Throughout our travels in India, the most ubiquitous advertising we encountered were massive billboards for soft drink companies endorsed by Indian celebrities. One of these billboards for Coca-Cola—featuring a particularly memorable ambassador I started affectionately naming “Coke man”—followed us throughout our six-week journey. It became a running joke on the trip that I would be always notified whenever his advert was spotted, culminating in a rather bold promise on my behalf to dedicate my final blog post to this enigmatic figure.
The following poem is therefore not just an ode to Coke man, but an ode to the whānau, experiences and country that made this PMSA 2024 trip so special.
AN ODE TO COKE MAN
Once upon a time,
In a faraway land;
Where auto-rickshaws zoom,
And thousands of colours bloom;
I happened to meet a man,
Who inspired me to write this ode, as their number one fan:
We first locked eyes in Mahabalipuram,
Where the street vendors haggle with the utmost decorum;
Your eyes drew me in most: piercing, rich, mysterious,
And in an odd way a little gregarious;
making my heart skip a beat.
We next crossed paths in Puducherry,
Where despite starting off a little weary;
We quickly fell in love with the city’s winding roads, French Quarter and coastal reprieve,
Alongside temples that were so quiet you were terrified to even breathe.
It was above a small dairy,
Surrounded by snarling cables and a sleeping dog who was rather hairy;
Did I first notice your thick, luscious locks of hair,
Which when my mind wanders to you at night, I still hold dear.
It was in Mysuru that I stole longing gazes at you next,
Where against the city’s soaring eagles and dazzling palace lights, we found ourselves all vexed;
Trying to haggle for fans, jewellery, fresh fish and sandalwood,
Sadly learning that against the locals, we weren’t any good;
Did you notice my shy smiles, market-place gaffes and occasional complaining?
Your face, as always, was unchanging.
The sweltering heat of Hampi was where I sought out your presence the most,
Amongst the vast rice fields, rocky outcrops, bonfires and birthday boy toast;
The drink you offered me for only ₹20 cooled me in the midday sun,
And gave me the energy to have more fun;
Exploring Hampi’s breathtaking ruins like a modern-day Indiana Jones,
And getting up early to witness a sunrise whose true beauty can never be captured by our phones.
My faith in you, however, was tested in Mumbai,
Because no matter how hard I looked, no matter where I would try;
Be it the storefronts of Colaba, the winding alleyways of Dharavi or the myriad of places we visited in between,
You were nowhere to be seen.
It wasn’t until Jaipur where we reunited,
Where from the back seat of an auto-rickshaw, your familiar face was sighted;
How fitting that in India’s fabled pink city of love, but also of literature festivals, friends cafes, sari markets and the incredible Amer Fort too,
Did my hopes of finding you finally come true!
In Rishikesh we soared high,
Exhilarated by the sight of the river Ganga, your constant presence and a beautiful blue sky;
Alongside our new Aussie companions, we learnt all about Vedic fire rituals, Hare Krishna and our neighbour Mr. Monkey,
Who was generally nice, but left someone’s room looking rather funky.
Delhi—our final treat—felt bittersweet,
As it slowly dawned on us this was the end of our six weeks;
No more traffic mayhem, long bus rides or yoga sessions,
No more temple visits, Bollywood dancers and Nick’s many “circle time” lessons;
But the hardest goodbyes of all, without a doubt,
Were to the new Aussie, Indian and Kiwi friends I had made throughout.
While I wanted to bring all these people in my suitcase back with me,
I am afraid at border security that would cause quite the scene;
And so, I brought back memories, photographs and a plastic auto-rickshaw instead,
Oh, and the wrapping from a Coke bottle pinned next to my bed—
A final memento to remember the beautiful country of my first billboard crush,
Right where I lay my head.