As soon as my flight docked, I couldn’t help but feel this queasiness in my stomach. Mostly I believe it was due to the fact that I didn’t sleep much on my flights, but it was also a result of the combination of my intense excitement about arriving in India as well as some anxiety. I’d been bombarded with all sorts of useful information prior to my flight – don’t ever leave your bags out of your sight, keep your passport hidden, etc., etc. …the usual stuff, except the advise was embellished with many detailed examples from my advisors’ personal experiences. As a kid, I remembered spending a lot of time going through customs, but the process was unbelievably uneventful and hassle-free. So, I arrived in Mumbai safe, but more importantly all my bags reached safe and sound as well.
The Indian friends I made on my flights kept warning me that I was in for a “total shock”. You see, the last time I visited India was 7 years ago. Apparently a lot has changed in 7 years ;*) I wasn’t sure if I should expect a completely different city when I arrived or not, but the moment I stepped off of the plane, I sensed something very very familiar, and at that moment I gained comfort in realizing that things may be changing, but many things are the same. There is this distinct odor that I has been imprinted in my memory from my childhood visits to temples or on mass transit systems in India - the smell of Indian people. Now, I’m not saying this is a good smell, nor am I trying reinforce preconcieved impressions - rather as strange as it may sound, I felt a sense of security when the airport’s smell and look remained very familiar to me. Which also means that aside from a few noticeable changes to improve services, the airport really hasn’t changed since my childhood visits in the 80’s.
On the road from the airport to my relative’s house it was indeed difficult to recognize many landmarks, due to the development, yet familiarity of the city still exists. Simply put there is a lot of residential construction going on right now and the name of the game is to build-UP. Although many of the slum areas that served as landmarks to destinations no longer exist (there is an interesting slum relocation phenomenon occurring in the city steered by the private sector, of all people, as a result of the enormous increases in property values). It was exciting to still be able to recognize the streets that wind past my grandparents flat (Suvida) and shop as well as the Ghatkopar train station - These are the places I spent my childhood summers.
Most of the day I unpacked and slept. While things are definitely familiar, I can’t say that I am not experiencing any culture shock at all. I defi
nitely made a double take upon realizing I was to take a ‘tumbler’/faucet bath vs. a shower (saves a LOT of water). And though I came prepared with toilet paper, the lack of toilet paper stumped me still. And lastly, yes, it is hot. I have this constant glisten on my face b/c I cannot stop sweating – so I can’t stop drinking water, so I can't stop visiting the restroom :*) So weather I'm bathing with a shower or a trickle of water, as I'm constantly sweating water on the body is a GOOD. Another little observation I’ve made is that our household only has one trash bin inside of it – which tells me one of two things – either people in India use things until there’s only a stump left (which is true) or people are still throwing trash out their windows (yet to be confirmed).
After taking a 5 hour ‘nap’, I made my mom proud. This time of year is a very auspicious time in India for two reasons. Traditionally Hinduism follows the lunar calendar and every 3 years instead of only 12 months, a 13th month is ‘granted by God’ to people to "do God’s work". So, in the auspicious month the first place I visited in India was a temple (Haveli). The smell of the jasmine garlands was so strong it overpowered that ever present smells of the city.
The Indian friends I made on my flights kept warning me that I was in for a “total shock”. You see, the last time I visited India was 7 years ago. Apparently a lot has changed in 7 years ;*) I wasn’t sure if I should expect a completely different city when I arrived or not, but the moment I stepped off of the plane, I sensed something very very familiar, and at that moment I gained comfort in realizing that things may be changing, but many things are the same. There is this distinct odor that I has been imprinted in my memory from my childhood visits to temples or on mass transit systems in India - the smell of Indian people. Now, I’m not saying this is a good smell, nor am I trying reinforce preconcieved impressions - rather as strange as it may sound, I felt a sense of security when the airport’s smell and look remained very familiar to me. Which also means that aside from a few noticeable changes to improve services, the airport really hasn’t changed since my childhood visits in the 80’s.
On the road from the airport to my relative’s house it was indeed difficult to recognize many landmarks, due to the development, yet familiarity of the city still exists. Simply put there is a lot of residential construction going on right now and the name of the game is to build-UP. Although many of the slum areas that served as landmarks to destinations no longer exist (there is an interesting slum relocation phenomenon occurring in the city steered by the private sector, of all people, as a result of the enormous increases in property values). It was exciting to still be able to recognize the streets that wind past my grandparents flat (Suvida) and shop as well as the Ghatkopar train station - These are the places I spent my childhood summers.Most of the day I unpacked and slept. While things are definitely familiar, I can’t say that I am not experiencing any culture shock at all. I defi
nitely made a double take upon realizing I was to take a ‘tumbler’/faucet bath vs. a shower (saves a LOT of water). And though I came prepared with toilet paper, the lack of toilet paper stumped me still. And lastly, yes, it is hot. I have this constant glisten on my face b/c I cannot stop sweating – so I can’t stop drinking water, so I can't stop visiting the restroom :*) So weather I'm bathing with a shower or a trickle of water, as I'm constantly sweating water on the body is a GOOD. Another little observation I’ve made is that our household only has one trash bin inside of it – which tells me one of two things – either people in India use things until there’s only a stump left (which is true) or people are still throwing trash out their windows (yet to be confirmed).After taking a 5 hour ‘nap’, I made my mom proud. This time of year is a very auspicious time in India for two reasons. Traditionally Hinduism follows the lunar calendar and every 3 years instead of only 12 months, a 13th month is ‘granted by God’ to people to "do God’s work". So, in the auspicious month the first place I visited in India was a temple (Haveli). The smell of the jasmine garlands was so strong it overpowered that ever present smells of the city.
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