Culture Shock

September 20, 2009 – One week into my Indian Odyssey…. For a westerner traveling in India all I can say is,,,,, it’s Intense! One moment I’m loving it, the next moment I’m like, “Get me the Hell out of Here!” India is all about culture shock. The first week for me has been a roller coaster ride of feelings and emotions. I’ve seen beautiful things. I’ve seen ugly things. I’ve had good times. I’ve had bad times. All this goes without saying that I’m still adjusting and have only seen a small portion of India thus far. So, what do I think as of now?….

As I’ve said before India is a land of many contrasts. There is so much spiritual beauty, incredible history, interesting sites etc. etc. but there are also a lot of things that are not so pretty. Firstly, it’s very dirty everywhere by Western standards. Some places are better than others and if you’re willing to spend a little extra money you can get a pretty nice hotel room. That’s about the only way to escape it without heading up into the high Himalaya. India is by far the dirtiest place I’ve ever traveled and sometimes it can be hard to just find a little bit of clean space. You really have to be careful with food and water which is always an issue. Poverty is everywhere and at times heart wrenching. I’m really affected by the poverty and I don’t think I could ever get use to it. It’s everywhere and in your face. Anyone who thinks there’s poverty in America is sorely mistaken!!!! I know its all relative but imagine just one example. Families living under dirty tarps on a sidewalk next to busy streets in Delhi. Actually, you can find families living under dirty makeshift tarps and ramshackle corrugated tin homes just about everywhere with garbage all about not to mention human waste. The toilets on the streets of Delhi look as though they have never been cleaned once. Nobody uses toilet paper here. The left hand and a cup of water are just fine…Should I go on????.

Hassles, noise, and people everywhere make it very difficult to get around. If someone approaches you all friendly on the street, they can’t be trusted. Scams abound. There’s nothing easy about getting anywhere and I’ve had the good fortune of an Indian friend helping me out. It’s just difficult no matter what. The noise is constant in the villages and cities. It’s pounding. You can’t imagine it unless you’ve been here. Again, the extra money for a nice hotel room is your best chance for a little peace and quiet. Life is hard in India and everything is intense…
So, why am I here? I guess I just wanted the experience and let me tell you, I’m having one heck of an experience! That’s the attraction. Everything is so incredibly different. I mean, Everything! No need to fly off in a rocket ship for an out of this world experience. Just come to India. It will boggle the mind. I’ve barely begun to figure it out. Don’t get me wrong. There are many beautiful things to see in India. That’s why I’m here in the first place. It will be interesting to see what my take on things is after a couple of more weeks. I’m still culture shocked with a little over 4 weeks to go in this crazy challenge I’ve put upon myself… I think if you can travel on your own in India. You can travel anywhere. I‘m already thinking about that sleepy little village called Bangkok where I’ll be returning to when I complete my adventures in India…