Brit’s tryst with travel, knowledge lands him in Mumbai
Carrying the voices of people from four countries back home to England, this British tourist has a different story to tell than most others you will ever meet. One can spot him around areas of south Mumbai, chatting up citizens who can be very intrusive. Wearing a Dev Anand-esque grey flat hat, tattoos from neck to foot, a black t-shirt and shorts, usually, Robbie Coulter can be spotted near chai tapris trying to ask for ‘black coffee with some sugar’ to be explained in Hindi.
A plain-speaking, easy-going Coulter has a purpose in everything he does. Be it the ‘1932’ tattoo on his neck, which is the year his father was born or the map of South Africa, each depicts some important landmark or his stint in a new country.
One can actually say, travelling is Coulter’s middle name, having spent, by now, eleven months in four different countries. He will be taking back home stories from the United States of America, Cambodia, Japan and India. For this mission, he gave up his cushy job, plush apartment and a comfortable life.
Coulter worked in the licences department of renowned Airbus company for 14 years and was ‘pretty successful’ in his own words. “I purposely put myself in a plateau of career. I knew if I excelled further it was not a compromise I was willing to make. More importantly, it was going to impact my work-life balance. I did not want to go any further,” says Coulter.
He gave up everything which had no value in his eyes. “This doesn’t really set your heart on fire. I needed to think what would really make me grow and have a challenge,” states Coulter. He adds, “Because I thought if I changed everything I have, my job, life, nice house then you kind of have to start way all over again in a different way.”
Coulter set out to travel and write a book of this adventure and went a step further to make a film to give a voice to the people he met along the way. He has nearly 17 questions, which he asks all the people he is featuring. “If I could interview them and ask them all the same questions and assess how they all reply. Ask them the big life questions which we don’t ask ourselves. Then I thought I can actually ask them on camera and let them ask me a question too,” says Coulter.
Coulter left England and went to New York on July 3, 2017, and he will return home in the first week of May. Till now, he has spent £9500 on the entire trip, inclusive of air fare, hotel, food. Like he says, “No smoking and drinking helps a lot in saving money.” Coulter has lived in the homes of his friends, people have been mostly warm, especially in America and he has also had hiccups. When he lost his his pan card when he went to an ATM in Bangkok and he had to get his brother to get one from England and send it to Japan, where he was headed next. “That is more personal kind of documentation for the book,” says Coulter.
Once Coulter returns to England, he will have only £400 with him. He does have a plan to work, live with his brother and pay him rent to save on other expenses and live with his family. This is just for a year before he ventures out, yet again. “There is no way I can live in England. I will just curl up and die,” laughs aloud Coulter.
Robbie Coulter will be taking back home stories from the United States of America, Cambodia, Japan and India. For this mission, he gave up his cushy job, plush apartment and a comfortable life. He set out to travel and write a book of this adventure and went a step further to make a film to give a voice to the people he met along the way.