Much to my surprise, it has only taken me a week to fall in love with India! These feelings are feelings I have never quite had for a place before, and I have seen some beautiful places. No, these are feelings of love for a society, for a culture and what it stands for. India, to me, stands for faith, devotion, family, community, love, kindness, hospitality, living for the moment, and being proud of who you are and what you do. Don't get me wrong, it is not all warm and fuzzy here, but these are some of the fundamental ideas and primary principles around which the culture operates. On the other hand, I could just as easily discuss India and oppression, obligation, prejudice, sexism, classism, greed, and corruption. However, I have decided to save that for another time. Now it is time to talk about the India that I have fallen in love with. 
Recently, I have had many quiet hours to sit and contemplate all the new things I have encountered thus far in India. The quiet hours stem from the not so pleasant fact that I unknowingly ate some yogurt that was mixed with local water. Need I say more??? Anyway, these quiet hours allowed me the time to think about the principles by which Indian people live their lives. Faith and devotion spring to the top of that list. Our driver, Prakash, took me around the city the other day to show me various temples. First, I was so overcome by the monuments themselves, that I failed to notice what was going on with the people around us. Finally, by the third temple we visited, I began to realize the actual meaning of these temples. You mean this isn't just an amazing monument for me to visit barefoot while donating 10 rupees (US $0.25) just to observe and take in? No, these were statues of Gods and places of worship. People around me were on their knees praying for what they needed most in life, whatever that may be. This city is filled with temples like these, and they are almost always covered with people. To have so much faith, even in a society that may not treat you fairly, is astonishing to me. I want to know the secret to this mystery.
Family and the love of family, and the community this creates is another core value in Indian life. People live as family units their entire lives. Grandparents, parents, sons and daughters, and grandchildren all under one roof (and usually a small roof at that!) Family is a priority here, perhaps even the number one priority to many. Prakash often drives 2 hours each way to his family's village just to spend a few hours with his family. Since he merely "stays" in the city to earn money for his family, and goes "home" when he has the time off. This devotion to one's family is quite remarkable to me, yet completely the norm here all at the same time.
Kindness and hospitality are also very important in this culture. Prakash has been nothing but indicative of this the entire time we have been here. He took me to the outdoor market and bargained for me to show me how to do it and how much the real price of things should be. The other day, we needed to buy two towels and Prakash went into the store ahead of Jon to ask the price, so that when Jon went in and they tried to charge him twice as much, Prakash wouldn't let them. Prakash has also taken us to a few local South Indian restaurants where he helped us order good food and translated for us when needed. He is always very worried about "Ma'am" not having too spicy of food at these restaurants, since I told him that it has a tendency to upset my stomach. By the way, "Ma'am" has apparently become my new name in India. Hopefully, we will get to the point where Prakash just calls me Mandi. The hospitality is incredible and everyone seems so willing to give of themselves what they can, including the woman who's apartment we were looking at that invited us for tea.
Living for the moment and being proud of who you are is probably one of the most valuable pieces of India that I am hoping to take with me. Nothing is rushed through just to get onto the next thing here, which is the way that I feel I have lived most of my life so far. Our society in the U.S. teaches us to never be satisfied with what we have and always try to achieve more. Here, everything has purpose and everyone has purpose. No matter what caste or what job you occupy, you can be proud of who you are and what role you play in society. People go about their lives living in the moment and living life. Time has fluidity and no one acts like you are wasting theirs.
The other day when driving, Jon asked Prakash if people driving here get road rage much because of all the crazy traffic. Prakash just couldn't seem to comprehend this concept. Why would people get so angry about the traffic, when that is just the way it is? Imagine what driving in the U.S. might be like if this were the case. Do people even have high blood pressure in India?
I love India for these and many other reasons. I think it is a beautiful and serene place at the same time that it is a dirty and oppressive place. I know over the next year India will teach me many valuable lessons about life and what it means to truly live it. Each day I seem to wake with a childlike wonder and excitement for what I am going to see and experience for the first time, and how much I am going to learn from it. What an amazing voyage of self and worldly discovery. I am so grateful for this experience and am ready to dive in and truly experience India and all it has to offer.
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