Here are the quotes I promised from the students' response papers titled "India: First Impressions," written after their experiences in Kolkata, the overnight train to Gaya, and their first day in Bodh Gaya -- enjoy...
Graham - (internally) I can feel the attention people are giving me; I feel powerful and important
Reuben - organized insanity; horn-happy language used by drivers for lack of traffic rules; simple, yet delicious food; passionate/bright people, curious and eager to share a conversation; Indians are un-fazeable; impressive colonial buildings slowly disintegrating; motorcyclists in India are asking to die.
Audre - The following adjectives aptly describe my first impressions of India: loud, odoriferous, ripe, foul, busy, full, invasive, intense, astounding. Kolkata was one big blur of all those above things and I found the cacophony of smells and sounds and sights to be very different from beautiful Thailand (which I miss dearly, having been suddenly thrust into India). I'm really looking forward to Varanasi, Amritsar, and Dharamsala! However, I can safely say I will be very happy to return to Thailand at the end of the trip.
Robin - Waking up in Kolkata, eyes open slowly. This isn't Thailand, it feels different. Eyes peer back, not in wonder, but subtle wisdoms wisping through deep eyes. Time inches to a standstill once again. I'm forced to live here and now, every sight and smell; I am forced to go into myself .. I'm looking for answers but for now, I'm just here. I have witnessed great joy and equally terrible suffering. India is everything I know now. I breathe it and live it, leaving everything I thought I was sure about behind, wiping the slate clean and hoping I don't fall through the cracks.
Joan - I have been in India two days and it is very different than any place I have ever been. After we got off the plane we got into taxis and the traffic was crazier than in Peru ... Then we walked to dinner; you have to dash across the street at the right time if you want to live. ... We all got in a bus and I looked out the window and watched what was going by: carts being pulled by one person, carts being pulled by a biker, people washing themselves, dishes, their teeth, beggars and cripples, etc. ... (in Bodh Gaya) we went to the temple and there were tons of monks there because they were celebrating some guru's birthday. There were also tons of beggars. They have fluffy, frizzy, dirty hair, stained, faded clothing, and darker skin than most of the other Indians.
Kevin - India is not the cesspool-filled country portrayed by the media as being dirty, unfriendly, unwelcoming. India is simply an anomaly. There's the Western way and the Indian way. Getting across streets becomes a harrowing journey, and when no trashcan is available trash is simply discarded. India is filled with temples with absolute beauty. But around that architecture comes great poverty. Talking to people in the streets, India has great national pride and a different way of doing any task that will make you stop and wonder or push your buttons in some way. India is a journey to the inner self where the things you hate the most you'll see the most often, allowing for the conquering of fears and realizations about oneself and others.
Joe - If you compared Thailand to a lamb, India would be a lion. ... They are different; different population, language, level of noise. However, two things have been constant so far; the hospitality I receive and the depth of the culture around me. So far I love it here. I guess if anything it's "face paced" over here. People here tend to be a lot more outgoing and I already have made some friends. I can't wait to see more of India.
Dylan - India is .... well, India. There's no other way to describe it. Unless you have firsthand witnessed and experienced it, there's no way you can understand it. It's insane, intense, incredibly noisy, and riding in any vehicle is akin to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The food's good when it doesn't turn your mouth into a raging inferno, and there's nothing like an ice-cold Mazaa. It's quite the hair-raising adventure, and even on my second time through, there's no way to prepare myself for what's in store.
Claire - I got off the plane to smells that I didn't particularly like, the deafening sound of thousands of horns. The country so far seemed a bit dirtier than what I had expected. The car ride would wake anyone up, anyone with cars wedging themselves into tight gaps and then honking to mark their territory, trying to make sure that no one would steal their spot. .. thick layers of dust covered everything. It was most noticeable on the tree leaves.
Robert - Wow, what can I say about the first two days in India? It's overwhelming to say the least. I never thought I would see Mother Teresa's grave and a goat sacrifice within two hours of each other. For years I've tried to imagine what India is like, after hearing so many stories and seeing pictures. I still couldn't understand what everyone was talking about. Just within the first few minutes of being here I felt like I understood. The chaos, the smell, the massive amounts of people and cars. But it's more than that, it's something that I think is impossible to put into words.
Iris - (internal) Maybe because there's never a lack of interaction with Indians, I feel less alien and completely separate here in India than in Thailand. I'm so glad I'm here; there isn't anywhere I'd rather be right now. The crippled and deformed are really hard for me to look at, which is something I never thought I'd have a hard time with. I force myself to look at them, though, or else I think it's shameful; everyone deserves appreciation and acknowledgment. So India forces me to not only talk the talk but also to walk the walk. (external) The people are really curious and always game for a chat. Bathing is a communal and public affair, two adjectives I'd never use to describe an American's washing experience. Indians love to stare and don't mind being caught in the act. Horns, horns, horns, and HONKS! People are always together either in groups or in pairs, talking or holding hands; community and friendship are obviously important here. There's never an end to the movement.
No comments:
Post a Comment