Traveling in India is a terrific adventure, full of random experiences and sometimes chaos. Inevitably, it brings up many levels of fear, anxiety, excitement and confusion. "Change-overs" are the most stressful... Arriving in a new place and navigating to the train; negotiating with rickshaws and taxis on prices; crowds; cities; unfamiliar places and cultural norms... There are safety issues; feelings of vulnerability; Ben discovered someone trying to pick his pocket... There is staring, begging, and entrepeneurs vying for your business with whatever they are selling. There is fear that one of your trains or buses will be late and you will miss your connection; and then there's the "time-killing" in the dirty, crowded stations when your train or bus IS late. There's fear of being split up in a crowd; being groped by a sexually repressed man who thinks that because you are foreign, the rules of bodily respect no longer apply. There are lines which are more like mosh-pits, where everyone shoves their way to the front, even when boarding a train in which there is plenty of time and everyone has a seat... Even before people have de-boarded. And then there is all of the above... When you are alone.
But these experiences are fertile ground for growth. It feels good to be pushed beyond our comfort zone. As each experience unfolds, there is the aftermath of grace and ease as you realize it wasn't so bad... You survived, and actually...ironically...it was kinda fun... Funny how the actual experience differs from the perceived experience, and reality rarely ends up the way we expect it to....
We arrived into Delhi on time and made it to the old Delhi train station with more than enough time to spare. We've been at the station for 3 hours now and our train is delayed 2 more hours. We found a waiting room for first class passengers which is only slightly nicer than waiting outside, but at least we have seats and a plug to charge our devices.
The ride from Gaya to Delhi was great! We had an AC sleeper car, and were seated in a compartment with an exceptionally entertaining family. They were quite modern and the young man (probably in his late teens) spoke wonderful English. The "Auntie" was loads of fun and very outspoken for an Indian women. I was quite surprised. There were 2 young daughters in their late teens; two slightly older boys; two Aunties; an Uncle and Nanny. They fired many questions at us about our lives and travels, and wanted us to ask them questions about India. They were shocked that ben was 6yrs younger than I, and appalled that we didn't have any children yet. We should almost be grandparents by now! The exuberant Auntie said that Ben was her new son and that I was her daughter in law, which they call "Babi". The rest of the trip i was referred to by the whole family as "Babi".
My new mother-in-law insisted on dressing me up in a sari, and pulled out a very beautiful light blue 6 meter piece of fabric. She wrapped me in about 6 different styles from different places in India while Ben took pics. The family roared with delight and I was loving this cultural exchange. It was a rare experience to connect with the locals and I was thrilled with the opportunity to finally see how they manage this saree thing. I felt like a princess. They collected their bangles for me to put on my wrists; and my "mother-in-law" annointed me with a red dot on my third eye and a red smudge on my forehead at my hairline. To my absolute horror, she then smeared dark red lipstick on my lips, which resulted in a round of oohs and ahhs at how nice it looked on me. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror with the cockeyed makeup on and felt like a 5 yr playing in my mothers makeup. I do not think it looked in any way appealing, an though quite mortified, I humored them and chalked it up to a cultural experience. It was fun.
Our new family helped to make sure we got up for our arrival at 5am. Thankfully, as there were no signs at the stations, no announcers, no real way of knowing when you arrive.
We said our goodbyes and exchanged information so we could stay connected on Facebook. If there is one thing Facebook is good for, it's a way to keep in touch with the local people we meet where we might otherwise have no way. They love to get on and see all our pictures; where we have been; what our lives have been like... A pretty neat way to connect culturally!
One hour left to go... Ben is on his third cup of coffee and I, my second cup of chai... Actually, chai just means black tea with milk... The yummy spicy flavorful drink we call "chai" in the states is rarely found here; replaced with its far less tasty (but still decent) double- "a masala chai"... Signifying that you want the spices in your tea.. Then you get a small pinch... Ahh.. Not complaining though! Chai is a great excuse to relax and chat at any time of day, and I'm quite fond of the ritual.
Well, onward and upward! Literally, as we head up to those picturesque and long anticipated Himalayan mountains.... Enthusiastic and inspired, here we come!
No comments:
Post a Comment