I promise I won't make every blog post into a lesson, but I felt this one was appropriate.
Today marked a week since I've been in New Delhi. In the past 7 days I have seen some of the most beautiful things in the world as well as some of the ugliest. Spending my weekdays in the slums of this city have opened my eyes to living conditions that many people cannot comprehend, and most people ignore. I have learned to deal with flies that are not intimidated by endless swatting and smells that permeate through multiple layers of fabric acting as an ad hoc air filter. I have also dealt with seeing young children walking through dangerous New Delhi traffic to knock on car windows begging people to buy bouquets of flowers for what I imagine to be very little money to those in the car but a fortune to those doing the begging. In spite of all this, my time at Asha has also shown me the true beauty that humans are capable of. The warmth and kindness of the people I have come across as an Asha volunteer is unlike anything I have experienced before. The silly little games and dances that the slum children have taught me will stay with me forever and will never fail to put a smile on my face. Observing the slums and meeting members of the various slum communities has been a real rewarding experience for me, and I am a bit ashamed to say that I am a little shocked by it.
This weekend was my first foray into the sights and sounds of New Delhi outside C-9 and Asha. Saturday was mostly a relaxing day that involved sleeping in, reading on the balcony, and attending a Bihu celebration with our Assamese neighbors. Yesterday we ventured to Dilli Haat, an amazing outdoor market filled with crafts, clothes, jewelry, food, and music. Pictures did not do it justice so I filmed a little clip for you all to see:
Wishing you all a beautiful week,
A
Today marked a week since I've been in New Delhi. In the past 7 days I have seen some of the most beautiful things in the world as well as some of the ugliest. Spending my weekdays in the slums of this city have opened my eyes to living conditions that many people cannot comprehend, and most people ignore. I have learned to deal with flies that are not intimidated by endless swatting and smells that permeate through multiple layers of fabric acting as an ad hoc air filter. I have also dealt with seeing young children walking through dangerous New Delhi traffic to knock on car windows begging people to buy bouquets of flowers for what I imagine to be very little money to those in the car but a fortune to those doing the begging. In spite of all this, my time at Asha has also shown me the true beauty that humans are capable of. The warmth and kindness of the people I have come across as an Asha volunteer is unlike anything I have experienced before. The silly little games and dances that the slum children have taught me will stay with me forever and will never fail to put a smile on my face. Observing the slums and meeting members of the various slum communities has been a real rewarding experience for me, and I am a bit ashamed to say that I am a little shocked by it.
This weekend was my first foray into the sights and sounds of New Delhi outside C-9 and Asha. Saturday was mostly a relaxing day that involved sleeping in, reading on the balcony, and attending a Bihu celebration with our Assamese neighbors. Yesterday we ventured to Dilli Haat, an amazing outdoor market filled with crafts, clothes, jewelry, food, and music. Pictures did not do it justice so I filmed a little clip for you all to see:
We ate momos (steamed vegetable dumplings), drank fruit beer (fruity soda), shopped, and took in all the gorgeous artwork the vendors had to offer. After a few hours we planned to visit Qutub Minar but made a last minute gametime decision to go home because we were so tired. After getting out of our metro stop, we noticed a beautiful red statue not too far from where we were and made another gametime decision to go check it out.
The statue of Lord Hanuman is quite likely the most incredible statue I have ever seen in my life. I am not a Hindu nor do I know much about Hinduism but I followed Siya's example and walked around the base of the statue 5 times. A Hanuman devotee placed a third eye on my forehead and gave me a small book of Hanuman prayers. As I walked around in circles, I felt an overwhelming sensation of calm and belonging. This man could see I had no idea why I was walking around the statue but instead of ignoring me or asking me questions as to why I was there, he simply shared with me something he values and passed along one of his traditions. I will be back to see Lord Hanuman and will hopefully learn more about him through his devotees.
We were lucky enough to be able to see the statue in daylight and in the evening. While it was just as beautiful in the daytime, it took on an otherworldly glow when it got dark.
How can one city be one of the most beautiful places in the world yet contain some of the most ugly sights known to man? This is the question I've been asking myself (and my flatmates) for the past week. I have yet to find an answer and I'm beginning to doubt I even can. All I know is that I feel so lucky to be here and am so grateful that I have been able to connect to New Delhi and its people so quickly. I am prepared to take the good with the bad because at the end of the day, the beautiful outweighs the ugly and I feel happier than I did the day before. Here's to the next 5 weeks getting better and better...
I'm ending this post with a picture of my flatmates and me. We've only known each other for a week but in that time we've become a family that laughs together, eats together, explores together, and grows together. I am so, so, so lucky to be able to share my time here with them and cannot wait to create even more memories with them to blog about.
They have also been blogging, so hop on over to their blogs and read their perspectives on their time here:
Frankie: http://slummingit.wordpress.com/
A
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