Saturday, July 21, 2007
Is extremely difficult, especially after a long haul flight – and exactly what we did NOT do.
Our journey took off at JFK, where there were apparently many people going to the same place as I am. Each one was laden with 3 oversized bags. Great. Needless to say, checking in was not a breezy affair.
Emirates was very nice. Our 12 hour flight to Dubai was pleasant and comfortable, but our 8 hour layover in Dubai was not. Our faces were greasy, and we were totally worn out. But, we did it! It was 4am before we boarded our flight to Delhi.
Four hours later, it was Thursday all of a sudden, and we arrived in New Delhi. Customs took just about a lifetime, and another to retrieve our bags. Our of our 30 strong group, 3 bags did not show up. Guess whose? Thank god they’re not mine!! Or else I would have to resort to wearing Punjabi kaftans for the rest of the trip.
Our first sight (and smell) of India came the moment the doors slided open, leading us to our big blue bus. Men swarmed towards us, almost forcing us to let them carry our suitcases. ‘How Nice’, we thought, until we saw their outstretched palms, waiting for some change. But we couldn’t cough it up because 1) we only had $500 and $1000 bills and 2) we were dazed and didn’t know how to react.
We viewed Delhi mainly from the comforts of our big blue bus, which of course, attracted a lot of stares, mostly of curiosity. We saw locals peer at us, wave, and smile. We smiled back, naturally, being the friendly people we are. We saw school boys in their neatly pressed shirts walking along the dirt road, construction workers taking a break under the trees attempting to cool off in the sweltering summer heat, skinny bulls grazing on what had been grass, and most of all, people just walking, and walking. They just kept going forward, in all directions. Where to, I wonder? The road ahead was, literally to nowhere.
Maidens Hotel greeted us next, where we showered (thank god!) and took a much needed nap, before leaving for dinner. Once again, our trusty bus dropped us off at the Imperial Hotel which was close to Connaught Place, where scores of shops awaited our presence, and our wallets.
Naturally, as told, beggars were aplenty. Carrying their toddlers and beging for money, it was not a nice sight to bear. I feel bad that I can’t give them any money, but I don’t feel bad enough to give them money (mainly because every beggar will start coming to you).
Speaking of beggars, I fear them, especially if they use children. There is a need for a balance in society, and I’m sorry that you had to be in the unprivileged half. We also learnt that if you were born in India, you have a decent 50% chance to be born into wealth, and another 50% to be born onto the streets. And then you live with it for the rest of your life.
At night, the homeless laid on the sidewalks with their babies on their sides, animals roaming around their bodies, and traffic roaring inches from where they slept. All that was in front of us, and all some of us could think of was where was the closest liquor store. How bratty are we getting? Only 8 hours in a foreign country where you claim you want to learn about their culture, only to revert back to your old lifestyle right away.
At the end of the day, I caught a little ice breaker of what India had to offer. I saw the nice (the Hotel, that’s basically it for now), and the ugly (pretty much everything else). However, I did see our similarities – MacDonalds, the highly anticipated Harry Potter book, and the color of our palms.
This was written after my first day in India. Will hopefully have more chances to update! Leave me a message!
Labels: Study Abroad 2007