I just arrived in India… about 3 hours ago. I haven’t seen it yet, obviously, but I feel like I have seen so little of India more so tonight than any other arrival into a country. I suppose this is my first time flying in at night time but I also feel that it has to do with the airport. Everyone who had been to India before said that it was not like India - this particular airport was very nice. Perhaps when I say I haven’t seen India it is because I haven’t seen the dirt of India. This is a lot of what people describe India as, they talk about the smells in India, people and animals going every which way, beggars, peddlers, death. As I write this I have the feeling that by coming to India I have given up being comfortable for a while. This feeling goes with my hypothesis that India will not be equipped with the get-everything-you-need-to stores or the over whelming multitude of single purpose stores present in all of the cities I have been in Asia. We will see how true this is, my foresight of cities is never accurate. I am constantly surprised by them: the western shops, tall buildings, relative cleanliness compared to my foggy – and unfounded - images of wooden buildings and dirty roads.
I had two weird experiences in the airport. One: Lizzie and I were the last two passengers on the plane. It took me a while to gather my belongings and when we were leaving the plane, continuing through the passage to airport we were inundated by Indian men in navy blue uniforms and neon yellow vests, some holding vacuums. It was overwhelming. Two: in the bathroom, there was a woman who stood with her mop and bucket (might have been a broom)behind the door. She stared and did not smile, I felt embarrassed yellow-mellowing with the person who cleans the restroom standing in front of me. I went back and flushed. She continued looking ahead, not necessarily fixed on me, as I washed my hands she dispensed some paper towels and handed them to me. Too much service! I am uncomfortable!
Things I knew about India:
The head bobble, my friend Nate’s mannerisms, and discussion with of Indian culture.
Gandhi, the break from England
Yoga autobiography of a yogi
Stories from travelers
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This began as a journal during the 2008-2009 school year while studying with the Comparative Religion and Culture (CRC) program of Global College (which was formerly known as Friends World Program and I call Friends Global World to reconcile my loyalties to both titles). I still have not posted all of this material as of the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. Blogging has turned from an assigned task to something enjoyable. Posts are generally self reflective, a discussion of experiences, as this grew from an exercise to flesh and flush out ideas that appeared in other course writing. Peace, Love, :)!
1 comment:
I hope india doesnt get too crazy for you....Just try to not judge india by bangalore...eeehhhh....and I think I had the same exact experience in an airport bathroom when i flew into india...only there were like 5 women all standing there looking at me....waiting to give me paper towels....mop in hand.....creepy....haha...I miss you tons!!!
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