like a dream come true in a foreign land. 

As simple and easy as it may seem to other, melancholic feeling is within the chest. Over the course of time, I have learned about professionalism and customer care. Essentially, I have learned to organize myself. As I work through the day, this line anchor my heartbeat –"there is no free lunch in life". 

Rodney became my new friend. He added a helping hand. A guy who is so humble and graceful. He bears the utmost coolness of a gentleman's quality. Initially, he seem reserved and firm, but he is all different when he opens up with a conversation. 

After a brief introduction to each other before throwing his hand to work, I warned him of a few essential things -spraying water, wringing chamois, and bending. 

Over the days, we became closer as we shared more about ourselves. I have quizzed him like a journalist to learn a few secrets about how his nation prospered. 

He claims to know a few things about Bhutan from one of his cousins who visited a few years ago. I added a few fancy about Bhutan. 

I told him a few challenges that are hindering Bhutan's development, like being landlocked and difficult topography. To make things easy, I compared states to our districts or regions. It wasn’t so equivalent, but it made sense. 

To keep the conversation running, I purposely asked him few best things to do in Canberra - beaches are not too far away, there is diverse food to try, and many great places to visit, etc, etc,

It was left up to me to do a search and explore. However, he assured, Canberra is the best place for retirement. He feels proud of the healthcare system, good road network, and fast and efficient government services. 

He likes a Holden brand car, which he said used to be quite famous. 

As we progressed with our cleaning, he showed me another Holden car from a different series. Deep inside, I felt sorry for him because he deserved one of them, sincerely. I hope I can help him get one. 

He has ideas about “Alfa Romeo''. Until he pointed to "Fiat," I knew nothing about this brand of car. He told me that being inside a Fiat feels a bit Italian. And I knew it was an Italian car brand. 

As much as he likes Holden, I was a Toyota fan. Like him, I pointed toward the white RAV4 Hybrid and told him of my dream car. He told me to keep dreaming and work hard. 

I told him jokingly, that I so often fall in love with more cars than beautiful ladies. If not for owning one for myself, I at least have a golden chance to touch it, and feel it. It gives a good feeling for the whole day to go around and get lost with the smooth and beautiful cars around the yard.

I was deeply touched when he told me these two things. I was asked to make a saving habit early on life for the unpredictable future and try to get a good academic grade.

We have discussed almost everything under the sun to pass our time. We talked from politics to the health care system to skyrocketing living cost to currency, taxes to pensions, to infrastructure development. However, we did not even spare topics like agriculture, industry, and some recent developments in AI and networks. Perhaps, knowing his unparalleled discipline, I was lost in this thought—How Rich Nations Think. 

He was interested in a few Dzongkha words. As I explained these and a few other tough words, it was time for us to leave for home. 

As I unplugged the hose head, I told him his blueberry picking and his boyhood flirting were interesting. He threw back his quizzical smile and silently vanished from the RAM door. 

And I drove home and got lost in Rode's voice...