“The Day I Started Traveling Without Moving”

When “English Songs” Were Just Sounds

I still remember the time. Maybe 1988 or ’89. When one of our teachers didn’t show up. My classmates, bored and mischievous, shouted, “Shiju, sing a song!”

Why me? The answer goes back to a childhood when English felt like a foreign planet. And “English song” simply meant anything that sounded mysterious.

My English-medium school in Morak, Rajasthan, was “English” only on the nameplate. We learned The Queen’s language in a thick Hindi accent, taught lovingly by the wives of factory employees. They may not have been fluent. But they gave us something rarer. Passion for learning and moral strength.

“Not every good teacher speaks perfect English. Some just teach you to believe in yourself.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

Witty truth: Back then, “Michael Jackson” sounded like “Cycle Action.” But we sang anyway. Confidently off-beat.

 

Shaped by Books and My Father’s Curiosity

By God’s grace, I was a jack of all trades and master of none. Average in studies. Above average in sports. Exceptional in curiosity.

My father was a quiet man with loud curiosity. He worked as an operator in Morak. But his mind traveled the world through books and radio waves.

He subscribed to Manorama Yearbook every January. A treasure chest of facts, flags, and faraway countries. He bought India Today, Maya, and Sports Star from our recreation club. I devoured them like adventure novels.

That’s where the dream began. In pages filled with world maps and historical milestones.

“My father couldn’t afford flights. But he gave me wings. Through words.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

Witty truth: Forget Netflix. Our family’s “prime subscription” was the evening news on All India Radio.

 

The Foundation of My Dreams

So, that day in class, when boredom hit, someone declared, “Shiju can sing in English!”

And somehow, I could.

Not perfectly. Not completely. But passionately.

Thanks to radio shows like “Pop Time” on Doordarshan, I had memorized bits and pieces of English pop songs without understanding half the lyrics. While others hummed Bollywood tunes, I was lost in Final Countdown, Police (Sting), Michael Jackson, Bryan Adams, and Knight Rider themes. Believing they were lessons in pronunciation.

“Music was my first English teacher. And the world’s first translator.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

Witty truth: I was the only kid who thought “Knight Rider” was an English grammar book.

Those moments unknowingly became the foundation of my wanderlust. I wasn’t just listening to songs. I was dreaming of the world they came from.

 

The Power of Manifestation

I wasn’t just watching Western shows or singing pop. I was manifesting. I imagined myself walking those city streets. Speaking that language. Meeting those people.

“Dreams aren’t wishes. They’re blueprints written by your soul.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

If you visualize your goals with clarity and consistency, the universe rearranges itself to meet you halfway.

But dreaming isn’t enough. You have to act. Fail. Persist.

My parents’ blessings, hard work, and divine timing turned my “someday” into “now.”

That’s not magic. That’s manifestation mixed with sweat and faith.

Witty truth: Manifestation isn’t about thinking of Ferrari keys. It’s about learning to drive first.

 

Success Is Moments, Not Money

When I look back at those school days. Singing gibberish English songs. Daydreaming of faraway lands. And realize I’ve now visited those countries. I smile.

For me, success isn’t defined by salary slips or corner offices. It’s in moments. The thrill of getting a passport stamp. The joy of seeing places I once read about. The laughter shared with strangers abroad.

“Wealth fades. Memories don’t. Collect more of the latter.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

Witty truth: Chase experiences, not emoluments. One fills your passport. The other just your wallet.

 

A Question for You

What was your favorite country as a child? Did you ever get to visit it?

 

Maybe your story began in a small classroom too. Humming an English song you barely understood but deeply felt.

Because that’s where every traveler begins. With curiosity, not currency.

“Every journey starts as a classroom daydream.”
— The Lost Mumbaikar

Witty outro: Dreams don’t come with subtitles. You just have to start singing in your own tune.

 

One Last Question for You

When you look back, what was the first thing that made you curious about the world a song, a book, a voice on the radio, or a classroom moment that stayed with you longer than it should have?And are you still listening to that curiosity or did life slowly ask you to mute it?