India

INDIA

I recently got a position at an IT Consulting firm. The on-boarding entails travel around the states with a few weeks in India. I have witnessed poverty throughout Eastern Europe, but nothing compares to a 3rd world country. A man ran across the street today with a dirty, ripped shirt saying, "Before you judge me, make sure you are perfect."  That altered my initial perspective on how I viewed others in this country.

So here are some of my experiences:

*Renaissance Mumbai*

• Men pee everywhere, and let me emphasis on that, these aren't 6 year old boys, but ages starting at 45+. They will pullover on the highway or street and just do their business in the open (at least they face the opposite direction). 

• Cows just chill everywhere. They will casually take up a lane or two. People just dodge them and the rickshaws squeeze through any possible inch available. 

• The Indian motto "guests are gods" ( in Hindi: Atithi dēvatā haiṁ) is definitely lived up to. I feel like royalty with this treatment. My day is 10x better as they greet me with Namaste and a warm smile. They are so cute. It is the best hospitality in the world.

• I was advised to stay away from street food, but I'm not going to lie, it was tempting. However, after speaking to my Indian friend, she advised me not to go near it. She explain that she avoids it especially during the Monsoon season. The rain collects all the pollution and in turns falls all over the food. 

The Gateway of India:

Where my blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin attract every Indian. I was just handed children. Their parents would do the Indian head bobble (yes and no head motion weave), and smile which implied to take a picture with their kid. After about 30+ photos we had to escape the commotion. So the 20 of us got our own boat & headed across the dirty lake to Elephant Island.

Elephant Island:

This tiny island is filled with trash, stray dogs, and cows (+ the psycho monkeys). If you did not have a tight hold on your belongings, it was snatched instantaneously. My friend bought a bag of chips and put them in his pocket. A few seconds later he felt a tiny hand reaching for them. These monkeys are little thieves. Now, I love dogs. Whenever a scene in a movie shows a situation where the dog or human needs to be saved, I vote for the dog every time. However, these stray dogs were nasty. They were gimping around, just begging for food. I didn't even want to look at them. And I am certain they had rabies.

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The division of rich and poor is so drastic here, it is uncomfortable to see. There is a man in the petroleum industry who owns a 27 story building with 600 servants. The first four levels are just for his cars. It is mind boggling to comprehend. Driving to and from work you see the slums on the muddy hills and the penthouses on top of buildings facing the lake. Ground level looking up to the 5 story penthouses is basically night and day. The streets are trash. Literally there are just piles of trash with dogs rummaging through it. The slums are aluminum sheets held up with sticks tied together. Blue tarps are thrown over the roofs. Rocks are scattered on top of the tarps so the monsoon rain can flow off.