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Date: 22/01/2026

Living in Cusco, Peru, I learned that history here is not preserved behind glass. It is walked on, leaned against, and spoken around. The city carries its Incan foundation openly, with colonial structures layered above it, not replacing it.
Local people move through these spaces with familiarity. Stones that attract global attention are simply part of their route to work or home. Conversations happen beside walls built centuries ago, without ceremony.
The presence of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, influences life subtly. Tourism exists, but it does not define identity. Markets still function for locals first. Traditions are practiced because they belong, not because they are observed.
Life here teaches balance — between preservation and practicality. Cusco does not compete with its past. It accommodates it.
For someone living here, the lesson is clear: history remains alive when it is allowed to participate in the present.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

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Date: 22/01/2026

The street woke up without ceremony. Shops opened one shutter at a time. Someone washed the pavement even though it wasn’t dirty. A delivery cycle stopped at the same corner it always did.
Nothing here was accidental. The rhythm had been practiced for years, maybe decades. People moved through it without thinking, trusting that the day would unfold as it always had.
A neighbour greeted another without slowing down. A dog paused at a familiar smell. The sound of keys echoed briefly and disappeared.
There was comfort in this repetition. Not excitement, not ambition — just steadiness. The kind that doesn’t need to be celebrated because it already works.
Some mornings don’t inspire action.
They simply reassure you that things are holding.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

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Date: 21/01/2026

A book returned to the shelf, not because it was finished, but because the day was.
Shoes placed side by side, aligned more carefully than necessary.
Lights turned off room by room, as if thanking each space individually.
The day did not ask to be remembered.
It was content being restored to order.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

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Date: 21/01/2026

Having lived in Florence, Italy, I realised that art here is not separated from daily life. It is not curated for attention; it simply exists, woven into routine movement.
Local residents walk past architectural masterpieces without pausing, not out of disregard but familiarity. A building admired by visitors is, for them, a backdrop to grocery shopping, work commutes, and evening walks.
The historic centre, shaped by centuries of continuity, includes sites such as the Florence Historic Centre, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet life around it remains practical. Cafés serve regulars without ceremony. Shopkeepers prioritise conversation over speed.
What defines the culture is rhythm. Lunch is unhurried. Work is taken seriously but not allowed to dominate identity. Pride exists, but it is quiet—rooted in preservation rather than performance.
To live here requires adjustment. Efficiency gives way to appreciation. Precision yields to proportion. Florence teaches that beauty does not need emphasis when it is already embedded in structure.
It is a place where history does not overwhelm the present.
It simply walks alongside it.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

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Date: 21/01/2026

The cup was filled and left untouched.
Steam rose, hesitated, disappeared.
A conversation nearby moved in half-sentences. Someone nodded without needing the full story. A chair scraped softly and then stopped apologetically.
Nothing here demanded urgency. Even time seemed willing to sit for a moment.
When the cup was finally lifted, it tasted exactly as expected.
Some things don’t need anticipation.
They only need patience.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

@ All right reserved with the author
Date: 20/01/2026

A shopkeeper counted the day’s earnings twice, not from doubt, but from habit.
Some rituals are reassurance.
A window remained open even after the lights were turned off.
Fresh air was considered sufficient security.
Someone placed keys in the same corner as always.
Tomorrow would know where to find them.
The day did not end dramatically.
It simply returned itself.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

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Date: 20/01/2026

Having lived for a period in Kyoto, Japan, I observed a way of life where tradition exists not as performance, but as habit. The city does not announce its history loudly; it allows you to notice it if you are attentive.
Local residents move with quiet purpose. Courtesy is embedded, not displayed. People queue instinctively, speak softly in public spaces, and treat shared areas with an almost unspoken respect. There is no enforcement visible—only expectation.
Daily life unfolds alongside centuries-old structures. Temples such as Kiyomizu-dera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are not isolated monuments. They coexist with neighbourhood routines—schoolchildren passing by, shop owners opening shutters, elderly residents walking familiar paths.
What stands out most is restraint. Cultural pride is present, but never imposed. Festivals occur with precision and dignity. Craft traditions survive because they are practiced, not advertised.
For someone living here, adaptation means slowing down internally. Excess is unnecessary. Attention to detail matters more than speed. Kyoto teaches that continuity does not require resistance to modernity—only consistency in values.
It is a place where the past does not interrupt the present.
It quietly supports it.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

@ All right reserved with the author
Date: 20/01/2026

The bench was ordinary. Wood slightly rough, one leg shorter than the rest. It faced nothing important—no view, no landmark, no reason to stop.
Someone sat there anyway. A bag rested by their feet. A phone stayed inside a pocket. For a few minutes, nothing happened.
A cyclist passed. A dog pulled its owner forward. Leaves moved without instruction.
When the person stood up, nothing had changed. The world remained the same size. Yet something unseen had settled into place, quietly and without announcement.
Some pauses don’t interrupt life.
They realign it.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .

@ All right reserved with the author
Date: 19/01/2026

The light leaned against the wall
as if it had walked all day too.
A fan slowed down,
deciding not everything needs urgency.
Someone closed a door gently,
not to end the day,
but to let it rest.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati , Assam , India
instagram @ rajatchandrasarmah5
youtube: converse with a smile .