I remember the first time I set foot on the Indian subcontinent, almost 20 years ago now. I was a college student, and lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel during my winter break. I am an only child and traveling was a huge part of my formative years, thanks to my awesome parents.
However, I had never left the Western Hemisphere, much less to a ‘developing’ country like India. Mumbai (where we initially landed) was a feast for my senses- the smell of the humid sea air intermixed with Eau de Kachra [my coined phrase for the smell of burning trash], the sight of people, cars, animals everywhere, in some sort of incredible organized chaos. The sound of auto-rickshaws revving, horns beeping, Koyals vocalizing, chai and vegetable wallas selling their wares. The feeling as a wave of heat and humidity enveloped me like a welcoming hug from a close relative (yes, I love heat and humidity- always have!). And of course, the tastes- oh, the tastes. Panipuri! Vada-pao! My first taste of the best pao-bhajji at Cannon, washed down with a swig of Limca.
I won’t pretend that my first experiences in India were all roses and daisies- I couldn’t ignore the feeling of overwhelm re: the inescapable signs of poverty. This was something I’d been completely sheltered from, and was a harsh reality. Also, becoming accustomed to being the minority race! I was initially ashamed to even admit this, but it is, of course, normal human nature. So many stares [insert my husband’s coined phrase- the “mandatory stare” or “MS”], which I now realize, is, in most cases, simply curiosity. I now know to smile and keep on moving.
Rambling aside, I distinctly remember returning to the Mumbai airport after a whirlwind two week vacation, and feeling that I was leaving a bit of myself behind. As the plane took off, I knew then that somehow, my newfound connection to India would have an immense impact on my life.
As for this (online) diary, feel free to view it in any order, but if you’d like to start chronologically, I’d suggest starting with this one first, and working backwards from there – Permission to Practice in India falls into place!
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