Mumbai in Pictures

Homes on the side of the road.

Laundry is a big profession in Mumbai.  You can drop your clothes at the front desk of your hotel in the morning and they will be picked up and brought to this wash basin location.  They are very accurate with labeling and returning clothing.  Only 1 in 1000 pieces of clothing gets lost.

A little boy I met on a morning walk.

 Cricket is one of the most popular games played in India.  Here children are playing cricket on the Beach.

Hubli, Karnataka

Hubli. Many people in India have never heard of the city.  It is a smaller city in India with about one million residents.  It is quiet, traditional and a bit rural.  It is also our place of residence for the next five weeks.  My blog, as you can see, has not been updated for sometime and that is due to the lack of accessible internet for the last week.

We arrived in Hubli six days ago.  As I stepped off the plane I was reminded of home.  Farms and fields covered the rolling hills and a gentle breeze was blowing.  It was wonderful.  Definitely more relaxing and cleaner than Mumbai. 

The 23 of us, piled in a mini bus, and I mean smushed into a bus and took off towards our new home.  There were many differences in the driving done in the United States and that of Hubli.  First, the people in India drive on the opposite side of the street than us.  That is always difficult when I cross the street because I ALWAYS look the wrong direction.  Second, the driver drives on the right side of the car.... it may not seem crazy but it took a little getting used to.  Beyond the opposites, people here have no rules when it comes to driving.  There are no lanes, hardly any speed limits and well it is a free for all on the road, which can be a little nerve racking!  Drivers use their horns to let cars know if they are approaching behind them and if you are a pedestrian, well you just better watch out because you definitely do not have the right of way.  AND. I don't think Indian officials care if you have a lawyer.

Upon arriving at the guest house I was presently surprised with our living quarters.  Each room is equipped with it's own bathroom and we were supplied with beds and sheets.  The room even has a fan so we have a nice breeze while we sleep.

I must say, Hubli made a great first impression on me and much of the group!  We are really getting used to the simple life.

first impressions

Mumbai: also known as the city of dreams.  To those in the United States it may not look like a city of dreams but to the people of India it is filled with opportunity and hope.  Bollywood is popular, jobs are available but rare and many people travel here is search of accomplishing a dream.  It is a modern city with an estimated 17 million people thriving in the streets daily.  During the daytime people are out and about selling crafts, working, eating the rich Indian food and embracing the rich cultures of many.  At night the scene is completing different.  We arrived in Mumbai at 2am on Sunday morning.  As I watched out the window of the bus my heart immediately began to melt.  My mind was racing and all I could think about was how lucky I was.  There were children curled up in balls on the streets.  Their pillow, the nearest rock next to them.  Stray dogs roaming the street, goats and cows on leashes... At night Mumbai literally becomes a hotel.  Not like the five star hotel American tourists are used to staying in but the Motel 8 with the blinking lights and bug infested beds.  Until you see Mumbai, I don't think you can really grasp the reality.

Now although I just described some of the blue news... Mumbai is a metropolis.  A city thriving with growth and industry.  While many people are becoming rich with the booming economy, many people are being left behind.  The gap between the rich and the poor is growing rapidly.  Mumbai is home to the biggest slums in India.  When I say slums, I do not mean like the poor ghetto in American, but tin boards covered with plastics sheets and no running water or electricity.  Today we drove by the slums where the movie Slumdog Millionaire was taped.  Although many people love the movie in the U.S. It was very controversial in India because most Indians do not like the way the country was portrayed.  The reality is though the movie was very accurate.  There are many parts of India that have yet to be developed but also many parts that are prospering daily.

India thus far has been one big learning experience and it is only day 2... Much more to come!  And now I must catch the bus cause off to rural India we go!

Politics

An article in the New York Times... Indian Politics

Three days until reality sets in.  I'm still in surreal mode and living through articles printed about India.

Enjoy.

Democracy?

When you hear the word democracy, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  My first thoughts were United States of America, freedom, and voting.  When I think of a democracy, it is hard to get my mind off the U.S. because that is where we live, isn’t it? Yes.

After reading and reading and literally shoving my head in books to finish the endless amounts of reading that have been assigned this past month, I have learned so much more about what life can be like living in a democracy.  India, the biggest democracy in the world, is so much different than that of the United States.  It was established differently, is at times run differently and to a certain extent is more successful than certain aspects of the American democracy.

In a lecture last week focused on talking about Indian politics, we learned about the history of Indians democratic system and several leaders who have shaped and contributed to the Indian government.  One thing that surprised me was how involved the citizens of India are in electing officials, and getting involved in elections.  In India, elections take place in five phases and at five different locations around the country because so many people come out to the polls and for safety reasons they have the entire Indian army present at the poll booths.  Besides the voter turnout, the other aspect I found unique about India’s democracy was the political parties. Unlike the United States, India has multiple political parties, not just two.  India does not elect officials based on a majority but plurality instead.  In the United States we usually identify as a Republican or Democrat and if you’re independent you probably have views of both parties but in India they vote for a candidate. I wonder what the United States would be like, how our government would be, if we had multiple political parties? hmm…. It would be interesting to view the United States in that environment.

India seems like a spectacular country. I love it a little more each time I read something about it.  I am going into this trip with a completely open mind because I know the entire experience with be different than anything I have ever experiences and it will be completely different than life in the U.S. I am excited. Excited to wear their clothing, practice some of their beliefs, learn a bit of the language and last but not least observe their politics. 11 days.

The title for my blog, Namaste, was chosen with careful meaning. In case you cannot read the above definition it says, "I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one." I think this is the perfect start to my adventure to India. Namaste everyone.