I wonder if its possible to have a love affair that lasts forever
-- Andy Warhol
I returned from spending 4 1/2 weeks in India last night and have been reviewing my journal, trying to make sense of the things that I experienced. Despite how quickly that time went by, I think of my first few days and the things that I felt and experienced and it just seems lightyears away.
I arrived in Delhi on December 6, at 2 am Indian time, which was 1 pm Boston time. Flight was without incidence and, despite my insecurities, someone from my volunteer organization had sent a driver to get me.
I struggled to make conversation (I'm sure the driver just wanted to sleep) and gazed out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the city which was covered in thick white fog or smoke.
"Has there been a fire recently?" I naively asked.
Actually Delhi, as well as many other Indian cities, is just so polluted that it is always densely covered in smog. Lucky for me, when photographed it kind of just looks like a mystical mist. Unlucky, it was a struggle to breathe and I developed an upper respiratory infection during my second week (which I treated with azithromycin, Indian regimen 500 mg for 3 days).
Back at volunteer headquarters, I immediately fell asleep. I struggled to wake up the next morning and met the other volunteers. After socializing, we were given a 30 minute introduction to India, Hinduism, and Hindi. I had unknowingly went through 2 middle men for the volunteer placement, so all of us were to be split up into separate projects. Only one other volunteer, a 20 year old American male, and I were doing the HIV program, which was based out of Jaipur. We went with the coordinator afterwards to get a bus.
After 10 minutes of waiting for a bus, the coordinator decided his time was not to be wasted and started to arrange for us to go by cab. I saw a man approaching. He was covered in white and red face paint, adorned with jewelry, and while his chest was bare, he had cloth hanging about his neck. I looked down and noticed he had a decorative dagger on a belt about his waist... and nothing else on.
I averted my gaze so as not to see his unholy genitals. He came right to my face and was muttering something in, most likely, Hindi. He showed me a sixth finger growing out of the side of each pinkie and wiggled them for me. This must be where he got his holy powers. He then moved on to the other American and proceeded to bless him.
We were thankfully saved by the coordinator who had finished arranging the cab and jumped into the car. The holy man kept his head pressed close to the car window, still chanting, but thankfully the car door blocked view of his genitals.
"I just saw that man's penis." the American said.
Welcome to India. This is going to be an adventure.
-- Andy Warhol
I returned from spending 4 1/2 weeks in India last night and have been reviewing my journal, trying to make sense of the things that I experienced. Despite how quickly that time went by, I think of my first few days and the things that I felt and experienced and it just seems lightyears away.
I arrived in Delhi on December 6, at 2 am Indian time, which was 1 pm Boston time. Flight was without incidence and, despite my insecurities, someone from my volunteer organization had sent a driver to get me.
I struggled to make conversation (I'm sure the driver just wanted to sleep) and gazed out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the city which was covered in thick white fog or smoke.
"Has there been a fire recently?" I naively asked.
Actually Delhi, as well as many other Indian cities, is just so polluted that it is always densely covered in smog. Lucky for me, when photographed it kind of just looks like a mystical mist. Unlucky, it was a struggle to breathe and I developed an upper respiratory infection during my second week (which I treated with azithromycin, Indian regimen 500 mg for 3 days).
Back at volunteer headquarters, I immediately fell asleep. I struggled to wake up the next morning and met the other volunteers. After socializing, we were given a 30 minute introduction to India, Hinduism, and Hindi. I had unknowingly went through 2 middle men for the volunteer placement, so all of us were to be split up into separate projects. Only one other volunteer, a 20 year old American male, and I were doing the HIV program, which was based out of Jaipur. We went with the coordinator afterwards to get a bus.
After 10 minutes of waiting for a bus, the coordinator decided his time was not to be wasted and started to arrange for us to go by cab. I saw a man approaching. He was covered in white and red face paint, adorned with jewelry, and while his chest was bare, he had cloth hanging about his neck. I looked down and noticed he had a decorative dagger on a belt about his waist... and nothing else on.
I averted my gaze so as not to see his unholy genitals. He came right to my face and was muttering something in, most likely, Hindi. He showed me a sixth finger growing out of the side of each pinkie and wiggled them for me. This must be where he got his holy powers. He then moved on to the other American and proceeded to bless him.
We were thankfully saved by the coordinator who had finished arranging the cab and jumped into the car. The holy man kept his head pressed close to the car window, still chanting, but thankfully the car door blocked view of his genitals.
"I just saw that man's penis." the American said.
Welcome to India. This is going to be an adventure.
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