Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Change of Heart
I do not wish to recant my initial opinion about India, because that is how I felt at the time. However, after spending more time there, I feel obligated to add to it. I am amazed at how a place that at first glance was described as "dirty" and "poor", became one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, upon taking a closer look.
In the beginning, I could not get past the culture shock, but once I allowed myself to step outside of my comfort zone, I was able to not only accept India's differences, but embrace them. Ultimately, what I found was a society that works, and works well.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dharavi
After returning from our 10 day trek throughout India and friends and family are asking about out experience; our trip through Dharavi remains one of the most unique experiences. Although we had learned about Dharavi prior to departure (the vast size, redevelopment plans, and a revenue of of about $700M a year) our 2 hour tour with Reality Tours, questioned our prior perceptions.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Genpact (cont'd)
Ivon
Coming Soon...Final Thoughts :)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
US Embassy Officials and Genpact
More on Genpact...TBC (My laptop battery is dying and I don't have the right charger!)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Emotional Overload
My fascination with India began with my love of their food. Throughout the years I have made friends with many people who call India home. My friend Romila even jokingly refers to me as an "Indian magnet", because wherever I go, I always wind up inadvertently befriending an Indian person.
Prior to my long awaited journey to India, I felt quite prepared. My dear friend Rema had told me so much about the Hindu Gods, the caste system, proper greetings, the rich culture, and she even touched on the fact that there was a lot of poverty here. But nothing she could have told me would have prepared me for what I've seen with my own two eyes. It has been so overwhelming I don't even know where to begin.
With all due respect to everyone with any lineage to India, particularly Delhi, this is the poorest, dirtiest, poverty stricken country that I have ever seen. A bus ride from one place to another consists of men urinating in the streets, children covered in dirt and grime, malnourished animals, sharing the road with pedestrians, horse drawn carriages, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and garbage as far as the eye could see.
A trip to the market was like no market visit I could imagine. The streets were filled to capacity with people who looked like they just may be desperate enough to do anything, and quite frankly, I just didn't feel safe. I clutched my purse the entire time as I impatiently counted down the time until I'd be safe on the bus again and on my way to my beautiful westernized hotel room.
An early morning stop at the train station included what I would typically view as an invasion of privacy, as the train station appeared to serve as the bedrooms to entire families. Everyone just walked over them as if it were normal. Nothing I've seen here wold meet my criteria for normalcy and it has been extremely difficult for me to process. During my short stay here, I've taken several opportunities to just sit and cry. My emotions are running wild. Partly due to the fact that I am incredibly empathetic in nature, but also because I have a great deal of guilt, as I think about my own life in the U.S. and how I unconsciously take so much for granted on a daily basis.
Overall, I'd say this experience is eye opening and one that everyone should experience, should they be given the opportunity. I've witnessed a lot in a very short period of time, and to think…this is only the beginning.
-Ronda Miles
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Our trip to the Taj Mahal was amazing! The journey started early in the morning with a 5am departure from the hotel and an early morning train ride from Delhi to Agra. The trip took about 2 and a half hours but was enjoyable. We saw the sun rise over miles of pristine farmland. When we arrived at Agra we transferred to a bus, which took us to the Taj Mahal. What an amazing place! It’s difficult to describe in words how beautiful the Taj Mahal is. I had such an amazing experience and am thankful that I had the opportunity to visit. After touring the mausoleum we headed back to our bus for a tour of Fort Agra and then to an upscale Indian lunch at a close by restaurant. The trip back to Delhi was by bus and took very long and bumpy. Along the way we passed numerous villages, farms and rest stops. I’m looking forward to our visit to Bangalore and Mumbai later this week.