India

A couple of years ago at a normal family dinner sitting around our round dinner table in the kitchen oh my home, my Bubbie gave me the best advice I've ever received. She told me that whenever I am walking alone or in an unfamiliar place “always walk with a purpose. Walk with a destination in mind”. That advice has stuck with me ever since that night and was most helpful when I was in India this past week.

We arrived in India on March 11th. I of course was nervous and resistant to this country because I knew going into it, it would be the most difficult to deal with and of course the big C-word (change) from what I am used to. On the other hand I was happy to be going on a four-day trip through India with SAS because I knew they would take care of all of the itinerary and in some ways “hold my hand” throughout the country. We left Chennai (in south India) during the first afternoon and flew to Delhi where we checked into a hotel, had our first Indian dinner and went to bed to prepare for an early wake up call.

The phone rang at 4am and I half asleep prepared myself for a 2.5 hour train ride to Agra. When we arrived in Agra we went straight to one of the most prominent landmarks in the world; one of the seven wonders of the world- the Taj Mahal. It was incredible and almost unrealistic to be standing in front of this building that I have heard so much about and seen so many pictures of. I felt like I was standing in front of a giant canvas painting of the building not the actual building itself. After taking close to one million pictures I walked closer to the palace and finally went in. The details of the marble carvings and inset jewels were beautiful. After spending about an hour at the Taj we headed back to our bus through the beggars and children asking for money. One of the hardest parts about being in India was ignoring the children asking for money. Our guide warned us that if we talk to anyone asking for anything they will take our “No thank you” as a “maybe” and continue to harass us. I had mixed emotions about this because I knew I had enough money to give to these children but I also knew that if I did give them anything more children would surround me and ask for more.

After visiting the Taj Mahal we went to a marble making place where we learned about how they make marble tables and how they inset the jewels into the marble permanently with a secret glue solution. I wanted to buy something from this place but it was all really expensive so I decided to try to find something similar somewhere else in India.

Next stop was Agra Fort, which are the ruins of an old palace used centuries ago for the king of Agra. We learned about his royal way of life and how he had may wives and servants at his disposal. Each room had different purposes but all belonged to him. After walking around this fort we got back on the bus for a 6.5 hour bus ride to Jaipur (also known as the “pink city”). On our way to Jaipur we stopped at another fort called Ghost City where we learned similar things in comparison to Agra Fort. After a long and bumpy car ride through the dangerous streets of rural India we arrived in Jaipur late at night and exhausted from a full day of traveling and experiencing India.

The next day we woke up early again to head into the center of Jaipur. We got to another fort and waited in line for about 45 minutes to ride an elephant! When we got to the front of the line 2 people at a time got onto a galley-backed elephant where we rode up to the top of an old palace. This was one of my favorite parts about my time in India. The elephants were decorated with blankets and paint on their tusks. They looked beautiful but I did feel bad for them because the harnesses looked like they were hurting and I could tell that this is the only thing they do all day and are not treated as well as they should be. I guess I have become more sensitive to different kinds of animal cruelty after going on the safari in South Africa and seeing the animals content in their natural environment.

After the elephant ride we were taken to a textile factory where we learned and saw how they make genuine wool and cashmere rugs. All of these rugs were beautiful and I impulsively bought a small very good quality rug made by hand by these Indian workers. It may look a little out of place in Syracuse, NY next year but it will always remind me of my time in India and on Semester at Sea. After the textile factory we went to a jewelry shop to see silver and precious stones and then headed to a local market. This was by far one of the most interesting experiences I had in India.

The street markets in India are full of stands selling saris, bangles, t shirts, fruits and vegetables and shoes made out of camel leather. My friend and I began walking around by ourselves but quickly learned that it would be better to walk with a couple of guys. We found some boys on our trip and began walking around with them so we wouldn't get harassed as much by the venders. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people staring at us and asking us for our money. I ended up buying some beautiful gold bangle bracelets but left the market early to make myself feel more comfortable. My friend and I walked with a couple of guys back to the bus but on our way saw a lot of teenage boys playing cricket in a field by the bus. We decided it would be fun to go play cricket with the boys or at least watch. As we approached the fence the Indian boys surrounded us because a) we are American and b) my friend and I are girls. The boys all wanted to shake our hands and take pictures with us. After doing this for a couple of minutes we decided to go over the fence to get closer to the cricket game. This was not the best idea for my friend and I. After getting over the fence we were literally surrounded by the boys who began to tease us, grab at us and tell us to take more pictures. We both became extremely uncomfortable (especially after one boy attempted to kiss my friend) so we quickly left and went to sit on the bus. I felt frustrated by this experience because as boys my other friends could easily hang out and watch the Indian boys play cricket, but as girls my friend and I were harassed and made to feel unwelcome. At this point I realized how much I as an American girl take for granted back at home.

After everyone returned from the Market we went to have dinner at an old palace then headed back to the hotel to rest up and prepare ourselves for our 1:30am wake-up call (yes…really 1:30am). We obviously didn't go to bed between 10pm and 1:30am but instead hung out at the roof top bar. At 1:30 we went back to the bus and began another 6.5 hour bus ride back to Delhi. The bus ride was freezing cold from the air-conditioning and uncomfortable. After getting to Delhi we headed to the airport for our 2.5 hour flight back to Chennai.

We got back to Chennai in the afternoon and I immediately jumped into the shower. I have never felt cleaner than after taking that shower because I felt so dirty the three days prior. After showering I then proceeded to the snack bar where I had a good ol' American hamburger which was delicious after spending the past 3 days eating rice, bread and being overly cautious and nervous about food poisoning from the bacteria in India. For the first time in port I was actually content and happy to be back in my new safe-haven, the ship. I spent the rest of the night hanging out of the ship, napping and regrouping from the culture shock that was and is India.

During our last day in India, my friends and I decided to go to a shopping center to buy last minute things. We took a 10 minute rickshaw ride to the mall which was definitely an experience. If anyone has been to India before they know that there are no traffic rules therefore, trucks and motorcycles all go as fast as they want while cutting each other off at every corner. Nevertheless, being in a three-wheeled tiny tin-can that is a rickshaw was an adventure. After surviving the rickshaw rides both to and from the shopping center we headed back to the ship for a final time in India.

So I survived India; the place I was most scared to visit, but the place I had to visit the most if I wanted to get over that fear of change that I talked about in my first post. I am proud of myself for keeping an open mind throughout the experience even though it was difficult at times. For the first time in my life I felt like a complete minority. Being stared at for being a white American was an interesting experience and being harassed because I am a girl was eye-opening. I don't feel the need to return to India anytime soon because I feel that I will never truly feel comfortable in such a different society; however, I am glad that I walked through India with the purpose to overcome this fear of change and with the destination of cultural acceptance in mind.

Top 10 Things I as an American take for granted:
1. Clean/safe tap water
2. Green grass
3. Equality and feminism
4. Strict traffic laws
5. Cleanliness
6. Domesticated pets
7. Toilets and toilet paper
8. Health insurance, doctors and hospitals
9. Air conditioning
10. Freedom (in every sense)