Sitting here in Ahmedabad (where I grew up), sipping on chai and having a flashback of my one week spent in India. I am not sure whether this is good or bad, but it feels like its already been a month since I landed.
This country has changed or I have adapted to its way of being, is still a mystery for me but I do feel a bit more comfortable than I did when i last visited India, in summer. I think the cool weather helps as well. Not as irritated as I was this summer, burning in 50 degree celcius.... Yikes... With that said, let me share few experiences with you.
My observation so far: If you have never been to India, please be prepared to be stared and gawked at to the point where you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. NO, seriously, this is not a joke. People stare at you constantly and make you wonder whether there is something wrong with you but the honest truth is, thats just how it is here. People stare and judge you and that comes easy for Indians. They may not even know you but they have made up a story about you before you even look them back in the eye. That's just India :) Please do not take this the wrong way, people usually are very nice here as well but most of the times it comes with a judgement.
After going for a long morning walk on Juhu Beach in Mumbai, the best part to look forward to was the fresh squeezed juices that you get at every stall, major intersections on the side streets of India. You also get healthy Indian breakfast; ex: Idli sambhar and few other options. Love that about this place. After a long walk, health is right around the corner for you, just Rs. 10.00 away. haha
Another observation: People believe that there is a certain age limit for everything in this country...ex: finish school by certain age, get married by 25- 26, have children by 30 and so on and so forth. In last one week, I realized I actually don't fit in any of these categories. I feel "out of the box". In San Francisco, it was so much easier being 33 and single but in India you certainly have to find your own box.
Yes, I have been experiencing culture shock. Engagements/ Marriages over here feel like a fashion show competition, of who is wearing the latest style and the newest jewelry. Certain theaters make you stand up for the national anthem before the movie starts...All in all, it has been an interesting experience. Still a lot to sit with, to digest, to figure out...Half my life in India, other half in the U.S. Will I adjust again here or will it always remain a mystery? I guess, we'll find out...
Missing my friends
Love and Light
