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September 14, 2004
First trip to India
I was in India in 2001 and it changed my life so much and now I have the chance to return in December this year. I am hoping my good friends Amit and Ian will come as well. I know there are more lessons to learn there and the Rotary Library project is under way. More about that later. I wanted to share my reflections from 4 years ago and compare what I find this time so here goes.
The head is filled with many perceptions that at times makes you sick to your stomach and then immediately makes your eyes fill with tears. Children begging on the streets, crowded highways filled with motorized rickshaws, women carrying straw bales on their heads, camel drawn carts, and markets filled with goods makes this an intriguing kaleidoscope of many faces. Looking with the head one sees a hot, dusty, overcrowded country with virtually no santitation. One can only speculate why the status quo is maintained without heed to environmental protection or public education for all children. The resources here are so untapped. Maybe there is simply too much to be done bringing an overwhelming feeling, so nothing is done.
The saddest part are the children. Many are not fortunate enough to have an education so their cycle of poverty continues. This seems such an error in judgment since those who do receive an education seem to head to first world countries to make a better life for themselves. I don’t blame them one bit. In fact, I respect them more for fighting many odds to get there. Will they return to help reshape India? Only time will tell us if the next generation will make a difference.
I am an outsider looking at the surface but I did feel that India was so much more. It has been overlooked as a world power but the many facets of this fascinating country are endless. When seeing India with the heart, one sees a timeless magic. The birthplace of religion and for me a spiritual awakening. It is that chance encounter, that look or glance making things feel familiar as if one has been here before. This is a land of glorious momuments and palaces.
Delhi, Bombay, Agra, Mussorie, Dhanbad, Goa, and Calcutta are all beautiful in their own ways. These are the places we visited.
India is more than the cities and the sites to be seen there. A rich vibrant culture awaits all those who visit. Everyone has his own experience here. India is about the people. We were fortunate to be hosted by natives so we were able to meet many different kinds of people. I found them to be kind, loving, genuine, and gentle. They are naïve in some ways, yet brilliant and eager to please.
How can I emphasize enough or express adequately the kindness we were shown by our host families. I don’t think there is anywhere in the world that could rival the generosity of these kind people. If you are lucky enough to be the guest of an Indian then you are treated as if you were kings and queens. I am told this is custom but somehow I feel our hosts went beyond the typical customs of hosting. Without them this dream trip would not have been possible. I want to acknowlegde and say a heartfelt thank you to them all.
Posted by nancy at September 14, 2004 07:43 AM
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