Mind blowing, phenomenal, nothing like I’ve ever seen or imagined- in less than my 10 hours here, I’ve had more first time experiences than I’ve probably had in the last 10 months. In my 40 minutes walking around shopping from saris, I’ve had more eye-popping, jaw dropping, breath gasping experiences than I’ve probably ever experienced in any single compact, continuous moment.
Blow my mind….
1. Motorized rickshaws.
One of India’s prominent means of transportation (imagine a bunch of yellow toy cars crazily zigzagging around, with no consideration to traffic lights, other vehicles and other pedestrians). I remember being most shocked to realize that they actually have breaks and will actually stop for you if you are in the middle of the road while attempting to cross it.
Our toy car supposedly holds three passengers, but Bill insists that he saw at least 10 people crammed into one!
My foray into the unknown:
Bana and I decided to be adventurous and take a motorized rickshaw in our quest for Indian wear…wow. We had to hang unto our seat for dear life, in our pathetic attempt not to fly outside, as our driver did some driving feats that are understandably outlawed in the west. We survived to tell the tale though (note to self: find out about the road accident and fatality rate here).
2. People’s apparent fearlessness in crossing the street.
Okay, so this doesn’t sound like much, I mean it’s a narrow, two-lane, two-way street. But imagine having rush hour traffic from the I-64 highway crammed onto these narrow, two-lane, two-way streets…then picture 5 clueless foreigners trying to navigate this traffic flow…you should fearing for our lives and limbs at this time!
In attempting to cross the street I’ve had my life flash before me at least 3 times, I think I’ve even seen the fabled light at the end of the tunnel (of course that could be several on coming headlights all blurred into one).
3. Bare feet school kids.
Three girls in their matching blue school uniforms with white cotton shirts walk in front of me, happily holding hands, smiling gaily, skipping along the pitch road. They are about 9 – 10 years old. The two on the end wear socks and shoes, the one in the middle wears bare feat, caked with dust and calluses. They skip along the road – to them nothing is out of the ordinary. They eventually cross the street, easily navigating the chaotic roads that leave my group of five - supposedly adult, experienced MBAs - extremely intimidated.
4. I’m not Indian
When you see me, you’d generally assume I’m Indian. It won’t be a bad assumption- I’m brown skinned with black hair, all my ancestors except one Spanish grand-mother hails from the shores of India.
I’ve grown up in Trinidad and Tobago, a melting pot of different ethnic races, cultures and lifestyles. I’ve grown up in the midst of countless Indian temples and Muslim mosques, been to various religious ceremonies and festivals, eaten our version of Indian foods and had members of both sides of my family expound on the characteristics of Hinduism (on my mom’s side) and Islam (on my dad’s side).
But I despite this outward similarities, I think I’m more foreign than some of my Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Who cares though? This is my personal journey, my process of self discovery. I haven’t even begun to unravel the significance of this realization to me yet, except to note that I do acknowledge that some profound shift seems imminent.
But, I guess for everyone else, I want to stress the huge gap between the cultures that I’ve noted. It is true that globalization has taken hold with the effect of making the world smaller. It is also true that American culture plays a dominant effect on this globalized community. I know this, yet I was so unprepared for the huge gap between the world I know and the world I see in Hyderabad. As I stepped out of the airport, on my way to the hotel, in my hunt for Indian clothing, I was amazed by the distinctly unique feel of the place. I stress again, this has been an experience that I have not been able to find anywhere else, and that would be almost impossible to imitate outside of India. This fact will definitely warrant huge consideration as we proceed in suggesting alternatives for reaching the people at the bottom of the pyramid in India.
Well, off to day two- wish me luck in my adventures!
I had a blast in India- enjoyed everything about it...the food, the people, the hustle and bustle and all-round activity of the place.
