How to play ‘tourist’ in your own city

Playing tourist in your city is not easy. Loud cranky places, sweaty trains and metros, dirty sidewalks... all that these sights and irritation in your senses make you wanna do is go home, shower and sit in your air conditioned room and maybe play some music. But there is beauty in rediscovering your city from a fresh perspective.

Travel around your city like a tourist—something you may not have done before

Some weekends, it might be a good idea to engage those senses and travel across your city like you haven't before, even if these are places you've been to hundreds of thousands of times.

First things first, ditch the convenience, especially Ubers because you're not trying to just go from point A to B, you're trying to see what the journey involves.

Walk around aimlessly, stumble into dead ends, enter chai places you don't usually go to. Sit at a park and draw, no matter how bad it turns out. Look around. Like really look around.

Kids playing, teens goofing around, middle-aged uncles and aunties using the local park. Crows cawing. Pigeons cooing.

You can even write in your journal. It may feel performative, but it's fun!

Observe and write. What are the people doing? Are they running or walking? Do they walk with a brisk pace or do they stroll? Do they sit around for an adda (or gossip) session? You might hear some juicy gossip or catch a sight or midday shower you weren't expecting!

You can try out a fun activity: go to a metro, buy a ticket and relax on the platform. Read a book, read, walk around and people-watch. We generally disassociate in places, like bus stops, airports, waiting rooms, when we're between two activities or locations.

As a result, time feels suspended. This exercise is fun because we usually do not stop there; we only wait for our next ride.

With fewer external stimuli to anchor us, we feel bored. But this is exactly the way to do a dopamine detox.Do they rush to the door to hang on or do they let others get before them? If so, why? It's fascinating to get to know people of a city. And if you travel often, you'll notice the differences.

Or you can take an auto ride or the local train during less crowded hours and aim to reach a station you don't usually go to.

It's your day. Free will exists for a reason!

Once you're done traipsing and roaming about, check out the famous places in your city once you've read its history.

If you're in Calcutta, for instance, visit Prinsep Ghat, Old Kolkata heritage buildings, Vidyasagar Setu, Victoria Memorial, Salt Lake neighbourhood, Kumartuli, Bara Bazar, College Street, Alipore Museum. But in Mumbai, it’s Bandra’s bandstand or Marine Drive’s Chowpatty that you should aim to visit.

Take a digital camera and snap some pictures. Brownie points if you can ask someone to take them for you. Its almost as though you're playing a character at this point!

Last but not the least, go to your favourite food place for some piping hot savoury meals or cold drinks, depending on the day. It's your treat to yourself. Even amid the crowd and chaos, it's possible to just...let go.

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