"the incredible india" - india travel

8/3/2019 "The Incredible India" - India TRAVEL

1/5

Thankfully, as each day matures into the next, so

does my understanding of this great nation. I have

learned that first impressions are almost always

inaccurate, nothing more then surface accusations

focused on Indias anomalous characteristics,

rather then its laudable attributes, and to grasp the

true India, I would need time and patience. Time for

each event, activity and person encountered to

marinate my cognitive ergo growing into deeper

perceptions and objective impressions. Impressions

that I intend to share with you now.

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The Incredible India

Inflicting the same damage as writers block, India has slapped me with the opposite, writers overload. What to write about, replaced with what not to write

about as even the simplest experiences lend themselves to a myriad of impressions, thoughts and perceptions crucial to the literary re-telling of the

experience, but which seem to change just as quickly as I can write them down. You see, to paint an accurate picture of India, is like initiating an

argument you cannot win. Each time you think you have an idea or event nailed down, another issue arrises which makes you reconsider your stance on

the previous. A problem that, for the past 2 months, has all but debilitated by ability to transform one solitary experience into an accurately portrayed

composition.

Consider it a brief and extremely fragmented introduction to Indias endless dichotomies, constructed by its idiosyncrasies, which give birth to its realities.

Or, more simplify put, a listing of the bad, the good, and the just plain bizarre attributes that make India so incredible!

.

Lets start with the bad aspects many consider synonymous with India. The inexorable cultural and lifestyle

contrasts that will almost certainly, astonish and quite possibly, disturb new arrivals.

First, and foremost, Trash. Undoubtedly the first and last thing you will see in India.

Unrestricted trash disposal (what environmentalists would term, littering) is apart of Indias culture, just as

much as not littering is to many others cultures. Generally speaking, following consumption of any product

(simply name one), the unusable detritus are discarded on whatever surface nearest, with little, or no regard

to the appearance, smell, or problem they are abetting in. Sure, the biodegradable materials such as paper

and scraps of unwanted food, are only aesthetic flaws to the landscape, but what about environmental

hazards, like plastic? Cows try to ingest it, street sweepers try to burn it, and impoverished people try to re-

sell it, but plastic remains Indias most tangible nemesis.

Indias next unfortunate reality, Poverty.

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2/5

Religion.

You will discover a life infused with religion. Whether Hindu, Buddhist,

Muslim, Jain or Christian, Indians admirably acknowledge their

corresponding, God (or Gods), in all they do. No, task is too menial, no

distance is too far, no activity is too ignominious. Believers will trek across

the country, with nothing more then the clothes on their backs and a few

rupees in their pocket, to partake in religious festivals. Believers will halt

business, or delay opening, to ensure completion of diurnal prayers.

Believers will even perform tasks, disbelievers deem repugnant. One of

such classification, the ritual, and for many, habitual, anointments, baths,

and drinks taken from squalid pools and rivers considered sacred. Looking

past the disconcerting additions of trash, excrement, and human remains,

believers only see the purity of the water, soaking up its medicinal powers

and karma-tic benefits.

Over 75% of Indias whopping population falls under the poverty line, a line resembling more of a wall, then a

permeable transition from one life to the next. Pauperdom is a black hole, detaining even the most resilient

and propitious of individuals from amounting to anything more. Expectedly, lack of funds obstruct many

outlets towards economic betterment, such as education and entrepreneurship, but family caste also plays a

large hand. The few that break free from their indigent beginnings, rarely escape that of societies stereotypes

on them. From the slums, lower caste, beggar for life, are associations that can follow people their entire

lives, no matter what their achievements and successes. And although the caste system is meeting more resistance as cities liberalize, it doesnt seem to

be happening fast enough. Slums continue to grow exponentially by the month, diseases continue to ravage those who cant afford health care, and job

opportunities dwindle every day.

Finally, Population rounds out, and plumps out, Indias last ineluctable ingredient.

You are never alone in India, there will always be someone near, and yet another person, nearer. Forecasted to pass Chinas immense population in the

next few years, Indias population is erupting. Akin to most developing nations, cities feel the brunt of populace expansion, but its the rural areas who are,

quite literally, giving birth to the problem. Contraceptives are rarely used and family planning does not exist. Once youre married, youre ready for

children.

There is no end in sight for this population proliferation and sadly, majority of Indias population will be claimed by poverty. But dont be fooled, for every

impoverished hand extended for charity, there is another clutching a wallet full of money. A world of high-castes, servants, personal drivers and incredible

luxuries also exist. The all-hour night clubs of Mumbai, the luxury car saturated streets of New Delhi and the high-dollar real estate around Goas alluring

beaches. This is India too. A swelling middle-class pushing towards affluence everyday, while the already affluent continue to grow richer. A dichotomy

which exists in most countries - the rich get richer, the poor get poorer - but probably none so apparent as India.

Ok, so weve recognized and introduced a handful of Indias unfavorable attributes but its time to examine the other side of the coin. Those wondrous

qualities that will inspire and perhaps reshape your outlook on life.

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3/5

Community.

You will feel the warmth of community, even as an outsider. Friendly

handshakes are extended to ensure comfort and happiness, queries are

answered before even asked, and conversations initiated for no other reason

then to say, Hello, and, Welcome. No matter the reason, people want to

meet you and more so, to call you their friend. Reciprocating their kind

gestures with a friendly willingness, not to mention accepting innumerable

cups of chai tea along the way, advances you from stranger to friend status

in a significant instant.

And Food.

Color may paint life in India, but food spices it. Born from age old, finely

tuned spice combinations, Indias lip-smacking, taste bud titillating

delicacies range from piquant savories to sultry sweets. Dancing to life on

your palate, some flavors will sweep you into a delicious waltz, while others

leap into an intensely flavorful tango. Whatever your taste preference, I

promise India has a dish for you...but only if youre willing

to try.

Happiness.

You will uncover happiness in the least likely of places. Families laughing

and blathering away over their daily task of molding cow manure into disks

for desiccation, women joyfully gossiping about the days happenings while

arduous load of sticks and rock, balanced perfectly atop their heads, strain

their well-conditioned muscles, children playing impassioned games of

cricket atop trash mounds, and the most untarnished smiles, beaming forth

from beneath layers of filth. Of course, you will also see happiness

amongst the wealthy but for me, its the happiness that comes from the

lack of money, that is so striking.

Color.

Color paints life in India. Based in natural elements, such as saffron yellow,

chili red, and indigo blue, color is not just classification in India, color paints

significance. Exquisitely designed saris, sporting lustrous beadwork and

vibrant patterns, correspond with festivals and ceremonies. Neon turbans

emphatically opposing the overall muted, white garb of their possessors

indicate social standing. And the effervescent blue homes of Indias poorer

communities, herald pride and optimism. You will see color, true color, for

the first time in your life here in India.

Finally, Indias good and bad, the Indian Yin and Yang, would not be complete without the line connecting the two. A grey area that can only be classified

as those different, and quite possibly bizarre, characteristics that hold everything together.

Cows. Holy Cows to be exact. Worshiped, and therefore protected, by the Hindu religion, cows are commonplace citizens in India, with practically more

pedestrian rights then people. Especially, in the cities. If a cow decides to take a nap, for instance, in the middle of a highway, you go around. If a family

of cattle choose to embark on a sluggish Sunday stroll down main street, cars must await passage. And when herds make camp on railway tracks, train

conductors must coerce them from the tracks without inflicting physical harm. With no fear of punishment, subsequent restraint, or ending up on a dinner

plate, its no wonder cows have become desensitized to their unconventional surrounds and even adapted to it. Light poles provide great scratching posts,

fast-moving traffic emit refreshing breezes and a never ending smorgasbord of trash lines every alleyway. Whether green pastures or urban boulevards,

cows always have the right of way in India.



4/5

Staring. Ever want to know how a celebrity feels? Come to India. As a

foreigner, you will be stared at anywhere and everywhere you go. And Im

not referring to indiscrete glances, these are stop in your tracks, mouth

open, non-blinking gawks. But dont be alarmed, most people dont even

realize theyre doing it. More curious then anything, all that is required toend their ocular interrogation, is a smile. A smile that will almost certainly

be returned, ending the awkward, model on display feeling. Now for

females, the piece of meat sensation is more difficult to denounce, but a

good long stare back, followed by an unappreciative scowl, is usually

enough to make the men reconsider their degrading appraisal.

Public Restrooms (or lack thereof). You will see more people then you care to remember relieving themselves along railroad tracks, against public

buildings, and on the cement blocks literally right next to you. Some, respectfully turning their backs to you, others providing full-frontals not soon

forgotten.

.

Honking! Used as a last resort warning in many countries, honking in India is the exact opposite.

Blinkers arent used, passing laws arent followed (if there were any to follow) and lanes are dictated by

the obstacles in the road (stubborn cows, runaway produce carts, stalled vehicles, sluggish

pedestrians, ect.) which leaves only one reliable authority on the road, your HORN! A necessary evil,

honking warns other vehicles of your presence and your intentions. I hate to say it, but the more

honking the better, and those yahoos who take honking to an unnecessary extreme, convinced their

horn is a supersonic laser beam by which initiating an irritating, unremitting honk will instantly destroy

the cars in their path, are probably the safest drivers in India.



5/5

The Indian Head Wobble. Similar to the Western Head Bob, in which

people greet, thank, or show appreciation with a slow up and down bob of

their head, the Indian Wobble flips the movement from vertical to lateral,

adds a slight wiggle and is mysteriously able to transmit every emotion

known to man. Signifying anything from a simple, Hello or Goodbye to

Yes and No, the Wobble can also be used to entice purchases by shop

owners, show interest between the sexes, and even contradict words being

spoken (forever confusing tourists like myself). For instance, stating No

but still moving their head in a happy side to side wiggle, otherwise

interpreted as an affirmative gesture. A most curious yet addicting gesture

that you will almost certainly adopt at one time or another.

So, there you have it. Two months of notes outpoured in a brief (well, as brief as I can be) synopsis of my current, although ever-changing, impressions of

India. Have I left anything out? Heaps! Is there more I wish I could add? Absolutely. But, as Ive learned, words will never be able to quantify India. The

ability to embrace mystifying moments for the insights and revelations unveiled, to recognize bizarre incidents as routine necessities, and to look past

often tragic events to find humanity and beneficence can only be revealed through personal experience. This is my India, I urge you to go find yours.

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