Why?
One, if rational, may ask the
question, why India.
I don’t have a simple answer, or much of an answer at all
to that question. I will feebly attempt some response.
The question is one I ask myself
on many occasions both before returning as well as on occasion while here. So
it is not a question that is foreign to me at all.
And I get asked it all the time.....
From a rational perspective it
makes no sense whatsoever. I am living in one of the most beautiful locations
on the planet. I live in a clean, quiet, orderly, functional and efficient
place where, despite power outages more than many locations in India,
everything basically works properly. So why?
Firstly, it is good to get out of
our comfortable cocoon from time to time and experience some of the alternate
means of living that the world has to offer. This is most important for
Americans as we live so insulated at the center of the empire.
There is something so unique
about India. It is amazing, terrible, terribly amazing, overwhelming, where
life has not been sanitized, hermetically sealed, polished. It is organic (not
in the sense of free from pollutants), raw, uncensored (not in the sense of
totally free expression in film and literature and the like) in the sense that
aspects of life that may not be that delightful, are not varnished over or
relegated to some locked off area so as to be unseen.
All in all, it is sort of polar
opposite to America culture (while also being 12 time zones on the very
opposite side of the planet).
It is full on sensory assault,
overload, load. By way of example, yesterday I had to go to town to get some
things, and just walking through the market area you are at time overwhelmed
with the odor of rotting refuse and overwhelmed with the heavenly, intoxicating
fragrance of the heaps of jasmine flowers for sale in the stalls.
India is definitely not some
‘vacation’ destination in any usual sense (even though there probably are a few
insulated resorts that provide that)
But I have found something
addictive in the chaos that is India.
And then of course there is the
food. In my view there are a handful of truly great mother cuisines on the
planet, them being Italian, Chinese (including Thai etc) and Indian. It is pretty
hard to find food here that is not delicious and most meals are truly
excellent. Even simple fare has a delightful mix of flavors that makes it very
satisfying.
For those of you who have been
here most likely understand everything I have said. For those who have not this
has provided only poor vision of the full reality. For those, I strongly
suggest, if you can pull together the courage, mindset, strength and fortitude
to take the plunge to do so. I can not promise you that you will not regret it
but I can promise you a good education and expansion of perspective.
Go for it!
Here is another take on the question:
NOTE: I was very bad at posting stories last trip so this was written back in January.
Right now I am about to return and as with every time, I am asking myself WHY???
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