Road Rules.

Driving. Wow. I don't think I can really describe driving around India. Of course, I don't partake in such things as to operating a motorized vehicle because: A.) It's against the program rules. B.) It's against Indian Law to drive a motorized vehicle if you are under 18(though kids do anyway, because that is their only mode of transportation.) C.) It's absolutely crazy driving here.

They honk to notify the person in front of them that they are passing. It's really crazy. Nobody signals here, and there are no traffic lights, if there were, people would not abide by them anyway. Scooters and motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic, while bicycles are doing the same, while these things called rickshaws are zooming around, speeding, trying to transport their customer. Yeah, chaotic.

What noises those horns make too! Wow! So colorful, each car has it's individual honking personality, not an over exaggeration either. It's kind of fun to close your eyes and listen.

Even when cars back up, they have these cute little melodies that are being played, that way people know that there is something coming. It's funny. [ex. the Titanic Theme, yes, I have heard it being played while a car is backing up.]

I was just looking at how some transport cargo trucks are all so colorfully painted, it's like fun art. Even some tarps that cover the trucks are cool looking.

I have this urge to get together 50 of these trucks,, stand in front of them at a conductors stand with a baton, and conduct a whole musical piece with all their horns. Not only will it be pleasing to the ear, it would also be visually stimulating as well! Just think about it! =D

Haha, me and my wild imagination. Thought I would share this little fun snipet.

Hope all is well at home.

Streets of India

Wind blows my hair back, the scooter jerks from the brakes scraping the tires with anticipation. I look ahead of me, yet my peripheral vision sees more. I find myself not wanting to look. To see skeleton dogs haunt the streets in gangs. Watch a middle age woman with a crutch, limping, not even begging for money, but for something to eat.

My heart jerks, I feel like I am suffocating at times. A little boy knocking on people's car windows, begging for money, another boy trying to sell little trinkets to get by for the day. Tarps, so many tarps. Set up on the side of the road, with whole families salvaging what they can. Washing clothes in water that they bathe in and even drink from because they have nothing else. But more, these little boys are my brother's age. These boys have been forced to be men, to survive under harsh conditions, to fend for themselves.

And I look where I am living right now. I take a leap back to the memories of where I did live before this, back in America. I have a home. I have a family. Clean water, clothes and even money.

Money. I have about 200 rupees in my wallet right now. That amount of money is $4. That same amount can feed a whole family here. So when I pass a mother and her child, I want to cry. They tell me not to give money to beggars here because they will only want more and swarm me. Okay. But I am a human being too. I have a heart, I care, I love, I cry, I fear, I laugh, I smile, I desire. The people I pass on the street are human beings as well. Do I ignore my convicting emotions? So much of me wants to ignore what I was told. To slip out at least a 100 rupee bill and hand it to that little boy with that little scratch on his face from playing in the landfill.

I see these faces everyday. Struggle, stamped permanently on their faces, determination to find something more than this. And I ask myself, as a respectable human, can I really walk on? Look straight ahead of myself, look like a greedy bastard who unfortunately has more rupees in her wallet than some have ever had in their lives?

Walking pass them, I stare. The little boy stares right back at me. Then many. They are sticking to my skin, my face, my attire, those irises of theirs. Some curious, some poisonous, some attracted.

I am a foreigner. I have no fear to look back. But the only thing that I can give is a smile. So I smile real big, as my gift to them. I smile in hope that it will suffice. I can't help everybody.But if there is anything I can do, I should. I do what I can, I can't do everything, but I can do something at the very least.

So, if I can pull out a 100 rupee bill and afford to give it to that little boy, should I? Just watch me.

************

I think what really gets me the most is although they don't have much, they have everything. There are people who are more than content with what they have. They don't have a home, yet some are able to laugh and smile. I feel like I come from a spoiled nation where if we can't get that book or shirt, we complain.

Since I have been here, I have cried. Yes, but I have no shame in it. Crying is natural. I was expecting nothing less of myself. Tears full of sadness, helplessness, but also joy and laughter. It's a balance.

I admit it. This is the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my life, but I have never been more happy. I have moments here when I want to give in. India is a melding pot, full of religions, cultures, ideals, languages, all meshed into one. Working together to be what this nation is. Through unity, they surpass most countries. Is it wrong for me to say that in a way, I feel India has progressed a lot farther than the USA? Who says that we must define a 1st world country because of it's riches? Technology? Wealth? India is rich in culture, diversity, unity. India is more developed to me. It's a powerhouse country that is going to hit everybody hard and knock them down. Brilliant minds have come from India, yet why do some people look at India and the first words that come to some are "Isn't that a third world country?" I want to respond and say "no" because India is no where near that.

Last night I went to see a play with my host parents. The play was all in Gujarati. My host parents were worried that I wouldn't like it because I wouldn't understand it. It was a comedic play. I decided wholeheartedly that I wanted to go along with them, I am here to experience, no? Going to that play was the best decision I had made. We were all laughing. I was laughing just as much as the woman next to me, and just as much as my host parents. I came to the unquestionable conclusion; I am separated from everybody here by language; yet we can still share the same laughter.

"A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveler does not know where he came from."- Lin Yutang


The pattern in which the world spins is truly a formality. We each have our own personal world and in this world we have a completely different rotation than the person next to us. Getting off the plane and landing here, my world has turned upside down. I am hiking upstream. Learning how to adapt to the environment and the people is like trying to fit an over sized ice cube into a bottle. At first it will not fit at all. That ice cube needs some time to melt away its pride, and mold its knowledge in to that bottle.Right now I’m at the melting and molding phase, but the day I fit into that bottle is the day I will be on top of the mountain and nothing will bring me down.


I will gently disclose to you all, that though I am writing this blog to everybody, words could not possibly grasp any of this. I attempt to try each time though, in hope that I can somewhat summarize what is happening here in India. Sadly, I wish I could share more with all of you, but I feel as if this is a journey that I must take, and only give you snipets of.

Hope all is well at home.

Hello!

Been some time since I have written. I have been pretty busy. I attended a 3 day orientation in Ahmadabad, which was a long train ride from where I am. We are talking 7 hours of traveling. Woke up at 3am to get on the train with another exchange student who is from Brasil, nice guy. And we were on that train forever. Got there and was escorted to some cars to drive to the resort we were suppose to stay at. The rotarians here are sooo nice. They really take care of you. The other students that I met are very nice, we all get along just fine. Though our group is not as diverse as I thought it would be, mostly people are from the USA, Canada, France, and one person from Brasil. Still, we are rockin' out. It was a lot of fun to be with them and just talk to them about how things were going for them.

The resort we were staying at was AMAZING. So pretty, it was a topnotch resort. We are talking about the whole thing. Nice swimming pool. A GYM, which I was so happy about since I haven't exercised in forever and I feel like a lazy slob. The GRASS, was even perfect. Perfectly cut, and green, soo pretty. There was this huge fountain and there was a sort of fountain show at night. It was heaven.



The rooms, AC with nice beds, soft and nice. The room was gorgeous. So much fun. I was bunking with this exchange girl from France, Fanny. She is soo nice. She was sort of sick for most of the orientation though, I felt awful. Though the second and third day, she felt good enough to come out with us and go swimming and play cricket.

Speaking of cricket, I love it. =D



It was great to be physically active.

The third day we did a little bit of site seeing. Rode on a cart pulled by a CAMEL. What a great experience. Hahha, loads of fun.


Went into the city, really busy, we got stared at a lot. Visited a Mosque, a BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE made of sandstone and marble. So amazing.





And we were able to visit Mahatma Gandhi's House. We were all stunned. It was just surreal to see where he sat and pondered things, did his work. Slept, live. Too cool.



There were these wild monkeys just roaming around the city, so our tourguide bought us crackers and we FED THEM. That was a pretty neat thing. One of them almost attacked us though...hahha. That was pretty crazy.




It was a fun three days. The train ride back was a lot shorter than the one there. We were chatting the whole time. It was sad at the same time as we slowly said good-bye to each other at the designated stops where students had to get off. At the end, it was just Mr. Brasil and I. He lives 30 minutes from where I am staying, he is in Vapi. So we ended up getting off at the same stop. By the time we got off, we were completely hysterical because it was 1am in the morning and sleep deprivation had gotten to us. We started on the train at 6pm, mind you. It was a long train ride, we at 3 bars of chocolate to stay awake. hahahhahaha.

Two days after the great adventure in Ahmadabad, I drove to Bombay with my host family to drop off my host brother, he was leaving for his exchange. What an emotional day that was. People crying and everything. I was a bit sad too that he was leaving, he was my first friend here. He looked ready to leave though, and he looked really excited as well. Sending him off was pretty sad for me.

I am now taking his place here in this household. I am suppose to do all these errands if asked, which I am completely fine with. The fact that the language is getting in the way is a bit annoying. So now, I can say the learning really begins. Before my host brother left, I was in the position of talking English with him and he was my translator, but now I can't do that anymore. Time to buckle down and learn. =)

Hope everything is well.