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India: Changing

January 22, 2012
Adventure, India
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When I began telling people that I had decided to come back to India for the months of January and February, they immediately began telling me how much the place has changed. We’ll see.

The last time I was in India, I was young, living in what was arguably a suboptimal situation, and spending my days tucked away in a small school in one of Delhi’s slums. I had moved to India to pickup some international development work experience before beginning graduate school. I was young, full of idealism and southern sensibilities, excited to begin work. After only 4 months, these things had been sucked out of me. I began to believe that human nature was inherently bad and corrupted by power. I began to believe that there were people who only wanted a better life position given to them free of charge. I began to believe that every man only saw a woman as an object to be possessed, and that every Indian was out to take me for all that I was worth just because I had blue eyes. For me, this was a shocking change of perception.

As I moved on and time passed, I could look back on my experience with softened eyes and pull out more of the positive moments and lessons. During my time, I had met some of the most sincere and generous people ever, mostly on trains and when traveling by myself. And I cannot forget that the girls with whom I worked had a strength and light about them that inspired me to no end. Unfortunately I still remember how that light seemed to be stamped out in most of the adults I encountered.

The juxtaposition of my experiences allowed me to become more confident in my beliefs on international development (that effective development can only take place with the direct involvement and ownership by local actors) and prematurely, but beneficially, knocked some of that young naiveté out of me. Never again would I encounter a place or culture and not look for the unapparent side, the full context. Never again would I take for granted the hope that is created by youth (in life experiences, not age). Never again would I be happy doing something that doesn’t make an impact.

Whether or not India has changed since the last time I was here, India has changed me. I think with that new consciousness, this time around will have to be different, and hopefully, will change me anew.

India: Christmas in Goa

January 1, 2012
Adventure, India, Religion
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Christmas in Agonda Beach

My first Christmas away from home – it would be a little strange in any case, but add to it all the wonderful delights that come with being in India and you have quite the eclectic holiday experience. In Goa Christmas is celebrated on the 24th. Everyone puts on his or her best sari or shiny suit and heads out to church for midnight mass. The whole town takes on the air of a street party. Christmas carols serenade rooftop yoga classes. Fireworks explode over the beach. And the streets are lined with lit paper stars hanging from palm trees. No white Christmas here, but if you like a sea breeze with your twinkle lights, you’re in the right place.

India: A letter to India

December 30, 2011
Adventure, India
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Dear India.

I was so excited about returning to you. I wasn’t sure of what to expect, but so far you have not led me too far astray.

10 minutes in Mumbai — I have already had 50 rupees stolen from me by the government employee at the pre-paid taxi stand and seen two men urinating in plain view on the street, but only been heckled once. And India, that was through my taxi window so we both know that it hardly counts. Maybe you have changed since last time I was here!

But not to fear! 24 hours later I had paid 500 rupees too much for a SIM card and phone plan, been followed at length in the market by a man bent on asking me if I needed help apparently until I would relent and say yes (India, I never relent when we visit), and had to fight with a taxi cab driver about why the 120 rupees that were on his meter when I got into his cab were not mine to pay. Oh India, I have missed your warm embrace!

The one thing I can say for sure is that if you haven’t changed, I most certainly have. Being seven years older than the last time I was here seems to make me a little less of a novelty. Six years out of the sugary south and four years in NY have made me more streetwise and less questioning of my own instincts.

India, we might yet succeed at turning this love/hate relationship into a lifelong, warm, mutual affection. I am looking forward to it.

Yours (well… Sicily, Greece, and Antarctica have a part of me too, but don’t worry. I am big enough to share.),

Renee

USA: Mesa Verde National Park

December 20, 2011
Adventure, National Parks, South West
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Mesa Verde is our last national park stop on the trip. This was one of the few places I knew I wanted to visit before we left for our trip. Thousands of years old stone houses tucked into cliff faces, encompassing the history of a whole population that disappeared mysteriously at the peak of their civilization hundreds of years ago – how could I not want to go!

USA: Chimayo, Sacred Dirt & Chili

December 14, 2011
Adventure, Food, South West
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The closed gates. Just try to tell me that this doesn't look like a place with sacred dirt.

In Santa Fe I stopped by to see a work colleague. Within the first few minutes of our conversation, she had convinced us that we had to go see the town of Chimayo about 45 minutes outside of Santa Fe. Apparently there is a famous sanctuary in the Chimayo and to take some of the dirt from the ground of this sanctuary is supposed to have bring good luck and health. Decision made. I figured at this point, I should be taking all the help I could get.

Unfortunately the sanctuary closed at 5pm and we rolled up at 5:20pm. Perhaps seeing the sanctuary wasn’t meant to be, but meeting our new favorite chili vendor was. I just wanted to wander into one of the galleries that still looked open, but the chili vendor stopped us. He persuaded us to take a pistachio, “put it in your left molar”, and then chew it with a pistachio shell full of whatever magnificent chili mix he happened to have ready for us. Each trial was followed by a list of possible dishes that could made with the chili: Red was for baked chicken, spaghetti, guacamole. Green was for fish, salsa, etc, etc.

I might just be evolving into a softy for a driven entrepreneur, but within 10 minutes he had sold us not one but two bags of chili. If we actually had a kitchen still in which to use them, I probably would have bought many more bags. Heading back to car, I had the thought — if you can’t walk away with a bag of holy, healing dirt, two bags of chili might just be the perfect substitute.