Today we (14 of the interns) are leaving for two days in Delhi and one day in Agra. My group leaves, thank goodness, having our project finalized. We will are doing a combination of tree-planting and rainwater harvesting, at a school that has an unused rainwater system, a large schoolyard with not much shade, and 26 enthusiastic kids. In a community that has a multitude of uses for and knowledge of various tree species, we are really excited to involve many of them in this initiative where kids will get to actually plant their own trees!
At this halfway point of our trip, I've come to think about many of the expectations that have been created and also destroyed throughout:
-It turns out, Indian food is not just curry. I've actually only had something called "curry" once since being here! While I do miss the many food choices offered in the US, Indian food really does have an enormous variety.
-"Tribal villages" although the first time I heard about the Adivassi's/Tribals, as they are called here, it was in the context of a violence, I have well moved beyond that as my understanding. Thank goodness! When I looked into this more, the Adivassis are the original inhabitors of India who have shaped its culture, and violence is not at all representative of their existence throughout India.
And many more I will have to share when we get back from our trip!
Not to be the stereo-typical tourist, but hopefully you will get to take a peak at the Taj Mahal while in Agra! I'm interested to hear more about how your expectations were changed throughout the trip, it sounds pretty fascinating! Glad to hear everything is going so well!
ReplyDeleteLauren! What an amazing experience! It's so good to read your reflections, it's probably so eye opening to be in India for such a long time! Enjoy Delhi!
ReplyDeleteGuillermo