Whatever you say about India, the opposite is also true...
"Whatever you say about India, the opposite is also true..." I guess this is the best possible description of the country where cows roam around IT complexes and where modern technology is surrounded by garbage. Some of the people who come here hate India for what it is, some love it for the same reasons. Many find it spiritual and inspiring, while others notice increasing rat-race and get annoyed by lack of privacy and ever-present “businesspeople” trying to offer you the business of your life.
Defining India is very difficult. Moreover, I don’t really think it is possible at all! But does one really need to have everything figured out to enjoy it?
My first contact with India was through my sister. She went to Bangalore to teach in one of the private schools there. It was a 3-month-long assignment only, but when she was back home, it was obvious she would be back in India one day. And she was, some time later she went back for a year-long contract to the very same place. At the very same time fate brought me to Asia as well, quite close by actually – I was offered a contract in Sri Lanka. And this is from Sri Lanka that I came here for the first time. And it was Sri Lanka that was my “benchmark” for Asia. While for many Europeans (especially those who have never visited either of the courtiers or only one of them) India and Ceylon may seem identical, for me the differences were obvious, although not always easy to articulate. In spite of “physical” similarities – autorickshaws, saris, skinny dogs and crazy traffic, I could feel there is something “in the air” that makes each of the countries unique. Not “better” or “worse”, but simply different. (By the way – one of my lessons in life was that definitive and good-bad comparisons and judgments never do any good if you want to understand any other culture). My first encounter with India was a short one - only 3 weeks and most of the time here I spent in a hotel, as the purpose of my trip was a conference (sponsored by TATA Steel actually). One thing I knew – I’ll be back.
When I set my feet on Indian ground for the second time, I knew I would have more chances to feel local flavors as I was in Chennai, I had big backpack with me, Lonely Planet guide in my hand and return ticket from Delhi dated 4 weeks later. And a limited budget.
A striking thing here is the approach people have towards traveling. While for a European or a “Westerner” (since I come from what is referred to as “Eastern Europe” it is a mental challenge to consider myself as a “westerner”) it is the destination that matters and the trip itself should lead directly where you want to get, here it is the traveling that brings the meaning to the destination point. Waiting several hours for a train is as significant as traveling, which in turn is as meaningful as arriving at wherever you were heading to.
The funny thing is that the same things annoy you in India and later you thank God (or gods) for sending them at you. You curse the crowd whenever your personal space is violated and then you bless it as there is always someone who can help. You hate the taxi-wallahs for offering their services even if you just used the service but when you arrive late at night alone in a strange place you bless them for taking you to a place where you can rest and eat something. You feel proud when you are asked about your fatherland, but when “which country” rings in you ear for the 57th time that day you feel like wearing “I’m from…; I’m not married; I don’t have a rupee” t-shirt which I saw on sales in Darjeeling.
I have precisely planned my trip well in advance. Then I changed it. Then I changed it again. Then I changed once more. New destinations appeared and disappeared every day. The initial plan had little to do with the actual, but that is also the beauty of traveling independently – you are free to choose what you do next. If you find some place exciting, you can stay a day extra or if a place disappoints you, you can pack your things and move on. Kolkata appeared on my
itinerary more or less when I was in the middle of my trip. I was here even during my first trip to India, but it was only a transit point then. Was it a chance or a destiny – who knows? I spent here a couple of days and headed back to Poland. I knew again – I’ll be back. This time my resolution was easier to fulfill, since I was offered a contract with TCS and my trip home was basically for the purpose of a proper visa.
And here I am again in India, again in Kolkata, experiencing diversity of the country in my everyday life. Do I speak the local language? Is understanding thinking patterns easy? Not always. But that does not stop me from enjoying living here and from respecting my new home.
Defining India is very difficult. Moreover, I don’t really think it is possible at all! But does one really need to have everything figured out to enjoy it?
My first contact with India was through my sister. She went to Bangalore to teach in one of the private schools there. It was a 3-month-long assignment only, but when she was back home, it was obvious she would be back in India one day. And she was, some time later she went back for a year-long contract to the very same place. At the very same time fate brought me to Asia as well, quite close by actually – I was offered a contract in Sri Lanka. And this is from Sri Lanka that I came here for the first time. And it was Sri Lanka that was my “benchmark” for Asia. While for many Europeans (especially those who have never visited either of the courtiers or only one of them) India and Ceylon may seem identical, for me the differences were obvious, although not always easy to articulate. In spite of “physical” similarities – autorickshaws, saris, skinny dogs and crazy traffic, I could feel there is something “in the air” that makes each of the countries unique. Not “better” or “worse”, but simply different. (By the way – one of my lessons in life was that definitive and good-bad comparisons and judgments never do any good if you want to understand any other culture). My first encounter with India was a short one - only 3 weeks and most of the time here I spent in a hotel, as the purpose of my trip was a conference (sponsored by TATA Steel actually). One thing I knew – I’ll be back.
When I set my feet on Indian ground for the second time, I knew I would have more chances to feel local flavors as I was in Chennai, I had big backpack with me, Lonely Planet guide in my hand and return ticket from Delhi dated 4 weeks later. And a limited budget.
A striking thing here is the approach people have towards traveling. While for a European or a “Westerner” (since I come from what is referred to as “Eastern Europe” it is a mental challenge to consider myself as a “westerner”) it is the destination that matters and the trip itself should lead directly where you want to get, here it is the traveling that brings the meaning to the destination point. Waiting several hours for a train is as significant as traveling, which in turn is as meaningful as arriving at wherever you were heading to.
The funny thing is that the same things annoy you in India and later you thank God (or gods) for sending them at you. You curse the crowd whenever your personal space is violated and then you bless it as there is always someone who can help. You hate the taxi-wallahs for offering their services even if you just used the service but when you arrive late at night alone in a strange place you bless them for taking you to a place where you can rest and eat something. You feel proud when you are asked about your fatherland, but when “which country” rings in you ear for the 57th time that day you feel like wearing “I’m from…; I’m not married; I don’t have a rupee” t-shirt which I saw on sales in Darjeeling.
I have precisely planned my trip well in advance. Then I changed it. Then I changed it again. Then I changed once more. New destinations appeared and disappeared every day. The initial plan had little to do with the actual, but that is also the beauty of traveling independently – you are free to choose what you do next. If you find some place exciting, you can stay a day extra or if a place disappoints you, you can pack your things and move on. Kolkata appeared on my
itinerary more or less when I was in the middle of my trip. I was here even during my first trip to India, but it was only a transit point then. Was it a chance or a destiny – who knows? I spent here a couple of days and headed back to Poland. I knew again – I’ll be back. This time my resolution was easier to fulfill, since I was offered a contract with TCS and my trip home was basically for the purpose of a proper visa.
And here I am again in India, again in Kolkata, experiencing diversity of the country in my everyday life. Do I speak the local language? Is understanding thinking patterns easy? Not always. But that does not stop me from enjoying living here and from respecting my new home.
posted by AdamG at 9:14 PM
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