My Summer in One Word

Dynamic. Of course, that’s a total cop out. Basically a way of saying that there is no one word to describe my experiences. However it is entirely relevant. India is a massive country, and I spent time in ten different major cities, and two smaller villages. I spent three weeks doing a whirlwind tour of Northern India with my mother, 6 weeks interning for Ubuntu at Work at their rural workspaces, and one week vacationing on the shores of Goa. Not only did I see an array of places, but I had an array of experiences. 

While traveling with my mother, I often felt overwhelmed, trying to see and do too many things in too short of a time. There was great anticipation for each new city to which we ventured. My breath was taken away by the splendor of the Taj Mahal, and my heart disillusioned by the poverty of Kolkata streets. But most of all, it was an invaluable opportunity to see, to learn, to confront my own prejudices and privileges, and to build a deeper, more mature relationship with my mother. I heard a million and one stories of her reckless days, was inspired and consoled by her, and constantly realized that I have become just like her. 

While interning for Ubuntu, my emotions ranged from bored, when production was low, to motived and driven, when initiating new projects. There were many challenging aspects of village life, yet I gained unique perspectives. Much of what I saw and learned at the workspaces was reinforcing of that which I had studied or learned about only in theory. There were times I felt my efforts were futile, there were breakthroughs, and there were many moments of enlightenment and inspiration. Fortunately, all the interns had a good sense of humor, which allowed us to adapt to a different lifestyle, and find amusement in our own personal struggles. 

And Goa. Well that was just absurdly fun. Refreshing and relaxing, but also full of adventure. 

On my final bus ride from the rural village of Kodagahalli, back to Bangalore, I made a series of lists to summarize my experiences: my #thirdworldproblems, things I used to take for granted, and things I’ll miss. 

Disclaimer: The first two lists are in no way meant to be a series of complaints. Rather, they are personal acknowledgements of my realizations of my privileges and cultural biases. In reality, they were all things to which I adapted. I was actually laughing incessantly on the bus as I made these lists, highly amused as I reflected on my own struggles. 

#Thirdworldproblems

1. No clean clothes- can’t hang them up to dry, due to monsoon rains. 
2. Bus is stalled, a cow or a herd of goats chilling on the road.
3. Falling asleep, watching the spiders above you, or lizards skittering across the wall.
4. Cashier doesn’t have change, gives you candies instead.
5. Current? No current. Current- 6 o’clock. (“Current” refers to electricity. The power was more off than on in Kodagahalli. Often it was planned power outages due to a shortage, but regardless, the kids would always just make up some designated time to tell us it would return). 
6. Couldn’t sleep in. The cows outside my window were moo-ing like my brother singing along to his screamo.
7. Pedestrians watch out, elephants have the right of way. 
8. No such thing as inconspicuous. This white face is always being examined in this much more racially homogenous society. 

Things I took for granted, prior to this experience

Toilets.

Internet.

Electricity.

Personal Space.

Privacy.

Silverware.

Crosswalks.

Protein. 

Things I’ll Miss

1. The women of the Kodagahalli workspace. Latha’s sass. Kumary laughing uproariously and applauding every time I utilized my minimal Kannada vocabulary. Nila sticking her tongue out at me. Palavi’s constant dancing and leadership. Mahadevi’s requests that I dance. 
2. The children. Rahul knocking at all hours of the day. Israr’s quiet but stoic presence, and his attempts to “manage” the other children for us. Akshita’s brilliance and speedy english. Salman Khan’s mischievous smile. Bindu and Prianca constantly climbing on me. Sagar’s mad dancing skills. 
3. The staff and other interns. Harish rubbing his temples in concern. Kusum and Vibha’s constant support and inspiration. James’s facial expressions and reactions. Neelofer’s endless sweet tooth. Lily’s constant energy. Dave’s approachability and superb listening skills. 
4. FOOD. Masala dosa. Bugies. Chicken Tikka Masala. McSpicy. Even ana samber. 
5. The spices and rich flavors. 
6. Coffee comprised of 90% milk and sugar.
7. Gobi manchuri, samosas, and baby bananas off the street
8. End of meal fennel (no more edible additions to this list, I swear) 
9. Bucket showers (I feel great about how little water I use each time) 
10. Having everything I learn in school be relevant (I was constantly rattling off stats about everything from the role of women in development, to how many times you have to fold a sari in order for it to sufficiently filter out cholera bacteria)
11. Speaking sarcastically to the women and children in English, in order to vent my frustrations without actually offending anyone.
12. The fresh air blowing through your hair on a scooter or rickshaw.
13. Infusing gender equality values in response to the children's comments, such as “that’s a man’s work” or “Indian boys are strong” 
14. Zoning out on the bus, and just listening to jams while seeing a whole new world pass by.
15. No mobile, no texting. Freedom from constant connection.
16. The kids’ constant excitement, love, and attention. 

And now... off to SRI LANKA!