India 2011

I'm back... I don't know where to start or how to begin to explain the amazing time I had in India.  I never quite knew that something was missing until I began to experience my history first hand. I never knew that things like, seeing where my grandparents lived, or where my parents grew up, to stand next to a grave of a family member I ever got the chance or honor to meet, or to see where my dad caught the bus for medical school, were important or relevant to my life.  They so are! The profound feeling I got from taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of my parent's reality is more than my words can describe.  It is a memory I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life.  Pictures from my parent's youth, or the stories they have relayed to me, could not compare or give me such a deep understanding as actually experiencing it was able to.
I understand my parents more.  They have to be admired, because the culture they migrated from is so different than life here in the US.  When people say it is a different world, it definitely is! I could not imagine leaving my family and friends, my culture, language, and work to move literally across the globe to a completely different world and thrive as they have.  How about having a daughter who has minimal understanding of where they came from? One who relates much more to the new culture than the one they grew up in?  It is a pretty complex dynamic, but one that happens with many first generation children.

Airport - greeted with garlands

Auto-rickshaw and driver

Anyways.. where do I begin.  We were greeted at the airport by my mom and two aunts with garlands made of fresh, fragrant flowers!  The first noticeable difference was the traffic! Our driver was running red lights left and right!  Even in the wee morning hours, cars, bikes, auto-rickshaws, and trucks were weaving in and out of their lanes with no rhyme or reason.  It was pretty scary and had me gripping the seat belt, praying to make it safely to our destination.  As time, passed, I learned to love the high paced, chaotic, traffic.  Riding the auto- rickshaws became one of my favorite things to do! 

John w/ the boys from the village

The crib in the village

Hut with coconut leaf roof

View from the top

Ancient Hindu Temple on a moutain

We did a lot of sight seeing during our time in India.  On our second day we visited the Indian Government Museum.  It was pretty funny the entrance fee for Indian nationals was 15 rupees, it was 250 for foreigners!  Talk about a mark up!  The museum consisted of 5 galleries displaying various statues (many Hindu statues dating back from 900 BC), Indian money through the years (starting from 400BC), and animal skeletons.  Later on our trip we visited an area called Mahabalipuram where many vendors display and sell their crafts.  In this town, we also climbed a mountain that lead to an ancient Hindu temple.  At the top, we took in gorgeous coastal views of turquoise waters, palm trees, and clear skies.  Paradise!  We toured an Indian village.  It was very interesting to see how these people made the most of what they had and how happy they seemed to be.  They lived in huts with thatched coconut leaves as the roof, the floors were cement, and there was no AC.  The people were so friendly and open.  Though expensive, they opened a new carton of mango juice and insisted that we have some.  Some village boys, really took to John (my husband).  They climbed a tree and chopped down papayas, John took a video of this, the boys were tickled to see themselves on tape!   

Well, I am glad to be back.  I will write more over the next couple of days.  I have a lot more to tell of my Indian adventures, stay tuned!  God bless you all.