Kindness Diaries (2017–2019): Season 1, Episode 7 - The Gift of Tomorrow - full transcript

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[Leon Logothetis] From a
distance, the world probably
seems

like a big, bad scary place.

If you listen to the news
or even ask the person next to
you,

they will likely talk about war,
poverty, corruption, and hate.

And they are right,
from a distance.

But, I believe that up close,
there is enough good, enough
love,

and enough pure kindness
to make the world go round,

and that is what
inspired my journey.

A journey where random acts
of kindness are repaid

with unexpected and
life-changing gifts.

And these are The
Kindness Diaries.



Istanbul is an incredible city

at the convergence
of European and Asian cultures,

and before I left there were
two things I had to do.

The first...

You can'’t come to Turkey
and not go to a Turkish bath.

-Have you been in there?
-Yes, I have.

-And? Is it worth it?
-It's totally worth it.

You just lose your inhibitions.

It'’s the best $100
you can spend.

Okay. We have a small problem.
I don'’t have $100.

I'’m doing this entirely
on the kindness of strangers.

I'’ll take you in myself,
and we'’ll get you your Turkish
bath.

Let'’s do it!

I can'’t believe I'm about
to get my Turkish bath.



[Leon] The ritual itself has
remained unchanged for 500
years.

It starts in a hot room,
and when I say hot, I mean....

Aggggh!

[Leon] Then you go to a second
room where they splash you with
cold water.

Hah!

Then, a very large man
starts to scrub, wash,

and massage you,
head to toe, and front to back.

It all looks very relaxing,
but it feels more like...

Oh, that hurts!

Oh... oh... that hurts!

[Leon] After that, you can
pretty much only do this,

and then they give you tea.

That'’s the kindest massage
I'’ve ever gotten.

[Leon] My second
must-see was this

magnificent building
called the Hagia Sophia.

During Byzantine times, only the
emperors could walk through
these doors.

It'’s not Byzantine
times anymore.

[Leon] It was
constructed in 537 A.D.

It was the crown jewel
of the Orthodox church.

[Leon] Look how smooth
these rocks are.

Thousands of years
of people walking up and down.

[Leon] I had wanted to
see it since I was a child,

and it was absolutely
worth the wait.

After, it was time for
a very special appointment.

The day before, my new friend
Mehmet told me he had a gift for
my journey.

Before you leave Istanbul,

there is a very special person
I would like for you to meet.

Welcome to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Leon] It turns out he had
arranged a private audience

with the Ecumenical Patriarch
of Constantinople,

and, to confess,
I was a little bit nervous.

I'’ve finally been called in
to meet the Patriarch.

This guy'’s the spiritual leader

of 300 million Orthodox
people around the world.

[Leon] But His All
Holiness was very kind

and upon hearing
the purpose of my travels,

offered me a holy blessing.

[Patriarch] Greeting
for Leon Logothetis.

The first and last letters
of the Greek word for love,
agapo,

are the first and last letters
of the Greek alphabet...

Alpha, Omega.

It is our prayer and hope

that you will discover this love

from one end of the
world to the other.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

This is for you.

That was very moving. Thank you.

I can'’t think of a better way,
and a more profound way,

of starting my
journey into Asia.

The Patriarch told me that
in the Orthodox religion,

they light candles
for honor and thanks.

So, basically,
I'’m going to light a candle

for all the people that have
helped me to get to Istanbul.

And, you know what, I'’m going
to light thanks for the people

that are going to help me
along the way as well.

[Leon] Feeling newly energized
and blessed, I set out for
Ephesus,

an ancient Greek city
on the Aegean coast.

No visit to Ephesus would be
complete without a tour of the
old city.

I'’m walking on a
2,000-year-old road.

Legend says that Mary, the
mother of Jesus, and his
brother, John,

walked on this road as well.

[Leon] Though only ruins remain,
they are still magnificent to
behold.

But beyond the beauty of it all,
there is an incredible history,
too.

I am standing in the courtyard
of the Library of Celsus,

which is nearly 2,000 years old.

[Leon] The city also played
a pivotal role in the time of
Christ.

It was on this stage
that, nearly 2,000 years ago,

Apostle Paul was kicked out
of Ephesus for sharing his
radical ideas.

[Leon] But the most
remarkable structure

is the massive arena
called the Great Theater.

I can imagine what it must have
been like, sitting in this exact
spot,

2,000 years ago,
watching theater,

speeches, gladiators fighting.

[Leon] But, after walking
in the footsteps of history,

it was time to return
from the ancient world

and face my very modern problems

of finding food and
shelter for the night.

Is there any way that I can stay
in your house tonight

or your hotel room, or anything?

No.

[Leon] Despite my efforts,
I wasn'’t having very much luck.

Not possible.

[Leon] But, right
before I gave up...

Excuse me. Do you speak English?

[Leon] ...I ran into a young
woman named Manexi.

-We have a restaurant there.
-What?

Yeah. You'’re on
the right person.

-You have a restaurant.
-Yeah.

If you cook for your friends,
then I can get some food to you.

Is that okay?

-You want me to cook for them?
-Yeah.

Guys, will you trust my cooking?

[man] If you'’re supervised.

[laughter]

[Leon] When we arrived
at their charming restaurant,

Manexi introduced me
to her husband, Telat,

and, as promised, offered me
free food if I was willing to
cook it up.

So I did just that and prepared
a small feast for the crew and
me.

-Can I have a bit more cheese,
please? -More cheese?

Yes.

[Leon] After lunch, I had a
chance to sit and chat with
Manexi.

What is it about the Turkish
culture that makes you such
hospitable people?

[Manexi] I think it
comes from the roots,

so all the relatives and the
people who'’s coming from
outside.

Is that why you suggested
that I serve food to my crew?

[Leon] But when I told her
of my immediate travel plans,

there was a noticeable
change in her demeanor.

I'’m going, next stop is
Iran, Pakistan, India.

-You'’re going to go with your
the bike, to those places?

Yes.

I don'’t think it will be so
secure going by bike in the
moment.

-Really?
-Yeah.

You know, I haven'’t really
been following the news

because I'’ve been
traveling on this journey.

[Leon] But concerns for my
safety weren'’t the only help she
offered me.

My parents are living with me,
then you can have a nap or you
even stay.

-Really?
-Yeah.

-I can stay in your house?
-Of course you can stay in our
house.

Thank you so much.

[Leon] While it was a relief to
know that I had a place to stay
for the night

and Manexi and Telat'’s family
could not have been any more
enchanting...

-How are you?
-I'’m very well.

-How are you?
-I'm fine, thank you.

-You speak very good English.
-Thank you.

[chuckles]

[Leon] ...I could not escape
the nagging thought of what lay
ahead.

I'’ve spoken to multiple people
today, and they all say...

Possibly you'’ll have to
cross the Syrian border.

I don'’t know if this
is the best option right now.

I think it'’s going
to be dangerous to...

There'’s a lot of things
going on in the world now.

-I'’ve been hearing that a lot
today. -Yeah.

Maybe you should pay attention.

[Leon] Every solution I
considered opened up new
problems.

And I can'’t go up north
because I don'’t have any visas.

[Leon] There was just
no way to get to India,

without going through
Iran and Pakistan.

But then I remembered something.

So, whenever you need something,
please don'’t hesitate to give me
a call.

We'’re here to help.

Do you, by any chance,
have a phone I can use?

Mehmet.

Hey, man.

It'’s... it's Leon.

[Leon] Though I wasn'’t sure
Mehmet would be able to help me,

I was sure he was the only
one that might be able to.

Well, listen, man, I find myself
in a little bit of a pickle.

I haven'’t been watching the news
and I don'’t know what's going
on,

but evidently something'’s
happening in the Middle East
that suggests

that going down through those
two countries is not very wise
right now.

Are you being serious?

If you can pull that off,
then I don'’t know what to say.

-I cannot thank you enough.
-Yeah, of course.

Um, I am so tired.

[Leon] That night I drifted into
a fitful sleep, stressed, but
hopeful.

The next morning
I headed back to Istanbul.

Mehmet had called to say,
because of the escalating
conflicts,

he couldn'’t get me through Iran
and Syria, but he could get me
over them.

It turns out, he had something
much better than a plan.

He had a plane.

Through his airline connections,
he had arranged for me and
Kindness 1

to hop a cargo flight
directly to India.

This is really happening.

Kindness 1 is going
into the belly of this beast.

To anyone that thought
that Turkish hospitality

wasn'’t alive and kicking,

you were very, very wrong.

[Leon] A few hours
and 5,700 miles later,

Kindness 1 and I
arrived safely in India.

As I entered the
capital city of New Delhi,

I immediately noticed
a stark contrast

from any place I'’ve ever
seen in Europe or Asia.

I'’ve just arrived in New Delhi,
India, a city of 13 million
people.

It is the home of Gandhi and the
spiritual home of Mother Teresa.

[Leon] I arrived on the holiday
celebrating Gandhi'’s birthday,

so the city was
quieter than usual,

which was hard to comprehend

because everywhere there was
an overwhelming chorus of
people,

traffic, and noise from
which there was no escape.

The change in climate
also brought some challenges.

-Is it normally this hot in
Delhi? -Yeah.

Is there any way tonight
that I can stay with you?

No, no.

[Leon] But the biggest
difference, of course,

was the complete and total
poverty of the region.

Admittedly, when I came
to the romantic idea

of traveling the globe
on the generosity of strangers,

I failed to consider how it
would feel to ask people

who literally have nothing

to help me during my
grand social experiment.

Would there be any way that
I could stay with you tonight?

[laughs] You can
stay in a hotel.

-No I have no... I have no
money. -No money.

[Leon] But I had
committed to this idea,

and I had to remind myself that
I was also there to do good and
to give back.

So, I decided the only thing
I could do was keep going.

Not possible.

What would Gandhi
say about that?

I know, but...

I have one small house.

There's my whole family living.

That's why it
would be a problem.

[Leon] Hmm.

That's why I say, I'm sorry.

[Leon] So, later on,
when I met a man called Dheeru,

I couldn'’t have known
that I'’d just taken the first
step

to reaffirm the greater
purpose of my journey.

-What do you do here?
-I drive the tuk-tuk.

You drive a tuk-tuk.

[Leon] And, upon hearing
my story, without hesitation,

offered to let me stay
with his family.

And when I asked him why,
he replied simply

that the Indian people live
by the simple concept, guest is
God.

He took me to his neighborhood
and I was privileged to see a
side of Indian life

that most tourists don'’t
get to experience.

It began, perhaps oddly,
with a local game of cricket,

a holdover from the days
of the British Empire.

I used to play
cricket in school.

[Leon] And it seemed
I was a little bit rusty.

-Want me to bowl?
-Yeah.

Playing cricket in India.

Priceless.

[cheering]

Thank you, thank you.
Thank you, thank you.

[Leon] After, he gave me a tour
of the part of the city he calls
home.

I got to see a lot
of local color.

What is this?

That is my God, you
know? It'’s like holy.

-This is a place to pray?
-Yeah, a place to pray.

Every day, every
morning, every evening.

[Leon] And some flavor, too.

So these are... these
are sheep hooves.

Sheep hooves.

[Leon] And people eat them?

People eat them for breakfast,

and on special days.

[Leon] He introduced
me to his friends.

This is my tailor.

[Leon] Your tailor? Hello!

[Leon] And his neighbors.

Hello.

My father born
here, I'’m born here.

[Leon] At every turn, there was
a smiling face welcoming me.

Hello.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

-You speak English!
-Yeah!

[Leon] I had never felt such
overt friendliness in a crowd in
my entire life.

Despite having very little,
the people, especially the
young...

Hi!

[Leon] ...seemed
genuinely happy.

I learned it came from
the inherent culture of Indian
life.

I've living for any neighbors.

All Indians, we
live like a family.

OK.

In Indian culture,
we live like a joint family.

[Leon] Okay, so you have your
family, then other people'’s
family,

and it'’s like one big family.

-This way.
-This is your house.

Upstairs to the
left is my house.

[Leon] When we arrived at his
home, he introduced me to his
wife and kids.

The home itself
was beyond simple.

Basically just two rooms
with no bathroom.

Where do you all sleep?

I sleep on this bed.

How many of you?

Four persons.

-Four people sleep in that bed?
-Yes.

[Leon] He shared with me
his prized possessions,

which were mostly simple
framed pictures of his family,

and tuk-tuk passengers he became
friends with over the years.

I learned about how hard
it was to be a tuk-tuk driver.

So, how long have you
been doing the rickshaw?

Ten years.

I drive rickshaw
ten, eleven years.

How do you support your family
with the rickshaw?

Not so good job.

But it's a good job for me.

I earn money for the
education of the children.

I spend money every day
for cooking and food.

Everything from
driving the rickshaw.

I depend on my rickshaw
and depend on my clients.

What about renting your
rickshaw, how much is that?

I rent the rickshaw
for 300 rupees a day.

-Per day.
-Three hundred rupees a day?

Two hundred rupees for the fuel.

So, how much do
you make normally?

A thousand rupees.

-So, you make 500 rupees.
-In my pocket, 500 rupees.

[Leon] I also learned how high
the stakes were for Dheeru.

You mentioned to me
that sometimes you don'’t eat

because you don'’t
have enough money.

Depends, if...

two days, three
days no customers.

No, no eat.

So, but sometimes, for two or
three days, you and your family
don'’t eat.

Yes.

You mentioned to me how
challenging it is in India to
survive.

Why did you decide to help me?

Because you are a human.

Humans help humans.

That's my thinking.

And that's Indian thinking.

What would change your life?

The rickshaw...

If I have a
rickshaw, I'm a hero.

I have a job.

If I don't have
rickshaw, I'm nothing.

[Leon] Then,
incredibly, this family

that would often not have
enough food for themselves

insisted I stay and share
a meal with them.

I give you everything

for eating or sleeping.

If you come to-- in my house.

You sleep in my bed,
and I'll sleep down there on the
ground.

I can'’t accept that.
You guys have to sleep in your
bed.

-I'’ll sleep on the floor.
-No.

I cannot accept sleeping in your
bed. Your whole family--

Because this is culture,
Indian culture. Guest is like a
God.

[Leon] And that night
I slept, as Dheeru insisted,

in the family bed
as he and his pregnant wife

slept on the floor because
of their belief that guest is
God.

There was no question.

This family would be receiving
my next surprise gift.

It was just a matter of what.

By the next morning
it was decided.

What Dheeru needed
most was the security

to make sure his family
would never go hungry again.

I hoped my gift
would give him that.

I can see in your heart
that you'’re a good man

and you'’ve got two wonderful
children who obviously look up
to you,

and you'’ve got a wonderful wife.

You said something profound to
me when we were talking on the
roof.

You said that we were all one.

You know that I'’ve been
traveling around the world

relying on the
kindness of strangers.

But, there'’s something
that you don'’t know.

Whilst on this journey,
when me and the crew

meet inspiring, kind, gentle
people, we give something back
to them.

When we were talking, you told
me that sometimes you don'’t have
enough money

to feed your family, and that
sometimes your children go
hungry for days.

You also told me that
the rickshaw is rented,

and that you have to spend
at least 500 rupees a day

in order to make any money.

Me and the crew want to
buy you a new rickshaw.

I don'’t understand.

New?

We are going to buy
you a new rickshaw.

I don't know how
I can thank you.

I'm very happy, very happy.

I am just looking for if I'm
asleep or wake up, I don't know!

Everything change.

Like, save the money, a little
bit of money for children's
education.

Change of the house.

And a good relationship
with my wife.

[Leon] If this leg of my
journey had a theme,

It would be the power
of men of faith.

From the mosques and churches
of Istanbul to the ruins of
Ephesus

and the home altars
of New Delhi,

my journey was affected,
and I was protected

by humans of all
different faiths,

who ultimately all
believed in one thing:

kindness.