The Incred!ble India and some pics :)

The Cricket Team...a lot of fun!

-->

I often get asked about my experience India. T short answer is that "it was great." And here is the longer answer...

They don't call it "the incredible India" for no reason...it is incredible in so many ways. Of course, I had heard a lot of this in the past, but seeing it is a different story. It was incredible how the entire system works in face of a bursting population, heart-wrenching poverty (with rising inequality... some of the richest people in the world are Indians!), extreme weather conditions, the infamous monsoons and of course the unmatched diversity (Chennai, where we were staying is an entirely different world from any other place, say Kerala, or Mumbai or Hyderabad).

Let me get into some more details - I know this means falling victim to the criticism that I always have of others ("tourists") who stereotype based on their very superficial and 'scratching the surface' understanding of a people. So I am hoping my critics (esp my Indian friends) would be a bit more forgiving. ;)

What really impressed me about India was how "content" people were with their lives. You would see people literally having nothing, born and raised on the streets, often with no shelter or regular food, but still "happy" and satisfied with their conditions (at least seemingly). And it's not that they are unaware of the worldly luxuries. They see skyscrapers and SUVs and posh malls, yet they don't seem to have the temptations or the burning desires to own them...

There were other more obvious things that impressed me about India. One is their touristic sites such as their world famous Taj Mahal, which is again un-describable in words, Humayoon Tomb, wild sanctuaries and places like Munar in Kerala. The food is another obvious element. Although I was unable to develop a taste for Idlis, I loved their Dosai, and snacks like pav bhaji, dahi puri, etc. As for fruits, I believe nothing beats their mangos, and all fresh fruits were simply amazing.

But like anywhere else, not everything is rosy…I won’t discuss the over-discussed issues of poverty, pollution, congestion, etc. What I found uncomforting and sometimes puzzling (for lack of a better word) is how class plays a role in every day life. An example of something that didn’t (and still doesn’t) make sense to me is this: we are all sitting in a restaurant and enjoying the food. Someone calls the waiter and asks him to serve the food that is right in front of him on the table...I always wondered if it was easier to simply help yourself as the serving dish is right in front of you rather than calling the waiter and asking him to do so…maybe I am missing something (I am pretty sure I am), but I had a couple of such observations where hierarchical relationships were simply perplexing.

You can see India as the next rising economic power in the region although they have many many issues to deal with from the environment to poverty, to cultural practices and so on. The Slumdog Millionnaire, although a controversial movie, raises some of these issues in the bustling city of Mumbai.

Below are some of the pictures from our one year time in India, looking at which always takes us back there, reminding us of the good old times, nice friends and colleagues and the incredible experience!

In Kanchipuram, a transition school ran by Hand in Hand (Montessori-style), Photo credit: Joanne Sprague

Najim & Salma enjoying their first camel ride in the beautiful and serene Pushkar!

Heaven on earth....the magnificent tea plantations of Munnar.

Houseboats in Kerala