First India Post

Reading about India is very different than physically being here! All of my habits, and methods of communicating and interacting with the world have been challenged. For example, when a person nods their head 'yes' in India, it is somewhat similar to the 'no' we use in the US and other parts of the world, but with more of a ear-to-shoulder motion than back-and-forth. Without knowing Tamil or Hindi (or any of the other many languages of India), I am able to to communicate since many people do speak English. However, there have been many misunderstandings (e.g: suddenly I have been brought coffee when I didn't ask for any), and there is a lot to pay attention to! These little differences have been where much of my attention has gone, as I want to make sure I am interacting in a way that is appropriate.

A list of things I've seen/experienced so far (maybe to expand on later):

-crazy traffic.. Rickshaws, buses, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians all share the road. The few stoplights I've seen in Chennai have been sort-of dictating when people go and stop, however, it appears to be kind of a free-for-all. Basically, drivers just GO. They swerve around traffic, pedestrians, and honk before and while doing so. (honking, yes, lots of honking..). There are rules to this, and perhaps closer observation will let me learn them. Also... as a pedestrian it is my job to watch out for cars, rather than the reverse. Remember the Atari game, Frogger?

-cows in the street. Holy cows! I've seen them more in Tiruvannamalai (smaller city) then Chennai (big city), but they as well as their cow pies are everywhere. Also, traffic stops for cows but not so much for pedestrians.

-Women in beautiful saris. So many colors! Most everyone I saw on the street in Chennai (men included) had perfectly neat and clean attire. This must be a challenge, because the streets are so dusty. I haven't been able to keep my own clothing impeccably clean.

-A funeral procession in the streets of Chennai. The mans body was partially covered with white linens and flowers. I actually can't recall much because I figured it was more respectful not to stare. Also, I have smelled the smell of burning bodies, as a cremation was happening as we rode by in a rickshaw.

-Delicious, spicy food. It is amazing! True confession, however.. On the third day I bought the only remotely western thing on the menu: cornflakes with banana and milk. My digestion was a little overwhelmed. At the Ashram, we eat on palm leaves with our right hand (the left hand should never be used for eating).

-Squat toilets with a hose and/or bucket next to them (no toilet paper). Thank goodness for all that practice wilderness camping. This is sort of a non-issue mostly, as long as I remember to bring some tp. I'm not ready to convert.

-Bare feet. All temples and some stores require you to remove your shoes. It is important to bring a couple pair of cheap flip-flops to India, as $100 chaco sandals might look very tempting to someone interested in swiping a pair of shoes.

-Trash on the streets, in rivers, everywhere. Plastic packaging displayed before our eyes rather than being swept away by magic garbage trucks and forgotten about.

-Schoolchildren in uniforms hanging onto the outside of buses.

-People peeing on the sidewalks. All the time. See it every day, multiple times per day. Of course, they politely turn away from traffic.

-Cell phones and cell phone stores. Apparently, there are more cell phones than public restrooms in India. For safety reasons, I bought a pay-as-you-go phone (just for local calls), as STD (phone) booths are becoming less common. The phone cost me $20, and it is about ten dollars for an hour and a half of talking time, I think (still figuring this one out... the guy who sold me the phone spoke some English, but I wasn't able to communicate all of my questions and get answers).

-Posters of Tamil actor Vijayakanth. At least on the ride to Tiru from Chennai, he was everywhere! Huge posters with streamers, billboards, and paintings of him on bridges lined the streets.

-People asking for money. This is the heartbreaking and confusing aspect of traveling to a country where so much of its inhabitants live in poverty. I read that 25% of the country lives on less than 20 rupees, or half of a US dollar, per day. In all that I've read and discussed with fellow India travelers, giving money to someone on the streets will often result in swarms of people following you, asking for money. It is better to do it when in a not-so-public place or not at all. The reality of the situation is that I am extremely wealthy in comparison to much of the world. Although I'd rather travel a country like India (rather than go somewhere comfortable and sheltered from this reality), it sometimes feels awkward, but in a very necessary way. Perhaps it was time to be reminded of my privilege. Many things to contemplate.

-Also part of the wealthy westerner/not-so-wealthy Indian dynamic are the many safety issues to watch out for as a traveler. There are many details to think about, all of which I am paying very close attention to as I will be traveling alone for part of my journey. It will be a very empowering and important experience for me.

Right now, it is very difficult for me to keep my eyes down, not say hello to strangers, remember to keep my distance (from men, especially) and feel that I am interacting in an authentic way. I know that I will meet people and connect (I already have), but that I can't connect with everyone, especially not in the ways I am accustomed to. I find that I actually have to ignore people, lots of people. As I walk the half mile to the ashram every day I am approached, shouted at, or honked at by at least five different people, many asking for money.

I feel like I have grown up in a cheesy and overly happy childrens sing-a-long video (think: Barney and Friends), and India is like watching a documentary about some of the harsh realities that exist outside of that bubble. In this metaphor, I am specifically referring to the people (many who are missing limbs) begging for food. Although the reality I want to create does involve happy songs and rainbows and such, it is important not to ignore other realities. This is important. I don't know why I was born into a life of comfort and ease (at least, materially) when others have little access to precious resources like food and water. The only thing that I am sure of is I that am certain to whine a lot less from this moment forth.