12/30 Downtown & Taking It All In

Sunday morning a group of us decided to take rickhaws to downtown for our first shopping excursion. I felt like I was in a video game! The narrow roads somehow fit bikes, motos, huge buses, small cars, cows, vendors, and walkers. At one point, I was holding my camera out to take a picture of the other students in the rickshaw beside me and within a blink of an eye a side mirror of a scooter almost snatched my camera. (And Karl captured the shocking look on my face.) Eventually, we made it downtown. Ten of us ended up spending a couple of hours in the scarves and silk store along mainstreet. Vibrant silk scarves and traditional Indian clothes were stacked high and the owner showed us over a hundred different items. By the time we were all done shopping, the shop probably generated 3 months worth of revenue ($1 is equivalent to around 40 rb.) Then later that evening our whole group had a formal dinner with the faculty of the Institute at one at an Indian palace. Pulling up to the extravagant complex seemed surreal. (Or even like we were participates in that ridiculous reality show, The Bachelor.)

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I am truly blessed to be here and experience this life. I have had considerable time to think about what is truly important life. Every day I see the extremities of poverty and wealth. Truthfully it's discomforting to ride in a luxurious vehicle and pass by the empty-handed. The stench of sewage is overwhelming; and watching the cows and other animals graze on garbage is disheartening...And yet, whenever I see the Indian children my heart melts. Their big brown eyes, eager faces, and broken English are just too adorable. The Indian women's traditional dress is extremely mesmerizing, as well. In short, my senses are overloading.