INDIA: TII… This is India, became the motto. What an experience! By the time I decided I wanted to participate in a second study abroad, I was a sophomore at UW. That fall, in 2010 I applied to study abroad in India and Rwanda, not really having a preference over any program. I was first accepted into the Rwanda program and I confirmed my attendance right away, even though I had not heard from the India program. I just wanted to go somewhere- anywhere! A week after confirming my attendance, I received an email from the Rwanda program coordinator, apologizing because she had to cancel the trip due to insufficient students committing to attend. I was disappointed but I now turned my sights over to India… luckily I was accepted! At this point, I did not know much about India. From what I had seen through the media, I gathered it was a colorful country with lots of people that exploded into a bollywood production at any given time. I expected that an Aladdin-like adventure would be waiting for me. Boy was I in for a different kind of reality.
Monsoon season was in full-swing when we arrived in Mumbai. The US was also facing a type of monsoon – hurricane Irene on the east coast, which delayed our flight by 3 days. I recall running to the airport with my good friend, James to see what was going to happen with our flights, since most flights were being cancelled. They moved us to Lufthansa airline and while it was upsetting to miss out on 3 days of India, it was also a blessing in disguise because I had more time to pack up my apartment and to participate in my hometown parade as Miss Seafair.
When we finally arrived in India, I felt like I was in a different world. There was a thick humidity in the air as we walked through the airport late at night, in search of our luggage. It seemed that every pair of eyes were on us, weighing us down along with the humidity. Once we got through the airport, we had a van waiting for us. We did not speak Hindi and the driver spoke no english. But we trusted that he would get us to the Hotel. During the drive, we realized that every rule we knew about the rules of the road was of no use here. What should have been 3 lanes in the road became about 8 intertwining paths of controlled chaos.
My arrival, along with every experience I had in India was so rich in every element of the senses. Highlights from my month-long excursion around the country include: visiting the Taj Mahal, riding elephants along an ancient palace in Jaipur, followed by a camel around a carnival that same day. We built a water tank for a school as our group volunteer project, we met the Melinda Gates of India and we visited the second-largest slum in the world, where scenes from my favorite movie, “Slumdog Millionaire” were filmed.
India is a land of contrasts, where old meets new and where chaos makes sense. I yearn to go back and I know I will make it happen sooner than later. From the food, to the colors and the saris, I miss India everyday.
Here is what I wrote about the Taj during my trip:
We were ready by 6am and on our way to visit one of the seven wonders of the World- The Taj Mahal! The elegant and pristine white structure inspired you to say nothing but WOW as soon as your eyes caught glimpse of the magnificent tomb that is visited by thousands of people every year. The romantic history behind the construction of the Taj is quite touching. The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz was the wife he loved the most, according to our tour guide.
The Taj is recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art” in India. We all took some amazing photographs in front of the structure and most of us got to go inside but in all honesty, the outside is a lot more interesting in my opinion. I had a mini photoshoot session- couldn’t help myself!
We left Agra, made a pit-stop at Red Fort, from which the Taj Mahal was visible and as always, very vibrant. Our lunch consisted of McDonald’s and we made it to Delhi after a 4-hour bus ride. Delhi, A City of Cities!
Being in India thus far has been amazing! While there are many challenges we face everyday, I cannot help but think how fortunate I am to be here. As I was growing up, I always said I wanted to see the world, and as I see India, I realize anything is possible!
Ciao Bella! 